The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-11
ckYour Soldier
Boy With Grit,
Not With Sobs
BY
AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR.
OF the Vigilantes.

In an old Morse tale the dragon
which almost overcomes the hero
groans as it finally expires defeated,
He was too strong-there were wc-
men behind him." 1t has been said
that the morale of an army depends
upon the spirit of the nations women,
more than upon any other single fac
tor. That is good sense. The woman
at home can be a dead weight on the
man in the field, or she can double
his strength and courage by making
him feel that she is as truly in the
service as he is. Unfortunately, the
woman at home does not always real
ize this. A lad l know writes from
camp: "Can't you drop a hint to sister
to cut out the sob stuff? l didn't so
into this thing for picnic-I know
what I'm up against all right. She
needn't rub it in"
One imagnes what sisters letters
must have been. Compare that pic
ture with what this shows you of
different kind of sister-I quote word
for word from the middle of a friendly
letter: "Christmas Eve l had word
had been officially reported killed in
action. We had telegram Thanks
giving Day that he was reported miss
ing, but, of course, we hoped. SO far
we have no details, though Dad has
cabled to several.
Went GIadly-Prepared to Die.
"Niy brother had been in the service
since 1915; he went absolutely gladly
and quite prepared to die If needs be;
he had just gotten out of the hospital
after an attack of trench fever and
in a letter | have from him, written
the day he was killed, he said he was
feeling pretty fit except that his arms
and legs still ached a bit, and, OF
course, l ache when | think he may
have gone back too soon. He wouldn't
mention any little discomforts.
1--WE are wonderfully busy. I par
celed 800 sweaters, 270 pairs socks, Is
scarfs and 20 pairs wristlets last
week-so far we have sent 1900 sweat
ers, 1000 pairs socks and over 500 Of
the other articles just from this valley;
we are very proud. Our knitters can
use 800 pounds of wool week with
ease, if we could only pay for it.
81 wish you might have dropped in
Monday evening to see 10 ladies, heads
of the Mormon Girls League, and 10
ladies, heads of the Mormon relief
workers, all here planning Red Cross
work. 1t will be q good thing for our
church to have them know us better
and fear us less. They are such
splendid lot of women"
So many could have Il spirit Ike
this, If they would. So much Of the
"sob STUFF is due simply to thought
lessness and to lack of habltual self
control. | wish that every woman In
this country might have day on duty
at the door of the hostess house at an
embarkation camp, day given up to
seeing how other women bear the or
deal OF goodbye, and how their attl-
tude reacts upon their men. After
my first such day felt I never could
whimper again. One meets all phases
of weakness and strength-the hero
ism is not sensational but of quiet,
matter-of-fact kind that grips the
heart.
He Has Never Seen Me Cry.
To one woman with n baby In
her arms l had TO break the news
that she had made her long journey
too lnte-her man was gone. She
this may seem incredible, but 1t is
true-she was sorry for me. Another
a pretty, plump little dlmpled thing
who did not look as II she were made
of heroic material, told me that she
was leaving that afternoon as she did
not want TO wait to see her husband
90. "You see," she explained, abe
hasn't seen me cry once since the war
began, and | don't want him TO. Tin
glad and proud for him TO go and do
his little bit. and he knows 1t. too. But
IL he should see me cry he couldn't
help remembering that sometimes"
A friend OF mine. a young teacher.
was married only n short time ago.
Now her husband, physically disqunli-
fed for the army, has gone over as
Y. VI. c. a. secretary, and she has
gone hack TO her teaching TO suppor,
herself while he is gone. She does not
call it sacrifice. either. She. too. i
glad and proud.
II the understanding Of what orr
spirit means TO our men Is once fuI;v
burned into the consciousness %
American women. II we. like our SIS
tiers of France and of England, fail in
behind our fighting force TO back n,
their efforts with every power we have
in body and mind and heart. the war
for liberty and democracy is won.