The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-29
ToSteUjn Writes TO Mothers of
North Dakota From France
(By q. H. Tostevin.)

Somewhere in France, May 16,191S
Dear Mother, in fact all mothers
OF North Dakota: 1t is Mothers
day tomorrow, and every chap over
here in Uncles Sans great army Is
tonight or will tomorrow write to
his first and best sweetheart, mother.
AS I start this letter, ] am sitting
on q balcony on the eighth floor of
what in peace times Is the most eX-
pensive ultra fashionable hotels Of,
one of the greatest and most renown-
ed resorts Of Europe, a place noted
for the health giving properties of
its waters and it's perfect climate.
1t is that hour Of day when winds
are prone to Wend their way home
ward, for 1t is sunset, that mystic
hour when the skyline presents a
glorious harmony Of color and such
q color1ng as may be found no
where but in south central France.
Passing beyond the buildings hud-
died together in an indiscriminate
manner Immediately below my bal
cony, to the farther edge Of the city
the ever presnt French red tiled roofs
seem to melt into and become a
part OF the orange glow Of the sun
set. You who have been in France
will be able to picture 1t. A French
house would not be French were It
not crowned with an orange red tiled
roof and 1t seems they all have them
here.
The sunset Is fraught with strange
dreams; it is almost a dream this
evening, and be 1t in hospital such
as this, in front line trench, in rest
camp back from the front or at
school, everywhere there are Ameri-
cans tonight, the sunset is a glorious
banner of an omnipotent power I'M
furled across the sky in token Of the
burning loyalty and love Of mother
and notherland.
And too, the florists in this French
spa have generous stores Of CANA
tons, red and white, and many the
chap, who has passed by the Y. NJ.
e. A. or, Red Cross stand with It's
tempting display of chocolate and
sweets, saving his few francs SO
that on the morrow he may wear a
carnatIon for mother.
For the vast majority, mother Is
still living; most Of the soldiers are
young, and age and time have not
as yet combined to remove mother.
And while the boys may write
sweethearts with endearing terms ESQ
the censor tells) it is to mother
thoughts turn above all others.
have asked perhaps fifty men
what to write home.
Tell the mothers not to worry
said most OF them. But" added a
few, She'll worry anyway, 80 what's
the use?"
And they are right. II mother
didn't worry about what her boy was
DOING she just naturally couldn't
be mother.
War is a horrible thing. Yes, but
war with all Of it's horrors neverthe-
less, has developed some beautiful
things, too. Take the chaps over
here who a year or a little more ago
were following their own inclina-
tons, doing their work and seek
ing what pleasures their desires,
purse or environment offered, and
then compare them with the Ameri-
can soldier Of today.
The man who has been at the front
has changed the most. The brave
man Is not he who Is foolhardy and
rushes into danger blindly, but the
man who knowing danger fights down
the natural inclination to play safe,
and then goes at his work of war
whatever 1t may be.
You may think that everything is
lost sight Of in the hour Of con.
flict, that the mind has else to do
than think Of home. There never
is attack so sudden or move so rapid
that busy thoughts cannot move fas-
ter. Witness this:
well they slipped me q Croix de