South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-01-15
Preparedness
By Clara Norris

Pie-crust promises are now 10 be
put 10 the test.
I recall the magnificent display Of
pastry promises in the new days Of
last year. some were so fragile, so
iridesvently beautiful that humanity
speaking, they could not be kept But
others there were in their thousands
simple. kindly. wholesome things
easy enough 10 keep. one would
think, and yet-yes, quite so--and
yet
There is one promise, so little
common place and easy 20 keep, wo-
men make il in their thousands only
10 smash It TO smithereens. A little
promise, yet broken. causing both
grief and anger! So littlo-yet re-
member the foxes. the little foxes.
that spoil the vines"
4 promise to give prompt and
courteous answer TO every letter
may receive this coming year. and
quite particularly I promise never
again TO lose touch with the mem
/ bers of my own family"
II would be interesting to know
| how many charming acquaintance
ships have withered and fallen away,
! how many valued friendships have
eeen chilled and clouded over, how
many opportunities utterly lost
worst Of all, how many sisters and
brothers have wandered beyond the
\ family ken out into the some
where" west or north or south OF
east--that great "somewhere'-ths
haystack in which so many human
I needles are vainly sought by re-
morseful relatives who had merely
| broken that simple little promise.
But why do we women-in par
ticular-in our hundreds break this
vow after making it2 We are not all
/ lazy daisies; nor are many OF US
monsters OF selfishness forgetful Of
old ties. and indifferent 10 the crav-
; ing Of the elders back home" for
I just a line now and then TO prove
they are not wholly forgotten.
There is. however, one cause small
but far-reaching. for our falling
down upon this particular promise
OF prompt and courteous attention
10 all correspondence, and that is
lack Of preparedness.
Who has not seen some woman
, searching ENTHUSIASTICALLY
ly for the makings" Of a letter.
/ Finding paper but-no matching en-
! velopes. Hammering the life out OF
a fountain pen OF Sahara dryness
I to start the flow" Of long dried ink.
! Turning out, entirely the top bureau
[ drawer, boxes. cases. bags, not car
( ing the boot Of a cross-eyed owl
/ what was destroyed II only she can
I find that letter with their new sd-
Z dress-then the stamps-where, oh
4 where, have they gone? Oh. dear!
! Come. why not try & little pre-
parednass? It requires but slight
J effort and a small disbursement 10
! assemble the appropriate necessaries
/ for a years correspondence. but
! there's always a but"
We used 10 sing United we stand.
/ divided we fall" Today soto voce
in preference to our writing mater
ials, we may sing United we write,
! but scattered we-don't."
SO the pivotal point OF the whole
matter Is how best these few neces-
saries may be methodically arranged
and religiously kept together al
ways together, that those disconcert-
ing. mad searches for 4 mislaid pen
or a matching envelope or, oh, those
stamps---may not make writing a
bug-a-boo.
Preparedness first-then the re-
} newed promises in those first days
Of the new year before we break EN-
beyond repair It's a sporting chance
Shall we take it? I wonder.