The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 man whom I first knew as a clerk ir Webbs book store, and later in the book department of Loveman, Joseph & Loeb, and later in the second hand book business for himself in the city hall building.
 l Now I take him as a type of many l of our young men. who gave up their ! jobs, and quietly met the call of-theis country and went abroad and fought and were wounded and came home without any flare of trumpets to take up their life's work.
 I do not know how you who read this feel about it, but to me the young man who saw service and returns without fuss or feathers to pick lip as best he can the broken threads of his life, is playing the hero just as much as when he faced the enemy in the front line trenches.
 I am daily meeting such men, in the professions. in the stores, in the shops. and as far as I can judge they have been improved by their war experi- ences in camp or on battle fields. In the first place they radiate a physical that our American army was made up of the flower of the land.
 Then many of those who went away as immature youths, have returned as seasoned men ready to face the prob lems of peace, with the same courage and determination with which they put on the uniform to go out and do or die for home and native land. The bap- tism of fire put iron into their nerves, and the willingness to sacrifice their lives makes them unconsciously exhaIe spiritual aroma
 
 Now, am sure that am not mis- taker when I go further and say that the discipline and exigences of soldier life has put moral stamina into their resolves and acts, and that the big majority of them when put to the acid test when their characters are tried will mint pure gold. They give one the idea of being religious without degenerating into hypocritical prigs.
 I see them return home and for month or two they wear proudly, as and then without notice they quietly lay them aside and put on their civil ian clothes, and the act means more than change-Uf dress for it is an out ward symbol that they have finally turned their back on the hardships or glamor of war, and are facing bravely the business of making a living.
 I have friend who when he TO- turned after months of grilling phys ical work, heart-breaking battlefield experiences, nerve-racking waits in camp or dugout, confessed that all he wanted to do was just to rest and get away from all noise and strife, and try and regain his soul He seemed to be in a state of physical, mental and moral coma. Then one day I met him in his "cits' with a smile on his face, a note book in his hand, at his job as a travelling salesman.
 Yes, our boys are finding themselyes once more after their great adventure and the rude shock of war, and are adapting themselves to peace condi- tions and going about their home and business affairs as if no Interruption had ever taken place. This is the best test of our American adaptiblity and of our American democracy Our men are able to stand on their own bot toms without having to be propped up.
 No. I have not forgotten my young friend Herbert Vaughan. As modest as a girl. yet as brave as lion, he faced death in the Argonne forest, where the lives of so many of our precious boys were sacrificed on the altar of German ambition. It was a veritable shambles, but so long as men love to dwell on heroic deeds it will live, as a tribute to the courage of the Ameri- can soldier.
 Herbert escaped with his life, bu. received three wounds, and now Uncle Sam with justice and generosity is going to give him a chance at school, and so he goes to the Mississippi Az, ricultural college at government ex- pense for a year, and under good be- havior it will be prolonged to four years. Knowing my man, know that he will be there for the full period of years.
 asked him what he expected to make of himself, and was told that ne was turning his back on the book busi- ness and was going to make a scien- tific study of agriculture, and that the aim he had in view was to fit himself for a place in one of the state experi- ment stations. Here is hoping that Herbert is boing to make good and that he will one day be recognized as an authority in his chosen field of en- deavor
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