South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-12
By Leila B. Rostiser

YESTERDAY was Armistice Day
and We paused in our hust-
ling. modern life 10 remember
for moment with definite purpose
those who lie In Flanders fields and
those. who bruised and living. were
their companions under French
skies
There was surely silence in heaven
Tor brief space esterday-celes-
kial silence which conveys TO those
vho have come out OF great tribu-
lation a paradisal sympathy which
can wipe all tears from the eyes.
on Nov. II. three years ago, there
fell on this world a sacred silence
and a total cessation from action
il was the time at which year
earlier. the roar Of cannon had been
suddenly hushed. Men and women
seemed 10 be going about their
business expecting nothing, in parti-
cular, but every now and then look
ing up. No preparations had been
made except that church services
were held. Presently a church bell
or two resounded and then the de-
donation or rocket and In a trans
formed moment. myriads stood with
bowed heads while other knelt.
Such was the scene reacted in count
less cities. villages the globe over.
All was stilled-bank. shop, store,
factory. mine and railway-it was
extraordinarily dramatic but essen
sially sincere from the universal
heart OF man One newspaper is
quoted: Those who went 20 church
missed the thrill OF the greater ser
vice in which men and women, con-
fronting their God. held communion
without the hindrance Of formula"
and looking at the matter from
the point OF view of emotion. the
sentiment was for once quiet
right. Only in the streets could the
thrill and wonder OF the two min
Utes OF remembrance be felt Ii
was the man in the streets solemn
fty-the silence was the hush OF the
multitude which no man could num-
Der
History relates that famous vic
DtOries were greeted by great silences
after the first spontaneous Outburst
OF emotion rather than by prolonged
exultation. In the memory of what
the A~nistice Of the eleventh OF
Novem Der. 1918. meant for ourselves
and the world a similar silence
voiced the instinct of national jubi-
lafion. Rather the most thought
less must have recalled even yester-
day. though the war stretches be-
hind US as a grim and terrible ghost
the dark days when forebodying lay
heavy in our hearts: when our back
was 10 the wall and Fortune seemed
TO have spread her pretty wings de-
sorting us Though we celebrated
glcriously and our eyed cleaned
victoriously. no gay festivty Will
ever make us quite forget those sad
DAYS OF unnumbered prayers, uttered
and unuttered. conscious and un-
conscious when the nations as well
az the individuals eyes were cen
tered upon some cared-fOr grave or
graves In places henceforth holy,
beyond the seas and on foreign soil
Were all those anxieties OF heart
and mind.-were those pauses OF
turning TO God as child turns 20
It's father,-were the retreats and
recesses OF souls TO become but bar
rem mental tracts as the years pass
on or can they as each Armistice
Day follows the other, create the
psychological moment the prOvi-
dental moment. which will quicken
- the international mind OF America
land make Il vibrate with sohcitudC
and hope
To me. the graves in Flander;
fields, are a visible token from the
invisible host begging Us 10 seek
above the horizon OF sheer material
ism which IS challenged by no rival
OF only family. and keep faith with
those who lie where the peoples
blow between the crosses row by
row which mark their places.