The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-05
Members OF 10th T. S. B. Know
What This Means.
They Were Met by Large Crowd
When Train Came In.
MANY TOUCHING INCIDENTS
Mother Didn't Care About Hat
Being on Crooked.
Father "COrnered" Son and
Forgot About World.

The 10th field signal battalion
| came in ut o'clock this morning. di-
rect from Newport News. Its mem
! bers covered themselves with glory
| overseas and when they reached To-
peka they were covered all over
| again, but this time with the kisses of
mothers, fathers, yes, dad did it, too,
| sisters and sweethearts-
Mothers hats were pushed over on
| one ear but no one seemed to mind.
| What was the use of bothePing about
little thing like that. 1t isn't every
l day in the week one greets a returned
! soldier son. not many tears were
| she'd Everyone was too glad for that
altho several little mothers. I'M
ashamed, began fumbling blindly
around in their pockets for their
handkerchiefs
! big bronzed radio man was ques-
| toned by bystander Is to the where
abouts of all the tears and what the
| papers were going to do without a
| few sobs. He replied with one of
those grins, a la ear to ear style.
| whats the use, we're home, get that,
never going to be from there any
! more. I'm going to be right there
tending to my knitting" and he re-
sumed a conversation with a good
looking girl at his right and better
| locking one at his left.
| NOHhCES SoHs
| Off in a corner of the depot sat a
| little grey haired man with his son at
his side. The two were deaf to every
| thing that happened. The old father
sat holding and patting the boys hand
as he must have when the big fellow
was little shaver and afraid of the
| dark.
Outside stood a little group. happy
| yet sad, for the man wore a band OF
| crepe on his arm. Near them stood
a happy father with a sack of oranges
tucked Under his arm. The sack had
| broken and he was holding it together.
All the while he beInoaned the fact
| that he had left four pounds of sailed
| peanuts at home in the excitement of
getting ready on time. There was a
mother who had been there all night
and could not find her boy. She stood
| back with a heavy heart and trembling
| lips, trying to keep the tears back
When she had almost given up her
search she Spied him, coming toward
her his eyes on his coffee cup. The
pavement on that spot was right then
and there treated to a cup of Red
Cross coffee.
One boy kissed his mother on first
one cheek and then on the other. kissed
his aunt and started all over AGAR
Il on his mother. At one place a mother
was strpking her boys hair and sob.
bling all over and over again, "Oh
i Bert, l never thought you'd be back!'
Behind them stood the wife with shin
I ing eyes waiting unselfishly for the
mother to have first place, but wher
the man saw her. it made one turr
his head away and begin search fol
the faithful handkerchief
Relatives in Cars.
The relatives were permitted to visit
the boys in the cars. A whole family
gathered around big brother, wht
showed them how his gas mask work
ed and told of the time he had to use
it real quick, showing them how il
slipped on.
Photo shops should reap a harvest
at the rate pictures were taken. Tir
Lizzies were worn over curly heads
and gas masks rubbed Djer-Kiss off q
lot of pink cheeks while the cameras
were busy. =
The funniest thing of all was g
mother. baby and a radio man. The
father who held the little one, didn't
quite seem to understand what part
of baby's anatomy one should hole
to. The baby not caring for such
awkward handling raised his voice t.
the blue skies of Kansas in protest
The young father who had faced bull
lets. rain. mud. the boche and coolies
handed over the baby-one job toe
big for radio man to handle