The Next of Kin: Those who Wait and WonderMcClung, Nellie L.
History
The Next of Kin: Those who Wait and Wonder
McClung, Nellie L.
World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada
The coming of women into the political world should help. Women are
born conservationists. Their first game is housekeeping and
doll-mending. The doll, by preference, is a sick doll, and in need of
care. Their work is to care for, work for something, and if the
advent of women into politics does not mean that life is made easier
and safer for other women and for children, then we will have to
confess with shame and sorrow that politically we have failed! But we
are not going to fail! Already the angel has come down and has
troubled the water. Discussions are raging in women's societies and
wherever women meet together, and out of it something will come. Men
are always quite willing to be guided by women when their schemes are
sound and sane.
In New Zealand the first political activity of women was directed
toward lowering the death-rate among children, by sending out trained
nurses to care for them and give instruction to the mothers. Ours will
follow the same line, because the heart of woman is the same
everywhere. Dreams will soon begin to come true. Good dreams always
do--in time; and why not? There is nothing too good to be true! Here
is one that is coming!
Little Mary Wood set out bravely to do the chores; for it was
Christmas Eve, and even in the remoteness of the Abilene Valley, some
of the old-time festivity of Christmas was felt. Mary's mother had had
good times at Christmas when she was a little girl, and Mary's
imagination did the rest. Mary started out singing.
It was a mean wind that came through the valley that night; a wind
that took no notice of Christmas, or Sunday, or even of the brave
little girl doing the chores, so that her father might not have them
to do when he came home. It was so mean that it would not even go
round Mary Wood, aged eleven, and small for her age--it went straight
through her and chattered her teeth and blued her hands, and would
have frozen her nose if she had not at intervals put her little hand
over it.
But in spite of the wind, the chores were done at last, and Mary came
back to the house. Mary's mother was always waiting to open the door
and shut it quick again, but to-night, when Mary reached the door she
had to open it herself, for her mother had gone to bed.
Mary was surprised at this, and hastened to the bedroom to see what
was wrong.
Mary's mother replied to her questions quite cheerfully. She was not
sick. She was only tired. She would be all right in the morning. But
Mary Wood, aged eleven, had grown wise in her short years, and she
knew there was something wrong. Never mind; she would ask father. He
always knew everything and what to do about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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