Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-28
THE STORY or
A TAILOR SHOP
What War Meant to One of
the Shops in
Paris.
ANSWERED THE CALL
It's the Same Old Story All
Over All of
Europe.
ANSWERED THE CALL
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs.

By WILLIAM PHILIP SINiMs.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
PARIS, Feb. BY mail to New
York; In the Boulevard Montmarte
there is a little tailor shop which
have known for nearly seven years,
Would you like to hear how the war
struck it? And would you like to
hear how it and its personnel have
Jared?
First, at the head OF the house is
an Englishman, naturalized French, a
typical short, chubby John Bull sort
of man, whose hair is now fast turn
| ing gray. This is father. Next are
| his two sons. George, the elder, and
! Fred. George spent two years Of his
2G in England and two more in
fashionable tailoring shop in Fifth
Avenue, New York He was given a
pretty good education before he took
those post graduate" courses for his
| father has always intended that
George should succeed him as head
of the house. Fred, who was Just
finishing his military service in the
French army when the war broke
out, was cashier in the shop, the
business office man. George was
about to be married when the war
came on, but Fred was only in love
and not engaged.
After these come Andre, a book
keeper; Julien, cutter, Raymond.
a salesman. The latter has just mar
rled an English girl, chum of the girl
George was egaged to, and the four
. were looking forward to happy times
7 rt-
ments in the same building.
Then the War Came.
Then the war broke out George,
Fred. Andre, Julien and Raymond all
marched away. George as second
lieutenant of Reserves. Fred and
Raymond as sergeants, the others as
privates Only father, an old cutter
too aged TO answer the call, and a
salesman too delicate for service. re.
mained to keep the business going.
Unable to do this they closed the shop
from August 1 until now.
Today | had a long talk with
father He is not sad, as he has every
right to be: rather he holds his head
higher and there is the light of some
thing finer and nObler in is eyes. But
! must not go too fast with the story.
Father showed me three letters. The
first was from Fred, the younger son,
to his brother, George. Part of it
read:
my Dear Georges: Courage? Why
Of course we will have it, But what
| am thinking of at this hour, old
man, Is you and Raymond. IT would
be deVilish hard to get along without
you and / am making a demand on
God that II it comes to that 1t must
be me and not yourself. 1t simply
must happen like that, that's all. for I
you. you lucky rascal. are affianced
and your girl, lucky too, must not be
made a widow.
"In my pocket I am carrying let
ters from all those | love best Like
that / somehow feel that / have them Z
close to me. even here in the trenches
In his letter father says-good Christ
ian that he is-'fiX your eyes on the
stars, my son, and they Will talk to
you of. GOd!'"
"Im sorry we are not in the same
company. old fellow, but everything
will pass off all right and then we
will be together again. Anyway, we
will not recriminate, everything must |.
be as God Wills"
Got the Fever,
And so on. This letter was found |
when George But to keen on /
with the tale. Georges letter to |
father went. in part:
81 have the fight fever again; 1 |
have become red hot military anew |
and | shall sleep little tonight know
ing that tomorrow we are all ready |
and on tiptoe We-the officers
fear only one thing; our inability TO |
hold our men back; they will begin |
charging bayonets while the enemy |
is a mile off unless we keep them well |
refined in.
Dorothy was truly courage She is
the finest girl in the world and L !
don't deserve such luck. And you,
my dear parents, don't be downheart-
ed; to the contrary be gay; be happy
because your two sons are doing
their duty. You are Christians are |
you not2 Well, you know 1t is said
that II you have faith even though 1t |
be no bigger than grain Of mustard l
you can tell the mountain to go and 1
plant itself in the sea and the noun Il
tain will do Il. What q lesson to II
learnt And what a duty Il is to try II
to get that amount Of faith. Now
dear parents. don't be sad away with II
tearsi BE joyous. And ask God who
holds us all In the hollow Of his hand, II
to watch over us. Have faith. Au
reyoir. Your son who loves you
tenderly, George"
Well, George was killed In action.
He fell while storming a German
position and his men say he died the
death of a lion.
Fred Is dangerously wounded. He
IL a prisoner, too. in the hands Of the
Germans, at place not very far
from Berlin.
Julien had a leg blown off and
died here In Paris. at an emergency
hospital close TO the Place Vendome.
Raymond was struck squarely By
a az centimeter shell and they have
never found even 50 much as a frag-
ment Of his body nor a button of his