The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-04
By Edith Barnard Delano
of the Vigilantes.
ON STABLE DOORS.

OF the VlgllanteS.
ON STABLE DOORS.
1t was in the postoffice, The Old
Lady was expecting letter from
her grandson in France; but while
she waited for the mail window to
open she was listenin gto the vii
lage politicians decide upon the fate
of nations The subject of the mo-
ment had been introduced by the
deacon.
"And wouldn't you think them
fellers down in Washington would
know they had something better to
do than try to put over a bill for
universal military service, hey? We
got an army haven't we? What
they want to take all the youngsters
as they came along and teach EN-
to drill for, And what they want
to legislate about it now, when
there's plenty to be done without
starting new troubles p
That's right said the man near
the door, when this wars over.
whatll we want with an army? !?
More pensions to pay, more shoes
to sell, more camping trips in sum
mer for the fellers that ought to be
working on the farms That's what
it'll amount to"
The Old Lady gave the last
speaker a look as though she had
never seen him before. Your boy
Henry enlisted didn't he, Mr..
Hall? p she asked.
"IIe did So Mr.. Hall responded,
with obvious pride.
yes" said the Old Lady. $50
did my grandson. They're both in
France You and me, we're old
enough not to fool ourselves, Mr..
Hail. | guess we both know the
chances are that not both of our
boys will come home unwouned.
| can't help wondering, sometimes,
whether my grandson George
wouldn't a had more chance, if he
had been drilled as a soldier It's
a pretty big job to learn in just a
few months
81 guess that's fact said Mr..
Hall. But we got to remember
that it's the most important job, no
matter how big it is. We're fight
ing this war for the sake Of human
ity, and I'm glad to
"Yes, we're fighting it for hui
manity-or rather, our young lads
are fighting it for us for the sake
of humanity. And | guess by hu-
manity we don't only mean SOS
they won't come over here and be-
gin to parcel out our states and |
run our mills and dip their hands
into our bank vaults. | guess by |
humanity we mean-well, those |
folks over there, French and Ital-
ian and all the rest, Or don't we?'
I'VE do said the deacon.
"Well,' said the Old Lady, 81
just wonder how many lives we
could-a saved if our boys had been
all trained and ready to fight |
wonder how many would be alive
today, if we could-a sent over so
many men and guns and all the rest
OF the stuff they fight with nova
days that the war could-a been won !
last summer? And | wonder-I |
guess you wonder too, Mr.. Hall
wonder how much better we'd be
feeling about the way we're going |
to serve humanity, if we'd been !
ready to serve it! always did hate
being caught without any flour in
my flour barrel!"
The deacon smiled benignly. |
Speculation is always intereetin,' |
Mis- Watkins said he. But this
country is past the speculatin' point. |
We're right in the war now, and |
when this war is over there won't
be another, now you mark ne
This nation stands for peace, uni
yersal peace, and even though we
had to 90 to war and fight for it, |
we'll get it! Yes sir! Wen get .
it,
Nations are like families, dea-
con- said the Old Lady. "Thcre's
men and women and children in
both of EN-. And every last human
being in the nation is human, and !
everybody that's human is liable |
to faults. Somehow / don't have
much more faith in universal, un-
ending peace than | have in univer-
sal, unending honesty or morality. |
I'd fight, if twas in me to fight, |
for any one Of 'em. ! did the best |
| could to whip and coax and pray |