The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-09-19
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The Spirit Of The BOYS.

| We may wonder somtimes how our
soldier boys feel, as they face the hard
ships of Army life. Do they shrink
from it. or do they meet their duties in
a perfunctory manner?
Of one thing we may be sure and that
is, they are not asking for our sympathy,
they do not want our pity, but they do
want and they have right to our CO.
operation and support. If any one is
not willing to hold up the hands of our
soldiers and in every way possible, they
deserve the contempt of every loyal
citizen. We have as good an army as
was eyer mustered in battle array. They
are well clothed, we'll fed, we'll paid and
as carefully nourished body of men as
may be found. They are full of spirit,
| cheerfulness, and have the pep. Yet
with all, they are contented, determin-
ed and winning army. 1t is wonder
| full what has been developed out of our
boys, Perhaps we didn't think there
was much outcome to them. We knew
they could play good game of ball,
some of them were good athletes and
fairly good at their books but we little
| dreamed there was so much heroisim
| hidden under their vests. But they
have developed into real men heroes.
They haye stood a severe physical test,
and that insures physical prowess.
h., - i
trenches and flooded dugouts, all the
| discomforts of forced marches of the
| inconvenience arising from enemies
| fire are cheerfullY born, for they know
| that these are the concomitants of a
soldiers life, but with it all they are
contented and happy. You couldn't
| persuade them to come back to the old
haunts, for duty demands their pres
! ence at the front. Duty, did | say
| Yes, but it is their pleasure. their choice.
Patriotism, that s the fire that glows on
their hearts altar. They elect to be at
| the front. We pat them on the shoulder
and give them our blessing though it
rends our heart strings to give them up
Brave boys! Noble men. We are proud
of them, for they lay themselves on the
altar of their country ready to die for
| liberty, right, democracy.
SO tired that they can scarcely drag
one foot after another, covered with
mud from head to foot. hmping and
sore from their confined positions in
trenches too narrow for them to lie
down and rest their legs vet not a muir
muir against any one. Dlsheartened!
not bit of it; discouraged that is not
in his vocabulary; beaten in spirit! why
his spirit seems to rise higher with new
hardships and difficulties. What of
their leasure! How does Sammy, the
dear boy, spend his time? Some of
them are examining the seams of his
| clothing for those wretched pests that
make life miserable for them; others
are reading or writing letters, or enjoy
ing the victrola or gramophone, still
others are Frightening their tunics;
some are absorbed in books. Yes, the
| boys like to read. Even better than at
home books, magazines, papers, are
eagerly devoured. By the way, is it
too much trouble for you, my reader.
when you have finished your weekly
religious paper, to put stamp on it
and hurry it on to the ranks? One
chaplain, an EngIishman, tells how the
| boys IN their eagerness for something
to read, when told to use his library,
literally carried it off, and left him only
the few shelves on which they were.
| They do not have enough books to salts
fly them. But they want readable
books, worthy books, books that man
can live and die on. Wouldn't it be a
good plan for the churches to have a
book Sunday, when they would con-
tribute books for the boys at the front. |
| offer this suggestion. What do you
think of it? Shall we try it? Each
church can do this in its own way.
| wonder if we at home are coming
up to the full measure of our RESPONSE
bility. Are we doing all we can by
way of sacrifice? do not believe we
are.
An Englishman, Scotsman and
Irishman were talking together. The
Englishman said if he were not an
Englishman he would be Scotchman.
The Scotchman said. if he were not
Scotchman he would be an Englishman.
The freshman was silent, when one of