The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-12-12
Suggestion for Mothers 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
a 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,
it 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
happenings-that's 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 it
bravely, as I should want my son to
face it. You were Offering your body
and your soul for a thing bigger than
you or me or America.
When l wrote to you l tried to
write cheerful, encouraging letters
battle feeling that I was holding you
back from the big sacrifice It's only
now, when the fighting is over, that
can let down a 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 l mean is that be-
tween a 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
into their minds which will be hard
to resist. There will be times after all
these months Of action when the long
ing for change and for the companion
ship Of women may lead them into as
sociatiOns which will spoil their home
coming and cause them shame and hui
initiation, and even perhaps make
them unfit to receive the love that
awaits them here.
You, dearest boy, are just as human
as your comrades, and feelings like
these may come to you too. l don't
ask you to crush them. They are nat
ural, and they only prove that war has
failed to dry up the well spring of
your emotions. l ask you only to rec
ognize them when they come and to
control them with the fine strength
you have gained while fighting for the
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
fill them is too tremendous to run for
short hour Of seeming pleasure.
Many Of the boys who will come
home with you have no mothers to
write to them. Some of them may
think that no one cares what they do.
But somebody does care. America
cares. And the girls they will marry
some day care. And oh, the difference
it will make in their lives If they will
just iCluclllDeI llldl lleT0 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 1t 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
to 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 I can wait months-yes,
even years-knowing that you will
come home to me as fine and clean as
you were when / sent you away to
camp so long ego. MOTHER.