Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-07
A WORD OF CHEER
A Sensible Letter From a
Mother to Her Soldier Son

| MY dear boy.
In war there is nothing more i'm
| lortant than the right kind CT conf.
| dence.
One of the tricks of the enemy is to
| get at you in such a way as to break
| your confidence.
Don't let him do that to YOU.
All the German propaganda has had
| this object in view
| Refuse to entertain such thoughts
| Just as you would refuse the tempta-
| ton to commit a crime.
The enemy wants you to feel hope
| less and full of forebodings, and when
| ever you feel that way you may be
sure you are playing into his hands
and you can know that you cannot be
fooled by that kind of strategy no. by
any other kind
| The only hopeless side of this war
| is the German side. Don't forget that
| fact.
Look at the history CT the United
| States Our forefathers had few re-
| sources, and only a small army, but
| they had Principle TO maintain them
They had to oppose / foolish and
! tyrannical king, and although his con
! duct was repugnaut to the best ele-
ment among his own subjects, he had
an army and great resources.
| Outward things were discoura ing
| to The American patriots. but heir
| confidence remained unshaker They
| felt that Truth and right in ma ions as
| in men are allied to God and partake
| of His invincibility. To maintain a
/, confidence SO founded makes nations
| invincible
This is the spirit Of our country and
| of the allied cause. 1t has always
| triumphed in the long run and will
| triumph now.
Confidence is really what the French
call the morale of the army. The
enemy. and especially the German
government, by ali the treacherous
| means it can muster tried to get you
| to think contrary to that spirit.
! There Is a calmness, and yet q
| swing, to democracy the world over
! II makes one think of the Bible where
| God says Of man: Let them have
| dominion" Don't let go of it, The
! Bible also says: IN quietness and in
| confidence shall be your strength
| You find it with the English French
Italian and other allied nations, where
| freedom is the habit of thought, This
calm energy is founded upon Principle
| and for that reason 1t sustained our
allies through the trying years while
we were waking up and getting ready
| to help.
You are allied with the soldiers and
| sSilors of the greatest and best ma
| tlDftS on edEtl, anu iHt9, lpBet 81 Will
our own, are the greatest and best sol
diers and sailors on earth. Think
what that means.
| Besides that the whole vast power
and resources of our. own government
are back of you every minute. i1yery
man, woman and child is personally
| interested in you. Your family con-
sists of hundred million people and
| they are all ready to make any sacri-
! flee for your sake and for the sake Of
| the country and the cause that you
| stand for. Their every thought is 8
prayer for you, and because that
selfishness II reaches God and is an
swered.
For the same reason your own
thought ana actions should be guard
ed If everything that you do, even
| the smallest task that duty or discip-
| line requires, is done with the thought
and endeavors to make it perfect and
at the same time spontaneous and
| energetic, you are praying, because you
are refectng the divine Principle
| God. whose nature is perfection.
This helps you to continue with Gcd
| because God Is thus seen to be ever
| present, and surely the presence OF
, God is safety. Mortal man can never
rise from the temporal debris of error
| belief in sin, sickness, and death, un-
| til he learns that God II the only
| Life" (Ibid. D. 2S9)
Then as God Is the only Life" God
| is your life, and you are safe in the
| very face OF dan~e-
You are to know this, and we are tc
know it. AMI in the strength and
security Of that knowing you are tc
return triumphant and in great peace
/