Our Women and Children
Conducted by Lucille Skaggs Edwards.
THE FENCE OR
THE AMBULANCE
We are indebted to The Chancellor,
June, 1909, edited by Laurie J. Quinby,
for the poem, “The Fence or the Am
bulance.” How very true to life,
when applied to many reforms, is the
attitude assumed by the crowd and
by the sage. Mr. Quinby says:
“We find thousands of people even
anxious to furnish the ambulance who
would call out the federal troops, if
need be, to prevent the building of a
fence.”
We were thinking the poem might
apply to the present temperance issue
which is so soon to be settled, for Ne
braska, at the polls. Is prohibition
the fence, the ambulance, or neither?
The fence, as you know, will prove a
permanent safeguard. Is prohibition
prevention or does it only force men
to obtain illegally what they might
have legally?
Some may hold that prohibition does
not prohibit, then it might be used
as a barrier which would close the
road to traffic until the fence of some
effective reform might be erected. It
might be the teachings of the church,
the home, the school, a method slow,
but sure. The old, old way of over
coming evil with good since law can
not purify men’s hearts nor control
their appetites or habits.
Then prohibition may be the only
thing which will prove to be the fence.
The one cure for all the ills and evils
of strong drink. It may be preven
tion and prevention dispenses with
cure.
However, we leave it to our readers
to decide for themselves.
L. S. E.
THE FENCE OR THE AMBULANCE
'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they free
ly confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was
so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had
slipt
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would
have to be done,
But their projects would not at all
tally.
Some said: “Put a fence around the
edge of the cliff,”
Some: “An ambulance down in the
valley.”
But the cry for the ambulance carried
the day,
For it spread through the neighbor
ing city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is
true,
But each heart became brimful of
pity
For those who slipt over that danger
ous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and
valley
Gave pounds or gave pence, not to
put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the
valley.
“For the cliff is all right, if you’re
careful,” they said,
“And if folks even slip they are
dropping,
It isn’t the slipping that hurts them
so much
As the shock down below when
they’re stopping.”
So, day after day, as these mishaps
occurred,
Quick forth, would these rescuers
sally
To pick up the victims who fell off
the cliff
With their ambulance down in the
valley.
Then an old sage remarked, “It’s a
H marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping
the cause,
When they’d much better aim at
prevention.
“Let us stop at its source all this
mischief," cried he:
“Come, neighbors and friends, let
us rally;
If the cliff we will fence we might
almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the
valley.”
“Oh, he’s a fanatic,” the others re
joined;
“Dispense with the ambulance!
Never!
He’d dispense with all charities, too,
if he could;
But no! We’ll support them for
ever!
Aren’t we picking folk up just as fast
as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us?
Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to
put up a fence
While their ambulance works in the
valley?”
But a sensible few, who are practical, I
too,
Will not bear with such nonsense
much longer,
They believe that prevention is better
than cure,
And their party will soon be the
stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse,
voice and pen,
And, while other philanthropists
dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put
a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the
valley.
A TOAST TO LAUGHTER
,A Southern country editor—the pre
siding genius of the “Intelligenc'er,”
of Anderson, South Carolina—has
written a toast to laughter:
Here’s to laughter, the sunshine of
the soul, the happiness of the heart,
the leaven of youth, the privilege of
purity, the echo of innocence, the
treasure of the humble, the health of
the poor, the bead on the cup of pleas
ure; it dispels dejection, banishes
blues and mangles melancholy, for
it’s the foe of woe and the destroyer
of depression, the enemy of grief; it
is what makes kings envy the inno
cent; it’s the sheen on the silver of
smiles, the ripple on the waters of de
light; the glint on the gold of glad
ness; without it humor would be
dumb, wit would wither, dimples
would disappear, and smiles would
shrivel, for it's the glow of a clean
conscience, the voice of a pure soul,
the birth cry of mirth, the swan song
of sadness.—Sacred Heart Reminder.
THE CHILD'S ALLOWANCE
What are you doing to teach your
children the value of money, and the
ancient and steadfast rule of "mine
and thine?” It is a grave mistake to
let a boy or girl grow up without real
izing that money is limited in quan
tity, and must be wisely expended,
with regard first for the most im
portant needs, and afterward for the
less pressing demands, and the amuse
ments and luxuries.
The child who never is taught that
expenses must be kept within income,
seldom learns this lesson without a
great deal of needless suffering and
unpleasantness in later years.
Teach your boys and girls how to
spend money, by giving each a fixed
allowance, and letting them learn in
early years, the unpleasant conse
quences of extravagance. Conversely
you can teach them the advantages of
good management.—Mother’s Maga
zine.
THE SONGS MY MOTHER SUNG
“The world at times has beat me back
In battles I have fought,
Not always has the god, success,
Touched tasks in which I wrought.
Full oft has fortune dealt a blow,
Instead of bent to bless,
And heartaches followed close upon
The heels of happiness.
And otfen when a solemn woe
Or grief my heart intoned,
And often when my spirit writhed
And all my nature groaned,
There stole refrain that softened pain
Not bora of mortal tongue,
But bom of memories old and sweet,
The songs my mother sung.”
—Ex.
FASHION NOTES FRESH
FROM PARIS
Black velvet gowns and cloaks are
to be all the go this season.
Skirts are to be worn somewhat
longer than recently, but not so long
that fancy hosiery shall be altogether
hidden.
Fur is still the rage, but be sure
and have a fairly good fur. Many of
the furs are rat and domestic cat and
poorly dyed coney, and have neither
beauty nor elegance.
Light lined blouses embroidered or
otherwise trimmed in darker color are
to be worn with suits in the color of
trimmings. The effect is fine.
Blue, black, brown and dull red will
be the favorite colors in tailored suits.
Bright colors, however, will still re
main stylish.
Paris is planning almost exclusively
for American trade this year inas
much as the war has practically
killed European business.
The Paris costumers are putting
out many train frocks this year.
I
■ I
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i 206 North 16th Street.
AUTUMN
Is Almost Here
Off with the old, and on with the
new!
Months in advance of demand we
must provide for your needs.
We are all ready with new stocss
and receive fresh arrivals daily—
whether by the yard or ready-to
wear. A safe place to trade at is
Thomas
Kilpatrick & Co.
WATERS
BARNHART
PRINTING CO
IO M A H A |
• Phone Doug. 2190
524 S. 13th St.