The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-03-12
GAVE SIX SONS on
TIE ALTAR or PATRIOTlSA
Brave Mother OF Heroes Comes te
United States to Kiss the Flag at
Dead Sons Request.

solemn unepS III WodidH , nature 4ocS
thaj .e.oi,te patriotism that trans
c.r,;is even mother love?
What is it that sustalns ner when
her sons are brought Dacl< upon their
shields: that defes all sorrow, so that
the nation may he preserved al '''len
keEt free?
Mrs. Emma wilkins. 4S in years,
tut age-old in grief, has it in supreme
measure.
She has lost six sons, a husband,
brother and four other relatives in
war
A sacred mission brought Mrs.
Wilkins here from her Canadian home
the fulfllment Of promise to one
OF her dead sons. And she has re-
manned to be an inspiration to Amer
lean womanhood socn to know the
personal griefs of war.
Hear her story:
"My three oldest sons" she said,
had been in English territory regi-
ments, as boy recruits. They crossed
from Montreal with the second Cana
dian contingent. I saw them at the
pier there the last time On earth.
William and George, the two old
est, were killed at Mons, and their
step brothers with them The third
son, Edward. my brother, anu
brother-in-law Lieut.. King, fell at
the battle of Ypres.
"The instant my three youngest
sens, Arthur, Albert and Edward,
heard of the death of their brothers
they came to me, standing very
straight, and the Oldest said:
Mother, it is time we were go
ing. Will you come along and help
us through
Il packed up for the journey and
we sailed for England, Our old home
There the boys said farewell and
was left alone
Going to visit relatives, I found
my sister branded a raving lunatic by
the war. 1t was her husband, Lieut.
King, who had fallen with my older
boys.
while I was in Kent was strucl,
by flying fragment during a Zeppe-
lin raid and so severely wounded that
an operation was necessary.
''Then I fastened to Devonport,
1hich was filled with the wives, moth
ers, and sweethearts Of British men
at sea, and there waited vainly for
some word of my three remaining
boys.
Words are not vivid enough to
picture the terror I witnessed here
as the news of the battle of Jutlan1
reached Devonport. Streets around
the admiralty Office were jammed
with weeping, shouting women clam
oring for news of their loyed ones
throughout the night.
Children, lost and. crying, STUN
bled about the streets with no one
but the tired police paying any atten-
ticn to the tots.
"And when the news came in that
$4,000 British sailors had been lost,
saw, at least 20 women go mad.
"My three boys were killed in that
action-my three youngest, my merry
sailor lads.
81 went to France to see the place
where thev sleep. oh, that vast field
of the dead in France, where the brave
lads lie in immortal glory! A field CT
sadness. yes. But field, too, of splen-
dor and hope undyine. The price
they paid that peace and joy and
freedom shall not be trampled under
the british boot!
"T have eiven my all to my country.
NV husband fell at Modder river in
the South African war when our
youngest son was but year OLD
"And now 7 have come to America
to fulfill a sacred rite
She paused moment to compose
herself.
There was a girl who had come