Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-08-27
THE GOOD OLD TINES

view.
Through the haze of distance the
| hills lose their rugged aspects.
Time puts halos about the brows of
men and women that are dead,
Recently there has been a renais-
sance OF the fame OF Joan OF Are.
She has been made q saint-and de-
servedly So. But Joan OF Arc lived
so long ago that her virtues have
been exalted above that OF living
maidens.
Are there girls as heroic and as pa
triotic today?
Certainly.
Isaura Villanuveo, q Spanish woman
who melted the Yaqui Indians in their
justified revolt against the Mexican
government. was a modern Joan OF
Arc. Inundated. but heroic, she COM
mitted suicide few weeks ago by
stabbing herself nine times.
Isaura ViIlanuveo may not be canon.
lied saint In the years 70 come. but
her devotion and hsroism were as
great as that OF the Maid OF Orleans.
Nearly 1000 years ago lived a phil
anthropic woman named DoFcas.
A modest woman. she made clothes
for the destitute and won immortality
by her needle. Thousands OF Dorcas So
cieties have paid tribute to her memory.
Are there women like Dorcas today?
Thousands OF them.
Take the case OF Kate Barnard OF
Oklahoma. She is known as "the an
gel OF Oklahoma" She has clothed
and looked after a small army OF
children She has secured employ
ment for hundreds OF men and wo-
men. She has reformed men, rescued
women and saved little children.
And besides all this-the work OF a
hundred Dorcases-she has been a po-
tent influence in the organizati ton and
early legislation OF the new state.
Kate Barnard may never be sainteS
and VIII not go down In history as
Dorcas has-because Dorcas lived s.
long ago.
THE good old times?"
Why, these arc the best times the
world has ever known. Talk Of the
golden age" THIS IS THE GOLD
EN- AGE.
The trouble Is with our spectacles.
They are adjusted to long range
vision. and we cannot see the people
and things near us.
IL you yearn for the good old times
and overlook the GOOD NEW TIMES.
change your focus!
Men and women are not the better
because they have been dead a long
time.
Where one was brave or pure or
heroic In the old days there are a
thousand brave and pure and heroic
today.
a POLITE HUSBAND.
This is an unusual tale OF judicious
husband and n silly wife.
An Illinois man learned somehow
that his wife intended to eiope with
another man. He made no effort to
prevent the elopement. merely taking
care TO intercept the train on which
the wife departed at the station where
she was to meet her gay admirer.
The husband selected the psyche
logical moment when the couple ex-
changed the first greetings ON the sta
ton platform.
He stepped up to the clippers and,
raising his hat. remarked in well
modulated voice:
Pardon me. 1 am about to take this
lady home TO her MOTHER
The couple was taken by surprise.
The man in the case fidgeted mo-
ment and faded away. The woman
was so dazed she could offer no re-
monstrance.
She was hustled into a closed car
riage- Her husband mounted the box
with the driver. And thus she was
conveyed back to her starting point.
The husband escorted her to her
mothers door and, upon the appear
ance OF the mother, politely said:
Il beg your pardon. madam. but
have brought your daughter home"
He then went back 70 his work as II
nothing had happened.
Evidently this husband had sense
OF dramatic fitness that was opposed |
to the usual melodrama OF such occa-
sions. Certainly he did his act arts
tically and without heroics.
The sequel? The wife later on got /
a divorce on the charge OF desc:
tion." the husband, with admirable |
taste, refusing to make any defense in
court.
The I.othario, brave esquire of |
danes. never afterward appeared In
those parts.
Sensible husband!
He very well knew he could not pre-
vent the elopement Obstacles would
have made the woman more deter
mined
Besides
Where was the use OF making fuss
over a shallow. witless woman who
would leave good husband to go
away with an adventurer?
The woman herself was saved from
a worse fate.
Without doubt the sort OF fellow
who would entice wife would mis-
treat her sooner or later. That Is
usually the sad history Of such es-
'apades.
IL were better 10 suffer the smiles OF
he community than to crawl back
tome day I" her mothers door. Or
As for the husband. his actions were
infinitely potter than the husband
who shoots the admirer-or the wife.