Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-11-18
PINE BLUFF SOLDIER .s
 WRITES AGAINST SIN
Garland Monks Letter to His Sister Is an Appeal for Youths to
 Live Clean Lives.

Live Clean Lives.
 Writing to his sister, Miss Mary Monk, from Camp Beauregard, La. 1 Garland Monk, who left here as 8 member of Motor Truck company No 10 tells of the merging of the com. pany with other organizations, and of work of the Y. M. e. A. and Knights of Columbus among the soldiers: "The company that left Pine Bluff is all split up," writes young Monk Tomorrow at o'clock I will become a member of another organization and the friends I have made so far will all be separated from one anoth- CT. Tonight we had farewell SUD- per. Major Crawford told us of the love he had for us, and how he hated to bid us farewell at this last SUD- per, but it was much easier for us to bid one another goodbye now than it would be on the battlefields of France. As he talked the tears ran down his cheeks, and he finally ended by saying Boys. remember you always have a friend in me- and he left us quickly, displaying great emotion.
 
 age when he will be exposed to all sorts of temptations, and it will be much better for you to take him in your confidence as a mother would. and talk to him of the great truths of eternity. and haw necessary it is for a boy of his age to keep himself pure in every respect. Tell him to keep his mind pure, and free of all smutty stor- ies, as they will cling with him thru out life, and he will not be the man that he can be, and will be if he does the will of his God and Creator, and remember the One that made him and breathed the breath of life into him. Sister, you will pardon me speaking so plainly in my letter but if you only knew the depths of vice that the great majority of mankind has sunk to. you would not wonder that the world is suffering in war today. You certainly see this in army life.
 "The thought was expressed at the Rotary clubs banquet to us at Pine Bluff that this was Gods way of bringing the sinners back to Him.. l believe it. Tell Ernest that he must say his prayers every night; to adore his God; to thank Him for past fav- ors; to ask Him favors for himself, and all of us; to offer his prayers up to Him in satisfaction for his past of- lenses in his life-sins of omission and commission, for none of us mortals are perfect.
 "Sister, I have not heard from Jack or anybody. Tell them I don't think they have treated me right. Wish you would tell them to write me, as this may be the last opportunity. And if we should not meet again, to do noth- ing but will be to our glory in the great country beyond the grave. "Tell Mother I remember her and you and all the family in my prayers every night.
 "My friend, MT. S., is Catholic and believes in the doctrine of purga- tory-that if man dies with some sin on his soul, but no great ones he will remain in the middle place for a time before ascending to heaven, or until the stains on his soul are prayed away, 'as nothing defiled can enter heaven And, as none of us are per feet, it is a whole and wholesome thought to pray for the dead It is beautiful thought to think we can be of assistance to Father now, by praying for him. do.
 "Fred Lipps is transferred to the same company to which l have been sent. so will be with him." Monk closes with the request for the address of a friend, and affection ate farewells to his mother and sister, as he states he expects to be moving toward the war zone within two weeks