The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-04-05

AN my boA future secure
aoW can no longer have thar conso.
iAlon. Where once my work was a
guy ana pleasure, because there
n was something TO spur me on, II IL
now practically tasteless and dat
I ana al times black despair settles
! doWn uoon me, and l am unable TO
/ Sc what life holds for ME in the fp-
4 lufe. am unable to see any use in
going on.
II was on New Years day of 1915
that the news came TO as of Johns
seath al the front. | was lying In
nel resting for my performance In
the theater that afternoon. when au
al once | heard a message had ar
rived Tor me from the battle front I
was stunned for a moment and then
nay mead began to swim because of
.ne aWfal fear that clutched AT INV
heart
No, no, no." cried 10 myself
proping myself up in bed. God could
NOT De so cruel He simply couldn't
take my boy"
But when ! saw my wife's face
SheW 'She was standing in the
doorway, her agony reflected in her
eyes holding out the telegram 10 mo
somehow. she crossed 10 my bed
and sobbing her heart out "a she
gave me the printed message. She
rested her head. against mine and
cried out her woe and her pain |
Whlie with eyes blinded with tears
and q heart suddenly struck numb /
! read the fateful telegram which in. l
FORMED US that Captain John Lauder
OF the Argyll and Sutherland High. /
iahders bad been killed in action on /
Nhat are we going to do now? 4
cried to my wife. after a moment. /
What are we going TO do nowg
WHAT'S THE USE?
FOR days | burned my brain with
slckening, despairing Thoughts. and
asked OF what use indeed were an
my Iabors. all my toll during an
Lhese years. AT times the raging ne.
ohy az the realization OF my los3
vas almost too much. At times, too.
Auflng those first days. almost \
llestl Liza ii2stiaa4u
AIKEN my son, there had been com
ort and peace In store for me and
lad not known 1t. And that comfort
md peace lay in my belief in God,
md a future life beyond this earth
y sphere.
While the pain and grief had been
olinding my eyes. God had been wait
ng patiently for the first sharp aE-
Dny TO pass away and when 1t did He
gently lifted the veil from my eyes
and showed me the promised land be
yond. | mean that suddenly | real
ized that ! had not seen the last OF
John. and that we were sure TO meet
in another world
Oh. that | could convey TO you the 4
healing balm that that thought was
to my soul. would that | could pic +.
ture TO you the joy of the thought .
that | was to see my John again at .
some future date. just as If he had /.
simply gone on a long Journey, and
was waiting for his mother and me
To come to him. And | brought his
image before me. and imagined him
holding out his arms 10 his mother
and myself 10 fold us 10 his loving
embrace, and in the JOY created by
that nicture | was able 10 assauge
some of my pain and distress and re-
turn to an almost normal state OF
mind.
And that Is what every father and
mother who loses son must do
have strong. unbreakable faith In the
future life, in the world beyond
where YOU will see your son once
again. DO not give away to griei as
did. Instead keep your gaze ana
vour faith firmly fixed on the worid
beyond. and regard your boys ao-
sence as though he were but on a
long tourney. BY keeping your taith
YOU will help 10 win this war. FoF
~ YOU lose il. the war and your own
personal self--are lost
BEING CHEERFUL
And nov ! 20 on, doing NV day
work as best | can because ] know
that I must 90 ON, that ] cannot STOP
untiItmy God calls me 10 come 10 my
how. And | try to be- cheerful, too
hut when your heart ana your
thoughts are with those bows IN
France. and specially on lonely
grave in No Mans Land where lies
John Lauder. killed in action one
winter day while storming tho
trenches Of the Hun, II Is hard 10 be
cheerful.
n is 80 hard. indeed. that I thank
my God daily that I have two com
forts always with me And those
comforts are God and my wife.
Nv God. of course. has Away
been with me. and has helped me In
my hour OF trial. and 80 has my won
derful wife Md although have
appreciated. her qualities and Away
been happy with her, | do not know
= what would become Of me II dc
not have her now as my companion
J as my consolation in the dark hour
, of the night. when sometimes ! Jus
, can't help but despair at the though
J.. Of ms John But with God and m,
wife TO help me. know ] shall some
how overcome the deadly effects o
/ the great blow And without them
p know | would have been lost In thos