Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-28
PROUD OF THEM
Should Show Apprecia-
ton Of Soldier Boys
By Adding to Funds

letter winch ought to make any
mothers heart leap with pride. But i,
was such startling news that pride was
instantly overcome by fear.
Mother Dear
Il want to enlist. | know YOU
were glad l wasn't called in this
first conscription-and / thought
was glad. Somehow, after a little.
| wasn't. I've been going round
feeling like a sneak. Every time
anybody congratulates me on hav-
ing escaped | wish to heavens 1
hadn't. But now-I'm glad l did,
so l can do the thing myself
Il hope this won't break you all
up. You don't want me to go on
feeling like sneak, do you?
don't think it's good for a fellow
to feel that way. Maybe it's not
good for his country either Please
write at once and tell me how YOU
feel
Lots Of love,
Tom"
The first letter she wrote in answer
to this began in this way
Dearest Toni
1 certainly want you to do what is
right-but | am not at all sure that i,
is rlght-in your case. You have never
been remarkably strong, though / think
perhaps you are as we'll as the ayerag
young man who spends his hours be-
hind an office desk.-Then. | remem
Der how, as a boy, you dreaded the
sound Of gun. Do you think you
could bear it to kill men-you, who
cried your heart out over a dead bird
Oh. do think twice about this thing
Then she remembered that he must
have thought twice-ten times
hundred times-before he came to this
decision. She tore up the letter and
began another.
Il don't know what to saw to Won. q,
course | want you to. do what is right
wish your father were alive-the re.
sponsibility is so heavy for me. If you
should enlist. do you suppose you coulc
get position where you wouldn't have
to go TO the actual front? Just as
useful position. but where I needn',
feel that your life was in danger every
hour | don't know how / could bear
that /"
But she didn't like the look of it
After long thought she started another
sheet
Il have tried to write to YOU in q
way that would influence you agains,
erlisting, but | am afraid that | ough,
not to do that. | have hoped | might
escape the awful sacrifice of seeing YOU
go to war. But if you feel that it is
surely your duty, l know l must bear
my part. You can little imagine VIVA,
1t is to me"
At this point she broke down and
cried--of course. One can't write about
ones awful sacrifices without feeling
much worse the moment one sees the
words upon paper. That's a fixed
wiped her eyes. She wasn't coward
and she felt that the words were cow
ardly. 7She tried again.
Il think it is very brave of you to
want to enlist, when you still might
escape the draft. I want you to dc
your duty. Of course I shall be- very
anxious and lonely. but l know l mast
do my part. | don't want you to feel
like sneak-though l do think there
are others-great strong fellows whose
mothers are not widows-who could 20
much better than you. But if you feel
that you must go, shall not hold you
back"
And still 1t wouldn't do. Her heart
was aching desperately, but suddenly
she began to think about Toms feel
ings when he should read her letter
Those wailing words about her loneli-
ness-and her anxiety-and her reluc-
tant Willingness to do her duty,-Was
that the way to send her boy off, with
his heart heavy with fear for her, that
she couldn't bear it? Just because
she was a woman must she pull on a
nan?-make him feel as badly as she
could make him wonder if he should
be doing right If he left her? Why
couldn't she put spirit into him, since
he had so much Of his own? If she
wrote with a fine courage. if she said
nothing about what it was going to
cost her. was there any danger Of his
thinking she didn't really care? Hard
ly,
Once more she began the shetland