Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-11

ture?" he inquired. Women We're
born to gossip, as the sparks fly up
ward"
This got on my nerves. "Bosh,
Henry" / exclaimed. Men gossip
as freely and as often as women.
Your clubs. My word! Let me quote
to you from a recent poem by Ella
Wheeler Wilcox: Then there were
tales from club and smoking rooms,
the submarines of gossip bringing
some name down. Il think" 1 went
on. that when it comes to title
tattle about people, it's an even
break between men and women.
horse and horse. The only reason
women are accounted the worst Of
tenders is because they have had
more time to waste on it,
But we can't always be talking
Shakespeare and the musical
glasses protested Henry. THE
proper study of mankind is man,
and the most interesting things
about him are his follies and foibles.
I'll offset Ella Wheeler Wilcox with
Emerson: Blame is safer than
praise. AS long as all that is said
against me. 1 feel a certain assur-
ance of success. But as soon as
honeyed words of praise are spoken
for me, 1 feel as one that lies un-
protected before his enemies"
You're like the Devil when he
quotes the Scriptures for his own
purposes" I retorted.
"Oh. well, have it your own way"
he shrugged his shoulders. "Only
I'm disappointed. You two were
rather amusing when you were
only poor, weak mortals, and you
know what a pitiable thing human
nature is
He had flicked me on a raw spot.
My dear Henry" 1 returned. "I
freely admit that as you sat here
a few moments ago, gossiping with
two women and eagerly adding your
mite TO the general destruction. you
were a rather contemplate object.
but I also know that if something
big had been required of you at that
same moment you would have been
right on the spot.
Some day when the history of
our worlds war is written in retro
spect," 1 continued, men will urge
their sons to read it and, shaking
their heads, sadly will say, 'Ah,
there were giants in those days! A
greatness in human nature. a race
vision which has vanished from the
earth in these degenerate times
THE truth is, that men and wom-
en- are great the moment it is re-
quired of them to be so. Daily the
papers record marvellous deeds. A
week ago 1 was poring breathlessly
over the story of a thrilling con-
flict in the air and suddenly 1 burst
out laughing. But my laughter was
touched with awe. for the account
said, quite casually. The airman
saw the other biplane coming to-
ward him and hid behind a cloud.
1t sounded like a page from myth
ology. 1t might have read, 'Phaeton
drove the horses of the Sun across
the mountains of the moon.' and
have been equally commonplace.
so nigh is grandeur to our
dust. A hospital vessel is struck by
a submarine and goes down; the
crew and the wounued stand at at
tention while the SICK are lowered
into the lifeboats. l go out to take
walk and pass the recruiting sta
tions; young men with all their lives
before them are Offering to embark
on the most uncertain adventure
possible, and are facing square.
That old, grim hazard, Glory or the
Grave The Premier of England
tells of the enthusiasm with which
his countrywomen undertook to re-
pair fawed shells, knowing that
they took their lives in their hands
when they did so.
Human nature a pitiable thing!
In all the history of the world there
has never been a time when. There
came that voice without reply: 'Tis
mans perdition to be safe, when for
the truth he ought to die that this
ignoble, weak and miserable human
nature has not nobly, strongly and
fearlessly responded.