The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-21

not told before his departure because
the brave little mother-wife Thought
it would give him too much to be anx-
ious about"
Il got to see" the war bride thinks
aloud at the end of the book, that
there couldn't be any special dispen-
sation for me, who am only one of the
suffering people in the world. If only
hadn't let him CO. was all I could
think Of at first. but I see now he had
to go. He wanted to go. He would
not have been satisfied If he hadn't!
Besides. other men go. When he went
did not think ne could be killed. and
so ! was willing that he should take
his charmed life over there among the
others whose lives We're not charmed.
| was willing that they should be killed
and not he. Now l have had to have
him killed. He is just one of the rest.
and he always was.
That lesson / have had to. learn.
That he and l are like the others
only more unfortunate than some OF
them, so far. What is the meaning
Of 1t? Sacrifce-and what is that?
Cest la guerre! If the war had to
be, all these things had to be. Tom
my had to die l had to bear it. II
was our war Just as Obadiah is going
TO be our child. l AM going to raise
Obadiah to be a soldier"
THE American girl. the American
woman. has got to say to herself.
This is MY war" Miss Kelley told
me earnestly when we spoke of her
book and its message in her home at
No. l39 East 10th street. In Il very
real sense we women are going TO win
or lose-this war. And | have said
in over Here In France. in Italy
in England. they speed their men on
their way The women fight the war.
Our women don't. They play at it, or
they make their sacrifices with some
thing held back. 1t is our war.
But if we haven't entirely accept
ed that truth l believe we are getting
closer and closer to it every day. There
| are so many war weddings and there
, should be. OF course, girl should
| not be swept away by the hysteria of
| the times and marry a uniform simply
because she likes the set of khaki.
But if she has found her real man,
| she is utterly selfish not to become
! his wife before he goes to the front.
| IF he comes back disfigured or dis
abled, his scars will be badges of
| honor. If he does not come back, she
| may hold his child in her arms. Ger
tninly she will hold the memory of him
! in her heart. A sane normal love isn't
+ sane and normal if it shrinks from
! marriage in such n crisis. The girl
who is afraid to be a war bride is out
of line.
II have designed n war brides flag,
added Miss Kelly. IT'S the service
star inside the circle Of the wedding
ring, half on a field of blue for loyalty
half on a field of red for the last sac
rifce that may be demanded"
Don't you think that the war has
| given a much needed jolt TO super
fetal girls and women in this coun-
try" | suggested.
The war is a wonderful thing for
the American woman" she replied with
conviction. 1T is teaching her to be
a sport to be independent, to stand on
her own feet and make her own sacri-
fees. For years and years she has
been asking for independence. Now
she has the most wonderful chance
to use it, Hers is the responsibility OF
saying to her man, You fight the wal
over there; / can take care Of my part
of it over here She can-and she
will"