The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-30
MOTHERS PROMISE TO HER
DEPARTING SOLDIER SON
(By Kathleen Norris, in the Pueblo
Chieftain)

Chieftain)
or all the pathetic and touching
bits of literature that have come this
way since the beginning of the war
In which we are now engaged there
has been none to our way of think.
Ing that is as convincing and demon
strative of the faith and abiding love
OF mother as is the following:
MY Dear One: l am writing this
very, very small and on the thinnest
OF paper, so that tightly folded It
may slip into one of the olive-drab
pockets of your new uniform without
encroaching for the finest part Of an
inch upon all the new things that you
must have there-the photographs,
the knife and pen and writing pad,
the lists and numbers and names and
ciphers, the address book and the
passports and identification slips and
thin manual you have been studying
so hard, and the slim little Bible, for
this letter is a part of your equip
ment, too, or at least | like to think
that 1t Is.
I'm going to tell you in It lust
one or two of the things we've been
trying not to say in these last DAYS.
You have marvelled greatly, haven't
you, that couldn't say goodbye with
| dry eyes and talk about what we
should do when the war is over. My
dear, there is nothing-nothing-
that can happen to you that haven't
foreseen in every detail since May,
since the very beginning of It all. I
know that some of our men are not
going to come back. know-as Il
write this in the room you love-that
your fingers may tumble for this lit.
tie piece of paper In some dreadful
hour, a month or two months or SIX
months from now, just to read It over
once more for the last time, Just 10
feel in your fingers out there in a
| shell-lighted battlefield something
that | have touched-for goodbye.
And thinking of all this for al
most year while you've been get
ting ready to go, I've been getting
ready to stay. Just as you planned
| planned, and said to myself:
When the time comes for us to part
shall make him a promise Dear
one, this is my promise, and | make
| 1t for the term of your own-'for the
duration Of the present war
81 promise you that while you are
away whether 1t is months or years,
nothing except what can give you
and give all others shall fill my life. |
! promise you that | shall devote my.
self here in safety, to the work OF |
making what you do easier and |
stronger and safer for you. prom
Use you that | shall give-and give
and give-for the Cause! Not the
money ! can spare, not the time
have left when everything else is
DONE but all the money, all the time
all the energy have
Your whole life has been altered,
has been set to sterner and graver
music SO shall mine be. You will
know self-denial, privation and ia.
tigue while the war lasts. So shall |
know them. Even If black news
comes, even If the blacklist comes,
shall remember that against your
brave heart this promise is resting,
and | shall go on. And while there
is one man among our mill and among
millions of our allies who needs
clothing and nursing and comfort
and solace, for your sake | shall not
| fail him.
I Perhaps in Gods goodness this
note will come safely back to me in
! the olive-drab pocket, and we will
smile over it together But, remem-
Der. until that hour comes shall
be always busy filling my own place
in the great machine of mercy and
as truly under the colors over here
as you are over there. God bless
you!"