Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-08
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
THERE is much vague talk or
l. sacrifice just now by which
to indicate to the soldiers OF the
new army in their camps that the
civilian will endure such trials as
he is put to.
Yet, on every side in most
communities, obscure heroes
live whose whole lives have been
denial, sacrifice and work for
others without recognition, and
often without the faintest show
of gratitude from those whose
thanks are due.
They are not group, a type
or a class. They are all little
people, each as individual as his
individual problem, but they are
kin TO all of us and are pretty
effectively put out of mind be-
cause their devotion Shames us,
and the occasions TO touch them
on the hand with so little as a
message on their birthdays and
at Christmas are neglected.
MOST of those whom I know
A'1 have been women who seem
to have a special sense of re-
sponsibility, but there has been
some men.
The sallow girl in the office
who dresses so plainly and lacks
that quality known as person.
Atty is unattractive. 10 be sire,
but when heroism is appraised
hers may be equal at least to
that of the man of instant brav-
cry who risks his life TO save
another.
From girlhood she will have
known nothing but uninter-
rupted responsibility, worry,
work and Self-denlal
She is not married and proba-
bly, never will marry, because.
after all. she is rising 80 now
and has no way with men. and.
anyway. what man wants TO take
on an invalid father-in-law TO
live in a little apartment, for
God only knows how many years
until at last his grip on life re-
lakes and he slips away?
Or, if her father is not an in
valid. he could be drunkard
or just a shiftleSs old fool
leaning his dead weight on the
scrawny shoulders of a girl.
AS l say. the circumstances
are alike in no two cases, al
though the spirit of such mar
tyrs is generally similar, and in
dividuals are known TO all of us.
WHAT about brothers and sis
w tiers? Are there no broth
ers and sisters to help. and isn't
the responsibility theirs as well?
Well. yes. there is a brother.
but il seems that he pulled out
and got married when he was
only 20 and has lived in various
places trying 10 get along. but
has children now, and, after all.
IL wouldn't be right to send
money home which he needs for
his own family.
And sisters. then? Yes. two
sisters. but they. too, are mar
ried and live in another part OF
town. and. being away. have de-
veloped a pleasant detachment,
although they could afford a few
dollars now and again.
And so, such poor, noble drabs
are elected by circumstances
and character TO slave the pre-.
cious years away when oppor-
tunities for happiness and full
fillment could be found, with
rarely so much as an hours joy
and with no goal Of security or
ease beyond the horizon.
Home. at evening, is not A
|. happy circle. but merely a scene
of other duties and, in the morn
ing. before work, there is doing
around the little place and al
ways there is CHASTITY dread Of
accident. serious illness or the
consolidation of several depart
ments into one. with consequent
loss of the job and the pay.
WE have had novels which
w have generally paraphrased
such lives. but heroism of this
kind is not conspicuous, and. in
deed. is not regarded as heroism
at all.
We reserve that word for sud-
den acts of spectacular bravery
which are the envy of us all.
Nobody ever envies the hero
ism and sacrifice of those whose
courage and devotion to others
persist evenly and without COM
plant or any thought of finch
ing or self-pity year after bleak
and hopeless year.
/ dare say that every one OF
mature experience has known
more than one person-woman
or man-who has voluntarily as
sumed burdens in life which. in
justice, should have been distrib-
uted among several.
And il appears to me that, for
no reason that can suggest.
this nobility of soul, in woman
at least. is more often discov-.
cred in those who are not by the
standards of the eye and fashion
beautiful or even charming.
Ii seems to reside exclusively
in girls whom God has denied
even the weapon of pretty face