Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-06
WAR HAS WROUGHT GREAT CHANGES
INANGLO-SAXON CHARACTERISTICS
Pacid Pretentious Pompous Dweers in Suburbia Lose
Dross of Caste and Pride in the Purifying Flame of the
Fire of High Aspiration and Achievement
Written Especially for EVening Ledger.
BY ELLEN ADAIR

Il never knew what living meant before
he observed with truly surprising necklaces.
''The thought of the old dull days and that
cursed office makes me tierd! To think that
was content to sit. day after day, at the
same old grind, never realizing what life
meant! Cad, what a blind fool I've beenl
Never again for me that sepuchreg'
you're getting a commission soon?"
some one inquired
Paterfamilias frowned 1T believe the
Colonel has recommended me for one" he
said airily, "but, matter of fact, I'd just
as soon remain in the ranks. You see as
much fighting either way, and I've a spe-
clal pal in my section that I hate to leave
He's one of the best and liveliest, n coster-
monger from Whitechapel way-devilish
good chap-used TO run an all-night fried
fish stand before the war"
We listened thunderstruck. Impossible
to believe that such rank heresy issued
from the once snobbish lips of the naughty
Mr.. Jones A costermonger from a fried.
fish standl But more was yet to follow.
THAT chap tells story better than any
raconteur I've ever known. oh, no, he's
not refined-he calls a spade a spade-his
stories aren't for the drawing room-but
brave2 Why. listen to what my coster
friend accomplishedF
1T was the other day up in the trenches
the Huns had been quite nasty, firing shrap-
mel from their field guns and having a long
and glorious hate We lost a few men
and got bit peeYiEh. Then the howitzers
began. God. twas awful You know the
stufr? 1t explodes ON impact. There was
nasty droning hoise then a smashing
conclusion. and the earth flew up in a
blackish yellow cloud. The air was singing
with bits of she'll
Then came a roar like nothing I'D ever
heard before. Friend cOster Bill was
hurled high into the air. and thudl he
Of nd
under the earth we went. suffoeating, chok-
ing buried deep In debris Gorblimey =
screams Bill, fighting for breath and doing
the Australian crawl swimming stroke. III
give the blasted 'Uns ell for this. so 'elp
me bobl T."
And sure enough he did. For when night
eame-"Eyer bayoneted I'm, old thing?'"
he inquiTed-and ! saw he meant business.
II believe ! have. said. But I'm willing
TO do 1t again."
so we crspt out cautiously into No
Mans-Land. A soaring star-shell showed
us the hgurss OF four Germans. out on
patrol. We followed them. We got them
too. Cad, till that moment I'd never known
what life meant Bill cracked the skulls
OF three OF them, and I accounted for the
fourth the thrill OF It ;"
The face Of quiet Mr.. Jones, of Surburbia
was abIaze. His breath was catching his
hands were shaking when sud
denly plaintiye little voice was heard out
side the door;
Daddy please come and kiss me good
night and baby's curly head came into
view.
There was a sudden silence. The queer
strange light died from the eyes Of the
speaker, and the hot nush faded He save
an awkward laugh, and when he rose 10
leave the room the wild look on his face
vas replaced by > very tender one :
fet We who had witnessed the little scene
-
70 thipk' In the last analysis what viii
the results of war be on tie lndlvidual9
no one kaoNs. Tbs future atone holds tha
secret i Fests on ne lap q he GODS.