Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-10-11
SOME OF THE SACRIFICES.

The sorrowful and pathetic stories
founded On army experiences are
numerous-p painfully numerous. The
number of such stories has rapidly in
creased since 1898. VIII "a the army be
gan to scatter to Cuba, Porto Rico,
Hawaii and the Philippines, and, or
course. naturally, for in such a dis
tribution of the forces there was a
separation Of families, which in itself
is sorrowful and often extremely
pathetic.
1t WIS no easy task for father,
surrounded by a happy band Of little
children, to part with them and their
mother and sail away 10000 miles
from home; nor was it light task for
the young soldier to say goodbye to
his bride; and what thousands OF
heartaches there were when fathers,
mothers, sisters and brothers parted
with the brave men who went to the
way-on islands to do valiant service
beneath the beautiful emblem OF the
country that they and their officers
were willing to die for, ii need be.
fl was also different from partings
where the soldier was to go only to
portions of his own country and could
be within ready communication by
mail and wire with the dear one at
home.
wonder il the great public stops
TO think OF these things when it rea Is
OF the heroism and faithful service OF
the little army that never fails to
defend their flag and honor their
country whenever the emergency
arises.
These thoughts, and many others
connected with the army, and the sor-
rowful ana pathetic side OF army ex-
periences, have come to me many
times on tours to army posts.
Two yeats ago a beautiful and ac-
complished daughter Of Nebraska be
came the bride of a lieutenant in the
twenty second infantry. They spent
their honeymoon at the home OF the
groom az Baraboo, in Wisconsin, ana
later on were the guests Of Congress
man John ]. jenkins of the same
state.
In October, 1908, the twenty second
started on its second tour to the
Philippines With it went dozen or
more OF the newly married couples,
but Lieut. Harry Parshall and his
Nebraska bride concluded, after Civ
ing the subject much thought, that it
was best for her to remain with her
parents at Valentine, Neb., until the
regiment should become settled in
It's distant camp on the island or
Mindanao. The regiment was quickly
engaged in the work OF subduing the
Moroes and some months passed be
fore Lieutenant Parshall felt justified
in sending for his wife.
Early the following February mat
asking her to come, The letter reach
ed her late in March aud with heart
ful of gladness she hurried in the
work OF preparing for the long journey
to meet the one man who was more 10
her than all OF the rest of the world
The last of the preparation had been
completed, arrangements for transpor
tation hal been made, and within two
days she was to say farewell to father
and mother, sister and brother, and
enter upon the long journey to the
Philippines.
Who can picture. who describe the
grief, the unutterable sorrow of this
young bride the next morning as she
picked up the paper and read in the
cabled news from Manila tie name OF
her husband in the list of those who
had died the day before Indeed, why
attempt to describe that?
Is 1t not far better to drop the cur
tain and take every possible step to
carry comfort to the stricken one, to
plead for sunrays across her pathway,
to show her, II possible, that all OF
the light of the world is not gone out?
Lieutenant Parshall had participat-
ed with his regiment in it's many cam.
paigns and distinguished himself by
acts of daring bravery. was a favorite
with both men and officers, all OF
whom Joined in tenderest sympathy
for the sorrowing one away bacl In
a short time His death came sud
denly.