The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-17

than that occupied by mis- neignDor.
1t was the desire for disqualification
which made him ambitious to succeed,
to gain wealth, power and glory.
Country? To be sure. The thing
commonly called a mans country was
the place in which he ltved-the land
he inhabited, the place in which he
made his home and in which he raised
his children. But every man had
country-he must have a country. a
place on Earth to live. God had given
him that! But the mere fact that he
lived upon Earth did not signify that
he was to 60 out to kin other men who
inhabited the Earth with him. There
was no such thing as country when 1t
conficted with mans individuality.
The man-not country-was supreme.
And thus man was man, and country
was another thing-secondary, CHI
merical, non-existent Country was an
imaginary estate, Land inhabitated
by a race Of humans who were all in
dividualistic, all imbued with the same
desire-to get ahead, to thrive, to live.
There was no common spirit or soul
that brought men together in patriotic
bondage. Some men professed the
sentiment, but few lived it
Corwin knew a real estate man who
had formerly dealt in second mort
cages and chattel loans. The fellow
pretended to be patriotic, yet Corwin
knew he was discounting Liberty
Bonds. He knew men who were whis-
pering to their fellows that the bonds
would one day be valueless, that they
should be disposed Of quickly, even at
loss, for the day was not far dis
tant when the Government would re-
pudiate all It's debts. He knew other
men who were profiteering; he had
heard other men curse the Government
because they were not permitted to
make greater profits-because the
Food Administrator had decreed
against them. Still other men were
idling in offices. on Government serv-
ice-men Of draft age who should
have been at the Front-if they felt
the patriotism they professed.
Had these men a country? What
did country mean to them? 1t meant
to them what it meant to every man
who lived in it-nothing but place
in which they could ply their particu-
lar trade for the purpose of gain and
power
However, one day during the end Of
the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign,
Corwin saw an aged woman slowly ap.
proach a Loan booth on Main street.
She wore faded black dress, bon
net with string attached, tied in a
dropping bow under her chin. Her
shoes were not good. and she had a
look of having been pinched by pow
erty all her later days.
1t was the glow in her eyes that
commanded Corwin's attention. Her
face was wrinkled and scanned, but
her eyes were bright, and luminous
with an expression that made Corwin
gulp with a nameless emotion.
"I'd like to buy bond, sir-flfty
dollars" she said. quietly. to the sales
man.
you're pretty old to be buying
bonds, Grandma" said the latter. Are
you sure you want one?" r...
"Old, am II" she replied. raising her
voice defiantly. well, when I get so
old that can't try to do something
for my country, shall be old indeed"
The salesman caught Corwin's eyes,
and laughed.
THAT ought to make some tight.
wads rather ashamed of themselves
hadn't it," he said.
Corwin flushed, turned abruptly on
his heel and walked away, embar-
raised, Inundated. For herein the
person of the old lady-was mani
festation Of that spirit which he had
long denied.
CHAPTER vi
IT was only few weeks later when
j the news flashed to waiting,
anxious world that the Hun line was
wavering; that American troops were
| being hurled against, 1t and that the
| crisis for which the world had waited