Evening star., 1942-03-07


his caily stint on the typewriter.
After her first lesson on the use
OF firearms, she came home with a
.22-caliber blunderbuss and started
pointing it here and there about
the house. After she had carelessly
drawn ?. bead on Alexander's head
a couple Of times. he doubtless was
inspired to dash off his most Oft
quoted line
Mrs. POpP'S mOdern-dav counter
part is alOose IN my house now. De-
termined that no German or jap
Will ever invade our household with
out some one getting shot. even if
1t IS one Of the immediate family.
my wife has joined a Women's Home
Defense firearms class. Plans call
for the class, which is composed Of
2 dozen or so matrOnS who still
refer to themselves as the girls"
to practice shooting three times a
week.
have attended only one meeting
the flrst-and 7 am LAYING z IN |
that inside Of three weeks there
won't be survivor, including the
Instructor a game guy If : ever met
one. There isn't a member Of the
class who has ever handled a weapon
any more deadly than a mouse trap
and they all seem to be under the
glggllng assumption that a rifle can
be handled with the same abandon
as mop, broom or vacuum cleaner.
To the average man, who has had
some sort Of gun ever since he was
a kid, the conversation when the
class was called to order and guns
handed out, was unbelievable.
What is that little bump way
out on the end of the gun?' the
little home protector in the CASH
mere sweater asked, pointing to the
siCht.
rs this the sort of gun that
kicks?' oueried the woman in the
gabardine slacks. And does il kick
before or after it is fred?"
The instructor was very patient.
He even changed guns for one Of
the women when she complained
that the wood in the handle OF
mine isn't as pretty as the wood in
Sally's."
Annie Oakley would not only have
turned over in her grave but would
have sought even deeper cover had
she seen the manner in which the
new threat against the Axis hordes
aimed its rifles.
One woman. whose knowledge Of
shooting obviously had been gained
from taking her son to Western
movies, stubbornly insisted on shoot
ing from the hip Another rested
the stock comfortably on top Of her
shoulder. insisting that il enabled
her to get closer to the sight. An
other held the gun at arms length
as if she were shooting a giant
pistol.
My wife. bless her, Gid none ot
these things. She placed the stock
smack in the center of her chest.
That was too much for the instruc-
tor. He wanted to know why this
unique stance. The explanation
was that it enabled her to get twice
as good an aim. From this position
she could use both eyes in looking
through the sight.
7 thought that when the lesson
was finished my wife would be done
with a rife until the next lesson,
but, unfortunately. I have rife in
the house and for two days she has
been stalking like a character out
Of the Leather Stocking Tales"
The grocery boy got the shock Of
his life yesterday when, unknow-
ingly. he played the part Of a Jap
aneSe landing force. When he
walked into the kitchen he was con-
fronted with the muzzle of a gun
pointed through the swinging door
of the dining room.
The capture" cost us a dozen eggs
and pint of whipping cream.
Maybe have the wrong slant on
things. but with only one life to give
my country, don't like the thought
of giving it at home.
I surrender. dear.