Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1920-09-10
WHAT SOME SOLDIERS SAY.

To the Editor of New York Times:
Three years ago spent the Sum-
mer in the "Heart of the Blue
Ridge" 1t is in one of those few
counties in North Carolina by in
heritance and principle consistently
Republican; where the portraits Of
Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roo
sevelt hang upon the walls of more
than half of the homes of an honest,
Woodworking and patriotic people.
Early in the Summer of that year
| stood by the railway station and
watched n company of these noun
taineers entrain for the World War.
| had no personal acquaintance with
any of these young men responding
to the first call of their country:
with the villagers l marched to the
station TO pay my respects to Amer
lean manhood. No man asked if they
were Republicans or Democrats; they
were Americans.
On that occasion to which / have
referred my attention was attracted
to one of these soldiers, q private in
the ranks. While waiting for the
train he stood little apart from his
comrades, holding in his arms babe
of perhaps twelve months. Close by
his side plainly clad young matron
pressed near, her white face turned
up to his. The coming train whistled
in the distance and as her arms
slipped around his neck | heard her
smothered sob:
why do you leave us, Jim
With Il tender look he held the
babe at arms length, and as the
child, unmindful of what was hap
peninf, smiled down to him he plac-
ed him in his mothers arms.
Martha" said he, the intensity of
his purpose stccling the little wo-
mans nerves to meet her ordeal,
"we-you and I-arc making this
sacrifice that he may not make it
later"
When he had gone inquired who
the soldier was; and during these
three years the memory of that scene
has been very clear. Not until n few
days ago, when returned, did
know whether Jim had come back
or whether he slept under the poppies
in France. But Jim is home. have
Just returned from visit to him.
deep back in the mountains and over
rough roads; but wanted to ex-
press my gratitude for the sacrifice
which | was not permitted to make.
While fighting on the fields of
France that his son might not have
TO fight. the world had gone dark to
him; he had given the sight of both
eyes. found him in front of his
humble cottage seated under n
spreading sugar maple weaving n
new seat into an old chain IAN in.
dustry to which he has turned to
supplement the income from a small
orchard and corn patches, tended by
the wife who had shared his sacri-
hce). Like all mountaincers, he re-
ccivcd me cordially.
But Jm's heart is breaking. II ia
breaking oveg the ingratitude of men
of whom hc' expected other things.
At his invitation I followed as he
was led by the hand of his little son.
On the plain board walls of the room
we entered there was group of
Autographed faces the centre of
which was Woodrow Wilson. The
others, showing the yellow of more
years, were Abraham Lincoln. Will
liam Mckinley, William Howard
Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. He OK
planned that they had recently been
re-grouped. This is what Jim and the
wife who shared his sacrifice asked:
why did the Senate trifle with |
us? Why did the Chicago Conven-
ton betray us? Why does Harding
throw back in our faces the sacrifice
we made?"
| wish Senator Lodge, who. be-
cause of a personal hate to the man
Wilson, led the fight in the Senate
that betrayed these boys. their wives
and sons, had been there; that Root,
who at the dictation of Hiram John
son wrote that two-faced League
plank in the Republican platform
to fool them, could have been with
me. wish Lodge, Smoot, Watson.
Crane. Hemingway and George Har-
vey-I say I wish this group of
bosses, the immortal half dozen"
who by the grace of big Boss Pen
rose. in Colonel Harvey's room in the
Blackstone Hotel, dictated the Re-
publican candidate, could have been
with me ut the humble home of Jim
that day. wish Senator Harding
could have been there.
c. L. d. CHILDS.