The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-11-01
Somebody's Darling.

4 Somebody's Darling.
1.-The following beautiful verses
were written by Sister Marie La
coste, a member Of one of the Sister
hoods that did service during the
conflict between north and south.
Coming into the dead room of the
hospital, she saw the corpse. or a
wounded at the battle of Cedar
Creek. He proved to be Patrick
Feeney, who enlisted at Detroit. In
some way his mother learned OF his
! enlistment, and she fastened to that
city from the interior OF the state to
save him. But she was too late,
however, for her son was ALREADY IN IN
march. His mother saw the general
in command and asked him If she
could see her darling boy. He IS
the only one and so precious to- us
| all she cried. Then she shrieked
with grief and tainted away. While
/! in this condition he was brought in.
She stared at him in a vacant way
for a few seconds and then look
of admiration came to her eyes. The
sight of her brave boy in his new
suit of blue touched her pride, She
was the mother OF one willing to
sacrifice his life while fighting for
his country; She embraced e,ds nm and ma
with such son. | came to take you
away, but now l would not if |
could. If you come back alive I'll
thank God, but if you are killed it
will be joy to me to know that you
died a good soldier;
Tears came to the eyes of those
near at hand as mother and son
few months later letter came from
Sister Lacoste saying that Patrick
Feeney had been wounded unto
death, but that he had lived to re-
ceive the last sacraments OF the
church and to send word to his
mother. 1t was month after ms
death that the poem first appeared
in print"
SOMEBODY'S DARLING.
Into a ward of the whitewash'
Where the dead and dying lay,
balls,
Somebody's darling was borne
that day.
Somebody's darling SO young and so
brave,
Wearing yet on his vale, sweet
Soon to be hid by the dust of the
The lingering light of his boy
hoods grace.
Matted and damp are the curls OF
kissing the snow of that fair
young brow.
Pale are the lips of delicate mold;
Somebody's darling is dying now:
Back from his beautiful blue> velned
Brush all the wandering waves of
Cross his hands on his bosom now;
Somebody's darling is still and
cold.
Kiss him once for somebody's sake,
Murmur prayer soft and low
One bright curl from It's talr mates
They were somebody's pride you
know.
Somebody's hand had rested there
Was it mothers, soft and WHITE?
Been baptised in the waves OF
light?
God knows best; he has somebody's
Somebody's heart enshrined him
there,
Somebody waited his name above.
Night and morn on the wings Oh
prayer,
Somebody wept as he marched away,
Looking so handsome, brave and
Somebody's kiss on his forehead lay,
Somebody chung to his parting
Somebody's waiting and watching
Yearn min mo- to hold him again to
1,oir n,,t
And there he lies with his blue eyes
And the smiling, childlike lips
apart,
Tenderly bury the fair young dead,
Pausing to drop on his grave
Carve on the wooden slab at his
Somebody's darling s1umbers
here"
What American can read the fore
going verse without an acne IN inc
throat and tears in the eyes? How
soldier, somebody's darling, VIII
be carried into some field hospital
of the European war front, wound
cd by bayonets, shells and balls to
die alone excert for the presence OF
some Cod-inspired nurse whose own
life is threatened every moment WIZ
destruction by the brutal enemy!
Can you, American that you are,
read those lines and let them BURN
themselves into your brain without
feeling that you must do your part in
this awful war-that you must hem
the Red Cross. that you must knit
ard sew and work and pray for the
success of our gallant army? DO
not neslect your duty to your coun-
Try. Every hour, every minute Is
Newspapers Face Disaster.
Washington. - A report recon-
mending government operation OF