The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-05-18

! old flag" all the mechanical patriotlcs
~ school and church and club; all
these time-worn, flHrid things leaped
suddenly into living color. The flag
became brilliant ard strange to see
strange with n meaning that seemed
new. n meaning long known, yet never
known TIL now.
And So hearts that thought they
! knew themselves came upon ambusheS
! ~ emotion aud hidden indwellings Of
| spirit not guessed before. Dora YO-
cum. listening To- the Star Spangled
Banner sung by children of immi.
grants Ia an out-of.tune old piano in
n mission clubroom. IN Chicago. found
herself crying with a soul-shaking
heartness In a way different from 9th
pr 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
tinent, had always seemed So untouch
able. so safe and sure; she had never
been able To conceive OF u hostile
Jar H. And since So great and funda.
mental thing could not be in jured n
war for its defense had appeared to
he. In her eyes, not only wicked but
ridiculous. Al last. less and less
vaguely, she had come to comprehend
something " the colossal German
threat, and the shadow that touched
this bright banner ~ which the lmml.
grants children piped So briskly In the
mission cIuhroom
She began Ia understand, though
she could not have told just why, Or
how. or AZ what moment understand
ing reached her. She began To under.
stand that her country. threatened to
the life, had flung its line those thou
sands Of miles across the sea to stand
and hold IIindenburg and Ludendorff
and all their kaiSers. 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
miStcd Sea-miles and the smoke ~
land miles she perceived that brown
line of ours. and knew II stood there
that Freedom, and the Nation itself,
might not perish from the earth
And 50, u week later, she went home
and came nervously To Ramsey's moth
or 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 II 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 10 be killed for doing Il, hut
knew that you had other motives. too.
| knew. Of course. that you thought Of
the country more than you did of me,
or OF any mad thing ! could say-but
! thought that what ! said might have
been the prompting thing the word
that threw you into IL so hastily and
before you were ready, perhaps. |
dreaded To bear that terrible responsi.
bility. hope you understand
my great mistake has been-I
thought | was So 'logical'-it's been
In my starting everything with
thought Id 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 worse evil. and now
| want to tell you have come to see
that you are making war on those that
make slavery. Yes, you are fighting
those that make both war and slavery,
and you are right, and humbly rev.
erence and honor all OF you who are
In this right war. have come home
to work In the Red Cross here; work
there all day, and all day ! keep say.
Ing TO myself-but ! really mean to you
Its what | pray, and oh. how | pray
1t: God be with you and grant you
the victoryr For you must win and
you will win.
Forgive me, oh, please-and II you
Will. could you write TO mel ! know
you have things to do more important
than 'glrls'-but oh. couldn't you,
please?"
This letter, which she had taken
care not TO dampen, as she wrote, went
in slow course 10 the American Elk
Forces In France and
finally found him whom II patiently
sought. lie delayed not long To answer.
and In time she held In shaking hand
the penclled mlsslye he had sent her:
"You forget all that comic talk about
me enlisting because Of your telling
me TO. Id written my father | was
going al the first chance n month and |
a half before that day when you said |
II. My mind was made up the first |
time. there was any talk of war, and |
you had about as much responsibility |
for my going as some little sparrow or
OF course | don't mean I |
didn't pay any attention to the differ
ent things you said, because always
did, and ! used Ia worry over II be-
cause | was afraid some day Il would
get you Into trouble. and I'm mighty