The Yale expositor., 1918-06-20
Our Soldier Boys.

1rlends In ale VINO Will ENJOY TeaulnB
the same.
My Dear Mother:-
know, mother mine that you can't
help worrying at times about your
"baby," but really hope that you are
reconciled to having me in the service
and doing my duty like good many
other boys over here. | believe | am
at last finding myself and my place in
this great world struggle, and if the
time comes when l must make the
final sacrifice for you, my country and
my God, am prepared to go, and feel
that my short life will not have been
lived entirely in vain. Someone has
got to CO. for victory can only be won
by shedding good deal of blood, but
if the world is left better place to
live in, we on the line are willing that
it be us. OF course in any event it is
the ones at home-the mothers-who
suffer most. | know the uncertainty
and the waiting and the suspense you
are in, but it is only thus-through suf-
fering-that great reforms are brought
about and from and through all this
chaos the world will some day soon
emerge a winter, cleaner, better world.
America will come out of the struggle
better America, and we who have
been through the great game will come
out real men where we came in boys.
Until joined the army never knew
what a fine, clean, manly lot of boys
there are in our country. Over here
the little petty chickering's and mean
ness have to 60 The boys are better
fit physically, mentally and morally
than they were back home. You prob
ably hear insiduous stories to the con-
trary spread by the enemy to break
your morale. Brand them as false.
The army is clean.
suppose you are probably the first
mother from home to have boy on
the line; but there will be more and
more of them as the time goes on and
1 hope that instead of deploring the
fact that you and the others will be
proud of it. am glad to be just
where l am and l want you to be glad
that you were able to raise a son in
whom confidence enough was placed
by his country to put him there.
l imagine though, mother, that you
are altogether too prone to paint a
black cloud over our life here. Really
it isn't half SO bad as it is pictured.
The tendency is always to pick out
and picture the danger spots and the
high lights, but as matter of fact the
danger we are in is the least of our
troubles. We cuss more over mud and
rats than We do over shells and bullets
Ordinarily we get plenty to eat, our
"soup gun" following us wherever we
go, and most of the time we have dry
places to sleep, although sometimes the
dug-outs are pretty damp. Everything
considered, it isn't half as bad as l had
imagined it would be. That American
sense of humor helps a whole lot too.
Just at the time when things are the
worst and one is feeling blue, someone
thinks of something funny TO say,
everyone laughs and the whole world
looks bright again.
1t is surprising how fast time flies
over here. | suppose it is because
there is always something going on or
you expect something to start, and be-
cause of the fine company you haYe. L
have often mentioned what fine
bunch of fellows-both officers and
men-we have, and with such bunch
there is no time for loneosmeness or
homesickness.
Well, mother mine, keep up your
courage. know you are doing your
part in these troublesome times as | am
doing mine and one happy day your son,
then veteran, will walk in on you
aud will kill the rooster and have one
of those good mothers dinners on next
Mothers Day. Love,
Cleve.
CleVe II, Bradshaw,