The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-08-17
WAR MOTHERS

WAR MOTHERS
To have brought son into the world
who lays his life upon thealtar OF his
country in the holy name Of freedom is
the greatest glory that can be obtained
bv any woman on this earth. Position in
society, wealth and distinction in the or
binary walks Of life all pale into insig-
nificance BESIDE the high honor conferred
upon q mother who sm0thers her grief
and sends her boy forth to be among men
and II need be to make the supreme sac
rifice in defense Of suffering humanity,
home and native land. Outlines she
drains the cup Of sorrow to the very
dregs, but she answers lit is well' when
the final test comes. It is to his mother
that the boy writes upon the eve of bat
tie and his last thoughts are Of her if he
receives mortal wound. The bond be-
tween mother and son is the most per-
feet relationship that exists on earth and
can only be broken by death. This is why
we all agree that the greatest sacrifice in
war is made by the mother of soldier.
The boy himself realizes that the call
of his country is imperative and that no
brave son of America will falter or hang
back because of the certainty of danger
and the possibility Of death upon the bat
tlefield. So he manfully shoulders his
rifle and marches away to perform the
duty to which he has been called. The
knights of old were never more bold or
courageous. The only sign of softness
comes at the solemn moment Of parting
with that dear mother who brought him
into the world, nurtured him through
childhood and taught him to cherish ana
love the flag of his country. He knows
her heartstrings are wrenched at the
parting and that she would gladly lay
down her life for him if he could be saved
with honor from the maelstrom of bat
tie. But he also knows that in her heart
Of hearts she is very proud Of him and
that she would not hold him back when
the sons Of other devoted and patriotic
women step proudly forth to do or die.
, When he is finally compelled to tear
himself away from her fond embraces
he knows that her love and prayers will
follow him to the end and he is buoyed
upby the thought that when It is all ov-
er he will once more clasp her in his arms
forget for the moment the exchanging
of blows upon the field Of battle and all
the horrors of war, and once again be-
come as tender as little child. In that
glad hour the sacrifices made by both
mother and son fade away and the old
relationship is reestablished and the
mother is more proud Of her son than
ever. Unfortunately there is another
side to this picture and the fact is
brought home when we realize that a
great battle is in progress and that many
~of the hundreds Of thousands of Ameri-
can lads engaged will never return home
land that the fond mothers who have been
sagonizing ever since the first shot was
fired will watch and wait in vain. The
casualty lists with their fateful news
will come at last and will bring grief and
z sorrow to households all over the land.
Here the first born will have fallen
s fighting manfully. There the BENJAMIN
i OF the family will have yielded up his life
and the hearts of all will be filled with
& gloom and sorrow.
But the blow will fall hardest upon the
I mother who risked her life to pive birth
/ to q man child only to have him sum
nloned to go forth and die for his courl-
try in his early manhood. Yet she will
4 smile through her tears and look up with
that perfect faith which passeth all I'M
derstanding and thank God even in her