Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-12-04
MARVELLOUS HEROISM
One a French Woman, the Other an
American Farm Woman.

I IdTy Oh Agriculture, III dD duuC6SS D6'
fore the NewYork Humanitarian Soci-
ETY. November 5, spoke of the hero
ism of the men and women on the
farms their difficulties and sacrifices
during the last season, when larger
crops were produced in .he face of SER
ious labor stringencies.
! He said that these activities are not
so likely to be maintained if there is
peace next year as they were under
war patriotism this year. Very soon,
he warned, we shall come 70 the basis
of agricultural production solely for
the profit it offers.
Not long ago | heard war worker
relate this incident, which he had
witnessed in shell torn France: A poor
peasant woman had returned to her
home village from which the German
despoIers had been expelled and found
her cottage in ruins. She had los t
her husband and two sons in the war,
and her other two sons were in the
army. Alone, but un1aunted, she set
about the work of restoration, and her
deft hands soon converted the cellar
into llvable habitation. Then the
third son was sent back i11ortally
wounded ana died iii her arms. She
was burying his dear body when she
received 8 message that her fourth
and last So was killed She paused
but mom in her ministration to
the dead / : cheeks did not blanch
but FLUSHED s soldiers woul1 in a
fierce cher g.: her lips did not culver
but were irmly set; no tears came
I'd her eyes. but 1hes gliste~@s with
d new fervor of patriotism. as she
caught her breath WITH uplifted coun-
tenance, in lew and solemn tone as
if recording an oath to high Heaven,
she said: ''Vlve la France!"
SACRIFICE IN AMERICA.
"A few weeks ago received
letter from the wife of farmer in
4NC" DIh DbdtS dohlliS ctuNlCC db'ub
a contemplated transaction involving
the sale of her farm and the pur-
chase of another. In order that |
might understand the situation, she
described in detail the manner of
farming, the equipment, and the inti-
mate operations. She is in the fullest
sense a helpmeet to her husband.
She not only performs the household
tasks but lends a hand IN the field.
In four years she has rarely had
breakfast later than O. clock, or sup-
per earlierr than 6. The hours be-
tween are her working day. Among
other striking statements in her let
ter was this:
July z | cat an acre and a half
of peas and nv husband pulled them
back, and on July we had an 1-2
pound boy. Since then | have been
tied to the house more or less, but by
getting the little neighbor girl to
tend baby | cut twelve acres of
hay across the road on another farm |
while my husband was helping my
father draw in grain. He has to drive
l-2 miles when he changes work
with him..
Il dare not say which of these two
is the greater heroine-th one
suffering den,al, bearing children. en-
turing grief, toiling in field or factory
and home, but sustained by the inspi-
'ation of imm ediate contact with the
greatest tragedy in human history
he other far removed from the sound
'r sights of military spectacle, like
wise suffering denial, bearing child
en-, but sustained by the unspoken
md unutterable instinct for sacrifice
md creation which is the unfaiIing
uality of her sex.
Compared with this the heroism
f the battlefield, whatever wounds it
nay bring, even unto death, is bat
hrIlling adventure, and other war
york, there and everywhere, is mere !
laying at service. 4
TWO OF MILLIONS.
"These women are the types of
billions of women in France and in
IN erica, and when contemplate I
heir service. their sweetness. and
1eir uncomplaining sacrifice feel for i
Il Others and myself the the deep b
of utter unworthiness. +