Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-18
JOTTINGS FROM
MY NOTEBOOK
By RALPH NJ. MORPHETT
REYONR,

BEfUNBs
Never a word is said
But it trembles in the air.
And the truant voice has sped
To yibrate everywhere;
And perhaps far off in eternal years
The echo may ring upon our ears.
Never are kind acts done
To wipe the weeping eyes,
But, like flashes from the sun,
They signal to the skies;
And, I'D above, the angels read
How we have helped the sorer need
! Never a day szgfven,
But it tones the after years,
| And carries up to heaven
! Its sunshine or its tears;
While the tomorrow's stand and
wait,
The silent mutes by the outer gate.
There is no end to the sky,
| And the stars are everywhere,
And time is eternity,
And the here is over there;
For the common deeds of the CON-
mon day
| Are ringing bells in the far away.
A Soldiers Father Receives Let
ter.
Here ID q fine, manly letter, full
| of heart and free OF cant, which I
saw the other day in an English
newspaper and would like to pass
nv, +o nv readers
Thousands Of Americas young
men are now entering upon the
stern realities Of army life, and
thousands Of fathers are bidding
them goodbye with choking
throats. 1t may help a bit to read
/ this clean, suong-sOuled youth S
/ lass words. He was killed in &C
ton shortly after inditing them
! The business OF being father is
quite the most complex and difficult
of all the tasks that come to men,
and to get such a letter as this must
be to any father a sweet reward:
ITO My Father: This is a final
message for you to read when |
am dead. There will be so little
else-just the brief official notifica-
ton, The secretary of state for
war regrets; maybe a belated
| letter or two, speaking only Of the
small happenings of the day; per7
haps the tale of a brother officer as
to how I fell; beyond that, nothing.
And therefore now, beforehand, |
say farewell
There is no need of many words.
But l want first to thank you as
your son. You have been to me the
| best father a fellow could wish. 1
want to thank you for the gift Of a
clean and strong and vigorous and
healthy body, straight limbs and
/ thews that could serve England at
her need. For the gift Of a power
| full intellect and a discerning mind
thank you. For the long years OF
| seIf-deniaI that made my education
possible; for the guidance and
| teaching that kept me straight IN
/ the days Of youth; for the counsel
and help ever freely prOfered when
l made request; for all noble things
in your exampIe-dgain and most
| earnestly. thank you
Secondly. as to my death. has
much as we be men together, there
is little need for words. 1t is in a
good cause that I lay down my life.
All the things that l hold dear in
lie I willingly give up since it is
zyequired of me. 7 am proud and
glad to be one of those whom Eng
{ land takes. who in their bodies pay
! the price of her honor. And though
in your heart there will be sorrow,
you will also be proud; and you
/ will not grieve OvermuCh.
"AIl good things be unto you!
May the coming years bring wider
fields of service, honor and honor
able work. strength and wisdom to
/ perform it; and in the end peace,
and contentnent, and quiet rest!
I Your son. a soldier of England, sa-
I lutes you. Farewell"