The patriot., August 11, 1917, Image 7

HE *
/Woman's Courage
/
A Story of 1920
By OSCAR-COX
* , w.
—Tk
At the beginning of the ever to be
remembered war between Germany,
Austria and Turkey on the one side
and the rest of the world on the other
the women of the world who had for
some years been taking over the du
ties of men surprised every one by
assuming a variety of work, which re
lieved their brothers and husbands so
that they could be spared for fighting
at the front Besides this, women
drilled in the manual of arms for home
defense.
Toward the close of the war a regl
ment of Englishwomen who were not
content with defending their country,
protected by the English channel, de
manded to be sent to France to do
battle beside the men. Their applica
tion was refused, whereupon they
stormed parliament and compelled that
body to pass a bill for a woman's
corps.
Regiment Aof infantry—it was de
cided to classify the women's corps by
the letters of the alphabet—reached the
front during a retreat of the Germans
that was supposed by the allies to be
made with the Intention of shortening
their lines. A portion of the British
army, including Regiment A, was fol
lowing the Germans, whose trenches
had been made untenable by the Brit
ish heavy artillery, and there occurred
some of that open fighting which was
rarely seen during the war.
The women's regiment being raw re
cruits it was not expected that they
would show the bravery of veterans.
Their colonel, Mrs. Lillian Vavasour,
anxious that her troops should give a
good account of themselves in their
first fight, had made provisions against
any sudden panic that might seize upon
them. As the line advanced the brigade
commander noticed a number of light
vehicles following Regiment A and
asked Colonel Vavasour what they were
for. The colonel whispered her reply
in the general's ear, who seemed to be
perfectly satisfied with it.
It is no disparagement to the courage
of the women to say that the opening
of a cannonade all along the line af
fected them seriously. It was not the
missiles that frightened them, for the
German shells fell far behind them,
while a British curtain of fire over
their heads fell at a safe distance in
front of them. It was the frightful
noise that caused their faces to Dale.
And incidentally to this pallor it may
be mentioned that on the cheeks of
nearly two-thirds of the officers and
: soldiers appeared dark patches, which
was to be accounted for by the rouge,
which lost its natural hne in contrast
with a bloodless skin.
Colonel Vavasour, watching her
troops and seeing that they were about
to break and run, called her bugler
and bade him sound a certain order.
He did so, and the wagons in the rear
of the regiment drew up in line, and
an attendant entered each wagon.
Just then the din became so great that
the women could no longer endure it.
; The line wavered, then broke.
At another signal from the colonel's
bugler minute animals were seen to
pour from the vehicles toward which
the women were fleeing. There were
shrieks from the women and a halting
all along the line.
"A mouse!" was the cry in the cen
ter. "A mouse!" was the cry on the
flanks. From the whole line shrieks
were mingled with the cries of "A
mouse!" "A mouse!" A thousand
mice were scattered, running wildly
here and there, stopping the way be
fore the regiment.
"Soldiers," cried the colonel, "choose
between the enemy who stops your re
treat and that which checks your ad
vance! The one is a tiny four footed
animal but a couple of Inches long; the
other is a man armed with rifles, can
non, streams of fire and poisonous gas.
By turning upon such an enemy you
will show the world that woman is en
dowed with all the courage that has
for ages been claimed by men. Re
form!"
So great was the women's fear of
! the little mouse, which was itself so
terrified that It was racing in every
direction, that not a woman soldier
heard one word the colonel said. Nev
ertheless every woman turned from the
frightened mouse to the terrible Ger
mans. The colonel, seeing them moving
forward and believing that her spirited
words had rallied them, seized a stand
ard and, placing herself at their head,
led them on to victory.
In vain the Germans poured liquid
fire and poisonous gas and tear gas
at the regiment. Occasionally over
come by the storm before them, they
were halted, but the greater fear of
what was behind them prevented their
breaking into flight. The Germans,
supposing there was a more determin
ed body of men before them than they
had ever yet met, gave way, and that
portion of the battlefield was won.
The general commanding sent an aid.
de-camp to Colonel Vavasour with the
following message:
"Your regiment has today proved
that, while woman may shrink from
imaginary danger, she is capable of
covering herself with glory before h
real one."
This remarkable berotem was tele
graphed ail over tLe world and gava to
woman the entree into a field that s!) •
had never occupied before. Few of t!;
standing armies of the world today ai
without a voman's corps. However
it has been asserted that this cau
which has been given for feminin.
prominence in war is simply a ri'n'i
tion started by some crusty bachelor.
Montezuma's C»ot!«.
In the Verde valley, twenty-six miles
southeast of Clarkdale, Ariz., is a re
markable ruin known as Montezuma's
castle. It is one of the finest and best
preserved monuments left by a people
known as the ancient cliff dwellers.
The castle is on the light bank of the
beautiful tree fringed Beaver creek,
three miles from the inland town of
Camp Verde, and occupies a natura"
depression in the vertical limestone
cliff 340 feet from the stream and
eighty feet above it. The castle prop
er is five stories, each story receding
by several feet, and is substantially
built. The masonry is admirable when
It is considered the rude stone imple
ments with which the builders had to
work. The stones are squared and
faced and laid in cement that has stood
the wear of centuries. The lintels over
the doors are of hewn cedar. Seen
from a distance, it is very striking. In
the perpendicular front of the white
and gray and yellow limestone cliff,
about halfway up, is a huge circular
natural cavity, and therein stands the
noble pile of Montezuma's castle.—Ex
change.
Our Wisdom Teeth.
The wisdom teeth are the four last
molar teeth to grow. They come one
on each side of each jaw and arrive
somewhere between the ages of twen
ty and twenty-five years. The name
is given them because it is supposed
that when a person has developed
physically and mentally to the point
where he has secured these last four
teeth he has also arrived at the age of
discretion. It does not necessarily
mean that one who has cut his wisdom
teeth is wise, but that, having lived
long enough to grow these, which com
plete the full set of teeth, the person
has passed sufficient actual years that,
if he has done what he should to fit
himself for life, he should have come
by that time at the age of discretion
or wisdom. As a matter of fact, these
teeth grow at about the same ago in
people whether they are wise or not.—
Exchange.
Hope is a dream a man has when
he is awake.
Stretching the truth won't make it
last any longer.
Borrowed money soon begins to look
like borrowed trouble.
Expecting Too Much.
It was a coid, raw day, but the Never
eweats and the Feamaughts were play
ing a game of ball on the prairie Just
the same.
The pitcher for the Neversweats, his
fingers half frozen, failed dismally in
getting the balls over the plate.
"Aw," said the captain, "I fought ye
wuz one o' dese cold weather pitchers!"
"I am."' said the slab artist, blowing
on his benumbed digits to warm them,
"but I aint a ice pitcher, blame ye!"—
Chicago Tribune.
Nothing will make a person color
blind like telling white Lies.
A. .A. .A. A A A. *. A .A. *. .A. A. *. ¥*
«§> «g»
♦ PLANTED TREE YEARS *
♦ AGO TO MAKE COFFIN 4»
€» <§•
«8» Chicago.—Fifty years ago Wal- ❖
4» ter Bushnell of Carrollton, 111..
♦ planted a walnut on his farm and 4»
♦ announced that he would have ❖
♦ his coffin made from the tree. <§»
Three years ago he had the tree «§»
♦ cut down and sawed Into slabs. ❖
♦ Bushnell is now eighty years «§»
♦ old. The walnut wood, having
♦ been properly aged, has been «§»
♦ made into a coffin. *
♦ *
ft*****************
Voter's
Catechism
D. Have you read the Consti
tution of the United States?
R. Yes.
D. What form of Govern
ment is this?
R. Republic.
D. What is the Constitution
of the United States?
R. It is the fundamental law
of this country.
D. Who makes the laws of
the United States?
R. The Congress.
D. What does Congress con
sist of?
R. Senate and House of Rep
resentatives.
D. Who is our State Senator?
R. Wilbur P. Graff.
D. Who is the chief executive
of the United States?
R. President.
D. For how long is the Presi
dent of the United States elect
ed?
R. Four years.
D. Who takes the place of
the President in case he dies?
R. The Vice President.
D. What is his name?
R. Thomas R. Marshall.
D. By whom is the President
of the United States elected?
R. By the electors.
D. By whom are the electors
chosen ?
R. By the people.
D. Who makes the laws for
the State of Pennsylvania.
R. The Legislature.
D. What does the Legislature
consist of?
R. Senate and Assembly.
D. Who is our Assembly
man? t
R. Wilmer H. Wood.
D. How many States in the
union ?
R. Forty-eight.
D. When was the Declaration
of Independence signed ?
R. July 4, 1776.
D. By whom was it written?
R. Thomas Jefferson.
D. Which is the capital of the
United States?
R. Washington.
D. Which is the capital of the
state of Pennsylvania.
R. Harrisburg.
D. How many Senators has
each state in the United States?
R. Two.
D. Who are our U. S. Sena
tors?
R. Boise Penrose and George
T. Oliver.
D. By whom are they elect
ed?
R. By the people.
D. For how long?
R. Six years.
D. How many representa-
tives are there ?
R. 435. According to the
population one to every 211,000,
(the ratio fixed by Congress af
ter each decennial census.)
D. For how long are they
elected?
R. Two years.
D. Who is our Congressman ?
R. Nathan L. Strong.
D. How many electoral votes
has the state of Pennsylvania?
R. Thirty-eight.
D. Who is the chief execu
tive of the state of Pennsyl
vania ?
R. The Governor.
D. For how long is he elect
ed?
R. 4 years.
D. Who is the Governor T
R. Martin G. Brumbaugh.
D. Do you believe in organ
ized government?
R. Yes.
£>. Are you opposed to or
ganized government?
R. No.
D. Are you an anarchist?'
R. Nc.
D. What is an anarchist?
R. A person who does not be
lieve in organized government.
D. Are you a bigamist or
poligamist ? %
R. No.
D. What is a bigamist or po
lygamist?
R. One who believes in hav
ing more than one wife.
D. Do you belong to any se
cret society who teaches to dis
believe in organized govern
ment?
R. No.
D. Have you ever violated
any laws of the United States?
R. No.
D. Who makes the ordinances
for the City?
R. The board of aldermen.
D. Do you intend to remaiir
permanently in the U. S.?
R. Yes. j PROVATE PROVATE
I
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