South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-06
The O. d. Swedter

Z
making me for her biz brother.
Ned. When ] was finished. she save
me TO her brother with a big hue.
and told him 10 wear me all the
time. Since then. have been hus-
ging Mr. Ned as closely as 4 can.
20 keep him warm. You see. A
have 10 take Miss MarlOrie's place.
Alr. Ned and 1 live AT Camp Lib
crty. We are busy all day lOng, do
Ing most interesting things I was
thinking TO myself the other daF
how wonderful my life has been
As I said before. / am now a knit
ted sweater. but I have not always
been that-no indeed. When
nrst remember myself. I was par-
of a little white lamb. The lam'
lived on one OF the big farms. IN
country called Australia. There
we're thousands Of other lambs
with their mothers and father
who were called sheep. 1 lived all
over the lambs back. for you see.
was what they called his coat o.
woolly hair As ne grew bigger
and bigger, 1 grew longer and long
er. We spent happy days. roamiu-
over the big fields. Ny laml, who
was now large enough To be called
sheep, cropped the grass OF the
meadows most of the time He
used TO run and play occasionally
and we sometimes got into BRAN
y bushes; then 1 would eo,ne out
all covered with burrs anu bits ot
sticks.
one day the strangest thing hap
peued. ] thought il was dfeaduI
at first. The men who took care oil
US gathered us all into a barn.
Then more men came alons. with
great big shears. One Of them took
my sheep and began 10 cut and. be-
fore 1 knew what had happened.
he had cut me away from the sheep
and ] fell 10 the ground. like
thick coat Of fur. was afraid my
sheep would be cold without me.
but / was told he would soon have
a new coat
Then my adventures began
was carried away 20 a big building
and put into a large kettle with
soap and water, and kept there UNI
Ill all the dirt that was i'm me was
washed away L looked beautifully
white when they took me out, but
they didn't want me white. IL ap-
peared, for / was put into another
kettle and, when / came out OF
that, 1 was a. queer olive brown coll
or which, at the time, 1 thought
rather homely. They told me that
was dyed in the wool" That
meant that / was SO we'll dyed that
would never lose my color. So.
you see, when you hear people say
that a man is "A "dyed-in-the-w wool
American" they mean that he viii
never change his feelings about his
country. When i came out of the
dye, was much matted and
snarled, so 1 was put into a ma
chine which pulled me this way
and that until all the snarls came
out. They called il a "teaser."
which is a rather good name
think. After that. I was put into
another machine which pulled and
combed me. for all the world the
way Miss MarjOrie's mamma does
with her hair. / came out of that
machine in long strands. about an
"carded." Next. they put me into
the spinner which did wonderful
things with me. It pulled me out
INFO long. long strands. twisting me
at the same time. Then they ar
ranged me in large hanks and said
1 was ready for the market
did not know what that
meant, but / soon found out 7 was
brought 20 a biz city and, after
awhile. found myself with great
stack Of wool in a department
store. This wool was Of the most
beautiful colors you can imagine.
When / saw the pale pinks and
yeiloWs and green's I wished with
all my heart / had been dyed Ike
them. Ny olive brown or drab. as
they called il. seemed uglier than
ever.
one day. however, little Miss
Marjorie came 20 our counter.
loved her at once. / heard her ask
for olive drab wool for a soldiers
sweater and. when she bought me. i
knew something pleasant was in
store for me. was right. She
took me home and wound me into
large ball. IL took her some
time 20 learn how 20 manage her
needles and me at the same time.
but she grew 20 be quick at e. She
used 20 tell me. as she knitted. thar
she loved me every stitch. because
was going 20 Brother Ned who was
a soldier. I kept wondering what a
soldier was. one day 1 found out.
Mr.. Ned came home on furlough.
He had on g. uniform. just exactly
the same color I am. Little Miss
Marjorie compared rs 20 see. Then
I was glad 70 be olive drab. can
tell you. 7 heard much talk OF the
United states. and the allies. and
war, and liberty. and democracy.
and I learned that Mr.. Ned had
gone 10 night for all those fine
things. I certainly was proud the
day Miss Marjorie Rugged Mr. Ned.
gave him her o. y. sweater 90. ID.
being her abbreviation for olive
drab). and I was put on next 20 the
suit which says L. 5. A. on the coll
lar. As said. feel il is my duty
20 keep on hugging Ar. Ned. and
am doing IL 90 the best OF ms abil-
ity. down here in Camp Liberty