The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-01-02
Rv KATHLEEN NORRIS

THERE is very little tia
we women can do for the
l. great agonized world, this
strange Swallowed New Years of
1871.
We long to be of use. We long
to stop war, to heal wounds, Ito
feed the hungry, to somehow get
over there to Europe ana 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 refectories. Cant
we do anything!" wall the
women, from Portland, Maine,
to Portland, Oregon, from St.
Augustine to CaleXico.
We ARE doing 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 go on
working along these lines, through
clubs and parent-teacher organiza-
lions 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 1 quote it al
most word for word.
'fLast New Year" she writes, 81
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 a city OF
$4,000. I've never travelled; never
been to Chicago or New York; my
life has been teaching, nursing q
sick mother, happy marriage, the
bearing and rearing of three daugh.
tiers and a son. The boy, my eldest,
is now Is.
"Restless and distressed because
I couldn't seem to do anything fol
the misery of the world, l deter.
mined last Christmas to get my oWr
house in order. On New Years day
I announced the new order; prompt
ness at meals, orderliness in bed
rooms, no complaints or quarrels il
the general group, and one evening
a week for hospitality and home en-
tertainment. I stopped fretting my
self, alluded to the war only il
the most hopeful terms, and offered
weekly prizes to the child whc
brought home the most encouraging
or enlightening bit of information, o.
J found the best historic parallel t.
= Sur own times. / told the children
lat our home was going to be lit
lagiel oasis of perfection in worlc
Mrsf !. mad, and it seemed miracu
ST. - me that the Transformation
'iiiiie own attitudes as well al
vre Whoid so quickly be effected.
,lg, "The Chilly Reacts to Change.
IN my hush was most noticeabl,
red ing old too He had been get
to ca and silent Noming in exhaust
" qulet depressionSght, listening il
man-oaked talk of Nhe youngsters
r bbe esoeLlt But WIN communism
a. tlSI and confdenWe all wen
with dthe tbe to n5 find my Eleve2d he cir, re
II n nno' n my Fifteen eagerly reA the pi
I me as to Americas ontlool- gurin
r r nasls not, OF Napoleonic tri11n n tn
; NY 4hlrteen ready wifi pms M