Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-12-26
Suggestion for Mothers Letter.
Son of Mine:
ssAa ossAa~aeMy
~AssssovoA.

Son of Mine:
They're sending you home to me at
last. Through all these months Of
waiting and longing I've been wearing
a star for you and holding my head
high and thinking wonderful thoughts
about you. I've watched you through
ocean mists and dreamed anxious
dreams. Yes, and cried a little. too,
but not when people could see.
And now you're coming home. Oh,
1t seems too good to be true. I've just
read your letters again. They say SO
much more than you ever thought
when you were writing them. Just
happenings-that's all most Of the
things you wrote about were to you.
But to me they said you were facing
the biggest thing In life, facing It
bravely, al I should want my son to
face 1t. You were offering your body
and your soul for a thing bigger than
you or me or America. =,
When I wrote to you I tried to
write cheerful, encouraging letters,
because I did not want you to 60 into
battle feeling that / was holding you
back from the big sacrifice. It's only
now, when the fighting Is over, that I
can let down d little and be just your
mother. Just the woman who loves
you better than anything else In the
world and is so glad to know you're
coming back to her that she doesn't
care who sees her cry.
Perhaps for some Of the boys who
have stood with you so finely through
these trials the fighting Is not yet all
over. The fighting I mean is that be.
tween a man and himself. and fol-
many Of them this will be the hardest
J battle Of all. During the long days
. and evenings of waiting before they
can start for home thoughts will Greer
I into their minds which will be hard
to resist. There will be times after all
these months Of action when the long
Ing for change and for the companion
+ ship Of women may lead them into as
Q sociat'ons which will spoil their home
D. coming and cause them shame and hu
= initiation, and even perhaps max,
10 them unfit to receive the love tina
awaits them here.
g You. dearest boy, are just as human
g as your comrades, and feelings like
TX these may come to you too. I dom
- ask you to crush them. They are nat
p ural. and they only prove that wal ha.
failed to dry up the well spring O
" your emotions, I ask you only to rec
n. ognize them when they come and t,
ID control them with the fine strength
Ut You have gnIned while fighting for tn
III ideals and principles Of America. Jus
OF remember that many Joyous years o
life are ahead Of you and that the rlsl
~ Of spelling them and the love that viii
All them Is too tremendous to run 70
q short hour Of seeming pleasure.
Many Of the boys who will com
be home with you have no mothers {
Gu write to them. Some Of them ma
to think that nc one cares what they d.
to But somebody does care. Americ
dy cares. And the girls they will MARI
10 some day care. And. oh, the dlfferenc
It will make In their lives II they wi
just remember that there Ia alway
somebody, alwaysi .,mr-,N
Help them to remember. Help the
ar to come home clean and Ono. Don
.ng let them spoil everything now m.
have been - splendid. II you thir
he this letter will help them give II
10. item. II they havo no mothers let n
be their mother until they have con
~ back and taken the high places tn,
Ing await them here. Tell them to wri
Of TO me. How I should treasure the
nc. Istterst
IT, And, Of course, you will write to d
The Just say that you understand-thl
MI. you know why ! have written this u
ter. Then I can wait months-ys
even years--knowing that you III
OK. come home to me a. nns and clean
70 you were when ! sent you away
camp - long nvo MOTHER.