The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-05-03
Enthusiasm


for Il human being. A certain color
q perfume, Il phrase, will bring bacl
a vivid memory, and one rclivcs, in ar
instant, past sorrows or joys.
Now there is that word. "enthusi
asm." 1t used to mean nothing to mt
except something once possessed an6
lost with the years. but hereafter /,
twill give ME shiver whenever sec
it. You see it was the enthusiasm OF
q friend that led me into it.
New York women are divided, fash
iOnably, into two classes: Those who
put ON spring styles in mitlwinter ar q,
those who know nothing about clothes
save as protection, but who lead In
altruiStic schemes and reforms. The
former are never interesting. The lat
ter are interesting, sometimes .ridicu
lOus, and always human. My friend Of
the enthusiasm belonged TO the latter
class.
She was the first woman in Americ,
to make Il kit for a soldier in the Eu,
ropcan war, and as her acquaintance
with mans needs is mragrr we hoped
the man who got it had a sense of hu.
NOR. She was the first woman in New
York to adopt Belgian baby, ana
when she gave 1t up because it failed
to thrive under her devoted care She
took to psychic analysis to find out
what allied her soul. Then she adopt.
ed convict!
"YOu must adopt one, too" she said
trimming over with enthusiasm. 81
will write to Washington and get q
convict for you, one who needs spe.
cial cheering up. Then you must write
weekly letter to him, putting sun.
shine into every word"
"But suppose"
81 will find one who will take you
out of yourself; one who needs the
sunshine and encouragement of kind
words. Think what it means to spend
ones days and nights in dark, lonely
cell, eating out ones heart and coarse
bread and no flowers and never dolly
or n picture or ray Of sunshine to
brighten the midnight hours? Oh, 1t
makes my heart ache!"
"But suppose"
suppose nothing! Think Of his i'm.
mortal soul. Think of his hungry
heart. Why" growing more enthusi.
astic "You could send him box of
yOul cooking 1t might help sOme."
Then, as if trying to get away from
dubious thought she added, "ThinE
ol his lonesomeness!
TIC one who returns annually from
the West that one may learn a few
more games of solitaire. the appeal to
make life less lonely for u fellow
sufferer is irresistible. l had resisted
all her other altruistic schemes; 1 fell
for the convict, and Il desirable one
was at once applied for.
had insisted that he he located a
long way off. She found him'in a cell
in Texas had also insisted that he
be sent up for life. If had to adopt
man, I wanted him safely behind
bars. She found man serving life
term for killing his wife.
"But you mustn't refer to that" said
my friend ''After all, that doesn't
concern YOU"
agreed with her. If it had been
one of my kin he had killed l mighy
have the right Casually, Of course, and
In an otfhund manner) TO mention it.
or might hint ut it delicatel! in u
postscript, but as she WAS no kin tn
me, and the superabundance of wOmel,
Is going to be the worlds next hi.
problem, had no right to remind him
of his ignorant attempt to solve it. He
was Il Russian. age thirty-onc, and had
served ten years. He had killed his
wife because she was untrue ia him.
L HIS, III lttlSt, WIS iilOFe nlliElu CIlstO
if he had killed her because she re-
fused to In content With the backbone
of the chicken, or had failed to sew
on his buttons. 1t showed that he had
heart.
For many weeks tho correspondence
was conducted with great difficulty on
my part, and Indifference on his. There
was so much could not say. J
couldn't talk OF the past: he had 10
more future than Il rabbit in nuwtinle.
and the present is Eever interesting. |
tried .hr weather, but after had CEN
sOrrd one letter till there WAS nothing
left but Dear Ivan, 1t is cold TODAY"
l decided such Il letter wouldn't re-
/ mind him ni his soul. and tried poetry.
f, Poetry. because NO one reads it. is I'll
ways safe. sent him Il poem about
"rhc Spirit on IT'S Wings"
"Say." he wrote back. "Go you take
me fur II Srhoo!tca, her: don't be.
licve like this being adopted nphnw
| Then one day, in desperation over
| my failure rs Il sunshine ,ii$l,, m>,r. |