Do not prepare for death, prepare for life. Preparing for death brings the end before your allotted time. Like Job of old that which we fear will come to us. We must not think of death, or waste time preparing for it. It makes us miserable today. It makes us weak and fills us with fear and it draws the day of our departure nearer. Today is ours. Live, freely, fully today. Be unafraid, unhurried, and undisturbed. We are building character, and the way we build it is by mental attitude, by our acts, and the way we employ the precious time today. Lay hold of the great forces of nature, realize the wonderful power of the will and you will be strong, a veritable king among men. PIONEER MOTHERS Knitting From Necessity Today, Knitting for Pleasure Tomorrow As I write these lines I am riding on a slow train through Oklahoma. Purposely I am in the day coach smoker for that's the place to study local color, and see the natives. The atmosphere around is oil and gas, the talk is "bringing in a gusher," "tanks," "rigs," "leases," "wild cat sales," "offsets," "selling stock," and the like; all the phrases, all the talk is striking it rich, getting money. Indians, Mexicans, Negroes, college boys in surveying crews and speculators form a hodge podge. Men from all parts of the states are here seeking dollars. I have been around these oil and gas fields in autos and by teams. I've been observing life, character, passions and habits. I've seen brave women here with nursing babies living in tents or patchwork shacks. Some of these women dream at night of silks and satins and mansions and position. By day these poor women work and mend and cook and sew, doing their part to help things along. Many of the husbands are earning five to eight dollars a day and spending most of it on foolishness. The poor wives get only enough for bare necessities, and yet they patiently work and mend and cook and sew. Talk about patience; talk about devotion; talk about grit; talk about courage; just come down to the oil fields and see these poor pioneer women. Talk about selfishness; talk about cowardice; talk about brutality; talk about debasement; come down and see some of these men making $25 to $50 a week and never a cent in their pockets Monday morning. Woman is called weak--that means the rich woman--the poor woman possesses strength that psychology cannot explain. Men can be analyzed, but you are at a loss to understand woman. Poor women grow into a sweet replica of their mothers, the most unselfish, patient, generous, forgiving, lovable, adorable creatures on earth. Man grows away from his mother; he roughens and cools and grows selfish and expects and demands the woman shall love him with all these faults, and generally she does. The poor woman makes an idol of her husband and in her love thinks he is ideal.