The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-21
Concerning Some Good People Who Think the War Presd9es
 the Ultimate End of the World
By DOLLY DALRYMPE4E
N HERE are some good people who
 profess to believe that the pres

" HERE are some good people who
 profess to believe that the pres
 .A ent war in Europe is really go- ing to result in a fulfillment of the divine prophecy concerning the ulti- mate end of the world.
 I heard the other day of one woman who went so far as to say soberly that she thought so, consequently there was no use to do any housecleaning this fall.
 Nation is certainly rising against na- tion, and the great tribulation that was to be- "such as was not since the be- ginning of the world" seems really at hand, yet it would be hard for me to believe that this war presages the end of all things earthly.
 Naturally, I know no more about 1t than the woman who regards it as un- necessary for her annual fall house cleaning, but we both have a right to our own dear opinions.
 In the face of many great catas- trophe it has been thought that the end of the world was near, and I'm Of the opinion that the best way to face the inevitable is to be found in doing our usual work; two shall be in the fie1d'-so goes the Biblical lore.
 Every day that draws to close brings us one step nearer home.
 We know it, yet while we are well and strong we put the thought aside one-and something we wish to forget.
 T+ our usual routine in the face of such stupendous changes as have occurred, but there is little that any of us can do except to show some Christian charity to the helpless, and if we have home and children, it seems to be our duty more than ever to look after them as carefully as we ever did before.
 I read the other day a very sen sible article on health" in which the written asserted that dirty people make dirty towns,' and that the req is that there are so many dirty people.
 My reference to this article is not in tended as a reflection upon the lady who thinks 1t is not worth while to clean house; because she thinks the world Is coming to an end soon, for l have a feeling that she will eventually get round to it, and find some com fort, too, in attending to her accus- toned labors; but the article about dirty people making dirty towns touched upon one essential point which has often been overlooked; namely, that laws concerning cleanliness are effective only when they reflect public opinion. Boards of health can go only so far, and unless residents In town wish to be clean it will be difficult to make the place itself clean.
 I recall a little story which has to do with things of this sort which I read once telling how the women in cer- tain seaport town got after their somnolent board of health" and had a "cleaning up week." It seems that the husband of the chairman of the "clean- ing-up" committee rather encouraged his energetic wife in her efforts to get the delinquent board at work, because, while she was so busily engaged in civic affairs, he was enjoying an un- usual peace and chuckling as he noticed a light coating of dust settling all over the heretofore immaculate house.
 There are some rather humorous touches in the story, especially where the women insisted upon the men clean ing up the beach, where the sea had always been the dumping ground, not the fact that the incom- ing tides usually returned what had been cast upon the outgoing waters.
 If the end of the world is really near at hand nothing that you or I can do will delay it; so why should we spend