The Washington times., 1916-01-23
Nations Heart ShOwS
At "Peace Battle Crv''
Patriotism, Dormant in Nearly Everyone, Comes to
the Surface in Audience as Stirring Film Is
Shown.
By FLORENCE E. YODER.

seems to come from the Ne:y door" ny,
tired backs straiyhten. c-dtH arc real
justed, pocketbooks Grasped anew.
and the goal is cached. Perhaps those
who 20 separately arc the ones who
see the other half of the performances
, the people.
side they are patient and stolid. but
once inside they become different human
beings entirely.
one septloman in the long line, who
looked quite as If he had rerer waited
for any,thns before In all ,,I e his IRE. Ire.
He was far enough back t. tc station.
cd near the exit where tie crowds
poured out after the performance. That
one thing" he continued. Yearly shtst-
other. was the sight Of the people
film
81 never saw such purpose written on
small snail 8 shabby by mar man just behind; in.
deed they Just make you feel as II You
| had to get inside and see that there
ill%m or bust: Yessirn, He .,es asked n,s ths f,s
| him. walked to tbs curb, spat renec-
! lively. and then stepped proudly INTO
, his place again, with witherins glance
Some folks couldn't be coaxed 20
see anything they are that SELFISH ne
jnsinuated, but he craned his neck Jus.
the same to SEQ whether or not nc
rssssr-hy was as ,Ta goirg n;,s to take MS p''1'
AnG when nc lid. the shabby l,aa
| sighed Contented'N and observed tnat
everybody in WASHINGTON would see me me
later this last with a grin at the un-
fortunates behini him.
One Woman Composed.
/ One woman was perfectly composed
during the whole long wait in the line.
| Her face was sweet. 1t was free from
any outward display of interest. 1t was
: easy to see that the only cause of hci
beins there at all were three small boys
from eight to fourteen, who wiggleo
three sets OF arms and legs at her side
, in continual sort OF acrobatic con-
cert.
A she entered the theatcr proper. the
| little boys dashed ahead OF her. and she
rca ched the doorway alone. The mass
i of people seemed TO push her back Ike g
! wall She made no attempt to look a.
the film. She seemed to he paralyzed.
4 With one hand half raised to take of
her hat. utterly regardless OF the boys
| who found a precious seat for her, anc
were calling, she stood transflXed. eaz,
ing at the hushed audience. which sat
in a strange. eSpectant silence, look
ing straight ahead.
Her glance came back to a woman
seated OF the aisle nearest her. as u
in the hope that there, In her prototype
~ she could perhaps discover the meaning
Of this mighty force which was slo"l!
:. .enveloping her. The one in the chan
was perhaps thirty-fire. with fair hair
a good forehead, and fine eyes. Sh'
might have been of more than middle
: height. but with her hunched shoulders
, and hand cupped in her chin. she looked
quito small
! As the newcomer watched she saw
the fingers OF the woman on the sisl'
press deep into her cheek and ret
glow steadily penetrate TO the small
cars. The nostrils nuivercd. she caush
her lower lip In her teeth.
/ Then suddenly something seemed t
snap, the woman in the chair straight
, ened and clappcd her hands furiousl;
while several hundred other people fol
, lowed her eXample-and quickly as
having suddenly been struck, the new
conner. hurried to her little bows. he
eyes wide, her breath coming fast, thrill
, Cd by the wild rontagIon OF somethin
| she knew than she had never before eI
pcrienced-patriotism.