The Washington herald., 1920-08-22
Copyright. 1920, by Public Ledge, Cob

knew that she was expected to disapprove
the custom and she did not. But when she
had run through the stack OF mail she took
it out Of the waste basket again, and across
the back of the large imposing sheet in
pencil she wrote her reply. Then, noticing
that the time before which size was asked
to reply was nearly up, she stuck a special
delivery stamp on it and left it to 60 out
first thing in the morning. This is what
she wrote:
The custom of wearing black garments
as a badge of sorrow is one so long and
so firmly established that many persons
find, for this very reason. that conven-
tional mourning is actually shield in
times of grief A woman plainly dressed
in black is not urged at all times to take
part in various activities and gayetles,
and the sympathy of every one who meets
her Immediately goes out to her. Whereas,
a woman dressed in cOlors, though she may
be in the deepest need of consolation, is
constantly forced to explain her depres-
sion and to apologize for her seclusiOn,
as well as to defend her course of action
in not sharing a public mark of respect
to her dead
Aside from this fact that mourning
often does protect and console its wearer,
II has little to commend it. 1t is very
depressing, especially in its effect on chill
dren; it Is expensive; it is heavy and
unhealthful. The pioneers of every new
movement are obliged to endure criticism
and those who advocate the abandoning
of crepe will not escape.
But would it not be possible to adopt
some form of decoration-a cross of dis
tinctive shape. little flag barred with
black or even a star-whlch combines the
religious and the patriotic sentiment,
which all those who have lost some one
dear to, them through the war should be
entitled to wear.
In due time the letter was published
along with a number of others written in
response to that editors request. And Mrs.
Keyes had the pleasure of seeing her writ
ten word in print. Moreover, that little
letter was reprinted far and wide. She
received copies of it in all sorts of queer
little country papers, as we'll as in the big
metropolitan dsilies. The idea took.
MO, MRS. KEYES does not claim to have
IN originated the idea of gold star for
war mothers and other kin of the war dead.
She does not know whether she originated
it or not She doesn't think it matters
much So far as she knows nc one had ever
suggested it to her. On the other hand, it
seems to have started in several different
parts Of the country at once. 1T was
probably just in the air !''-and she lets it
go at that.
little later the same editor asked for an
expression on bridge playing Now Mrs.
Keyes is a bridge player. She learned the
game in England before it became popular
over here. She likes it. But she thought,
and wrote, that while she saw no harm in
a very good game, played in reason, it was
quite possible to oyerdo it. And she did
feel that at that particular time, when the
country needed all the energies of its
women as well as its men, the former could
be better employed than in putting in long
hours at the bridge table. Harmless
enough and obvious enough one would think
But that letter was quoted as much as the
other, and "cussed and discussed in dailies
and weeklies and criticized and torn to tat
ters.
And meanwhile she had got the habit. ~
Her old dream Of writing had been revived
and stimulated. She began writing every
now and again, when she could find time
Usually it was late at night. when the day.
duties were done, that she would clear her
desk and settle down to express herself.
From one point of view she's not in th,
least a feminist. From another, she's tn.
most advanced feminist in the country. Sh,
has not, for instance, been suffragist. Sh,
has been rather inclined the other way
although not actively an anti. But she il
glad and proud to be woman, a potentis
mother, in the first place, and actually ,
-e'h"- thren times over. Femininity, WON