The Washington times., 1917-07-02

SpenQ q quiet Ouhuay Win
= some friends and found it
anything but a peaceful occa-
sion. Old Mr.. Nevers has got
, himself into such a state trying
to settle single-handed all ques-
tions relating to the war that he
is habitually fused.
"Humph!" he grunted, shuf-
fling his newspaper impatientiy
as soon as he had said "How d.
you do" to me. "These war mar
riages seem to be the latest fad
for boys and girls. Among the
other catastrophes this war has
, brought upon US, it has let loose
a food of sentimental bosh that
. has swamped what little mind
the young people of today had
left"
"Are you talking about slack
ers, the young men who got
married in the hope of escaping
military service?" asked.
"No, I'm not" he snapped. 81
don't believe there are enough
slsckers to count. American
youngsters may be fools, but
they're not towards"
'T'm glad you can see one re-
deeming quality in them at
least" said his sister, who was
placidly knitting on the opposite
side of the table. Mrs. Reese is
a widow and looks after her
brothers comfortable house.
'What are the war marriages
that you disapprove of then?" I
inquired.
-"Why, lot of these young cubs
who. have enlisted are taking
wives to themselves" he COM
planned. 81 don't know what the
Government is thinking about.
As if it hadn't enough to do
without trying to make soldiers
out Of honeymooners. But it's
all the women. They've got
some foolish, sentimental notion
in their heads about their men
at the 'front.' and so they must
needs assume all the risk and
possible burdens Of invalided
husbands after the war. Some
body ought to put a<stop to it.
The men ought to be manly
enough to refuse to let the girls
ruin their own lives"
"That has a familiar sound,
Mr.. Nevers," l said. ats al
ways the woman's fault, isn't
it,"
"Oh, it's six of one and half
a dozen of the other" he grum-
bled, shaking his newspaper.
"The boys are consenting par
ties, of course, or there wouldn't
be any wedding. But it's a
crime against posterity to per-
nit countless marriages which
may be frustrated by the devas-
tation of war"
That's only one side of it."
/ protested; "and you know
there are always two sides to
every question"
"I'd be glad to hear any other
side" he spoke with a con-
temptuous tolerance which indi-
Gated his conviction that there
was no other side worth consid-
ering.
"Well," I began, there's not
a soul in this whole country who
is not involved directly or indi-
rectly in the war, whether he
wills 1t or not. Every man,
woman, and child will be called
upon to do something, or sacri-
fee something, or suffer some
thing. All these young wives
even If they had remained
single would not have escaped.
And as l look at it, by marrying
men of their choice they have
given themselves an interest in
the service that will be demand
ed of them such as will increase
their efficiency and that of the
country enormously"
"a glittering generality"
scoffed Mr.. Nevers.
'"You are perfectly right, my
dear" Mrs. Reese spoke to me
with a calm finality which Is
characteristic of her, and which
usually silences her brother.
walters outburst is thoroughly
masculine. It's the American
mans point Of view of women