WAR MOTHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1915, Page 9

WAR MOTHERS.

(In the months of May and June twenty thousand children were born to unmarried mothers living near camps in England alone. Other countries show similar records). There is something in the sound of drum and fife That wakes all the savage instincts into life.

In the old time of peace we went our ways, Through proper days Of little joys and tasks. Lonely at times, When from the steeple sounded weddingchimes, Telling to all the world some maid was wife, But taking patiently our part in life As it was portioned lis by Church and State, Believing it our fate. Our thoughts all chaste Held yet a secret wish to love and mate, Ere youth and virtue should go quite to waste. But men we criticised for lack of strength, And kept them at arm's length.

Then the war came The world was all aflame! The men we had thought dull and void of power Were heroes in an hour. He who had seemed a slave to petty greed Showed masterful in that great time of need. He who jiad plotted for his neighbor's pelf, Xow for his fellows offered up himself. And we were only women, forced by war To sacrifice the tilings worth living for. Something within us broke; Something within us woke; The wild cave-woman spoke.

When we heard the sound of drumming, As our soldiers went to camp, Heard them tramp, tramp, tramp; As we watched to see them coming, And they looked at us and smiled (Yes, looked back at us'and smiled) As they filed along by hillock and by hollow, Then our hearts were so beguiled That, for many and many a day, We dreamed we heard them say, ' Oh, follow, follow, follow!" And the distant, rolling dnm Called us, "Come, come, come!" Till our virtue seemed a thing to give away.

War had swept ten thousand years away from earth, We were primal once again. There were males, not modern men; ■ We were females meant to bring their sons to birth, And we could not wait for any formal rite. We could bear them calling to us, "Come to-night; For to-morrow, at the dawn We move on!" ' And the drum Bellowed, "Come, come, come!" And the fife - Whistled, "Life, life, life!"

So they moved on and fought and bled and died; Honored and mourned, they are the nation's pride. We fought our battles, too; but with the tide O c our red blood we gave the world new lives. Because we were not wives We arc- dishonored. Is it noble, then, To break God's laws only by killing men To save one's country from destruction? We Took np man's life but gave our chastity, And sinned the ancient sin To plant young trees and fill felled forests in. 0 clergy of the land, Bible in hand, All reverently you stand, On holy thoughts intent, While barren wives receive the sacrament! 'lad you the open vision you could see Phantoms of infants murdered in the womb Who never knew a cradle or a tomb Hovering about these wives accusingly. Bestow the sacrament! Their sins are not well known— Ours to the four winds of the earth are blown. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox.