The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-17
Of Interest to Women
BY WInona Evans Reeves.

4 A group of Keokuk women last
night in one of the clubs studied the
life and work of Joan of Arc, and the
study brought to mind those TWO tlme
old questions as to why it needs per
kspctive of years to recognize heroism
and why home folks seldom see hero
ism in the deeds done by one OF their
| number In her own village Joan Oh
Arc was only the peasant girl VINO
| could not read. The man who freed
race was in his own home only lom
T; Lincoln's boy Abe. Even the LORD Oh
| love and light was only the carpenters
| son in Nazareth. For the Maid OF
Orleans there was the burning stake;
for the great emancipation there was
the bullet Of the assassin and for the
Saviour of the world was the cross.
The men and boys who went from
| Keokuk to France on the great adven-
lture of the last two years were as
ltruly heroes as any soldiers who live
lin history, and yet because we meet
them every day in the ordinary actiW
ties Of life. modest and unassuming.
we forget all about the service they uid
for their country and for us who
STAYED at home If we forget the
day. how much more certain of forget
fulness are the names and even the
deeds of those who sleep under the
arms of a white cross in Flanders?
We have gotten beyond the cruelty
of the burning stake, but cnreiessncss
and forgetfulness and lack OF appre.
citation are the exquisite crueltles OF
modern days. This week the women
011 In
going to have an opportunity 10 say
whether or not we wish TO express III
a material way our appreciation OF the
sacrifice made by our boys, ana
whether we wish the children VINO
shall come after us to have a daily re-
minder of the fact that keokuk men
fought and died for the American 1aeai
of human liberty.
That Keokuk should have decided
on so practical a form of memorial as
a city hall is a matter OF congratuia-
ton. Had they chosen great statne.
it would have been of value artlstlcaliy
to the city, but it would have scarceiy
been a practical and sensible chosce
when a city hall is so much needed. IL
would have been a good deal like
housewife buying a replica of Vehus
de Melo when she needed cookstoVe.
Because we women have had ne
direct part in city government, there
are hundreds of Keokuk women VINO
have never been in our city offices,
and i you havn't been there you can
not understand what SHABBY place
lit is.
That we need civic center, build
ing conveniently placed, easily acce5sl
BILE to everyone, has long been recos-
nized by the men and women VINO
have pride in the growth of the city.
Most women have clear remem
brance Of how much argument and
pleading it took to convince keokuk
that we needed a Y. w. G. A. building.
There were hundreds who said It was
q useless extravaganza; that it would
never be used except by few. Every
citizen is grateful today that the little
group of women with vision hung on
with the tenacity of Bud Means bust
dog and did not let go until the build
ing was erected and paid for.
The proposed city building as q
civic center will be of value to the
city in different way and in larger
wav, If we women are going to have
a voice in federal and state and city
government, as very certainly we are
along with all the other women OF
these United Staets, we shall have
very personal reason for wishing
city hall such as is proposed.
There are then two reasons. one or
lofty sentiment, that is the erection OF
an adequate memorial to our soldiers.
and the other of practical civic
building, something of everyday use to
the city.
It will cost money to erect the build
ing, but it costs money now to rent
the city offices. The questions of
finance is a good deal like the family
who has rented house for twenty
years, paid out SO many dollars every