The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-11-22
downright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper SyndiCate)

Diana Wilson wasn't born with
silver spoon in her mouth. Nothing
so ordinary ever happened to DANA
Every one has silver spoons nowadays
Diana's had been gold, with plat
mum monogram.
If it had been good form at the
time to incrust baby spoons with dla-
monds Mrs. Wilson would have seen
to it that it had them, too, in SlIn-
Gent number and of the first water.
Mrs. ]. Henshaw Wilson had more
money than brains; but to do the LADY
Justice we must suggest the thought
that even Solomon would have Oeeh
hard put to 1t, had his wisdom been
forced to stand the same comparison.
At any rate she possessed gray mat
ter in sufficient quantity to enable her
to have her own way about things, as
a rule. This story has to do with one
great exception. And. of course, ike
everything else in our national anu
private life that is out Of Whack just
now, it can be traced directly to the
late war.
Diana had been an obedient child
always. She had done just the proper
thing at the proper time and IN the
manner in which she was hidden to
do it.
In her second year "out" the society
world threw into the discard the mao
pursuit of pleasure and turned fever
ishly to the rolling of bandageS, the
frying of "ham and" and personal SUI
pervisiOn Of the morals of our army
and navy. Diana chose the canteer
as her medium of serving.
Mrs. Wilson did not force Diana tC
| give I'D the canteen idea, for two rea
sons. First, some of "our very bes
people" were going into it. Second
she was very busy just at that time
planning for the prelude to the grea
event in her daughters life. Mrs. VIII
son had married for money. 1t hat
been a high step up the social ladde
for her She meant to use the ao
vantage she had gained to boost ne
offspring yet one rung higher.
Senator Brendon was the star
which Mrs. Wilson had hitched ne
wagon, and Diana's beauty an
wealth constituted the motive pcWe
which were to land her in the pos
ton coveted for her by her mother.
Just as Mrs. Wilson's absorption
her plans blinded her to the risks
allowing Diana to become intereste
IN canteen work, so Diana's intere!
in the work kept her from realizln
that the engagement was beif
forced upon her.
Senator Brendon was a middle-age
bachelor, a large, stupid man vi
GOT by on his family name and
pompous manner. He had money
hut not enough, and was gallant 81
mirer of the weaker SEX" For hi
competent women, women who dl
PLAYED executive ability outside the
: own homes, did not exist. Mrs. W
son assured him that Diana had
such talents.
To Diana the honor and glory
$ being a senator's wife made stro
anpeal. But it was all an indehnl
! thing-something that couldn't cor
TO pass until the horrible war W
over. Meanwhile there were Immune
able cham ands" to be prepared
y Unsuitable young American appetit
/ Diana. bustling around in immaculs
apron and cap, was thoroughly hap
4 The senator rarely appeared in p
e son. he was too busy in Washingt'
II His infreuuent visits left Diana GU
I. overwhelmed with flattery and G
: lantry.
e II did occur to the prospect
% hr;do IN wonder little that the VIC
10 on with whom she was working da
N were not more prOfuse in their C
v pratulations upon the announcem
ia Of the engagement; but Diana ?
$: sessed no exaggerated idea of her o
ct imnortance-and Of course everyb'
IS was stepped through and through "
80 the one idea.
Ut Mrs. Barding-Scott, who belonged
Us the first mineral column of \
Works. four hundred, was work
Is alongside Diana in the canteen
Oh dav. She watched the girl for a W
Ne and then spoke, in her usual abr
81 way, "Child, are you at all interes
o. in suffrage"
'e "Why. l never thought much al
u T." answered Diana abstractedly.
"Would you like to come with
n q meeting this afternoon"
An invitation from Mrs. Bard
cd Scott was similar to that of gu
or One did not decline. When Diana
nv nounced to her maternal parent
go luncheon that Mrs. Barding-S
me would call for her that afterno'
of they were to attend meeting in
raj nany-Mrs. Wilson was so overj'
ur- that she quite forgot to ask what
ing meeting was about.
ry- But at that meeting the COOS
eel Mrs. Wilson'S plans was cooke
Ital ------