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
"I am in earnest about this," Miss Wheatly declared; "I am tired of
this eternal talk of national service and nothing coming of it. Now,
if any of you know of a hard, full-sized woman's job that I can do,
you may lead me to it!"
Then the meeting began. There was a very enthusiastic speaker who told
of the great gift that Canada had given to the Empire, the gift of men
and wheat, bread and blood--the sacrament of empire. She then told of
what a sacrifice the men make who go to the front, who lay their
young lives down for their country and do it all so cheerfully. "And
now," she said, "what about those of us who stay at home, who have
three good meals every day, who sleep in comfortable beds and have not
departed in any way from our old comfortable way of living. Wouldn't
you like to do something to help win the war?"
There was a loud burst of applause here, but Miss Wheatly sat with a
heavy frown on her face.
"Wasn't that a perfectly wonderful speech?" the secretary whispered to
her when the speaker had finished with a ringing verse of poetry all
about sacrifice and duty.
"It is all the same old bunk," Miss Wheatly said bitterly; "I often
wonder how they can speak so long and not make one practical
suggestion. Wouldn't you like to help win the war? That sounds so
foolish--of course we would like to win the war. It is like the
old-fashioned evangelists who used to say, 'All who would like to go
to heaven will please stand up.' Everybody stood, naturally."
While they were whispering, they missed the announcement that the
president was making, which was that there was a young girl from the
North Country who had come to the meeting and wished to say a few
words. There was a deep, waiting silence, and then a small voice began
to speak. It was Miss Polly Rogowski from the Abilene Valley District.
There was no fear in Polly's heart--she was not afraid of anything.
Not being a lady, of course, and having no reputation to sustain, and
being possessed with one thought, and complete master of it, her
speech had true eloquence. She was so small that the women at the back
of the room had to stand up to see her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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