Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-23
Z Rear Patriot.

Editor kennekec Journal.
A popular theme nowadays is pa
iriotism, and much has been said ana
written concerning il, mostly by those
utterly ignorant OF It's real meaning
although but few Of Us have as yet
Eeen tested a. u whether we are real
patriots or not. But day or two ago
an incident came 10 my personal
knowledge that. TO my mind, was the
real thing, although its innocent pos
SCISSOR may have been unaware Of it.
We. who aim Al getting a livelihood
from the coil In addition TO the usual
troubles Incidental 10 our occupation.
which those who know best are aware
are not few. have been irritated al
most beyond endurance since war was
decla red, by a class % people, mostly
work.hies themselves, who, fearing
and looking for trouble ahead are urg-
ing It's bit every sort Of threat and en-
treaty 10 20 To work 10 help them over
the coming ditch, and what before this
var scare was a crime, is now q virtue.
Not 50 long ago it was crime 10
take 4 country boy from his schooling
to help his father do some work that
lot may have defended on, or for 3
woman t. he seen in a field doing any
, thing in the nature Of work to help
her family: and a man was a brute
and everything had for allowing il.
Now, in the estimation If many. that
same man has been transformed into
a patriot by doing these things. But
why the already handicapped farm
boy should be deprived Of his school
ing or the farmers wife deprived Of
ner wcllearned rest, 50 that lazy
people next winter can feed well and
chcaply, | for one fail to see.
The incident above referred to was
the apparent necessity. owing to the
present oppressive conditions. and lack
Of right governmental control at
critical time. for a clean. refined wom-
an having To actually do the mental
and dirty " ork Of hauling dressing, so
that her aged mother and an adopted
child can possibly have the bare neces-
saries OF lie next winter. Now this is
America, and representative Of the
highest type Of civilization today, and
yet within a. few miles OF the capital
city Of the State, only this week wom-
an. loaded, hauled and spread Is loads
Of barnyard dressing in two days, do
AA45 - RACNIAiLlAss Conveniently l<<I-
~, without any feeling Of hardship or
tinjustice, for the sake of little child
not her own, and mother getting be-
yond hard toll. Here, 10 my mind, IL
patriotism Of the truest and purest
kind unconscious perhaps, but still
the real thing, and to those gentle la
dies who, by joining a sewing class,
hanging out a flag. or listening to
lesson or two on First Aid, etc, but
who would faint at a cut finger and
who ara patting themselves on the
back as helping out the war, what a
lesson to such? And would many such
furnish the wherewithal to replace this
woman hauling dressing. by an able
man?
! have met, in a somewhat varied
life, ladies and women Of all types
from the highest to the lowest. but If
had an admiration for one single act
OF one woman above others, it was TO
see this splendid woman doing her
bit" in this manner; and those hands,
soiled as they were by the CRIME and
dirt Of the barnyard, were to me in
finitely prettier than the most delicate
and whitest l have ever seen, and
worthy to be adorned by the finest d.
amond ever taken from the depths of
the earth.
And what was more sad to me was
the thought. that should that woman
by such efforts. produce in her garden
moro than sufficient for her own needs
and those dependent on her, this sur
plus would be "bartered" for at price
that would be a disgrace to any civil
lied man or woman; and many thous-
ands Of people are today
planting a garden and thinking them
selves patriots, when by doing so, they
are taking the very life blood from
such noble women as this one, in TAX
ing away what little market there may
be for her surplus products.
And yet, such as your recent cor
respondent, are Safeguarding us to
get to blowing" What has he or any
Of his calibre ever done in his lifetime
to compare with this one incident?
When next fall or winter you patri-
otto people are looking over your win
ter's supply OF garden stuff and think
ing how good and patriotic you have
been through the summer, and a wom-
an from the country calls at
your door with something to SELL
I say. in the name OF Heaven.
buy, buy Of her. If you possibly can.
whether you want what she has or not,
for beneath that homeIy and possibly
threadbare clothing may beat the
heart Of an angel and a true patriot,
and rest assured she does not peddle
her small stock for the love Of it, but