Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-09-12

Della Payne, Minneapolis:
With two sons already dead in the ,
service Of the Allies, two more ABOUT
to leave for France in Y. NJ. c. A. war /
work and forty other relatives in the
British army, seven of whom were
killed in one week, Mrs. Wenonah
Stevens Abbott, little Minneapolis
mother is still carrying on" for Amer
lea and says life is not tragedy I'M
less one thinks it is.
With the courage Of such a mother
in his blood little wonder that AlWyh
Stevens Abbott, the eldest of her
sons, who enlisted in the Canadian
Engineer Corps in 1917. should have
volunteered for duty over there
which meant almost certain death
and from which he never returned. ,
Had Promotion of Death -
Before he left on his fateful mission
ne wrote to his mother one Of the won
derful letters which the war has
Brought from men about to die.
Dear Mother: Before you read this
last message [ may ever write you'
please recite the beautiful quotation
beginning. Those who are wise,
which you have often repeated to me"
he wrote This quotation was pass
age in the great epic Of India which
bade those wise in spiritual things to
grfeve neither for the dead nor for the
living because the spirit is not slain
when The mortal frame is destroyed.
'Iael braced, mother dear" he con-
timed Il wish this letter could reach
you before you hear that I am gone,
bu I know that cannot be. I have vol
uuee8red for a service which means
cer. ain death or capture by the Huns
and I feel that the AIl-Father will
graft death as my portion.
- Willingly Goes to Death ----..
Isl Cd t tell you what the service
is 1a. q fine bunch Of men willingly
Of "a to do what may save the lives
81 and I viii gladly go to meet
death with them.
"-%o lever got over my horror of
ST. s.Ing at q man. | entered the an
gileorlng corps thinking I'd never
have to fight, but sometimes that duty
has fallen to me and then ! have pray
cd ut 10 bullet Of mine might carry
death. You will understand that, and
ale. why / so much more joy0usly
Civ nay life tonight than perhaps live
10 lake one tomorrow. You won't
mind my dying like q man for the
wlrIua welfare.
.---- Brother Fights Like Demon -.
HAL fights the Hun as he would
Kill a snake"
FIal was Mrs. Abbott's other son, a
lieutenant, who died three days after
Alwyn went out on his last mission
died in a base hospital in France be-
cause of wounds received in action,
He too. was a member of the Canadian
forces.
HE is only a few miles from me"
Alwyn's letter went on. "And though
I've heard of him I've not seen him.
His men say that he fights like a
demon, and that he constantly urges
them to shoot to kill / know he is
right in this and l am wrong, but
could never be happy again for an
hour if | knew l had killed a man
even Emperor Bill himself.
- Will Not Die Like Coward ----
''You know, should have been
born in woman's body. / never was
fitted to be a man. But have no fear
0e 81 20 70
so l shall not die like coward.
'fIn a few hours | shall find those
who have gone before and tell how
you've been chum, sister, cOmrade
and mother to me. Then just as soon
as / get wide awake in that other life
so that l know my bearings I'm CON-
ing back to look after you.
''This winter must have been very
hard for you, with three of us at the
front Sometimes I've feared that
hardship had come to you some other
way and you have kept it to yourself
like the game little chum that you
are.
- Don't Wear Black, His Plea. -
81 know you will not dad to the
worlds depression by wearing black
for me, and please keep merry inside
rs we'll as on the surface. God knows
how I've thanked you for writing only
words Of cheer. Some of the boys
have gone all to pieces at letter from
home, but I've always had hearty
laugh over yours.
81 know what the smiles have cost
you, God bless you, dear You have
been a good mother to ne. No man
ever had a better one.
ooh, yes, we are all Of us afraid
ever here-sometimes, Wee ar still
mighty human, you know. But In.
going into the duty of few hours
hence repeating the first verse Of "A
Souls Soliloquy::
Today the journey is ended,
/ have worked out the mandates of
Fate,
Naked, alone, Undefended,
IzrooIy of Lo