The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-08-21

walls were in sharp contrast with the
soft bed and the picture hung walls at
home The rough service uniform,
the coarse, hob nailed shoes and stiff
lputtees were not so comfortable as
the newly pressed blue serge suit, the
soft silk shirt with white collar, pink
lite, mercerized socks and patent leath
ers. The stern commands of the cap
tain were positively brutal when set
lagainst the please, Mr.. Smith, have
you something in a Lace collar that
Twill go we'll with the waist I have on?''
Then the long hard days of train.
ling-the drill, the everlasting hike,
1.-THE setting-up exercises, the soreness
of muscles, the bodily weariness. At
might, muddy and worn he would
lcrawl into his, lonely cot and dream OF
iheaven-or of measuring ribbon, of
bath tubs and clean linen-which was
the same thing. And always the
dread of the day of embarkation, and
THAT other darker day that would
mark the entrance into the bloody
trenches of France!
During those first gruelling weeks
lat Camp Dodge young Smith was in a
jrebellious mood. He knew little and
lcared less about making the world
lsafe for democracy. Every fibre OF
his physical being protested against
further exertion. He shrank from the
Vulgar oaths Of his companions as
from a blow. Neither his mind nor
body responded to the business of
|getting ready to fight, a business into
(which he had been forced without con-
|sultation and without his consent. 1t
Twas a, daily, hourly battling of his
|own desires against force that was
Overwhelming him.
Then there was mother-and there
was a girl! Plans had been in the
making for the spring time. That
was the time-and the place-a cot
|tage on Riverside Drive-and the
girl were waiting. There was soon
to be an increased salary at the
store. Already a visit had been made
Ito the furniture store. There had
been some discussion over the fur
,nishings for the bed rooms. He want
ed everything mahogany, the girl
wanted white enamel-so they COM
lpromised on white enamel. That had
been settled one evening over the ice
cream soda. He hadn't tasted it for
a month. He wondered if the girl
would wait for him. She had already
expressed her doubts of his loyalty
after he had met the frivolous lasses
of France. She seemed more con-
cerned about this phase of the trag-
edy that had overwhelmed them than
iabout the prcbality of his getting
wounded or killed. He thought of all
the pleasant details Of life he was
1
lsorry for himself.
Young Smith did not realize that
1.-THE best blood of more than dozen
nations that love liberty and Justice
was being spilled while he was Ia
imenting the loss of ice cream sodas
and the termination Of his roamings
in the gloahing. In revolt against
1.-THE miraculous change that had grip
ped him just as the portals of life
seemed opening to him, he was poor
Soldier, disliked by officers and men.
Soon his unpopularity became un-
bearable. At the dance and the picnic,
in the parlor games and in all the
activities of his particular social set,
he had held his own against all COM
ers. What was the matter now?
These rough lads about him, from the
corn fields and the coal mines, had
little respect for HMM fact he
came to have little respect for him
self. Day by day his comrades were
doing the work of the camp better
than he was doing it. Then one day
the chaplain preached to the boys in
camp Not much of the sermon was
remembered by him, but there was
something about the good shepherd
who giveth his life for his sheep and
something about hireling who sees
the wolf coming and fleeth. There
was also something about thief who
comes to steal and kill. And what
was it the chaplain had said about
the thief and the wolf that had come
out of Germany to steal and kill and
destroy and scatter the sheep? And
the hireling who fled! Was it possible
the chaplain was right Had Christ
meant it that way, Christ who had
said Blessed are te peace makers ?"
Yes, Christ had said, II lay down my
| life for the Sheep" Does not that
mean He would fight the thief and
the wolf And the hireling feeth
when the wolf comes! "Hireling, hire
ling" thought young Smith, ''why that
IS Ouly uIOIuC1 Wolu AoA oAe1ShOA VI
coward"
Thus the tempest-this boys mind
from day to day, the conflict between
his desire for the petty pleasantries
of life and his adherence of the hard
camp life and the horrors of war, the
conflict between his belief that Christ
was noncombatant and this new
construction the chaplain had put on
the story of the good shepherd Strong
men were never more sorely perpleX-
ed over world problems, for it was a
world problem this weakling was
graphing with.
There is no night that lasts forever,
and at last the long night of life in
the cantonment was done and the reg
iment entrained for the place of en-
barkation, with young Smiths prob
| lens still unsolved. Notwithstanding
the fact that he had in a measure
reached the point where he could JUS
Il tify his strangely new environments,
this Justification was forgotten when
came the parting with loved ones. So
he sailed for France dazed and be-
wildered and in a state of revolt.
There had come to him, however,