The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-04-05

The KILLING or HIS ONLY
SON IN 5ATTLE-THE LIGskv
+ WENT OUT BUT A NEW on
ArPEARED-A MESSAGE &c
AMERICAN PARENTS WHO
HAVE BOYS IN FRANCE.
For years Harry Lauder has been
going up and down the world sing.
ing his marvellous songs and spin
nlng yarns that made US forget our
troubles. Into the life of this re-
mar6able man there has come ter
rlble eXperience-the loss of hFs only
son in the great war We thought
that you would like Harry Lauder,
himself to tell you the story of what
ne has been through, what the war
means to him-and how he is facing
the future. Here ii is--nakedly pa
tetie' yet curiously inspiring. His
story Is an unforgettable human doc.
Fumert
By HARRY LAUDER.
! From the state of glorious, proud
parenthood to the utter lonliness az
one without a son. have | come In
the last two years And the things /
| nave seen, and the things | have
beard and the things | have person.
ally had to bear during that period
have been almost too much for the
strength of any one man, and | firm.
ly believe that were il not for the
simple fact that during my hours of
greatest agony and trial | have clung /
to my God and to my strong faith in /
a future life, | should not have becfrt
able to survive.
Because / have been before the |
public for 2j years, | suppose that 4
people think | am an old man. But
am only AZ, At that age, a man
should feel as though he were com
ing into the fulness of his powers. /
as il, for the first time. ne was ready
10 use his experience. his brains, and
his ability to push farther on. 10
make new conquests and to form
new ambitions.
But to accomplish anything cft
worth in this world one. must have
incentive of some sort, and the reas
saa--4x-4-g4-sr -
hone for the future that was burnlhs
within my breast. 1t was for my ooy'
nv son John, that had Worhtu'
travelling thousands and thousahas
of miles around the world, playing al
most continuously with very h''ie
rest between seasons.
NV son John was more 10 me tlan- SlI
ANYTHING else in the VIDE WoIIu'
From the day he was born uhlll lne
day of his death, he was my ON
nride and my one JOY. he was al
wavs with us on our travels no ma. .,
ter where we went, and oei"eeh ths
matinees and evening performance l.s,
| would rush back from the tnealel
To the hotel room to Watch WIN ny
wife with jealous eye, tuck MN nv nv
his bed and get his good-nlen' AS MI,
nnd feel his arms around my neck.
That nightly process OF putting SVi'"
TO bed was almost sacreu e'en
JUST cHUMS.
And as he grew up, | spent my nap D.
niest moments with him. he was tIe
madously proud of my abilly "
cheer people up ana MAKE ~
laugh. and he always used TO teil ni1
I was doing a great work, ana lha'
should feel the equal OF the nlSnNy
neer in the land. And he Wouiu taiA
10 me of many things, connulhs
me as man to man, ana asking ny
advice about things which le" %sonS %
/ have the courage 10 ulscuss -
their fathers. We were moIe
two friends than like tatbeF anu ~ ~
and to have spared his me WI -
gladly have taken his place On inc
battlefield. Cam-
when he graduated from lam,
bridge he told me he wanted W -
barrister Although l kno" ne .,, oou,e
hava made a success of stage WoTh'
because he had hne, sweet W.
II was Just as glad when ne dlu h0'
In FNN
Wn;1s he was at Cambridge. my
Ito and / of course. were travelling
r,ost Of the time, and had TO conteh1
nnrsalyes with his letters. when
) oo,,e very often. And how we woulu
,a,,r over those letters, reading them
gaip ans again until either one OF
-, ,o,,Id have reeited them by heart
Ars AT night we would talk OF MN
ara vbat ne was doing. and OF now
! he was to be our comfort IN our o'"
age. F.. ,,. had
l ,,ine5 us for a few weeks in Aus
! traua in the summer Of 1914. the hFe
? that il burning in the world orokt
4 loose. ard he left US TO help quench
5 tho flames. He had been in training
for some time in the reserve forces
and so the English war office cabiea
: him 20 our address in Australia
!, There were Just two words in ms
q = message. and they were: Mobilize
n turn"
u And the next day he bade Us fare
: veil and sailed for England. 10 r.
tt-5rn 10 Us for only two short visit
n before Cod called upon him 10 civ
= his life for his country. And 50 n
II is gone, gone from our side forever
!. a. far As this life Is concerned.
" "EMPTY AND VOID"
II Where once my life was filled IN
! ,-.,,,v,sd .nd made tovouF by ID