The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-03

Keep the Home Fires Burning,
shall WEI"
"All right Jimmie" answered his
father. I'll appoint you an excel
lent committee OF one to put 1t on"
But the appointment was unne-
cessary. for even then his energetic
young son was taking the record
out of its case and was fitting 1t
onto the disk.
But, mother" asked Jimmie, as
he fumb)ed about in the shaded
twilight, do you know where a
good needle ISL"
Poor Jimmie once more was
learning the old story that a little
sons enthusiasm, no matter how
genuine, frequently needs a moth
er's reinforcing aid.
At last the record was started,
however, and as Jimmie and his
mother came walking slowly back,
the father stretched out his arm,
catching his little wife about the
waist, and pulled her, half laughing,
half protesting, down on the arm OF
his great chair, while Jimmie
promptly mounted to the other
side.
"Jim," began his father, as the
last tones of the song died away,
"ther's a lot I'm going to depend
on you for, while I'm gone"
whats that, dad?" asked the
future man of the house with his
! eyes fixed very steadily on a GER
tain blue and yellow flame that was
sputtering in and out of crack in
the burning wood.
I'm going to depend on you as
| my Junior partner" he said. 81
want you to take my place just as
nearly as you can, till l come back
You know what that means. Be
good to little JEANNE, and to your
mother. Jim. you know l call
her dearest,-that's what she
means to me. You'll remember
won't you?
"As for writing to me, Jimmie
down at the Office they are to send
me a weekly report, and l will be
glad if you can be business like
and do the same way.
And jim, if things ever start
! going wrong, you know your moth
er is your best friend. want you
to remember that. Sometimes
some of the older fellows may start
telling you a lot of dirty stories
trying to make you think that is
the way men do and talk, but DOM
believe them. I'm man. Jim, and
I'm telling you straight, that all
real men are too busy getting down
to work and trying to make some
thing of themselves to listen to any
filthy stuff like that. Why Jim, il
had, | couldn't come home and
look your mother in the face. anG
| son, that is the best part of the
day to me.
"Tll tell you what l think yol
want to do, jim. You better plaI
| to make this a kind of a council
chair where you can talk things
! over. perhaps sometimes with Jean
but sometimes just you two. When
I'm down there in camp, I'll like
to think of you being here that
way, and son. you won't disappoint
me. will your"
The little blue and yellow flame
which Jimmie was watching SO in
tently sputtered and f1ickered
and darted in and out of its hiding
| place like wild little sportive elf
but in spite of all it's antics, Jim
mics eyes were very big and so
Der as he nodded his head in an
swere to his fathers question.
They were silent for moment
| and then his father continued, ats
hard enough to go, anyhow, Jim
! If America weren't republic
where every red bloOded man must
| take his place, l wouldn't think OF
! it. But as it is, our country gives
us everything we have, even the
! right and chance to have this home
of ours. 1t was under the laws Of
this country that your mother and
| | were married, and it is because
of the laws of this country that
! you were born free 20 live your life
as you want to make ito work