Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-13
r ON
The Letter He Got When He
Left His Mother For Some
where In France.

II has been something Of a grip to
your mother and me, my dear no9: these
last days, But hope we have kept ouI
feelings in our pockets. We have tried
to look Right ia the face we Wonldh I
have you do otherwise. | Would nave
hung my head In shame II my son nad
not wanted TO go when his country called.
God knows / would go with you, shoulder
to shoulder If / could.
It's going to be very hard on your
mother. She has been very. fine so far.
don't you think? But mothers have g
way that children don't know about; OF
lying awake In the darkness and talking
to the God Of their boys at sueh times.
She has And she will She is giving all,
But you have wonderful chance TO re-
pay her You are going into big thing
big war; big army: standing Tor a
big idea. But don't forget that the Big
gest thing that war can 90 ls 20 pfliis
out that man. That's really what you
and the other chaps have gone over Tor:
to demonstrate the right kind OF man
hood, for 1t is that which weighs IN q
fight and wins IT., The measure OF any
successful result Is the men VINO make
that success
You neither want nor need maxirns, !
think you inherit my distaste OF them.
There is only one thing that counts 10 TINS
penned--that Is, for q mans spirit 70 pc
all right. If that is what It should pc all
the little details Of his life viii fall into
theT proper Prep pai Sav Il t aod bur- for
came to you from your mother. Live tnat
spirit.
And as that spirit came to You from a
woman, do you play the game and show
that Won have il to other women. 1t is
the finest thing you can do with It, ana
you can't very well do less. because It Is
why your mother gave 1t to you; that you
should stand foursauare before men. And
men. in this case, means women. For
when you get Somewhere in France
you will meet women: all kinds. Some Of
one kind in particular. Many OF Ihem
viii have their men-folks at the front
They viii be alone--alone for other men
to respect and honor and show the right
consideration.
These women win make much Of you,
for an American In khaki In france IS
very welcome, and viii be made so, But
don't let that welcome for your coming to
safe their homes and honor mean an APP
preach or opening for you for anything
but the highest consideration. Don't Tor
get that when you are invited somewhere
TO hang up your hat 1t doesn't mean to
hang up your conduct also. 1ou VIII hear
that In France they have "let the bars
down" But there is no such thing any
where as letting the bars down to mans
conduct toward a woman. To be gen.
tieman in a French home Is no different
from being Q gentleman IN your mother
home. Think of every woman you meet
as member of your mothers home.
Think of every woman you meet AZ
member of your mothers sex, and treat
her 8NEDIH3UBlyt@ AI1kKtA III GVCiH SAAl J4A
meet as you would of Nell, and treat her
as you hope every chap in the camp near
us will treat her. 1t is tremendously
big "bit" that every chap who goes to
France now does. who upholds his own
honor at the same time that he upholds
the honor OF the United States when It
comes to his eonslderate treatment OF
the women of France. 1t will be the fin~
est tribute in the world to our great coun-
try IT, when our boys leave France, it
can be said OF them that they were Spar
tans of personal honor. Nothing--no re-
suits in battles-wili count for so much
men have suffered much. Let us. as men
from America. not ask them TO suffer
more.
When you are called to get into the
game get into it good and strong. There's
no fun in going through life spoon-fed:
man SOFT and a soft man is an abomina-
ton before God and men, Find your
place and hold it, find your work and do
it. And put everything you've got into it..
shoulders can carry, and then carry it
right. Set the pace for others: don't let
them set 1t for you.
Then when the hour comes for fun and
recreation, have 1t also "full up: only get
clean fun. You have the good manners
that your mother taught you. Be true
to your father, for as son acts 40 does
he reflect upon his mother and father.
And IN no relation III life can you so truly
know 9 man as In his play. See how a
man plays and you can tell every time
whether he Is q gutter or If he is stand
patter, It Is in his playtlme that man
meets with the things thss test him.
! would be mighty wary, in those play
hours, of the wines of France A man
never needs alcohol in his being, and he
never needs 1t SO little as when he lis up
against the trick" that you and your
fellows are going to "pu over" in
France, You with need every bit Of real
vitality; OF strength: of clear-eyed vision
that you can muster, and not one Of these
comes from alcohol, which. after all has
been said of it, for and against. is the
chief mantrap in the world. You will
want and have your cornwall intervals.
They viii be welcome from the tension of
camp and trench life. But convivial
times can be had without playing mis-
chief with your head and your body.
Let me say this to you, too. attend
service: IF not Invariably then vari-
ably" A lot of the fellows won't, and
YOU won't have. to IL you don't want to.
But, take 1t from an older man who has
been over all the way, you can't afford
not to CO. Get the true understanding OF
this one fact this war will in its finality,
have to be settled on one basis, and only
one; the spirit of Christ. Why? Because