The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1918-12-12
Suggestion for r,other's Letter.

Son of Mine:
They're sending you home to me at
last. Through all these months of
waiting and longing I've been wearing
star for you and holding my head
high and thinking wonderful thoughts
about you. I've watched you through
ocean mists and dreamed anxious
dreams Yes, and cried a little, too,
but not when people could see.
And now you're coming home. Oh,
1t seems too good to be true. I've just
read your letters again. They say so
much more than you ever thought
when you were writing them. Just
appenings-thats all most Of the
things you wrote about were to you
But to me they said you were facing
the biggest thing in life, facing 1t
bravely, as | should want my son to
face 1t. You were Offering your body
and your soul for n thing bigger than
you or me or America.
| When 1 wrote TO you l tried to
write cheerful, encouraging letters,
I because | did not want you to 60 into
battle feeling that | was holding you
back from the big sacrifice. It's only
now, when the fighting is over, that !
| can let down Il little and be Just your
! mother, just the woman who loves
! You better than anything else in the
! world and Is so glad To know you're
, coming back to her that she doesn't
! care who sees her cry.
Perhaps for some OF the boys who
! have stood with you so finely through
! these trials the fighting Is not yet all
over The fighting | mean is that be-
tween man and himself, and for
many OF them this will be the hardest
! battle of all. During the long days
and evenings of waiting before they
| can start for home thoughts will creep
J into their minds which will be hard to
/ resist. There will he times after all
these months of action when the long
! ing for change and for the companion
ship of women may lead them inio as.
socatlons which will spoil their home
coming and cause them shame and hui
initiation, and even perhaps make
them unfit 10 receive the love that
awaits them here
You. dearest boy, are just as human
az your comrades, and feelings like
these may come To you too. | don't
ask you To crush them, They are nat
ural and they only prove that war has
failed to dry up the Welt spring of
your emotions. ! ask YOU only To rec
ognize them when they come and to
control them with the fine strength
hn Nphiln frhtintT for tho
ideals and principles of America. Just
remember that many joyous years Of
life are ahead OF you and that the risk
of spelling them and the love that will
till them IS too tremendous to run for
n short hour of seeming pleasure.
Many of the boys who viii come
home with you have no mothers TO
write To them. Some of them may
hin that no one caves what thov do,
i}ut somebody does care. America
cares. And the girls they will marry
some day care. And, oh, the difference
1t will make in their lives If they will
just remember that there Is always
somebody, always!
Help them to remember. Help them
to come home clean and fine. Don't
let them spoil everything now. They
have been so splendid If YOU think
this letter will help them give ii to
| them. If they have no mothers let me
be their mother until they have come
back and taken the high places that
await them here Tell them to write
10 me, How / should treasure their
letters
And, of course, you Will write to me.
Just say that you understand-that
you know why have written this let
ter. Then | can walt months-yes,
even years-knowlng that You will
: come home to me rs fine and clean ms
you were when | sent you away to
camp so long ago. MOTHERS"