The Ordway new era., 1918-04-05
(sy VIRGINIA TERHUNE VAN DE
WATER Of the vioilantes.)


WATER Of the vioiiantes.)
A good woman was discussing the
rules OF the food administration.
Il am doing a lot for my country"
she said, but there are certain trihes
that l do not intend to give up. Such
as white bread and Bacon
No." she said in response to my
astonished look. Il mean TO have white
bread when l want 1t. Why should
eat corn bread and other substitutes?
ike white bread just as much as
the soldiers and sailors do. And. any
way. what difference can 1t make IL 1
use little white flour and few
slices Of bacon every day? l am only
one person."
Only one of millions, Suppose they
all took that attitude!
Il am no Stacker" she added. Il
work at the Red Cross four afternoons
of each week, and have made dozens
of knitted things for the soldiers. But
draw the line at bacon and white
bread and rolls"
Is this patriotism? l remembered
the text: These things ought ye to
have done, and not to have left the
other undone."
Another good woman was talking of
the next Liberty Loan drive.
Well" she declared, they need not
come to me for helpl am a business
woman, and l have lost money on
heatless Mondays. and since the gov
ernment has made me do that do not
propose to help with their Liberty loan.
1 love my country and l am a Red
Cross worker. and all that-but there
is limit"
Should Be No Limit.
A limit Is there any limit to what
she would do If her nearest and dear
est were fighting for his life? Would
she stop TO argue that she had given
the suffered expensive woolen under
wear. but that she drew the line at the
remuneration of certain comforts so
that he might have them? Would she
be considered good wife or mother
or daughter If she held this attitude
towards husband, child or parent?
Let US stop all these ridiculous res
ervations, these talks of what we win
do and won't do. Let us hold back
nothing. Do the women who are send
ing their sons abroad hold back any
thing? Do these sons grudge risking
their beautiful youth. their lives. for
their country? Yet some people hesi-
tate at white bread and bacon, and
refuse to buy Liberty bonds!
The last-named hesitation Is not only
unpatriotic. but 1t is absurd. Later
we will know the meaning of the ex-
preston, "What / give / have" The
money we invest in Liberty bonds will
be ours when other money that We
now have is gone.
All such talk as I have quoted is
wickedly nnpatriotic. Let us give as
our sons give-ungrudgingly, proudly,
because we are counted worthy to
make sacrifices for the greatest cru
SADIE against evil that the world has
ever known.
Make II An Honorable Service.
What would the Son of Righteous
ness say to our hesitation about trifling
luxuries? He died for his cause. We
women are not called upon to do that.
(Some of us may wish that we were.)
But we are called to sacrifice our
selfishness for 1t.
am not making light of the wonder
full work done by those women who
toll at Red Cross stations; / am not
forgetting the noble and vast army of
wives. mothers, sisters and sweet
hearts who stop at nothing In their de-
sire to help end the war honorably.
But hope that such sentences as
have quoted go no further than the tip
of the tongue. If they do, shame to
the speakers: And shame to us who
let such speech pass unreproved.
His very livlng-such was Christ's
giving"
We women "have not yet resisted
unto blood" But some of our men
have. and-God help us!-many more
may have to. Can we then endure the
ignomihy of remembering that even in
our inner hearts we have paused to
consider what delicacies we may use;
Shall we not-in the language of our
dear fighting boys-'cut out" all
doubtful articles? And let us make of
the trifling duty an honorable service
The cause ennobles all that 1t touches