The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-07
Mrs. Wilson WoOdroW'S Article
BY MRS. WILSON WOODROW,
The world famous writer on vital aublects

Today when the necessities of life
cost more than the most luxurious lux
uries of yesterday, and we are facing
a long and perturbed winter, we are
sugarless e.
The world is all upside down and we
are jolted out of our accustomed ruts
most uncomfortably; but there Is moth
ing whatever gained by losing our heads
about it.
In fact, the one big New Years reso-
luton we should all make is to keep
tight hold of our heads even though
the skies fall, and to exercise all the
patience, philosophy and cheertulness
mat we possess or can acquire.
1t Will be some job, too; for when
the worlds mind is so chaotic, it re-
fleets Itself in individual minds and
lives. But 1t is the supreme duty OF
the moment to hold ourselves steady
and to Keep as sane as possible.
Most of my letters are IRON people
in difficult and sometimes desperate
situations, and | have nothing to help
them with but sympathy and words
which often strike me as very cod
and inadequate comfort, indeed
But ! am always struck by one fact,
and that is that the difficulties and
sorrows of those who write me are US
ually caused by the tyranny, The I'M
kindness, the harsh lack of understand
ing on the part of those closely asso-
ciated with them.
You can't change the world until you
change the individuals in it, and only
themselves and God can do that. There
IL a sort of mania abroad at present
for making other people good. whether
they yearn to be so or not but no one
a p n fFNu 1 q
others happy. And who of us, II we
had the choice of being made good or
being made happy, would not choose
the latter?
1t was only day or so ago when |
was walking along the street in fairly
good humor that | saw approaching me
a most grotesque and gloomy object--a
woman dressed in black and with u
long, crepe veil hanging over her face
and falling nearly to the hem of her
gown 1t is sight that always sends
the shivers over me, no matter how
gay or glad my mood, and | resent it
| for myself and all the rest of the
| world,
No one, no matter how great may be
| his or her loss, has any right to ad-
vertse il that way and blot out the
| sunshineI for other persons. II the
woman felt it necessary to deck her
self out in that uniform of grief, she
| should nave gone ana sat on TOMB
| stone under a weeping willow tree.
She may have been a very noble and
beautiful character; but she never
| stopped to think that as she passed
| through the world, it was her duty
| and hei privilege to cast the small coin
| Of chedfulness and joy into life's con-
| trbutidn box as she strolled along,
had recently slight cold which
was nd enjoying and a friend noticed
| it and Immediately went into an end
| less RECITAL of how long and serious
| illness which she had suffered devel-
| oped from such small symptoms az
was slowing.
She went into the subject thorough
| ". No detail was omitted, When she
finally ceased l felt more dead than
| alive, and it took hours Of argument
with my frightened self to get over
the effects Of her vivid world painting
| On another occasion | had had some
had Jews and was trying painfully bard
to see the silver lining, when an vac
| uuaiStance stopped me to tell tale
Of Voc yards. long. No use trying tc