Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-02-01
FIRST LETTER FROM
LOVER THERE"
BY Dan Cloud

cover There''-the first one. He does
MT tell much-the knowledge that the
letter is to be censored rather frightens
him. He was still aboard ship he was
safe; he was well; there was much to
write; he'd spent his first Christmas
away from home; tell mother he had
been reading his bible; the whole COM
pany was cheerful he'd write all he
could write. but you write often and
tell me everything, won't you"
What? Nothing worth while in that?
Say. you haven't boy at the front!
Say, maybe you haven't any boy at all?
Nothing in that? You listen here:
That letters been censored. The cor
ner of the envelope where he'd marked
something was cut off. There was a
foreign post mark, that was blurred.
About the only legible mark on it was
the clean, clear print of the A. E. F.
Censorship stamp. Up in the right
hand corner, instead of stamp were
the words. Soldiers Letter Get
that? Soldiers Letter" My boys
letter to me. Soldier? My 19-year- old
boy? Soldier Defender!
Nothing worth while?
Look here, Mr.. Man: don't know you
I don't know if 1 want to know you or
not. What are you doing here at home
to back up that boy of mine? How
many Liberty Bonds did you buy? How
much are you conserving on food ?
What are you doing in this thrift stamp
drive? Where were you when we were
around after Red Cross and Y. NJ. C. A.
and Y. w. C. A. Funds?
I don't care what your official title
is. 1t don't matter to me if you live
in the bog house in the hill. You may
be a close up rined of So-andS Sos
who's had the big pull for years. Those
things don't count any more. What !
are you doing to help win this war
for Worlds Democracy?
That boy of mine isn't much of a |
diplomat. He didn't slip any secrets !
of world wide Importance by that CEN
SOT. QOI I lilflk ne even tIleQ ne
just bue-eyed boy-our baby of yes
terday-and he has mans burden on |
his shoulders. They call him "The
Kid and when he Joined he was so
small they put him in as bugler; but
he's grown since then-grown nearly
two inches. That was a long, long
time ago. Let's see-that was al
most nine months ago-eight anyhow
it was when the first call came.
Get that? When the first call for
men came that boy of ours became
man, and now-hes in France. He's
over there where men walk into hell
they stand up to certain death just
to save a few hours for more men to
come, and more men and more men,
until some day. when the German lines
have weakened, there'll be enough men
to push through, and men enough to
redeem this world for Democracy-for
civilization-for those fine principals
that you and I have claimed in such
loud tones, but never demonstrated.
Nothing worth while?
Listen here-you man: That boy OF
mine is over there to help stop the
beasts while we get ready to conquer
them. He's right close up to the line.
Maybe. for all I know, tonight, he's
crawling through the trenches with a
message from the Captain to Sergeant
DeBrueler.
It's hell over there. Maybe out in No {
Mans Land tonight he's
But no. There's no use in such pic
lures until we have to look at them.
But youl What are you doing to
help back this boy of mine? Are you
doing all you can? Ir, are you sitting
with some of your cronies telling how
it ought to be done? How about you?
Don't you suppose 1 know mistakes
are being made? Don't you suppose
we all know mistakes are being made?
Sure we do. We knew from the start
they would be. But growing and
and telling how II might have y.
been done don't get food and ammuni-
ton, and Red Cross supplies and more
men over to back up that boy of mine.
don't like some things as they are,
but that's neither your nor my busi-
ness just now. Our business is to back
up that boy. from whom I just got
The first letter. That's our business.
md with Gods help we are going to
10 it. I'm going to do it-and-you've :.
rot to help me.