Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 216, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1913 — Fate’s Decision [ARTICLE]

Fate’s Decision

A continuous round of theatres, parties, tees, and the tikehad made Zalina a frivolous, carefree person. Nothin* ever worried her. Things seemed to be ordered to her liking. Her slightest wish, even from childhood, had never been ignored, and now at the age of 81, after a critical examination of her peat erlMenoe, she realized with a shudder what a worthless butterfly she had been —living the life of a doll with not one nobfte deed to her credit. For the moment she was immensely displeased • with herself, and tor the first time in her young life the idea came to her that life was meant to be more than a mere frittering away of time. How could she have ignored so long the sufferings, the trials of the people about her, she questioned. To be sure it never occurred to her that there con’ * be unhappiness tn the world, for was she not always happy? Being a self-centered person, her greatest anxieties were how aha might create a new sensation at this or that affair; and as for charity affairs, why, they were good chances of making a pretence at philanthropy, to . show the rest of her set that she could do something, but aa. for ever having a genuine interest in them —that was never dreamed of. In a flash, it seemed, a new interest in life had taken possession of her and she began to take notice of her surroundings, the- people she saw, the wretchedness she witnessed in some quarters as she went to drive, and all these made a deep impression on her. She saw herself as the selfish person she had been, and with a determination new to her she resolved to perform at least one worthy ret. To escape the attentions of a young man who was ardently persistent, her parents thought It best to take her abroad for a season until his ardor should have time to cool. To that end they set sail Immediately tor the sonny climes of- southern Europe. They were enjoying to the full the wonders of the semi-tropical climate of lower Italy; the marvels of ths great Gardener who endowed this land with such munificence, and sooner, far sooner than she expected, her belated opportunity presented Itself. In the incredibly short spaoo of 30 seconds what was once a beautiful city was laid out a mass of wreck and ruin; magnificent churches and dwellings were razed to the ground; a thriving, happy people was thrown into the direst confusion; the dead lay about in vast numbers, some pinned to earth by the falling of heavy timbers, once supporting the new destroyed buildings; others were caught up and carried along by the enormous tidal wave which broke over the doomed city, and struggled for a last hold on the life that they had valued only a minute before at no great cost But the struggle wee not for long. The fury of the elements was not to be abated by the mere will or enforced strength of insigntfioant rr<Ln Many who escaped the terrors of the failing buildings, of the dreadful rush of waters, were suffocated, having been caught in buildings which had taken fire before the onslaught of water had reached that far. Volunteer aid was eagerly sought and was willingly given. Among the first to proffer her services for the volunteer nurses’ corps was Zelma Seville; at last her opportunity had presented Itself and she was determined to take advantage of It, at the risk of her life, if need be. Despite the entreaties of her parents sod friends she insisted on going where she was most needed, and the works of rescue and of charity which she performed will make good reading in the pages of the history yet to be written. Nothing could daunt her. She was first to undertake the most hazardous risks, and when her mission was finished and she reported at headquarters, the wonder there was that such a slip of a girl could display the oourage and command ths strength to accomplish her self-imposed I** 1 ” Only she knew what it meant to give up her life of ease and contort tor the solaoe of the *nd their prayers and well wishes gave her the strength to persevere, but her crowning joy was the letter she received from Fred S&lUsbury, telling her bow he had heard of her wondsrtol feats and that he was oomlng on the very next boat to claim her, his tong-lost treasure. —Frances Kelley.