Editha

Editha, by William Dean Howells, is such a sad, yet typical, story.  It's about a young woman named Editha with strong principles and ideals.  Editha has easily become engaged to a man named George Gearson.  In fact, she feels that George hasn't done anything to earn her love.  On the eve of the Spanish-American war, she is enamored with the idea of George going off to war, proving himself a hero, and returning to her, now deserving of her love.  To Editha, patriotism and love of one's country should come before anything else.

George, however, has different feelings in regards to the war.  He grew up in a home with a father that had lost his arm in the American Civil War, and though he doesn't remember much of his late father, his mother has instilled in him an abhorrence of war.  While musing over those thoughts with Editha, he sees her not so subtle hints that she expects him to go.  While George is away that evening, Editha writes him a letter telling him that she could not marry him if he didn't go to fight.

In the mean time, George has been to enlist, and is even persuaded to become Captain of his unit.  When Editha hears the news, she gives him the letter to read at a later time if he ever begins to regret his decision to enlist.  George entreats Editha to visit his mother if he doesn't come home alive, and she promises to.

Of course George ends up being one of the first killed.  Editha is in shock, not expecting that outcome at all.  Eventually she stops grieving and goes to see George's mother, as she promised.  When she arrives, his mother mocks her innocent view of war, and gives her the truth.  Mrs. Gearson is angry but exultant that her son was killed before he could kill someone else.  She is glad that he doesn't have to live with someone's blood on his hands.  Editha is seared by this, and instead of the reality of war settling into her mind, she assumes that Mrs. Gearson is not in her right mind.

The story ends with Editha posing for a sketch, and the artist reiterates how good the war has been for the country, and that war is glorious and right.  The reality of war never sinks in to Editha's thick head.  She seems to me to be petty and shallow.  There are times I wanted to smack her.  My views are aligned with Mrs. Gearson's.  This was a great story with a great point.  Sadly, I'm afraid many readers feel just as Editha did.