The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-07-06
CHAPTER XVI.

deep within 1t to be audible, huu come
to the surface now and gradually be-
came heard us the thunder of million
feet upon the trimming grounds Inc
bugles rang sharper; the drums ana
flies Of town and village and country
side were the drums and ffrs OF Il
war TINT came closer and closer TO
every hearth between the two oceans.
All the old symbols became symbols
bright and new. ~ If no one had ever
seen them before. "America' was like n
new word, and the song America"
was like Il new song. All the dusty
blntancics Of Grating candidates, seek
Ing to rouse bored auditors with "the
old flag" all the mechanical patrlotics
Of school and church and club: Ill
these timc-wOrn, inccid things leuped
suddenly into living color. The flag
became brilliant and strange to see
strange with Il meaning that seemed
new. Il meaning long known, yet never
known til now.
And so hearts that thought they
knew themselves came upon nmhushcs
OF emotion and hidden indwellings OF
spirit not guessed before. Dora Yo-
cum, listening to the "Star-Spanyled
Banner" sung by children OF lmmi-
grants to an Out-Of-tune old pinnO in
mission clubroom, in Chicago, found
herself crying with soul lshnking
heartIncSs in way different from 9TH
er ways that she had cried. Among
the many things she thought Of then
was this: That the banner the chill
dren were singing about was in dan
ger. The great country, almost CON
tlncnt, hnd always seemed SO untouch-
able, 50 safe and sure; she had never
been able to conceive OF Il hostile
power mighty enough to shake or cycn
jar It. And since SO great and fundo.
mental thing could not he injured, u
war for Its defense Ind appeared ~
be, IN her eyes, not only wicked but
ridiculous. AT last less and loss
vaguely, she had come to comprchcnd
something of the colossal German
threat, and the shadow that touched
this bright banner Of which the immi.
grants children pipcd SO briskly In the
mission clubroom.
She began to understand, though
She could not have told Just why. or
now, or at what moment understands
ing reached her. She began to under
stalu tlht her country, threatened to
me life. had lung It's line those thou
snnhS o! miles across the sea to stand
nnd hold lIlndrnburg and LuNrndorrf
and all their kaiscrs, kings, dukes and
crown princes. their Kr,pp ana Skoda
INDUSTRIOUS engines and their mons
trous other engines Of men made into
armies. Through the long haze Of
nlSicd ScamilcS and the smoke of
hnd'milrs she perceived thnt brown
line Of ours, and knew 1t stood there
That Freedom, and the Nation itself,
might not perish from the earth.
And so, Il week later. She went home
ana came ncrvously to RamScy'S moth
er and found how to direct the letter
she wanted to write. He was in France
AS the old phrase went, She poured
out her heart. 1t seems to apply to her
letter.
She wrote:
Don't misunderstood me. I felt that
my bitter speech to You had driven yOu
TO take the step you did I felt that
had sent YOU to be killed. and that l
ought to be killed for doing it, but
knew that you had other motives, too.
! knew, Of course, that you thought OF
she country more than You did of mo,
or OF any mad thing could say-but
thought that what said might have
oern the prompting thing the word
mat Threw YOU into 1t So hastily and
before you We're ready, perhaps.
dreaded to bear TINT terrible response
M'ity hope YOU understand.
MY great mistake has bccn-I
thought ! VAS 50 'loCicn'- It's been
III my starting everything with n
i'"uHn' Il never proven: That war Is
'ne worst thing, and all other evils
were lesser. ! was wrong. I was
wrong because war isn't the worst
evil. Slavery Is a worse cvIl. ana now
l want to tell You have como 10 500
that you are making war on those th,,
make slavery. Yes, YOU are nch,,nr
those thnt make both war and slnv,rv
and you are right, and humbly rov.
erence and honor all OF you who mr.,
In this right war. have come HON,
TO work In the Red Cross here; worl
there nll day. and all day keep say
ting to myself-but l really mean to yo,
its what I pray, and oh, how pra
1T: God bo with you and grant yo
tho vfctoryp For you must win an
you will win.
Forgive me. oh, plcnsc--and II yo
Will, could you write to me7 I kno,
you have things to do more importnn
than 'girls'-but oh, couldn't yo,
pleaseT'
This letter. which she had takel
care not to dampen, ns she wrote. wen
in slow course to the american lex