The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-24
THE MIGHTY MOTHER
BY Henry Dwight Sedgwick of the Vigil
antes.

Max Null, the great Oriental scholar
in editing a friends "reminiscences of in
fancy, tells how one of the earliest Incl
dents that friend could remember was
how he first saw the stars. One night he
felt cold, shivered and was frightened
his mother picked him up and Rugged
him in her arms, and pointed up to the
shining stars. Il was full of admira-
tion," said the friend, "and thought my
mother had made them very pretty"
This serves as an allegory. Our mighty
mother, America, takes her children in
her arms, and allays their fears by point
ing to the bright stars that crown the
| flag. When we are children we think
that our mighty mother has made those
stars and that she has made them well.
But when we are grown up, we know
that the mighty mother is made up of
ourselves, that her great heart is made
up of all our hearts, and that the stars
she points TO are mere emblems of JUS
tice, righteousness, equality, fraternity,
temperance, fortitude and whatever
other virtues ennoble humanity. The
ni&utN InOtHtI ibHSS W SHOW THESE eLdIs
to all her children, whether they are
born into cradles over here or whether
they have emigrsted from foreign lands
but the mighty mother can only do this
if we, one and all, endow her with the
strength and the viii to do it.
1t is our mother America who is now
calling to us to make the stars upon our
flag stand for real things. Now is the
opportunity for all her sons to perform
their mothers wish. Our first step is
the bitterness of war; we must do all
the seemingly inhuman acts that war
imposes upon us. Then when the war
shall be ended, and we can say to our
mighty mother, behold, your children
have brought you the ripe fruits harvest
ed by the greatest scythe of war, there
are no more tsars or ksisers in Europe, |
the peoples of Europe are all free men,
no longer bound to commit acts of in
justice at the bidding of selfish lords,
but free to follow the kindly instincts of
man.
Then the mighty mother will feel that
she, too, is free; no longer threatened by
foreign armies and navies, no more
obliged to train her sons with sword
and rife, she will be free TO work the
works of human justice. And we, her
may hope to sec her grid up
ier loins for the great tasks Of democ
-acy: 10 abate the privileges Of the too
favored classes, to repress luxury, to give
III men greater opportunities for individ-
Isl pursuit Of happiness, to save waste
" vast cooperative effort, to extend the
pirit Of democracy TO all the greatest :
railroads. shipping, petroleum,
ugsr, copper. iron and steel. lumber, sg- !
iculture. etc. Il
But before we enter the promised land ]
We must cross the Red sea Of war. The {
mighty mother viii lead US on; from q
ur strength she will draw in strength.
rom our purposes she viii tougher her Z
VII. from our endurance she viii be able
o endure. from our resolve 10 conquer {
he will conquer, and from our going e
ITO this war not with hatred. but with D
ity. rot fer revenge but IN order 70 help. .
be viii BE- able 20 behave with kind y
sss and affection to all the peoples Of ?
.urcpe- In
o mighty mother, ". Debate cur. c
Elves to thee