Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-14
Protect Your Boy"

This is the week to remember and to
think about what Porter Emerson
Browne Of the Vigilantes, wrote for
you. 10 you remember tor, didn't
You see it? Well, it is certainly worth
reading today and tomorrow, and
every day this week. Here it is:
This is written to every father, to
every mother, to every brother, TO
every sister, to every uncle, to every
aunt, to everybody who has boy that
he or she loves.
Your boy is either at the front, or in
the camps, or waiting to be sent to the
camps-which means that some day he
will be sent to the front; for Germany
is a nation as strong as it is cruel, as
powerful as it is merciless; and this
war. which we must fight or become,
AS Belgium has become, a nation of
corpses and slaves, will take all our
men, all our money, all our fortitude
to win.
You loved Your boy when he was at
home, didn't you? You did for him all
that love, and care, and kindness. and
tenderness, and devotion could do to
keep him straight and clean, and
happy. You loved him that
he was yours. He loved you for the
love you gave him.
Now he has gone, or is going, away
1t is right that he should go. 1t is
Gods will that he should go He goes
TO defend YOU whom he loves against
those that would rape and rob and kill;
that would make this land of ours a
shambles and a shame: that would
make the words life, liberty, and the
pursuit Of happiness" a bloody sheer
against the vast background of time
And now, as he goes, you must say
TO him, Goo bless you, and bring you
safely back to u.s. You kiss.
Your hand fingers in his
fingers, 1hivering-and then with
draws. And he has gone
He has left Won For "A time he has
gone from your life and YOU from his.
RE VIII be exposed to MANY tempta
tlons-even AS would You at his age
Many mon and many women will trv In
many ways to tempt him to do the
things that he should not Life is life.
ana to be human, and young. is TO he
all that the words human, and vounp
mean.
But there is one Wav in which ,o,,
can still be with him-by which the
hand OF yours that aided his baby foot
S'cps-tlat helped him in his little
lessons OF primer and of arithmetic
that guided him past childish DANGERS
can still reach out to help him
Better than We, the Young Mems
Christian Association realizes the
power Of evil associates. of rotten ON
Nironment. of the sodden dangers thai
HIc pouhd TO pitfall the road of those
mat are human, and young.
These men want to give your bo,, tho
things that you, who love him can M
,onSer give MIN. They want to give
hlm the loving care that Won can no
,o"ser give nm. They want to give
h''h clean places to live in. clean boo,,s
cream games to anusc. clean
, I' 10 near and sing. clean drinks to
VI INN, cream associations with which 10
lneE want to send him
W YOU As honest AS fearless. as
-n'c' ds cican as when he loft Won
sNe Nun these things. this atten-
,lon' '''is loFe this care. will take
:'o',Ns' THESE people that would do
u" nv. want YOUR money for Thorn
S''Fes. They want your monov oai,.
'''t u may be spent in caring for vo,,r
10y. fheH can now do what Won No
i~'i can VIII YOU help them 70 do
h n,,s ,hinE: Or will YOU, now that vour
,,, ma, mas gone far away. turn your back
dve MN 10 he stained, and coars-
. ana corrupted in the hands of
nose who would exploit him in sin for ~
prom, ana in corruption for price,
rNii women. rotten men. and tho
,ouhterfelt Joys that dwell in the gilt
'erins hell holes where rum distorts
ne nra'n and stimulates the body. be-
man being in the world.
Protect YOUR boy from these tbinos
now Or else don't blame
MN too harshlv if a different NY.
comes back to you from the bov who
went away. VIZ"