The Normal Record. June 1904

              THE NORMAL RECORD.
3
if we were Russians or Japanese at the
present time, our interpretation of patriotism might properly take on a military
character. You have perhaps noticed pictures of little Japanese playing at soldier 1
War is in the air in Japan, and it seems to
be the only right thing. But the world at
large is undoubtedly making for peace,
and as a higher ideal by far, it behooves
one to catch the spirit of the times, and to
hang the old sword of the fathers in its
place.
Thinking once more only of our United
States, it is evident to a reader of its history that the praise of war has fallen
away a good deal in these latter years.
People are more inclined to agree with
General Sherman that'' War is Hell,'' and
that the glory of battle isn't the highest
type of glory. In fact, it isn't so popular
now as it once was to be a soldier. One
may venture the statement that on the
streets of San Francisco the workingman
stands higher in public estimation than
the soldier on leave of absence from the
Presidio. And while it is true that we
have increased the size of our standing
army somewhat, and have made a new and
comparatively strong navy, yet our people
are by no means so much inclined to rush
into war on small provocation as they
were at earlier times in our history.
In this we are growing in the right direction. But if one may so speak, it is a
negative growth. Positively there remains
the necessity of striving to comprehend
the meaning of Civic Patriotism, as an advance over Military Patriotism. Not to
seek to quench the fighting spirit, (that
wouldn't be wise), but to direct it against
evils and deficiencies within our own borders, and not against fellow human beings
outside those borders. And furthermore,
why not come to the Andrew Carnegie
viewpoint, and if, with that broad-minded,
generous patriot, we cannot give money
in recognition of the heroisms of peace, we
can at least discipline ourselves to appreciate such heroisms.
I was surprised and pleased to read in
a Sunday school paper the other day that
in France once a year, in every village,
the graves of those who were worthy and
loved in life are heaped with flowers. And
in Cornwall, England, forty years ago was
buried an Italian sailor who gave his life
to save his crew. Forty years ago; yet
every year, on All Saints' Day, the villagers have laid a crown of evergreen on
his grave. And the writer went on to
urge a broader interpretation of our own
Decoration Day. Why confine our flowers and our hero-worship to the graves of
soldiers only?
Another thought is this: The Truer Patriotism is a home patriotism. If in religion, faith without work is dead, so in
things political, patriotism without practical effectiveness is no patriotism. Boasting of the glorious history of one's country is not patriotism. Making a little god
out of a red, white and blue piece of bunting is not patriotism. Patriotism is the
giving of your thought, and your time,
and your work, and your consecration, towards making your people a strong people : a morally strong people, I mean.
And one needs first to look to one's self.
Are all personal habits such as do credit
to approved citizenship ? Second, are there
conditions in your home surroundings,
your village, which, to your judgment, if
not to that of others, appeal to you as
harmful to the general welfare ? Will you
interest vourself ?
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IN THE DEWBERRY <P<ATCH
BY JESSIE WILSON.
Imagine yourself on one of the very hottest days in July, seated out in the middle
of a ten-acre dewberry patch. North, east,
south and west you are literally surrounded with dewberry vines.
Your back, how it aches! And your fingers are sore, and smarting from the
scratches you have received from the
thorns on the vines. True it is that your
hands are covered with the legs of old