The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-01-03
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS
tBen Syndieats-wNU Service.

THERE Is very little that
we women can do for the
- great agonized world, this
strange Swallowed New Year of
1941.
We long to be of use. We long
to stop war, to heal wounds, to
feed the hungry, to somehow get
over there to Europe and bang a
few heads together and per-
suade all the deluded leaders
everywhere to act for lasting
peace.
We long to write the song, the
essay that shall reach all mems
hearts. We long to adopt-not
one French or English child,
but twenty. We feel we might
organize great dormitories,
enormous refs1 tories. Cant
we do. anyth30g!" wall the
women. from I tland, Maine.
to Portland, S&on, from st.
Augustine to Ca4exico.
We ARE doint something, we
women. We have put ourselves on
record this year, and In all the years
to come our influence toward peace
and away from brainless and pur-
poseless warfare will make itself
increasingly felt. We can 20 on
working along these lines, through
clubs and parent-teacher organiza-
tons and church societies. And
meanwhile, while our leaders are
making America safer on both great
ocean boundaries, we can make
America safer by sanity at home.
Avoid all this war hysteria and the
ridiculous defeatest attitude many
people have. 1t is Just as important
for US to have confidence and faith
In our country as it is to have a
strong defense. And the home is the
place to build this confidence.
Puts Own Home In Order.
A country wife wrote me a letter
on this subject, and quote it al
most word for word.
Last New Year." she writes, "I
was so anxious and upset about the
European war that I thought
would lose my mind. I'm a small
town woman, we have a fruit farm
about three miles from q city of
1900. I've never travelled; never
been to Chicago or New York; my
life has been teaching, nursing a
sick mother, happy marriage, the
bearing and rearing of three daugh-
tiers and son. The boy, my eldest,
is now ID.
Restless and distressed because
couldn't seem to do anything for
the misery Of the world, l deter
mined last Christmas to get my own
house in order. On New Years day
l announced the new order; prompt
ness at meals, orderliness in bed
rooms, no complaints or quarrels in
the general group, and one evening
a week for hospitality and home en-
tertainment. / stopped fretting my
self, alluded to the war only in
the most hopeful terms, and offered
weekly prizes to the child who
brought home the most encouraging
or enlightening bit of information, or
found the best historic parallel to
our own times. l told the children
that our home was going to be a lit
tie oasis of perfection in a world
gone mad, and II seemed miracu-
lous to me that the transformation
in their own attitudes as well as
mine could so quickly be effected.
Whole Family Reacts to. Change.
The change was most noticeable
in my husband. He had been get
ting old too fast, coming in exhaust
ed and silent at night, listening in
quiet depression to the youngsters
half-baked talk of war, communism.
revolution. But when we all went
hopeful and confident, and he re-
turned to find my Eleven struggling
with the national anthem at the pi-
ano' my Fifteen eagerly reassuring
me as to Americas outlook on the
basis Of Napoleonic triumphs and
my Thirteen ready with a cup of