The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-09-16
clay DOWN YOUR ARMS
By BARONESS BERTHA Won SUTTERN
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It Was a time of excitement.
The war has broken out" Peo-l
pie forgot that ieis really two
masses OF men who are rushing
to fight each other. and conceive
of the event as n IL was some ex-
allied overruiing third power.
whose outbreak compels these
two masses into the fight.
In the early days OF May-they
were luckily cold and rainy days
have made too painful q contrast
the regiment into which Arno
had exchanged marched. At
seven in the morning
All. the preceding night what
a terrible night IL wasi II the
dear one had only been going on
a journey of business, free from
any danger, the parting would
have made me unspeakably sor-
rowful-psrting is indeed 50 sad,
but to the war to meet the fiery
shower OF the enemy's bullets.
Why could no longer on that
night apprehend at all in that
word war" it's elevated histori-
cal Specification. but only its ter
ror and threatening of death?
Arno had fallen asleep. He
lay there breathing quietly, with
a cheerful expression on his fea-
lures. | had lighted q fresh can
die and put It behind a screen; |
could not be in the dark that
uight. OF sleep there was no
question whatever for me I'm that.
the last. night.
felt that must spend the
whole time in gazing at least into
the beloved face. lay on our
bed wrapped in a dressing-gown,
and, with my elbow on the pill
low, and my chin resting on the
palm of my hand, looking down
on the sleeper and wept silently.
How l love you, how / love you.
my own one-and you are going
away from me. Why is fate 80
cruel?
How shall I live without your
o that you may soon come back
TO me- o God! my good Cod
my merciful Father above! let
him come back soon - him and
all. Let there soon be peacei
Why then cannot there be peace
always? We were SO happy =
perhaps too happy for there
cannot be any perfect happiness
on earth. Oh. rapturei IL he
comes home unhurt. aud then lies
at my side as he is doing now.
and no parting threatened for the
morrow How quietly your are
sleeping. o my dear, brave hus-
band! But how shall you sleep
there?
There, there is no soft bed for
you hung with silk and lace:
there you must lie on the hard
wet earth perhaps in some
ditch-helpless- And
with this thought I could not help
picturing a gaping sabre cut on
his forehead with the blood
trlckling from IL, or the bullet
wound in his breast-and a hot
pang of COMPASSION seized me.
How should have liked to
throw my arms round him and
kiss him-but l dared not wake
him. he wanted this invigorating
sleep.
Not six o'clock yetl-tick-tack !,
tick-tack. unpityingly swift and
sure time marches on to every
mark. This indifferent tick-tack
distressed me. The light, too.
burned just as indifferently be-
hind its screen as this clock licked
with it's silly, motionlees Cupid.
Can il be that all these
things have no perception that IL
is our last nightg My fearful lids
fell together, my consciousness
gradually went away, and letting
my head sink on the pillow, l fell
asleep at last myself.
But only for a short time.
Hardly had 1 lost my sense in the
fog of some formless dream, when
my heart suddenly contracted
painfully, and | awoke with a vio-I
lent palpitation, and the same
feeling of fear as when one Isl
awakened by a cry for help or an
alarm of fire. Parting. part
ingl" was the alarm cry. When
had started so out OF sleep forl
the tenth OF twelfth time 1t was
day. and the candle was flickering
out. A knock came at the door.
six O'Clock, lieutenant" said
the orderly, who had been ordered
to wake him in good time.
Arno rose up. So now the
hour was eome-now was to be
spoken this sad. sad word
Farewell"
1t had been settled that 1 was
not TO go TO the railway with
him The one quarter of an hour
MORE OF less together-that was
not worth much. And the pain Of
tearing ourselves ssunder at lasts]
That I did not wish to show to
strangers. I wanted to be alone
in my room when we EXCHANGED
the parting kiss. that l might be-
able TO throw myself ON the floor
and shriek-shriek out loud.
Arno put on his clothes quick
Iy. As he was doing SO he made |
me all kinds of comfortfnE
speeches.
a.n. Aa.all -