The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-03
THE PRAIRIE MOTHER

'she came 10 rock the cradle Of a new EN-.
plre Adventure calls 20 men. bat duty sum.
mons women. And So when the time was ripe
20 breed new stars FOR the flag. she set forth
from Maine and Ohio and kilarney's lovellness
and her swedish village and her ford home to
mother the wilderness
only God and she knows the fullness OF her
giving TO the young Northwest
"she lived In sod houses and hay-roofed huts
with the newest nelghbor often a days trudge
away.
-She had no decencles. She did not even know
the luxury OF floor or fireplace Her meal was
ground in a hand mill and her baking range
was a makeshift oven IN the yard.
"she helped In the neids-at the plowlng and
the sowing. and she helped TO scythe the crop
and bind the sheaves
"She watered stock and spun and knitted and
tailored. She made n garden and preserved the
winter food MIXED her cows and nursed her
children. The sleepy-eyed sun found her already
at her tasks. and the mIdmoon heard her Groom
the baby TO rest.
-Her beauty sleep began at ten and ended at
four. Year in and year out she never had an
orange. a box OF sweets or gift OF remem
brance.
~she fought drouth and dearth and savages
and savage loneliness. her Sunday bests were
calico and llnsey woolsey. She grew old at the
rate OF twenty-four months a year at the grub
blng hoe and the washtub and the churn.
"She bore her BARNS alone and buried them
on the frozen pralries.
But she asked no pity for her broken arches,
her aching back. her poor gnarled hands. Or
for the wlstful memories of fairer youth In
sweeter lands.
"She gave America the great Northwest. and
was too proud to quibble at the cost OF the
stalwart sons to whom she willed IT.
"She mothered MEN"
Since the World war. America has had an
other group of mothers TO be honored-those who
lost their sons In that great conflict One OF the
first states 10 honor Its Gold Star mothers was
Illinois and more than 1000 OF them were pres
ent when a beautiful memorial was dedicated at
the Illinois Centennial building in Springfield,
the state capital.
The Inscription on II reads: I'm honor OF those
mothers of Illinois who in giving their sons to
fight on alien fields for liberty and right armed
them with their own steadfast courage and be-
lief in righteousness. 1917-191S"
A tribute of different kind was paid to the
Gold Star mothers on March 2, 1929. when con-
gress passed biz authorizing an appropriation
of more than S5.OO0,O00 TO cover the expense OF
taking the mothers and wives Of service men who
died In France for a visit TO the place where
their soldier dead were buried. The War de-
partment was then directed to make the neces-
sary arrangements for the Gold Star Mother
pilgrimages and invitations were sent out to
II $50 of these women TO be the guests OF the
United States government on such trip
OF that number nearly 6,0O0 went during the
summer OF 1892 and the remainder the follow
ing summer. There was a singularly appropriate
touch to the departure OF the first contingent.
rs,,o glal xrht .
Mothers day that year. and the ship which took
them to their rendezvous with their dead was
the s. s. America.
Gby Western Newspaper UnIsA-