The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-24

very much occupied with children
and their various needs and inter
ests, the child always looms large
in my horizon--the child--that
brings hope with it, and forward
looking thoughts"
God knows how many war-babies
bring fear with them in place OF
hope, and the "forward-looking
thoughts must often be fraught
with misgivings. One thing is GER
tain, however, that though individ-
ual mothers here and there must OF
necessity have hearts laden with
doubts of the immediate future,
there never was time when child
life ought to be SO carefully pre-
served, nourished, guarded, and
guided,
This is pre-eminently woman S
part" Not her only one. for she
is proving again and again her abil-
ity to take a mans work when
needful, and do it with an unex-
pected strength and skill and stay
ing power. There are few things
left indeed, that she cannot do, and
her activities might be practically
boundless were it not for the fact
that in the shuttle of the sexes men
cannot perform similar feats of flex-
ibility and become mothers!
A great many of our tasks are
performed as they have always been.
rather in the background, though
we are more or less dragged into
the limelight of responsibility now
a-days q almost hope that we shall
not like it so we'll that we shall
never want to work in the quiet
places again > The bearing and
rearing and saving of children, the
conservation of this great life-force
that the dreary blood-stained world
needs for its hope, its comfort and
refreshment the literal staff on
which the future is to lean, this is
woman'S most practical contribu-
ton to the service OF humanity.
Make munitions, drive cars, nurse,
and succor the wounded, mother
the soldier in the camps and can
teens-all this must be done, but
the child must be kept in mind at
every turn. He has a right to be
born, to be welcomed. to be loved
and wished for, that homes and
hearthfires may not vanish from
the earth, and that men and wom-
en- shall not lack the greatest driv-
ing force in the universe, father
hood and motherhood-the love and
care of children.
There may come time when the
service flags are taken down be-
cause there are no armies battling
on the field. no gold stars needed
to mark parental sacrifices, but if
new banner should one day be
hung in windows here and there
with a star meaning: Unto us a
child is born. unto us son is
given" it would be not flag of
sacrifice but still flag OF service
and honor.
Let us save the children then,
even if the task be carried on hum
bly,, patiently. unostentatiously. All
we oWn, and wear, and are, all
that is the outer husk of us, all that
IS the inner kernel, is being tested
in these days. 1t is as if there were
a universal wash" and only the
fast colors" in life and character
we're coming out clear and true.
In all this the mothers and the
fathers, the preachers and the
teachers are a great factor. 1t is
the children who are the seedcorn
Of the future; it is the boys and
girls of today that will have to en-
dure the terrible reactions OF this
war and settle the problems that
will vex us for years after peace
is formally declared. Every man
or woman who lends his money TO
the government in this crisis pro-
tects the future OF his children;
makes it more certain that America
will never repudiate its debts, but
pay them as it did after the civil
war, with a speed that gained the
applause.
The children are definite factor
in all our campaigns nowadays.
Boy Scouts, Junior Guards, Camp
fire Girls. school children. have all
put their shoulders to the wheel
and in being an active part OF the
have grown in wisdom
and understanding, self-denial and
right use of their slender powers.
These are our own American chill
1ren, for the most part sheltered,
not always indeed from poverty,
but at least from more terrible evils.
Whenever ! buy bonds or war saw
ngs stamps, or subscribe to the
dozen and one causes forever
knocking at the door. | long TO