The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-03-21
A MOTHER, A FATHER, AND A
BOY.
(By George F. Burba.)

happen to know family of three
"a mother, a father, and boy. For
twenty years the mother and father
nursed the boy along-fed him and
clothed him and educated him-happy
all three of them, in each others So
ciety.
Then came the war.
The day it came, the boy volunteer
ed. He was under the draft age, and
was not compelled to go into the serv-
ice of his country. But he volunteered.
1t was tn. first time he had been away
from holne-the first time for twenty
years the little family had been sep
arated.
For eight months the boy has been
sleeping beneath tent, drilling,
working, training, learning to be sol
der, a thousand miles from home.
For eight months the mother has
been gazing at a picture of the boy
and waiting for the postman to bring
her letter from the child. Only the
God above knows the anxiety of her
heart, the mother-longing for the
presence CT. the babe of her breast, the
anguish which she undergoes.
For eight months the father has
gone about his work, thinking of his
boy, helping for him, praying for him
providing for his simple wants and fo1
the simple wants Of the mother anC
. himself.
:. For tle boy draws no pay from th'
Il government. Every cent that Is offer
ed to him is returned to the govern
Ement Tor liberty bonds. The fathe
supports the lad so the government
can have the use of the money
would otherwise pay to him for bein
= soldier.
1t has now come to the point whe1
! the boy needs food. He needs blanket
to keep him warm. He needs a gun
fight with. He needs transportatio
to France, where he is eager to g
and have the thing over as soon
possible so he can return to his mot
err and father. He needs everythiT
a soldier needs-and he has no none
and his father has reached the liz
OF his ability to provide.
The government tells the boy,
substance, he will have to borrow t
, money 10 support himself until t
war is over. That is, the governme
49, will have to borrow it for the boy.
Will you lend this boy a quarter
He promises to give his life for
- ~, !, 6 J. naed, he He is ready to fight
ailu fenen1y race TO face, II he can boTi
to the quarter.
ny The government says it will go
Tor boys security. 1t will issue YOU
on stamp, or bond, or guarantee that
fts' quarter will be repaid.
ef- The mother and father have
cir humble home. They will pledge Il
for home as security if you will lend tn
nat COY a quarter to buy food and cloth
'ks and blankets.
Ii A hundred million other people
the this country will pledge all they hi
ION if you lend the quarter to the boy.
You who sit in comfort; you W
have three good meals a day, 8
warmth in the house; you who
= about your daily tasks, cheerful 9
Y. happy, your wants provided for;
au- you willing to see this mothers
me underfed, unarmed, ragged in
mn trenches and the camp?
ms The family has been broken I'D
nj you. The grief of the mother is V,
'he grief, or should be. The struggles
Y. the father should be your struggl
len The hardships which the boy is und
TO going in the training camp
no coarse food he is eating, the hard |
MS upon which he sleeps, the wet clotl
es- he wears and the exposure which
'as suffers, are all your affairs, the
'as fairs of every man and woman a
ca child in the United States.
lei Will you lend this boy a quartz
ole You can do so nv hrvino a S+anop