The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-11
FROM FATHER TO son.

Note: The following is a letter writ
ten by a United States cavalry captain
10 his son, born after the father went
overseas with the American expedition.
airy force:
Somewhere in France Dec. 81, 1911
My Own Dear Son: Welcome my boy
into a grand and glorious Old world,
You will find It, so they say, just exactly
what you yourself make it. My opinion
is that II is not so much what YOU
make it, but how you take it. You have
entered this old planet of ours at a time
which the politicians speak Of as "a
time of great stress" Undoubtedly it
is the most momentous period ever
known to man-but who knows? You
might see worse. God forbid!
We have come over here to fight for
peace. We have come in order that your
mother and your wife and your children
may never have to suffer what the
mothers and wives and children OF Bel
gium have had to suffer since Germany
stalked abroad. You must know that it
is momentous time when a father can
not be present at the birth Of his own
son, nor even know of his birth until
six days after its occurrence.
And nov, my boy, comes the question
of what you are going to do with this
life which has been thrust upon you?
Are you going through it with only
regrets, or are you going to be happier
every day for having a berth in this
glorious Old ship?
@, b t..lt
have helped me, and all my life I'll try
10 make you see the benefits Of them
The first thing / call to mind which
has stuck with me and after which
tried TO improve my way Of living was
a little book my mother gave me called
carrying Message to Garcia Get 1t
and read 1t. And remember, the best
excuse in the world is not half as valua.
hle as a result When you are told to
do q thing, DO it and don't tell some
one else why you couldn't.
The next thing that stuck in my head
was talk a yearlng gave me at a
Y NJ. G. a. meeting when l was a plebe
at West Point I'VE have faith, hope
and charity, these three but the great
est of these is the sense Of humor
You can use that to advantage when
Old Man Hard Luck hits you.
Then two lines Of a poem ] read
have always remained with me; Like
mother. like SON. is a saying true the
world will be sure to judge mother
by you" And woe be unto you my
boy, II ever you bring discredit on
your mothers name. ! can forgive you
most everything else.
And the last passage ! want to speak
10 you of is the last line of a poem
at isn't the fact that you're dead that
counts, but only, how did you die?"
Remember that one soul more or less,
is not a great deal in this world hut
live like a man, fight like a man and
die like a man.
can't say that my life has been eX.
actly as I have wanted it; very few
lives are; but we all think III I could
live my life over again, how differently
I would do things" with you, | will
be living my life over again. There
will be new snags that ] never saw,
but l can recognize the old ones. We
will grow up together my boy, and
my ambition is for you to be a good
clean man. with the mother that you
have, there is no reason why you should
not be one Of the greatest men in the
country. Put your trust in her and
Cod and let's live together, old fellow,
and be glad we are alive.
The year 1918 has just arrived. May
its end see me with you, and all three
of us happy. God bless, my boy, and
take care Of your mother until ! get
back, then take care of US both Your
very happy and living old DAD.