Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1918 — Louisa Goes Over the Top [ARTICLE]

Louisa Goes Over the Top

By GIDEON HOE

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Louisa is the school scrub woman. She has been' connected with the school for years. She has been there with her brooms, her pails, her mops arid her eternal thoroughness. Loulsd was German. She spoke German. She thought German. She dreamed Germany. She was in America only because she could not “earn so much as here.” She had come here a generation ago with a young married sister. The sister had gone, back to Gentfany, leaving her baby with Louisa. He grew up as most boys do whose mothers are not about and whose supporting aunts have to go out to work. He was stoop-shouldered, he smoked. He spent his wages as he wished. Louisa would look at him grimly and mutter: “ACh, if only I had you in Chermany.” It was for the boy that she worked. It was of him and the Faderland” that she talked as she rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. “Ach, what think? That boy he lends five dolars to a man on the block and he move away and we can’t find him. “Not so it is tn Chermany. There he could not do this. Make bills and hide himself. There you have a little book. From school yet you have it. In it stands your name, your age, your hair, your eyes, and all what you do for a living. “First thing you do if you move, you must go to the police and show your book, then again when you arrive you s|iow your book to the police. “No, no, in Chermany you "cannot run away. There they have it much better. You are all bosses. Nein! You have not the discipline. Hrrp I Rrrp! Forward march I” and Louisa shouldering her brooms and mops marched down the corridor to the applause and laughter of the little children marching Into school. Louisa liked to mingle with the teachers. At the beginning of the war, when the teachers gathered in their little. knots discussing the possibilities and speculating on the outcome of. it all, Louisa made her contribution: “Ach, the discipline. Von Hindenburg, Von Hindenburg. He Is for discipline. He Is the soldier. Such a fine one never lived. You will see he will win. He is a Gottlike man.” “Oh, Louisa, have a heart. Don’t scare us so early in the morning,” scoffed Boy Teacher, reaching for the brief case that rested at his feet. But Louisa was before him and placed It in his hands. “Oh, thank you, Louisa, but you mustn’t do that. You’ll spoil me. I’m not used to it.” “I should hope not,” sniffed another young teacher, “I should hope not indeed. The idea of a woman waiting on a perfectly healthy, strong young man. I bet I wouldn’t do it.” “Ach, no? In Chermany you would be better disciplined. You would save the man all.” “Why? Why?” stamped the young teacher. “Why should a woman save a man anything?” “Because,” Louisa (condescended, “Because he is a soldier. He fights for the Faderland. Without the man what are you? Nothing. It Is for you to marry a fine soldier, mother a fine soldier, raise up a fine soldier. That Is your duty. That you were placed in the world for. Now he,” pointing to the Boy Teacher, “would make a fine —” But thef young teacher had fled.

The teachers began to grumble. “Germany, Germany. Louisa is always cheering for Germany. Why don’t these people go back and fight for the Fatherland? No. They stay here and root for Germany.” The Lusitanl" Was Sunk. Then came the news of the sinking Of -the Lusitania. The teachers gathered and discussed the news angrily. “The devils. Our people. Hundreds of them. Frohman, Archie Butts, Habbard. It’s awful. It was full of women and kittle children. Shameful.” Wondering, Louisa poked her head Inside the door. “What is? Is someone dead you cry so?” *■' “Yes, they’re dead,” and a teacher sprang forward and pushed the headlined paper full In Louisa’s face. “Tour lovely Germans killed them.” “Killed? What is?” “The Lusitania was sunk by the Germans. She was carrying many Americans.” , “So 1” said Louisa coolly. “Well, they was told to stay off that boat. The fools. Served themselfs weU right.” “Keep still,” screamed the young teacher. We’ll ask your precious kaiser whether we may sail over his ocean when he isn’t using it, I suppose. Well, we won’t.” Then taking fresh umbrage at the other’s stolid composure, she burst out: “What do you think you would fee doing if you were in Germany now? Going about a building like this ones dressed as you are, mingling with the sort of people you meet here? Not for a minute. You’d be.dressed In rags, your feet in wooden shoes, and you would be pulling a plow like an ox for your precious kaiser.” Loulta Is For Uncle Sam. Louisa went out shutting her head. At last war was declared. We were, “In It” Louisa paddled by the office with her palls and brushes. “Hurrah,

Frau von Hindenburg! We’re going to Berlin to get your precious kaiser.” “Ya, ya,” said Louisa sadly. “Such things must be. It stands in the Bible. Purification by fire. If it’s God’s will we fight, then we fight” When the teachers had gone to their rooms Louisa appeared in the ofiice. “Hark," she whispered to the head teacher. “My has volunteered for the war. What you think of that? Isn’t thnt fine? He says? ‘Mother Louisa, I must go,’ and I tell him: ‘Go. We live in America, we are Americans.’ ” One morning when the teachers had gathered for the morning chat, Louisa came in, her face shining. “Look,” she said to the young teacher, “here Is my boy’s picture. He is a soldier now. How grand he looks. He is a sergeant already.” Louisa gazed lovingly at the postcard picture of a fine looking soldier boy. “Ha, ha, my fine fellow. Now. von don’t turn over and sleep again while I call you five times more. Ta tata, Ta tata, Ta ta ta. Forward march. That is fine for you,” she chuckled. The Liberty Loan posters came. The big loan drive was on. Louisa fell in love with one of the posters. “Such a beautiful young lady. How strong she is waving the flag and leading the army. She is schoen, ya, ya, she calls for money for the soldiers. She shaU have it Ya, ya.” Glancing about to be sure she was not noticed. She slipped into the office. Once Inside she drew from her pocket an envelope with the red triangle in the corner and laid it before the head teacher. “Look. This money my boy sends. It is the money they give him for being a good soldier. That money I never spend. Take it and buy a Liberty Bond.” So Louisa went over the top for Uncle Sam.