The Washington times., 1918-02-27
To My Sweetheart
SOLDIER
Every Girl ShOuldRead
These Wonderful
Letters.

Beloved Husband: The agony
of those days and nights since l
wrote you last How l have
wanted you. How my need of
You has gone out across the dis
tance, seeking you, laying itself in
an agony of grief before your
feet. The very morning after
my last letter to you, l knew
something was very wrong with
my beloved mother-the hurried
breathing. the flushed face, the
sudden G. i. Before the doctor
turned from the bed l knew what
we had to fear-pneumonia. For
three days now. as in a dream,
two nurses and have fought that
silent foe. How short a time, and
yet how long! How l have prayed
for the night to come and dawn
to follow after! How slow the
procession of waiting for
the disease to run its course
waiting the crisis TO tell US which
will prevail, our prayers or death.
Beloved, you are fighting death
on the battlefield. Day by day
you meet that inexorable foe with
your strong right arm and with
patient endeavor By the strength
of right and might you are keep
ing the foe at bay! But in this
quiet room. l meet the enemy on
unequal ground. Silently and as
a thief in the night, he turks in
the dark corners. l cannot Crap
pl ewith him. His silent spirit
CheepS ever nearer, ever nearer
the beloved figure on the bed. l
cannot reach out and strike a
mighty blow, l cannot scream
aloud and brighten him away. l
can only close my eyes and call
upon that help which alone can
be our refuge in our time of need.
1t is my mother for whose life 1
am fighting! The one being in all
the world who has given me un-
fashionable love since my eyes
first opened The one who stilled
my fretting, cured my childish
hurts, led me slowly and by pa
tient steps through the hard days
of growing up, into the open fields
of womanhood and mature years;
the one whose sweet example has
given me all the poor grace which
| possess; the one whose sublime
faith in God, through every trial,
has developed in me a power of
endurance which l could never
otherwise have known.
Your Dear Mother has helped me
by her constant presence in the
other room In her open Bible on
her knees, she is seeking for those
promises which have never failed.
The General and Nanny have
hardly left their faithful watch out
side the door, The sound of that
patient crutch reminds me that he
TOO has suffered and conquered
that he has passed through the
dark waters Of pain and anguish.
and risen with faith triumphant on
the other side.
The doctor says tomorrow be-
tween midnight and dawn we may
expect the crisis. but be holds out
no hope. With his hand upon that
falling pulse, he dares give me
nope no lOnger-the one chance in
thousand seems too remote.
With my soul drowned in an
guish as it is tonight. different
scenes and memories pass before
my mind, as they say they pass in
swift succession when ones ply
steal body is drowning. | seem to
be again in my fathers room when
death and / waged that other bat
tie so long ago. ! can see my faith
er's face calm and lighted with vic
tory, as though in death he him
self was the victor, and the grave
had no sting. can hear again
his gentle voice, helping me, calm
ing me; ! can Sc his hands once
more lifted in blessing, as though
embracing the world with his large
and beautiful faith. ] can see the
eager light in his eyes, as he said
over and over again: oh, INV
child, If l could only speak to nv
people once more from my bed of
pain. and tell them that all Gods
promises are sure. In the midst OF
suffering and death, Gods prom
Uses are SURE"
Beloved, for the healing memory
al my fathers words / thank God
tonight. Should / not be less than
his daughter il l failed to say even
with faltering heart and trembling
lips, Gods promises are sure"
GOODNIGHT. MY HTSBAND