Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-24
BY YvETTE GUILBERT

This war, II Is the failure OF man.
the proven failure of his civilization. the
frank avowal that his poor instincts
have remained In their brutal. primitive
condltion-the cruel. piteous admission
as to that single motive. which still fas-
cinates him and which IL sufficiently
Intoxicating to rally men In their thou
sands TO the banner OF one sole cause
that OF murder.
War has millions OF men at It's heels.
Christ has but twelve apostles. The GEN.
turtles that are past have furnished va.
rious examples. In pilgrimages, such as
that OF Compostella, some few men met
year by year TO fight together against
| their vices TO strive to diminish them
by the example OF remorse, and thus TO
purify the atmosphere of life and Of the
, duties imposed by honor.
| The crusades gathered together In their
thousands those heroes VINO we're fired
by an exalted poetical ideal TO 20 forth
20 defend a faith--the sanctifier OF their
energies, their defense amid the sorrows
Of the earth, and the vehicle of Bible
which, in testaments Shakespearean In
their crudlty. laid bare the vices Of that
day, which are equally those OF our
own tlme--lust. drunkenness, pride and
cupidity.
A few poets. that ia 20 say. a few
priests In their turn, formed brother
hoods TO make war after their fashion
war on corruption. a summons for the
restoration of abased bodies and souls,
yet, though they called men to life
nobly interpreted aRd lovingly carried
out. their recruits were but few In NUM-
Der. for the guerdom was merely-hap'
piness.
| Led away by men, women have, by
their completely. added to the list OF sins
and sinners. Misery goes on playing its
mechanical tune. while all humanity
reels on It's tragic dance In unison. nor
thinks to stay the faulty rhythm, the
hating cadence OF lifei life which ex-
cludes true happiness because men lack
civilization" and hitherto II Is they
who have directed the sentimental IN
fluences and the moral forces OF the
world.
God had a special object in making
the world round" II was In ORDER that
men might ever face one another ana
that II might be impossible for them 10
misunderstood each other. flee from. or
harm. one another square world
would have involved angles and corners
/
work a form full OF loving possibilities
And the centuries have rolled on. bring
ing no cure for mans turbulent instincts.
Naught has brought wisdom to man
evil heart-nelther the cross OF Christ
nor science, nor art, and no love OF
woman, of mothers or OF children mas
awaited to soften mans cruelty. and to-
day do men at last recognize that they
are so unworthy OF life that JOY and
sort OF sanguinary intoxication spur them
on 10 XIII each other. 10 diminish their
number? What a terrible lesson! What
a CHASTITY glimpse OF the reality OF the
truth!
oh, God; help US TO understand how IN
read the secrets Of the world, the mys-
terlous force which disfigures and UNI
musks man and summons him imperi-
ously to the sacrifices Of earlier CEN
turtles Is II an unconscious desire TO
purify the earth. 10 renew II and to
please Thee, o. God?
| Is Il Thine ordered WILL Lord, or tho
disorder of their Wtll2 The fact that
each OF them recognizes the necessity"
OF living after this war. after these muir
ders. on a new basis, and the necessity
OF modifying his way OF life" of lead
ing a new life-all these confessions. writ
ten and oft repeated. Of our wickedness-
have they reached even unto Thee? And
have they not found grace in Thine
eyes?
o Lord! II men have insulted life, Thy
gift and of a new era prepared by Thy
love. like the coming OF Thy Son upon
earth shalt now tighten the world. o
1 A. knIr he Nn
the accomplishment OF Thy holy Will
o Lord. set forth before my sisters
their new and imminent duties toward
Thee and toward themselves.
They shall offer unto Thee as penance
all the suffering OF the ever-repeated