The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-06-28

Cdry prison, DuC dSkeu W Uo allowed
to serve his sentence in the trenches.
He came out from his punishment
kings sergeant, which means that what
ever he did nobody could degrade him.
He got this for lifting his trench NOR
tar over the parapet when all the de-
tachment were killed. Carrying it out
into shell hole he held back the Hun
attack and saved the situation.
HE got drunk again, and again chose
to be returned to the trenches. This
time his head was blown off while he
was engaged in a special feat of gal
1antry. What are you to say to such
men? Ordinarily they'd be blackguards,
but war lifts them into splendor. In
the same way you see mild men, tinfd
men, almost girlish men, carrying out
duties which in other wars would have
| won V. C.'s. =, ..s. II: II
II don't think the soul Of courage
| ever dies out of the race any more
| than the capacity for love. All it
means is that the occasion is not pres
ent. For myself I try to analyze my
emotions. Am I simply numb, or do
initiate other peoples GOODNESS and shall
fear life again when the war is end
! ed? There is no explanation save the
| great army phrase carry on We car
~ on because if we don't we shall let
other men down and put their lives in
danger. And there's more than that
we all want to live up to the standard
that prompted us to come"
| noooro1,or
father, mother and sister crossed the
ocean and were with him for few pre-.
cious days in London. They made the
round Of the theaters and the restau-
rants, while he poured into their ears
the never ending tale Of his adventures,
the epic Of tout there" Then came the
parting and, for him, the return to the
with him a memory to be treasured for
ever, memory which he tried to put
into words thus:
| II can't tell you what the respite has
meant to me. There have been times
when my whole past life seemed myth
and the future an endless prospect Of
carrying on. Now can distantly hope
| IAe%I CAAC OAA uuyo ILL ACIuAA.
when was in London half my mind
was at the front, now that I'm back in
the trenches half my mind is in London.
I relive our gay times together; go to
coy little dinners; I sit with you in
the stalls listening to the music; then
I tumble off to sleep and dream and
wake up to find the dream delusion.
It's fine and manly contrast, how
ever, between the game one plays out
here and the fretful trivialities of CT
william life"
Wanted United States to Enter.
When the United States showed un-
mistakable signs of being on the verge
Of taking a hand in the war the SOL
dier-novelist wrote: &"
II read in today's paper that the
United States Of America threatens to
come over and help us. I wish she
would. The very thought of the pos
sibility fills me with JOY. I've been
light headed all day. It would be so
ripping to live among people, when the
war is ended, Of whom you need not
be ashamed. Somewhere deep down
in my heart I've felt sadness ever
since I've been out here at America s
lack Of gallantry-it's so easy to find
excuses for not climbing to Calvary.
Sacrifice was always too noble to be
sensible. I would like to see the coun-
try of our adoption become splendidly
irrational even at this eleventh hour
in the game It would redeem her in
the worlds eyes. She doesn't know
what she's losing.
"From these carcass strewn fields of
khaki there's a cleansing wind blow.
ing for the nations that have died
Though there was only one English
man left to carry on the race When
, this war is VIGOROUSLY ended, would
give more for the future of England
: than for the future Of America with
f her 100000 whose sluggish blood was
| not stirred by the call of duty.
, Its bigness of soul that makes ma
r lions great and not population. Money
comfort, limousines and ragtime. ar
f not the requisites Of men when heroe:
s are dying. I hate the thought of Fifth
avenue, with it's pretty faces, its fash
3 ions, it's smiling frivolity. America as
l great nation will die, as all coward
; civilizations have died, unless she &C
); cepts the stigmata Of sacrifice, which
c a divine opportunity again offers her.
IF it were but possible to show those
e ninety millions one battlefield with it:
d sprawling dead, it's pity, it's marvelou.
forgetfulness of self, I. think then-no
e they wouldn't. be afraid. Fear isn't til,
l. emotion one feels. They would expert
ence the shame Of living when SO man,
Il have shed their youth freely. Thi
r war is prolonged moment Of exulta
y ton for most of us. We are redeemin.
l. ourselves in our own eyes.
e ITO lay down ones life for one
8 friend once seemed impossible. Al
t that is altered. We lay down our live
s that the future generations may b.
r good and kind, and SO we can contem
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