Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-07-23

sure In your own mind whether you
ever really loved Irene Hardy. Be
cause if you loved Irene a week age
you love her tonight"
Edith" he said, "there is no way
Of explaining this. You can't under
stand. l know you have given your.
self up to life of service, and ]
honor you very much, and all that, but
there are some things you won't be
able to understand. You can't under
stand just how much 1 loved Irene
Have you never known Of love being
turned to hate?"
mo. Other impulses may be, but
not love. Love can no more turn to
hate than sunlight can turn to dark
ness. Believe me, Dave, If you hate
Irene now you never loved her. Lis
ten: Love beareth all things, believ-
eth all things, hopeth all things, en-
dureth all things !"
"Not all things, Edith; not all
things"
ut says all things"
Dave was silent for some time.
When he spoke again she caught diff
ferent sound in his voice-a tone as
though his soul in those few moments
had gone through a lifetime of expe-
rience.
Edith" he said, "when you repeat
ed those words knew you had some
thing that have not. I knew 1t, not
by words but by the way you said
them. You made me know that in
your own life, if you loved, you would
be ready to endure all things. Tell
me, Edith, how may this thing be
done"
She trembled with delight at the
new tone in his voice, for she knew
that for him life would never again
be the empty, flippant, selfish, ire
sponsible thing which in the past he
had called life.
I'm your case," she said, 1.-THE course
is simple. It is just case of for-
giving"
He gazed for time into the street,
while thoughts of bitterness and re-
venge fought for domination of his
mind. "Edith," he said. at length,
must I-forgive?"
II do not say you must" she an
swered. II merely say If you are wise
you will. Nothing, 1t seems to me, is
so much misunderstood as forgiveness.
The one who is forgiven may merely
escape punishment, but the one who
forgives experiences a positive spir-
itual expansion"
'Is that Christianityr he ventured
ut is one side of Christianity. The
other side is service. If you are will
ng to forgive and ready to serve
lon't think you need worry much over
he details Of your creed. Creeds,
after all, are not expressed in words
out in lives. When you know how
nan lives you know what he believes
always"
Suppose I forgive-what them"
Service. You are needed right
low, Dave-forgiye my frankness-
our country needs you right now. You
must dismiss this grievance from your
mind, at least dismiss your resent
nent over 1t, and then place yourself
It the disposal Of your country"
"That is what I had been thinking
f." he said. AT least that part about |
CRYING my country, although l don't |
hink my motives were as high as you
would make them. But the war can't |
asst. 1t is unbelievable"
I'm not so sure" she answered |
ravely. "Of course / know nothing |
bout Germany. But / do know some
hing about our own people. | know
ow selfish and individualistic and |
ordid and money-grabbing we have
cen; how slotbful and incompetent |
nd self-sat.sfied we have been; and
fear it will take long war and sac
lfices and tragedies altogether be-
ond our present imagination to make |
s unselfish and public-spirited and
lean and generous. I am not wor-
wing about the defeat of Germany.
our civilization is better than that
Germany we shall win, ultimately
nd If our civilization Is worse than
lat Of Germany we shall be defeated
ltimately-and we shall deserve to
, defeated.
But l rather think that neither Of
he alternatives will be the result.
lther think that the test of war will
low that there are elements in Ger
an civilization which are better than
IRIS, and elements in our civilization
hich are better than theirs, and that
lie good elements will survive and
'rm the basis of a new civilization
,tter than either"
IF that is So" Dave replied, ''if
lis war Is but the working of immu-
BILE law which proposes to put all the
ements of civilization to the supreme
st and retain only those which are
by that test, why should
or anyone else-ight? And" he
lded, as an afterthought, "what ,
'out that principle of forgiveness?"
I'VE must fight" she answered. "be-
use 1t Is. the law that we must fight
cause it is only by fighting that we
n justify the principles for which we .
hit. If we hold our principles as be.
& not worth fighting for the new civil
.ation will throw those principles in
e discard And that, too, covers the
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