South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-15
The Baby Of the
Carolina
By Ada Patterson


faint after reading of the baby of
the Carolina. didn't you? I did
The green glory Of Central park
in its June freshness faded before
the blur made by the story. The
boat overturned. Two women and
an IS months old babe were
| drowned"
The monster Of the deep had
risen from its slime and struck the
unarmed passenger ship a deadly
blow BY the rules of the sea" the
passengers were allowed 10 leave the
sinking ship in life boats. The cap
tain Of the submarine joked with
them as they put off. Methinks the
devil jokes thus when he thrusts
his victims into a sea of fire.
There was sparseness Of detail
about that baby Of the Carolina.
The dazed survivors of the murder
directed wreck remember only that
out Of the cold blackness of their
night adrift they had heard one
woman SIX the question: How old
is your taby?" And heard the an
swer in a voice weak from eXhaus-
ton: Eighteen months" Whether
il was 4 boy or girl none seemed
10 know nor care. Whether its
mother persisted or survived no one
could tell in that first confusion of
landing and the wild joy OF deliv-
erance from the drifting horrors Of
the night in an open boat az sea.
Yes 4 baby was drowned" was
the recollection of one. Il remem-
Der how white its face was as il
/ lay across a woman's lap and that
It cried now and then from the
cold"
One more innocent murdered.
that was all. Another young infant
spirit gone to join those OF the
slaughtered Belgians. and the mas
sacred French, the tortured TO
death Armenians and the snuffed
out Italian infant lives. tiny flames
that flickered out in the blood red
ashes Of war
But is that all Has not the death
OF the weak little one that fell help
/ lessly from the overturned life
boat and that sank fathoms deep in
10 the sea, and that rose again 20
drift as A white rose petal on the
surging waves. furnished the United
/ States a new slogan for new
war. Even as the cry. Remember
the Alamo" remindful OF cowardice
and treachery, was a slogan. a con-
quering one, in the Mexican war.
Remember the Babe OF the
I Carolina" will not the American
soldier with that cry in his heart
turn deaf 10 the deceitful plant Of
| Kamerad from hundred fold
treacherous foe.
II the babe that slipped that
night of sacrifice down into the s..
miles depths Of the Atlantic, from
I the horror OF bombs 70 the winding
black serpent like terrors OF the
/ ocean. were a girl what may have
| been the loss 10 her country. May
| hap that of one OF the exquisite,
! hower-like women. whose lives ex-
hale the beauty and the fragrance
/ of the rose. one who would have
/ been the inspiration Of her husband
TO great deeds, Of her children TO
\ be as white OF life. as benign OF in
| fiuence as their mother. That in
deed. would have been an incalcul-
able loss A country rises no high
er than its mothers. The soft but
cruel nations that are motnered in
! harems recur 10 you and me. Ev-
: cry potential good mother lost
should be charged up 20 the ac-
: count OF the central powers for the
! final reckoning
Or in the breast OF that wee
women. whose cold little body is
rocked in The trough OF the ocean
/ waves. may have been extinguish-
ed the light OF genius She might
I have been an Ella Wheeler Wilcox
or singing pen. an Enid Yandell
| who fashions beauty into sculptured
/ forms or a Harriet Furness. who
/ paints Rosa Bonheur like pictures
I Of our household pets. Or German
/ shells may have destroyed a human
copy OF ministering angel. A Clara
/ Barton might have taken passage on
1 the Carolina in her mothers arms
/ or a Mabel Boardmsn, careful or
/ ganizer OF the forces for beneh-
Z LtNAE Tia "a wei All AAlf AkEu NJ US
II a boy what NAV We have lost
IN that inconceivsble wreck OF the
Carolina. Perhaps a DIT Carrel
winning because he deserved. a
/ Noble prize for the greatest service
20 humanity Or an American ace
I falling 10 death from the skies, az
ter he had ended the destroyed ca
reers OF IS enemy airplanes or a
/ Gen. Pershing. the Gen. Grant OF
the last war or perhaps n quiet
toilsome citizen. with the gift FOR
| legitimate accumulation. who would
give gladly the major part OF his
fortune FOR a victory that must 5e
won by dollars lighting beside men
A good citizen. or good citizenness
We may assume persisted when the
lifeooat OF the Carolina overturned
I Rem rem her that. soldier bows Le'
.t make your aim truer when YOU
speed your bullets ReneIn oer ths
- ~ Or ths Carolina