The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-05
PARTICULARLY PERSONAL.
BY Thomas Addison of The vigilantes.

BY Thomas Addison of The vigilantes
l met an elderly man the other day
erect, alert, and gravely cheerful
we talked OF the war, of the stay-at
homes place and part in it. 1t strikes
me that what this man said is worth re-
cording. Here it is in his own words, as
nearly as | can remember:
This isn't paper war we've entered
on; it's real, life and death struggle
for mans freedom on earth. We've each
got to shoulder our share of the burden
and do what we can to strengthen the
governments arm. Pm doing my little
to the best of my ability, and it makes
me glad and proud. don't feel any
longer as if were on the scrap pile.
what is it that I'm doing? III tell
you, and mind you it is in no spirit of
boastfulness; it is what thousands of
others are doing all up and down the
land. ] am going without certain things
these days, things / formerly thought es-
sential to my comfort and happiness. l
have the money to buy these things
though | am far from well of-but Pm
going without them because in so doing
it helps the government to find at least
one modest market for its Liberty bonds
its war saving stamps, its thrift stamps.
BY going without | can help the Red
Cross little, the Y. NJ. c. A. a little, and
give little to other needs as ciey come
up.
ITO do what / may in these directions
am wearing my last winters hat, and
shoes, and overcoat, and other articles |
need not specify. | am walking where !
used to ride; ! am reading about the
plays at the theatre instead of seeing
them as / used to---and loved to; | am
putting but one scant spoonful of sugar
in my coffee where it was two heaping
ones before; / am forgetting how beef
steak tastes; | am cultivating liking
for corn meal bread; / am guarding
against waste in the house as miser
guards against thief who'd steal his
gold. I'm living by rule, in short, where
before used to live by inclination. And
If look bit seedy on the street, / don't
feel that way by a good deal. | am
clothed with the sense that |
I'm repaying in some little degree that |
old relative of mine-uncle |
Sam-for his care and protection of me
through all the years that are past,
"And not one of these small things !
hat I'm doing but has helped me moral
V, physically, and spiritually. | am a
,etter man for it all round. / have a
.est for life | never knew before; l have
! greater pride in my citizenship; l have
greater glory in my flag. | feel-and
leres the point-that weakling though
IN. little vital stream of impellng
orce flows out from me into the great
ave a part in them. | belong! And,
most wonderful of all, | am being paid
or these retrenchments as / go along by
he sense that / am a live contributing
actor toward the ultimate destruction of
he devouring German beast"
Brother, isn't there lesson in this for
s-you and me? Our country asks but
title of us at the present time--a small
egree of self-restraint, selfdenial, self
onquest, that she may 20 into battle
ully armed and equipped for victory.
alter, she will call on us for a greater
leasure of self-abnegation, of self -conse-
ration to her holy cause. Why not--as
TIT boys in camp are doing now-train
ur souls and bodies to the real burdens
ley must bear in the day to come? The
rst steps are the ones that count; let us
Ike them now. and those that must
Irelv follow will not seem half so hard
nd remember. as my friend said. we
lall have our reward as We go along
he sense that we are contributing to the
Dwnfall of the unspeakable German ,
EAST