Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-02-18
lRY william Philip simms.l


Paris, Feb. 2.--(By maif to New
York. lin the Boulevard Montmartre
there is a little tailor shop which
have known for nearly seven years.
Would you like to hear how the war
struck itl And would you like to hear
how il and its personnel have fared2
First, at the head Of the mouse is an
Englishman, natualized French, a typ.
ical short, chubby John Bull. sort Of
man, whose hair is now fast turning
gray. This is father. Next are his
two sons, George, the elder aud Fred.
George spent two years Of his 26 in
England and two more in a fashionable
tailoring shop on Fifth Avenue, New
York. He was given pretty good edu.
cation before he took those ''post grad.
uate" courses, for MS father has al.
ways intended that George should sue
ceed him as head of the house. Fred,
who was just finishing his military ser.
vice in the French army when the war
broke out, was cashier In the shop, the
business.officc man, George was about
TO be married when the war came on,
but Fred was only IN love aud not en-.
gagged
After these come Andre, bookkeep.
er; Julien, cutter and Raymond,
salesman. the latter has just married
an English girl, chum of the girl
George was engaged to- and the fear
were looking forward TO happy times
together They had leased apartments
in the same building
Then the war broke out. George,
Fred, Andre, julien aud Raymond all
marchcd away George as second lieu
tenant of reserves Fred and Raymond
as sergeants, the others az priyutes,
Only father an Old cutter too aged
TO answer the call, and salesman, too
delicate for service, remained to keep
the business going, Unable to do this
they closed the saop from August LIST
until now.
Today ] had long talk with father
He is not sad, as he has every right
TO be; rather he holds bis head higher
and there is the light Of something
finer and nobler in his eyes. But ]
must not 90 too fast vita 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; couagel Why
OF course we will have it But what I
am thinking Of at this hour old man,
is you and Raymond. would be devil.
ish hard to get along without you, aud
] am making demand on God that II
II comes TO that Il must be me and no
yourself. II simply must happen like
that, That IA all, for you, You lucky
rascal, are 0ffianccd, and your girl,
lucky, too, must not be made widow.
In my pocket am carrying letters
from all those love best Like that ]
som sn0w feel that have them close
To me, even here In the trenches. In
his letter, fathers says-good Christian
that ho is-'ii your eyes on the stars,
my son, and they win talk to You Of
GOdi
"I'm sorry we are not in the same
company, old fellow, hut everything
will pass off all right aud then we
will be together again. Anyway we
will not rccfiminatc, everything must
he as God Wills -
And Sc on. This letter was found
whca George But to keep ON with
the tale. Georges letter to father
won't, In part;
al have the fight fever again; /
hive become red hot military anew
and shall sleep little tonight knowing
that tomorrow we are 10 see some real
fighting. My lascars are fully uniform.
ed and outi'tted now aud we are all
ready and on tiptw. We--the Officers
fear only one thing, our inability TO
hold our men back tney will begin
charging bayoneis while the enemy is q
mile off unless we keep them well
reigned In.
dorothy was truly courage. She Is
the finest girl In the world and | don Z
deserve such luck. Aud you, my dear
parents, don Z be downhearted; to the
contrary, be 0ay, be happy because
your two sons are doing their duty.
You are Christians, are you not Well,
YOU know IL is said that " you have
faith even though II be no bigger than
a grain Of mustard you can tell the