The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-03
Tho GFas10oF Thing
BY HARRY CLAYTON HERvEY.

" say can you Soe ~ @AS
dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the
-. twilight's last cleaning ;"
All, so tender and clear came the
voice through the night,
While the mist of the even DER the
valley lay dreaming.
The stark winter wood. spectral demon
in white, belched the fragments i
Of fiery hell.
And one by one. but the baubIes OF /
Fate, the men Of his regiment |
fell;
Cold, hideous Death in garments black |
hung over each bursting shell. Il
II.
He lay there all bloody. all mangled
and white, most killed by a /
crushing blow.
He, his mothers one boy, he would
die there alone and never a soul
would know
The merciless wind. but q phantom
breath. swept free with a moan
ing sigh:
While there like many yellow dog
he prayed to his God to die
And the final plea OF a clinging soul
was In that fainting cry.
II.
There was water In his canteen and
his throat was burning red.
Oh a drop Of that, a tiny drop, would
bring him from the dead.
Then broke the shell swift hurled from
hell and scattered wide its fame;
And Meath the flying stroke
fell the man who had no name.
His lips were SCARED, his face was
pale, his life a burning shame.
".
eaff 40
the singing lad
And the graping wounds apaining
almost drove the stranger mad.
Then by him spoke in grasping
voice the youth, his mothers
"Have they got you, friend? Well.
they've got me too and I think
we're going fast.
eBut say, it may not be so bad when
through the Door we're passed.
".
'I used to know girl. old man; the
stars were in her eyes;
"Her hair a perfumed valley where
the brightest sunlight lies.
| "IIer lips were incensed lilies and her
smile. or God. that smile!
"She loved me, yes. you bet your
life, she loved me for while
IL nth there came dnOtneF Iiidu cuA
! sweet love to defile.
l. VI.
"Oh, it was hard, I tell you sir, the
worst of things to bear
| ct hunted DER the earth for him, 1
| hunted everywhere;
| ST hunted till 1 gave up and returned
home sore distressed.
| Eyes she was there her
| sunlit hair. white lilies at her
breast;
"Stone dead, old pal She went
away. I knew that was the
| VII.
"AIl night watched her funeral bier
believed her dead not yet:
And tried and sought, oh God,
| fought, her white face to for
| streams fell DER the oaken floor
"F-ell DER her garments white and
kissed the lips that spoke
no more.
"Rut come a little closer, pal, your
face I've seen before
$50 we meet again, you fiend o,
He'll. as we face the Creates
door!''
The two Souls barely clinging to tn
life which seemed to fill
Came face to face at brink of Death
and one was sent to kill.
sI didn't meau to do it," shrieked TIT
man who had no name.
I'm dying, give me water.
God! I swear I'm not to blame
Eyes, I did it, Sure. Dill
it. But I've paid, I've los
the Camel"
There was Death in the stranger
husky voice and it cut the otn
ers heart.
. They were facing God In IN
End twas best he play the big
: ger part.
: But the demon of his inner Soul crie
out to kill, to kill.
Yet: Vengeance mine! sait
: He, the Lord: "My recompenst
My will!''
Then he crawled across to TN
!. stranger-and the stranger dram
his I'LL.
, For the good and the bad in the dy
ing lad had fought and the goo
had won.
+ He had given his life for ano:ner
life, he, his mothers only one.
E When the records of Fate are write
. and the Soul the Dust sna
fling
Aside, this lad who played his De:
shall rank a reigning king
For he gave his life and the hope
1 held to do the grander thing,
90, say can you see oy ti
dawn's early light
What so produly we hailed at u
twilight's last CLEAN
ing.
All, so tender and clear came the Voi'
through the night.
1x<hiIo fha mist Of the even Ger u