The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-13
HARRY LAUDER TO THE
MOTHERS OF GREAT BRITAIN
How Brave Woman Remembers Her Soldier Laddle.

, wait After all, 1T Is only a few
years Of waiting Then she will hold
him by his strong shoulders and look
in his face again.
Without that conviction the agony
would be too much to be borne.
God knows it is hard enough for
man to bear the loss. Yet the man
goes out into the world; he takes up
his work, and in the sights and
sounds of everyday life he will not
be constantly reminded of his loss.
Every Moment Reminds Her.
The mother stays at home-in the
home where once he was. And every
moment she is reminded OF her boy
Every room is full of his presence.
In this chair he sat; here he played;
st this table he did his lessons. That
iron mould in the table cover was an
ink stain once This is his bedroom
Seated beside him here she Oft
times crooned low song until the
little sleeper stirred no more, and
the room grew so quiet that you
could hear the night air nudging at
the window pane.
Supposing all that, supposlng all
those memories were really buried
out in France! Why should the
mother so bereft live on?
But just here, in the old house,
belief comes to her These are not
dead memories. She does really feel
her boy beside her, feel his arm around
her neck, herr his voice, feel his
cheek against her cheek. The poor.
heroic flesh OF her boy is out in
=, y; 10
now. nearer to her than he has ever
teen.
So the brave woman tells herself
over and over again, yet cannot stne
the dull aching of her heart.
Since 1 have learned what sorrow
means / have thought much OF you
mothers of our dead soldiers, and
wondered at your splendid courage
and resolute faith. The times are
hard, and some of you do not lead
easy lives. Yet you never falter
We could well have forgiven you had
you cursed the country which de-
manded of you this stupendous saeri-
flee. Your patriotism puts us men to
shame.
And in the hearts of many of you
there is no thought of mere revenge.
Just now said to Mrs. Lauder, II
only I could go out as a sniper, and
get two for my one!" And she said
to me, Harry! Harry Vengeance is
mine, saith the Lord!" Oh women,
women We are dirt compared with
| you.
Yet to Mrs Lauder, John was more
than most sons are to their mothers.
For I was often away from home,
and they were always together. When
at last I had more time to be with
| him I found him man and my
| cuual. That was great, too, but his
n other had walked with him up the
years.
| Gods Justice Be Done.
All the same, my wife has no
patjence with the sentimental cow
ards who would let murderers escape
without punishment. Let Gods JUS
| tice be done, she says. And SO she
hopes if the kaiser is taken it will
not be by the British. She knows
our softness when our blood is not
I'D. But if the French take him they
will give him his deserts.
And what would you think of US,
mothers, If we men failed in our
great purpose, and were false to you
and your sons? You would esteem
us little better than those unmen-
tionable things, fit for service in
every way except the way Of cour-
age who let brave men go out to die
for them You accept your loss be-
cause of the greatness of our cause.
What then if we betray that cause ?
Your sons went forth to battle
with no mean purpose in their hearts.
A dear friend of my boy has written
to US: HE has died for the cause he
believed to be the best and greatest
that had even been at stake in the
world-the freedom Of his country.
He gave his lifc-not impulsiyely, not
| in adventurous recklesSness-bu
with a settled enthusiasm belonging
to the depth, and not the tumult of
the south.
In that spirit our sons went out
to fight, in that spirit they died. And
in that spirit, by Gods help, we will
endure, oh, mothers of Britain! till
the cause they fought for is trium-
plant.
ADDNJNTEH &C