Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-20
LIFE HERE SUCH
A FEEBLE THING"
"Onc Cannot Help Knowing it is a
Gift Entirely in Gods Hands,"
Writes Soldier From Trenches
to Mother.

Edwin Austin Abbey, I'd. Gentleman
| Unafraid, brave soldier, is dead IN France
thex many DAYS but his letters. published
in Che Atlantic Monthly letters tn hia
mother and father, the latter. W B
Abbey, a lawyer Of a23 Chestnut sreet.
Philadelphia will live. Seldom, If ever.
have mIssives To parents been written
under similar circumstances: seldom have
letters been so filled with al that is best
III man: all that reveals the spiritual side
OF humanity So simply. SO eloquently
The very best OF these letters is one writ
ten April 6, 1917 and found in the youth $
mess bag after his death. four DAYS later
In this letter, addressed to both parents.
the writer SAYS:
Dearest Mo,het and Father.
We arc going up to an attack IN short
time and am going to leave this note r.
he sent to YOU in case. by Gods will this
Is 10 be my final work | have made my
communion and 90 with light heart and
determination 10 do all that possibly can
TO help in this fight against evil. for Cod
and humanity. | do not think of death
or expect It. but am not afraid Of II
and viii give my life gladly If il is asked
II Is my greatest comfort that know that
YOU. too. will gladly give all that is asked
and live on happily doing All that can be
done. grateful 10 God for his acceptance
ot our sacrifice Today the news came
to us here that the | nitcd States had
lmncd the Allies. So ! 60 with tho happy
CONSCIOUSNESS that | am and YOU arc
fighting for our dear flag. as thousands nf
Amencans have before MS in the cause Of
liberty II MAY br comfort for vou 10
know that I have great companv Of
comrades. mon and officers all filed
with determination and chceful courage
NY dearest love to s and IT
and their dear children Ny heart is full
Of gratitude for having such love as thcv
have given me Nv dearest love 20 all
my friends All who have loved me and
whom ! love
Now. dearest mother and dearest father.
will say good-hve for = time You have
gwen me my faith which makes this So
and inspiration OF courage and unsrlfsh-
ness All my love, and God bless YOU both
Your Son
Mr. tbbcy was in Canada working on
an engineering contract when tho spirit
Of AmcricaniSm asserted itself and he
volunteered for the Canadian engineers
corps On October , 1918. he wrote
home in triumph he had bccn accepted
On March - 1916 hr woS in tho twisting
winding tren,hcs From those dugoutS
he wrote.
\ soldier must live from day u dov.
with no thought of the future juSt
StcadfaSt purpose Of carving ont orders
and being stronger and StcAdier then he
naturally is: and faith and trust in Gods
purpose make il possible fnr me Do
You not think that the war j. making pcoplo
loss selfish in the world and ia the nIted
States Surely il must when IN SO
many places people are sacrificing their
dear ones and their money for cause
Even II 1t seems 10 some more a question
II honor and family or national tradition.
han Justice or freedom
! often think of fhc rank and file nf The
German army, and even the junior officers
They are suffering untold hardShiDS. and
showing magnificent bravery in the face
Of heav1 odds - much, or perhaps
more. than the soldier, of the Allies
Although one must be here to realize
that men have riScn 10 q height of courage
and endurance in this war that people
living in modern civilization never dream
ed Of Surely, some gam must come from
this tremendous effort and conquest OF
self. and Germany must not be entirely a
loser. when her sons. even Il forced have
paid such price hope for 2 Europe Of
republics and personal freedom as the only
adequate result OF course we strain
against national chara cteristicS OF nature
that makes submarines aud Ieppellns
possible Such things are the result
II seems 10 me, Of forced acqtHeScence IN
tyranny and wrong government. and time
must wear IL down The races viii never
be able to understand each other. but you
have heard the cries for reprlsal. much more
horrible than the deed if carried out and
We know our South the dealings with the
Negro there Freedom. and then the
conquerng Of self are the great hopes
that the war holds out. and lis more than
worth that
Writing to his rnother fcw days lat
cr. Mr. Abbey says:
We never know when We will be called
on As the spring advances there are indi-
cat ions OF a new activity 20 you can pray
and rest in the strength Of YOUR prayers
could easily write you without letting /
YOU know that here was danger. hut ! |
know YOU are brave and strong can feel T
ii and YOU arc always near me so tell /
YOU special things in order that YOU can i
prav specially and give thanks specially
SO the one great thing | need Is courage F
and sclf-control IN danger Not only for /
mvsef. but for others There IS nothing !
which 50 encourages and gives heart 10 +
the weak as the strength and coolness OF I
others, and there arc many boys here.
16. Il, Is. fuIl nf bravery but too Young
for a mans steadiness Pray for them T
too
a few days later he was wounded in
the shoulder by shrapne bullet In I
this to his mother. he mini /
uizcs the injury evidently his sole /
thought Is not TO worry his parents I
Christmas Day. 1915. brought thought Of /
home, which lie sent to his parents
To-day is my second Christmas away +
from home III my rwenty-eght years +
What jov It will bt if God grants us one +
together again after this long separation |
| am going 10 start by telling you where J .
am Picture little French village, with
one long. narrow cobbled street A one I
end the street leaves the village and +
crosses over a deep railway cut and then /
v anders away through The rolling coun- f
try. The houses are low. one-storlcd +
affairs Of stone or white plaster and tile +
roofs, and are lined right along the |
street There are several larger houses. /
with courtvards IN front with high walls
Altogether IL Is a very picturesque old /
place, and less than four miles from that +
famous streak of mud which separates the I
Allies and Germans
Sunday afternoon, We went and had .
bath, which was a great luxury, and then I
Al SIX the captain took the whole company
to an evening service in an old factory
which had been fixed up - 4 cinema hell I