Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-08
FAREWELL LETTER
OF A SOLDIER OF 20
eve Shall Live Forever in the Re-
suits of This War;" He Wrote,
About to Die

Nov ;hat America has had its first big
AN war disastor-thc torpcdoing of the
Tuscania. with its loss Of American sol.
diers-a soldier boys last letter is of in
tcrost. This poignant letter was written
by London youth Of twenty years, Lieu
tenant Eric L. Townsend, who was .iled
in France September IS, 1916. while lead.
ing the first wave against a German posi-.
ton. Along with his will was found this
manly attempt to comior. his father and
mother
September S. 1916.
Dearest Mother and Father:
You are reading this letter because have
gone under. or course, I know you will be
terribly cut up and that il " II be q long
tine before YOU get over it, hut ret o,e. If
|ou must. You must BE- imbuci with The
spirit oi the navy and the army TO carry
on You will still have dear Uttle Don
aid. who Is safe at any rate for some while
IT he should ever have 10 20 on active scrv-
lee, | somehow feel that his iuyariublo yno1
luck Will bring him through
You must console yourself with the Thought
that ! am happy, whereas if I had lived
who knows?
Remember the saying attributed 10 Scion.
"'all no man happy till he is dead" .rborI,s
to your Self'sacrificing love and deyotion 7
have had happy time all my life. Death
WI have delivered me from experiencing
unhappinegS.
1t has always seemed to me n vcr,. ni,irrI
thing what little difference the dis,nmear.
ancc of a man makes to any mstitutinn 80,
though he may have played a verv imnor-
tart role. \ moments regret a t,o,,,n,,,,
pause for readjustme"t. ard Huothor ,,a,
steps forward to carry ON. ard th,. n,aci,j,,
clanks onward with scarce a check Tba
death of leader Of the nation ia less even
than a seven days wonder TO very
their number is scarcely one in ten millions
TO the rest il is only granted ia uya IL,
their united achievements '|
But Tor this war; and an the otbe,,
would have passed into oblivion like the
countless myriads before Us. We ebonld
have gone about our trihng business 80
ing, drinking. sleeping, hoping. mnrrvinp
giving in marriage, aud finally diving ,,,'th
no more achieved than when we were hnr,
with the world no different for our ~,
Even the cattle in the fields fare nn ynr.c
than this They too, eat, drink sleeu hrinr
forth young, ana de, leaving the wnrIL ne
different from what they found it. '0
But we shall i've forever in the results
of this war We shall live as those who ~,
their sacrifice, won the great war our
spirits and our memories shall endure in tbe
proud position Britain shall hold In tha o.,
ture. The measure of life is not it's snan
but the use made of il. | d'd mar ,t"t,
much of my life before the war but 7 ,hin,,
| have done so now
one sometimes hears people say whom n
young man is killed, Poor fellow ,,,t ~
so early, without ever having had a cbar'ia "'
of knowing and enjoying life" Dut for ,a','
self thanks to all that both of Won ba,,o
done. | have crowded into twenty 80
enough pleasures, sensations and exneriarn,s,
for an ordinary lifetime. Never IN, IIi,Ht
so,netimes almost failure in anvthi,',.
undertook, my svmnathies and my intnnss = !
somehov' or other-why, I cannot Iii
y,ere 80 wide that there was scarceI,, -,
amusement, an occupation, a feeling t,tiat ~
I could not appreciate. And, as ~
said of most OF those ! had tasted "'e
don't suppose ] ever met anyhod,,, Lo
vas not my superior in knowIedsa ~ ~,
ooh eyement in one particular subiect b..
there his knowledge and his Interest eraon
whereas, my interests comprised pesrIy ~
whole field of human affairs and actiyi,ias
And that Is why 1t is no hardship for me- 10
| leave the world so young. ~
We'll ! have talked a lot of rot u,h,,,
| must have gwen you great pa N to read ma
which will not bring you much comfort 7
| mad intended to try and say words of com.
| fort. but that scarcely being possible n bas
| drifted into a sort OF confession Of faith.
| To me has been given the ,ler = al, N
| Won is given the more dificult-that of living
| in sorrow Be of good courage that nj
the end you ~ give good account
Kiss Donald for me.
| Adieu best of parents,
| Your loving SON. ERIC.