The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-06-13
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
tBen syndicate-wNU Service

"CTOP telling me your trou-
bles, solve your own
~ problem, and lift just one
more load off the fearful sum-
total Of the worlds griefs!"
That's what everyone is going
to be saying to everyone else this
year, so take warning, and don't
expose yourself unnecessarily to
a rebuff that may hurt your feel
ings. For unless we all do our
best, morally, mentally and
physically, to combat the mortal
illness of the good, kindly old
earth, we have fallen upon evil
days indeed.
So don't complain about debts,
taxes, soaring expenses and an in
fated cost of living, for these are
common to us all. Pay your bills,
move into smaller quarters, watch
the family health with an unceasing
vigilance, stop useless extrava-
gances-even if that only means
taxi fares, chocolate bars, birthday
cards, glass candlesticks and a spe-
cial plate for the dogs dinner
shorten sail generally. Don't tell
everyone how things have changed,
for they have changed for everyone,
and what we'll want to hear now is
good news, not bad.
Talk Courageously.
Even if the light of your life, the
dear tumble-headed boy who was
struggling with homework and chat
tering Scout gossip a few years ago,
even if he's gone away from home
for a while, don't make martyr of
yourself. Realize that million 9th
er mothers are suffering the same
helpless agonies, and that wars are
made by man, not God, and that
consequently we are responsible for
them. It is for us to work against
the next war, and all wars, rather
than to bewail the perfectly natural
result Of our folly in supposing that
any war will ever end war.
Every woman you meet in the next
few months is going to do one thing
or another to you. She is going to
depress you almost to the suicide
point or she is going to give you a
message, conscious or unconscious,
of hope and courage. She is going
to retail for your benefit all the
changes and discomforts that have
gone on in her own intimate circle,
the expenses and taxes, her longing
for her absent boy, and the general
misery of the world. Or she is go
ing to give you sensible, coura-
geous report on family that has
met changing conditions CALAMITY
and learned to live on new terms.
A New National Loyalty Awakes.
There are going to be lots of things
we don't like about it, and surpris-
ingly there will be lots of things we
do. # there is an awakening of new
national loyalty, new unity of feel
ing among us all, it will be pure
gain. Whatever happens in Europe,
and whether we get further involved
in the war or whether some sudden
peace is patched up over there, we
are going to face one more American
crisis at home, and we have to
meet it with the strength of charac-
ter that is our proudest heritage,
and live through it to happier times.
Which makes it all the more
amazing to receive, as did a few
days ago, letter like the following.
It comes from Pennsylvania wom-
an, college graduate, a member
Of privileged group.
eve have plenty of money and a
charming home," writes Anna. "My
husband is an engineer, successful
enough to be sent at various times
to places as distant as Norway, Per-
nambuco and now Alaska. / have
never accompanied him on these