The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-20
HE IS HAPPY NOW
Day After Day Brought Disap-
pOintment to Soldier.
But Finally That LoOked-FOr
Letter Arrived.


The Medical Officers Training
Camp at Fort Riley has been signally
honored the past week in having a sol
der of the camp receive the first real
soldiers letter ever received in any
military post in the United States
Private John Mitchell of 10 Provi
sional Company A o. of tht counted
medical had been calling at The sub
postoffice during the past week for
mail from home but each time his eX-
pectancies were turned to disappOint-
ment BY the bland answer in the neg
alive from the clerk at the window.
Last Wednesday Mitchell called as
usual and when about to execute
regulation about face in retreat
from the obnoxious glance of the one
in the window the clerk smilingly
asked if Mitchell had received letter
during the past week. This time the
tables were turned The private with
reflective scowl at the inquisitive
the curt reply.
Then" said the obliging clerk,
here is one for YOU and proceeded
to pass a letter to Mitchell.
Now Mitchell, or Red" as he is
usually called by his comrades turned
redder than his hair ever was. STAN
mering said Thank you as ne read
on the envelope, ITO the soldier who
did not get a letter from home this
week.
Red" is a fortune teller by profess
sion, his terminates say, and there
are wild stories afloat about how he
had his palm read some time since by
another chiromancy estimator (you
know fortune tellers can never pre-
diet their own glorious future) and
the prediction ran that Red" was to
receive some token by mail. Thus the
really true soldiers letter filled the
prophecy.
But the letter, altho anonymous,
was welcomed as coming from one of
the homefolks and as it was read by
soldier after soldier, from private up
the line to captain, it was spoken
about in the most generous terms of
endearment and was the propagation of
many letters to be written in the Y. NJ.
c. A. to the folks at home, who other
wise would have been neglected for a
few days.
The letter, held to be a model for a
real soldiers letter, is printed below
and should be an incentive for others
in private life to forward to the boys
somewhere in camp" an honest, in
vigorating epistle of encourag cement
and cheerfulness.
ITO the soldier who did not get
letter from home this week, Fort
Riley Training Camp. Kansas.
Greetings to you. Friend
Perhaps you 40 not know how very
interested 1 am in you and the. boys
with you, in what you are doing, how
you are feeling-not physically, you
know, mentally-and what you are
going to do. 1 try to picture you and
your life in camp, but it seems rather
vague. imagine you as medium-tan,
very straight, full-chested, strong
limbed, in the best of health, nightly
interested in the business in hand, and
ready for all the fun that comes your
way. How near right am 1? 1 won
der
LAS for me, I am of medium height
/ gray eyes brown hair, also very in
terested in the business in hand-tho
along different hnes-fun of enthu-
siasm for most worth while things,
and glad of all good times that come
my way. Whether I am married or
single does not make any difference
that L can see-to you, 1 mean. This
letter is just because I would be glad
to send greetings to the one who did
not get them from some one else.
Enough of sentiment! BY the way,
| do you mind being a called a 'Boy?'
| Or course you can't answer me, but 1
nope some day to know the answer.
mean no disrespect, of course, no
| one does who uses the term this way
| One hears and speaks of Our Boys,
| with pride and affection) and SO I
shall say Boy till I am assured that
your feelings are hurt? To say Man
| instead, sounds rather extraordinary
| DO you know, we never see a uni
form here--we wish we did, it might
make this war seem more real to us.
And then you boys always look so we'll
in your uniforms.
There are lots of questions 1 want
to ask you, such as-do you want
reading matter, goodies to eat, letters,
| clippings, or is your recreation time
| always profitable as well as pleasantly
filled without outside help? You can't
! answer me, of course, but answer the
| questions to some one else and
| maybe 1 will find out.
| 4 would like to introduce myself
! also, to know your name, but isn't it
| really more fun not to know?
| Nothing very exciting happens
down here to tell ou about, but every
one is mighty busy.
| Il filled our car full of youngsters,
with a grownup or two to balance
/ and went out in the country to gather
apples right from the orchard 1t was
lots of fun, and we had glorious ride,
| for the day was perfect. Our big
machine was like a thorobred horse.
, eager to go, and we sailed along in
fine shape. Wish you had been there,
| too, to enjoy it with us
The best of good luck to you, Boy
in every way and all the timei
This seems so unfinished, I must
put fms to make it complete"