The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-06-18
OM Y a WOMAN
ALONE IN TROUBLE

Ruth Harris and tomorrow may be
nothing. Maybe she Is to blame
for much, but after all she Is moth.
ing but a big, good-natured coun.
try town girl who came to Spokane
alone and became the jest Of the
unkindest fate that ever befalIs wo.
man.
It was not all unkind, for Wesley
laisure's part in 1t is the best that
could be made of an unfortunate
beginning, as beginning in wrong
is usually unfortunate, but 1t Is
only the shameful cowardice Of a
hypocriticaI world that will blame
more than pity the girl. And who
are they that judge her?
Put the case in the brutality plain
statement that after being rescued
from betrayal by marriage, which
though hampered by unfavorabIe
circumstances was still marriage
as valid and binding as any, she
has foohshIy thrown away all that
she gained and with it what pros.
pect she may have had for happi.
ness.
Admit that she has been false to
the responsibility Of motherhood
which was hers to have and to hold
although untimeIy and unfairly
placed upon her. Say that In spite
Of her condition and the circum.
stances of her case she has refused
to wait patiently and quietly until
the man who gave her his name
could be released from army claims
to do what he might for her. Con-
cede all that, and what is the con-
cIusion? What has she had to hope
for?
Beyond all that she is just the
same big-hearted, willfuI country
girl who had been unfortunate, and
who couldn't understand the long
hard course she had to travel to
atone for it. She was on her owr,
resources at the beginning of the
story, and after her release and
her marriage she was not much
better off.
Lieutenant Colonel Febiger al
Fort Wright refused to obtain Lais.
ure's discharge after the marriage
had been settled and the officer had
stated that discharge could be Sc
cured were laisure to plead guilty
to the statutory charge against him.
Ruth Laisure was certainly a
happy and hopeful girl until she
learned that the fort officer had no
intention of giving her her hus.
band, but expected to retain him
in the service and shortly take him
away to the Philippines. She In
the meanwhile would be expected
to care for herself and her babe on
half of Laisure's soldier salary OF
SIS per month, facing the risks OF
his getting killed or for some other
reason never coming back to her.
Enforced marriage is slender
thread to hold two young people
together with half the world and a
years absence between them. But
that, of course, was no serious mat.
ter for United States army off.
GER, representing the flower of our
chivalry, etc,
So the girl, unsophisticated and
beset by all the doubts and strange
moods of first motherhood, was left
alone in the unfriendIy town, al,
ways facing the prospect Of being
left to herself entirely in a few
weeks. The best Laisure could get
was leave from the fort at night,
which was all his company com.
mander could do in view of the
heartless attitude of the command
ing officer.
Now you good people Of the city
who profess to be followers of that
Nazarene who invited the stainless
Of the hooking crowd to cast the
first stone--how many of you look
ed up that poor, distracted coun-
try girl and tried to comfort or ad-
wise her?
How many Of you showed her
Continued on page SKI