The Washington herald., 1908-07-21
FROM WOMARS
POINT OF VIEW.

7 do rot want 70 live 20 see The day of
a noiseless Fourth 5f July" said a nan
after watching crowd Of boys gathered
about an inverted barrel dancing 10 the
tune OF popping crackers set on BY the
bunch and placed beneath II. Ny own
recouectons OF the day are too enjoyable
FOR ne to wish TO see any boy deprived
Of the happiness Of making a noise under
dangerous Circumstance
The man has no children. 50 he cannot
understand the anxiety Of mothers on q
day when The Law permits the public safe
y 10 be fuperiIed. He maintained that
the proportion Of accidents was small but
while granting that. Il must be said that
even the comparatively small number IS
unnecessary Ny sympathy IS not SO
much for the victim of careIessness as
for the unfortunate accidents 70 innocent
persons. the women. men. and children
manned for life by stray bullets, for in
stance
II would not matter the least BIT in the
world 10 ne that the injury which brings
ne suffering was intentional OF accident
al; and fancy Llet humanity IN general
feels the same way We live il perpetual
danger, that I know. but some OF u IS
unavoidable I insist thai firearms in the
possession Of irresponsible persons are
dangers that might be eliminated by law
Not even a Fourth of July celebration
should be an excuse for sending bullets
broadcast and II there were the sane
obstacles in the way OF purchasing these
missiles as are found in buying poison
We would be a little BIT better shielded
than We are at present
I was n position this year 20 observe
the effect Of the celebration Upon chill
dren- Almost without exception I found
small girls and boys cross and peevish
the day after IL one boy in nay naish-
borhood was downright I'll and nothing
more complicated than tired nerves aled
him The strain Of the incessant nolss
for more than twenty-four hours was too
much for him. and I am wondering II Il
is not paying heavy penalty for seuu-
ment
A man OF my acquaintance says yes il
most emphatic tones He believed in a
noisy Fourth I'll three years ago. when 8
cannon rebelled at an overchsrge Of pow
der and filed the skin OF his face with
powder His eyes we're saved by heroic
measures. but he viii always bear marks
10 refresh his memory. and celebrations
n the powder line 10 longer appeal 10
bin presume that careful people are
reasonably safe from consequences OF
their own acts, but nobody IS safe from
the other class
I have seen more cripples in the IasE
year than I remember 10 have seen in al
the previous years OF my lie together.
Accidents are responsible for the major
ity and surgery plays no unimportant
part. There are skilled hands 70 WELD
sharp instruments at any and all oppor-
tunity. and nobody doubts that zeal has
brought about some unnecessary cutting.
might have been among the number had
fate not interfered on one occasion. and
my own horror OF mutlation saved ne at
another tine. You see, an justified il
my doubts On the matter.
IN my childhood 7 received a bad injury
TO my right arm. The only avaHabIs
physician was q so-cslled quack with q
small practice. and 70 his patience ard
devotion owe deep thanks. A dozen
doctors declared later that amputation
was the only reasonable course. but he
held out so strongly as 70 inspire my
parents with confidence. a doctor who
ordered ne TO a hospital for a bone oper-
alton, exactly ike the one that deprived
two men whom have seen Of a leg each.
and by pieceneal at that, is still wonder
ing Why I am not a cripple dragging q
paralyzed leg after me know why. I
was cured by other means
BETTY BRADEEN
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