Show homemakers PAGE marie M ogden patriotism IS NOT ENOUGH 0 the article following follow ng was published in the daily news tribune of fullerton calif during 1915 shortly after the death of edith cavell the recent dramatization and filming of the story nurse edith cavell together with world conditions has revived its interest the part of if miss cavell was taken by britaina Brit ains ann who came to hollywood for the title role james butler was one of the wounded soldiers helped across the border in the filming by the nurse and her friend may robson george sanders was the german officer the atlantic monthly of october 1922 carried an article by peter bell and gave the interesting information that the copy of imitation of christ by thomas kempis which was the constant companion of edith cavell during her long weeks of incarceration and which bore the markings up to the day of her execution has now become one of the treasured volumes of the towers of oxford we quote a few lines from the article edith Cavel cavella ls edition of imitation with entries on the flyleaf and markings on the margin has just been added on page is quotation marked st gilles 11 october how muth much of the tragedy and glory of human life live in the three heavy black lines and the brief entry 11 october how much of the profounder pro founder pathos of contemporary life is to be heard in the voice that still echoes in the sombre recesses of the prison of st gilles in brussels 1 I thank god for this ten weeks quiet before the end life has always been hurried and full of difficulty this time of rest has been a great mercy Z A more recent comment is important por tant we quote from the indies home journal of december adies r 1924 an article by dr harry emerson an fosdick it is significant of what is joing going on in the mind that whereas the statue of edith cavell when first erected had on it one motto for ang and country two more mottoes are now to be added they are miss cavella own wards patriotism Is N not I 1 t enough 1 I hate no man we long for the time when the world will awaken to the deep r leaning of such a great life the ati tribune bune article now follows editor tribune standing before god and eternity I 1 realize that patriotism is not enough I 1 rr must be free from hate and bitterness ter ness athe the years of the european conflict have brought many events events many lessons to learn and ponder but none greater than the sl sublime blime message of edith cavell the martyred marty red nurse she was a fragile english woman whose life had been one of devotion to the relief of suffering humanity a woman for years at the head of a training school for nurses which gave not to belgium and france only but to germany as well in those early war many women whose healing hands soothed the wounded and comforted the dying in the progress of these ministrations when she cared alike for the belgians the english the germans and the french there came to her knowledge those matters pertaining to her beloved england what more natural than that she pass on these secrets to her government accused of this by the imperial government of germany it is reported she made no denial of the charge frankly admitting all and adding her confession as to certain other facts this very openness is said to have militated against her in the extreme sentence pronounced that of execution as a spy at 2 on an october morning the eyelids closed the brave heart ceased its constant beating and the loyal soul of edith cavell went out on its jou journey rhey into the great beyond to continue as thousands of oth eis near her had done the path of this the greatest adventure life card can affer it is not necessarily essential to us whether elith cavell had acted wisely or not it is not for us to decide whether the tha method of punishment used was according to the magnitude of the crime or whether it be merely a part of the fortunes of all such as follow mars the great war god one gigantic fact remains undisputed she was about to pay the extreme penalty for that which she had done for her country and in the last fleeting cleef ng moments guided by tha knowledge of the past undaunted by the events of the present and illuminated by the dawning of the first day in a world not yet come she sent to all humanity her inspired words worthy indeed to be an enduring monument to the brave soul living and dying serenely does your imagination sketch tr you the events of that life up to the fatal august 1 1914 do you see the days of suspense 6 and then days of activity and tender ministry do you understand the service she planned to render the miscarriage j of her plans the discovery and arrest all this the result of what we today are calling patriotism does your imagination lead you on to picture the days and nights in the cold narrow cell the many hours of questioning to force her to betray the utmost of that within her knowledge can you see the court room and feel the suspense during the two days of her trial can you ou understand the thousand times she we weighed ched in the balance of her mind the wisdom and the worth of this patriotic act of hers can you understand too the many many times when alone among her so called enemies she was subjected to that which in a smaller soul could but have borne the fruit of hatred and bitterness ter ness not so edith cavell patriotism is not enough she says and her thoughts drift on dai 1 I did my utmost but my greatest is not sufficient I 1 perceive beyond the spirit of him who said father forgive them they know not what they do and in this knowledge I 1 must be f free ree from hate and bitterness brave spirit we care not whether in diplomacy you be with us or against us in yur sublime illumination we sense the essence the aroma of that which shall one day be healing for every wound of the world and which shall reveal to us the oneness of all life and the tender generous human relation ship of all the children of barthi earth s SUZANNE C DEAN |