The Red Cloud chief., 1922-08-03
CHAPTER XVI.
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came heard as the tnunuer OF nlIion |
feet upon the training grounds. The |
bugles rang sharper; the drums and |
fifes of town and village and country |
side were the drums and flfes OF n |
war that came closer and closer to |
every hearth between the two oceans.
All the old symbols became symbols
bright and new, as If no one had ever |
seen them before. America" was like n |
new word, and the song america" |
was like new song. All the dusty |
hlatancics OF Grating candidates, seek |
ing to rouse bored auditors with "thc |
old nag; all the mechanical patrlotics |
OF school and church and club; nll |
these tlme-worn, naccid things lenped
suddenly into living color. The flag
became brilliant and strange to see
strange with meaning that seemed
new, a meaning long known, yet never
known I'LL now.
And so hearts that thought they
knew themselves came upon ambushes
of emotion and hidden indwellings Of
spirit not guessed before. Dora Yo-
cum, listening TO the "Star-Spangled
Banner" sung by children Of immi-
grants to an out.of-tune old piano In
n mission clubroom, In Chicago, found
herself crying with soul shaking
heartiness 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 we're singing about was In dan
ger. The great country, almost con-
tnent, had always seemed so untouch-
able, so safe and sure; she had never
been able to conceive OF hostile
power mighty enough to shake or even
jar It. And since so great and funda-
mental thing could not be injured,
war for its defense had appeared TO
be, in her eyes, not only wicked but
ridiculous At last, less and less
vaguely, she had come to comprehend
something Of the colossal German
threat, and the shadow that touched
this bright banner Of which the lmmi-
grants children piped so briskly In the
mission clubroOm.
She began to understand, though
she could not have told Just why. or
how, or at what moment understand
ing reached her. She began to under
stand that her country, threatened to
the life, had flung It's line those thou
sands of miles across the sea to stand
and all their kalsers, kings, dukes and
crown princes, their Krupp and Skoda
monstrous engines, and their mons
.trous other engines of men made into
armies. Through the long haze Of
misted sea-miles and the smoke OF
lnnd-miles she perceived that brown
line Of ours, and knew 1t stood there
that Freedom, and the Nation Itself
might not perish from the earth.
And so, week later, she went home
and came nervously to Ramseys 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. felt that
my bitter speech to you had driven you
to take the step you did. felt that
had sent you to be killed. and that
ought to be killed for doing II, but l
knew that you had other motives, too.
i knew, OF course, that you thought Of
the country more than you did Of me,
or of any mad thing I could say--but
i thought that what said might have
been the prompting thing. the word
that threw you into It so hastily and
before you were ready, perhaps.
dreaded to bear that terrible responsl-
bility. hope you understand.
my great mistake has been-I
thought l was so 1oglcal'-it's been
I'm my starting everything with q
thought I'd never proven: that war Is
the worst thing, and all other evils
were lesser. ] was wrong. / was
wrong, because war Isn't the worst
evil. Slavery Is a worse evil. and now
want to tell you have come to see
that you are making war on those tha
make slavery. Yes, you are fightins
those that make both war and slavery
and you are right, and humbly rev
erence and honor all Of you who ar,
I'm this right war. i have come hom
TO work In the Red Cross here; worl
there all day, and all day I keep say
ing to myself-but really mean to yo
its what pray, and oh, how pra
It: God be with you and grant 20
the victoryl' For you must win an
you will win.
"Forgive me, oh, please-and II 20
will, could you write to me7 kno'
you have things to do more importar
than 'girls'-but oh, couldn't yo,
pleasef"
This letter, which she had take
care not to dampen, as she wrote, wei
In slow course to the american Il
peditionary Forces In France" ar
finally found him whom 1t patient
sought. He delayed not long to answe
and in time she held In shaking har
the penciled missive he had sent he
"You forget all that comic talk abo
me enlisting because Of your telliI
me TO. I'd written my father I wi
going at the first chance month al
a half hAfara that dnv whom ynu go