Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-08-16
BY EVA DORSEY CARR

nothing is left undone TO provide for
the comfort and pleasure of the boys.
One young fellow, exulting over a
complete recovery from wounds re-
ceived in France. smilingly declared:
You're bound TO get well in this
placei' II is absolutely delightful AT
Fort McHenry, and l am told it is a
facsimile of other base hospitals,
where nothing is too good for our
boys How comforting it is 10 the
women at home to know that the best
of everything is given their boys at
the front, in camp, in the hospitals!
All the love in our hearts could not
supply our boys with more.
l stood on the ramparts of Fort Nc
Henry, where the statue of Francis
Scott Key fronted the bay, as though
he was still watching the Stars and
Stripes in 1.-The rockets red glare"
when, years ago, he and my great
great uncle. John Stuart Skinner, had
paced the deck of the British ship Sur
prise. side by side, waiting for 1.-The
dawn's early light" to reveal the out
come of the battle. Here, in the Col
onial DAYS, my ancestors, the D'etry's,
had sailed across the waters from
France TO make themselves untitled
Americans. Here my great-great-
grandfather, William Dorsey, proud to
he an untitled American gentleman,
had waited for the landing of General
Lafayette to offer him the hospitality
of his Baltimore home, with the same
L. 4 - IL e,
D'etry chateau Here Lafayette and
Rochambeau and Dorsey had fought
for the ideals that mean America,
fought, not as Frenchmen and Ameri-
cans, but as brothers in living cause.
Now, in the repeating of history Amer
leans and Frenchmen are fighting
again as brothers in a living cause,
with the battle-ground on French, not
American, soil. And the descendants
of Lafayette and Rochambeau and
D'etry are at the front with the spirit
and faith of their ancestors. The great
grandson of that D'etry who was
proud to bring his noble stock to
America in her pioneer days to be-
come untitled American gentlemen,
has been wounded long ago, when
Joan of Arc led her people to victory,
there were Lords D'etrey riding I'M
der her inspired command. Now their
American descendants are fighting un
der her patronage, inspired by her
faith and her fearlessness.
1 did not hear the chatting of my
companions as l stood on the famous
ramparts of Fort McHenry that day,
under the brooding statute of Francis
Scott Key. l did not see them - only
visions across the bay, while to her
who is my patron saint, as she was
the patron saint of my ancestors,
blessed Joan of Arc, the warrior maid
of Douremy, the saint of patriotism,
of militant Christians and clean-heart-
ed soldiers, | breathed a prayer that
she generously lend her gallant spirit
to my brothers and the other noble
boys over there, that, God willing.
they may return sound in mind and
body.
But if not, oh, if MOTT is not death
for them to die; it is no sting for them
to live in affifctioni Only the sting
of death is sin; only the strength of
pain is the broken law. Our mutilated
heroes of France will be our nations
pride; they will be the glory and the
love of our best womanhood. The
Kaiser's running propaganda talks
to us with broken voice of the pity of
MANNED manhood. 1T is not so bad
to be killed outright" he says, "but
TO be crippled or blinded, or crazed
for life! No man wants to be help
less." Helpless? They are not help
less, our boys who come back like
that. They are the examples and the
inspirers of heroism exceeding the
willingness to die; they are the best
beloved, the honored of our country!
Before such spirit as this, the white
hot spirit of America and her allies.
we'll might the enemy fee,