El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-12-27
Investigate Conduct
of Americas War
But Drive Ahead!
10y Edlth Barnard DeIano Of vielIantes.)

(By Edith Barnard DeIano of vigiIantes.)
Gimme a couple O. pounds o. bacon, a
pound o. salt pork, and a fivepound sack
O. sugar. Has that barrel O. flour | ordered
conc in YETI"
The Old Lady. VINO was standing at the
tther end of the counter waiting until the
clerk should be free, looked at the speaker
over her spectacles. p
Amt aiming to help the government,
Specially, are you samuelg' che asked.
drly.
Why, how do, Marthy," the first
speaker said. "Helpin' the government, you
say? Well, | dunno's be. dunno's
I'm called on to. OF course, | wouldn't do
anything to stand in the way O. this war.
now We're In it. But I'm an old Teller
and | reckon | won't affect matters much
one way or the other, whatever / do.
aim Jest to go right along the way ! ben
going" He picked up his parcel. 'Jest
the way | ben going, Marthy. And | amt
ben sech a bad neighbor, have II"
Il guess you haven't heard the news,
have you, Samuel?" the Old Lady asked.
Well, l didn't see the morning paper"
he returned, reluctant to admit that there
could be anything which he did not know.
Amt heard about all the fences being
down from Maine to Californy, from Min.
I.esota to Texas?'
He look ID at her, then laughed. "sho!
| thought 77u vas in earnest he said.
starting ~, The door.
Il nm. ,aiG the Ola Lady. ITS Just
like I'm t.fling you samuel. Every fence
in this whole country is down. There
amt a fence le~ft--anywhere.'
"Marthy Watkins, you amt well, be YER
he asked.
Wen, and in my right mind" said she.
I'm telling you the gospel truth, Samuel.
throughout the length and breadth of this
big country there amt a fence left stand
ing. You've read how sometimes a plague
O grasshoppers comes along and eats
every blade o. grass and every leaf in q
whole county and more, and leaves it bare
and stark? The same sort O. thing has
happened in this whole country, only to
the fences"
"Why, Marthy, how you talk! Look over
your shoulder out the winder-"
"Oh, there's things OF wood and iron
and wire for beasts and cattle. I'm talk.
ing about the kind o. fences you sit on.
Samuel. | tell you, there amt a fence left
anywheres that a body can find a comfort,
able place to perch on. Not a fence left to
dodge behind. You and me, and everyone
else in this village; every man and woman
in the United States of America, from
President Wilson down to Loony Ann in
the Poor House, every last blessed one of
us Is out in the open, where there amt no
fence. Time was when we could all find
a handy little perch on one fence or an
other. We could all say we were neither
for nor against. We could all say that
while we didn't exactly like this or thar,
we didn't dislike it. We could all say
that while We wouldn't do anything to help
this or that along, we wouldn't do any
thing to hinder it. We could all say it
wasn't our war, being fought as it was
across the ocean. Some of us could even
say, without being thought crazy, that it
wasn't our war because we were poor folks:
we could say twas a rich mans war. That
was before our own boys got into it. We
could even say how downright sorry we
were for the halgry folks, and the dying
folks, and the bereaved ones over there,
without feeling that twas our business as
well as theirs.
But those fences have gone down, Sam.
uel. Now We are out in the open pasture.
We've got to show which side we're on,
whether we want to or not. There amt
so much as a rabbit hole for us to hide in.
What we don't help now, we hinder. What
we don't stand for, we stand against. What
we don't boost, we bang. What we don't
/ Oivo to -ra fa1ya ,yo fcop, yxTl,,- ;+,,
like being awake or being asleep, being
alive or being dead. There amt any middle
ground-there amt any fence. You're for
the government and what it wants and
what it stands for, or you're against it.
II you don't save and give and work for
it, you are spending and wasting and
working against it. And what's more and
final, if you work against your govern.
ment you're a traitor! A traitor! That's
a nasty word to hear, but it's a nastier
thing to be, Samuel"
Samuels mouth had long since fallen
open. Now it closed with a snap. He had
to moisten his lips before he could pseak.
my stars, Marthy! Them's hard sayings!"
said he.
mot half as hard as the truth, Samuel
and | haven't said half the truth about 1t.
Why, any man or woman that tries to
find a fence to sit on, these days"
But Samuel put his bundle on the
counter and raised his hands. Here, Bub:
Change this bacon to beans, will you?
And about that barrel of flour" his voice
sank a tone or two-"think mebbe you
could change it, and give me a half barrel
O. graham instead of the white? And
say, you might take out the rest | paid
on it in p~ctaters and apples-hey?"