The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-12
F THE BOY IN
 BECOMES DISABLED

''Then they shall know their fr1ends
 though much
 Will have been lost-the help HI
 strife; The thousand sweet, still joys of such
 As, hand in hand, face earthly h1e.
 Among the many letters which come to me is one which has touched my heart deeply. It is from one Of our boys in blue, a soldier, and is in part as follows: "I am in sore distress or mind and am writing to you for not only consolation, but advice. Whlle connected with the arny-I met and loved a beautiful girl. our command er's daughter. She returned my aI- lection, and it was settled that we should wed. I was called upon TOT active duty across the border and that event has changed the course or nay life, I believe. Tn several skirm1shes I fared worse than my companions, being wounded twice. When l bade goodbye to my sweetheart I was a stalwart young fellow, as good to LOOK upon as the generar run of young men, ambitious to a. fault, anxious 10 rise to the very height of what an army man may obtain as to position
 One of the wounds is in the ankle which will leave me crippled for hfe The other-an explosion-has so scanned and scared my face that I
 
 ton is, should I hold the girl I love better than my life to marry me-if am destined to return-or write her dissolving the bonds? I cannot bear the thought that she might look upon me with repugnance-that would be a a living death to me. You are a wo- man and understand the hearts of wo- men better than almost any one else. Will you tell me what should do for her happiness and mine?
 There are few sadder cases of the blasting of loves young dream, but from one end of the world to the other there exists at the present moment many thousands of just such eases which disabled soldiers are trying to fight out on their cots of pain- Un- fortunately they do not understand the hearts or nobility of women under captions, when a young girl gives her heart to her lover it is not because of his manly beauty in face or form, his ambition to forge ahead. It is his win ming personality, that wondrous in expIaina15Ie attraction and influence which draws hearts intended for each other together. Sorrow and Iaisfor- tune make the object of a. true wo- mans affection doubly dear to her. A love that veers when so tested is not the grand, true kind upon which man gan build the hopes and trust of a
 
 Before harboring the thought of parting, man should throw himself upon the mercy and wishes of his sweetheart, leaving it with her to de- eide.
 Of the thousands of maimed soldiers abroad who have put this question up to their waiting sweethearts whom they left behind, am glad, nay proud, to say it has been vouched for that not one of the wounded heroes had cause to repent giving the strong, enduring love of his heart to the ten- der hearted girl who in each instance quickly wrote him that he need have no fear her heart could ever change, and that she would stand by her hero unto death.
 Such letters are life elixfrs to the boys in blue facine- the enemy's shot and shell to guard their country's honor. The dear loves at home nerve the soldier to do his best. What joy toe know that whatever woe betides him there are wide-stretched arms waiting to clasp him, a heart that is true as the stars of heaven. The love Eof a true woman cannot alter.