Dora Sigerson Shorter

“ Without hope of gain, without hope of honour, without love of life, without fear of death, who mourned for nobody, for whom nobody would mourn, she knelt in the streets in the danger zone and prayed for the success of the revolution.
With the fire in her old veins revived, with the patriotic heart, she, too, held her place in the ranks, hearing the wonderful call that had come to her countrymen. When all seemed quenched of youth and young heroic dreams, poor and nameless, she threw off the rags that poverty held about her and was beautiful in the tricolour of faith, hope, and love. ”

“ Out of poverty and misery from some dark corner of the slums she had hurried at the sound of the shooting—the old woman who had no place in the revolution—where the young, the hopeful, the idealists were fighting. ”

“ At the same time Pearse, the idealist, surrendered to superior forces to save his countrymen.
And Idealism was shot down because it dared to dream greater dreams than were allowed to small nationalities. ”