The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-04-20

part that you played in the great
connict.
81 am much older than you boys
but | don't feel bit older. | was
old enough to see the Civil Wan uni
form of blue and l distinctly remem-
Der the night Lincoln was shot and
of the gloom that was cast over the
country. l remember well how my
father pranced up and down on the
kitchen floor in his stocking feet.
That thing left an impression on me
as if the whole country was on the
verge Of destruction. | was frightcn-
ed and disturbed as though volcano
had struck the farm next to ours.
81 saw what happened in the Span
ish-American War and | remember
picking up a paper in Boston and
reading the headline in large black
letters telling of Admiral Dewey's
great victory at Manila Bay. I
want to tell you that l was filled
with overwhelming pride when l knew
that a Vermonter had accomplished
! the great feat
"Then came this war and we saw
the boys taken away, some in tie or
CARNATIONS they had joined prior to
hostilities, others by enlistment in
til" branches in which they felt most
fitted and still the others in the no
less creditable way-by the sclective
draft. And when they went the best
wishes, the thoughts, the care and
oversight of those at home went with
them. All in the world we had to do
was to say we, ought to send this and
that and it was sent The women
were ready to meet twice or three
times week to help the boys and
the men responded equally as readily
with money and work. And you were
over there fighting for US. And none
of US will ever know just what you
suffered Some of you were in train
ing camps waiting anXiously to sail
Those who were over there passed
through things that we will nevec
know. And you won't ever know
how many times we wondered and
thought about you.
"Then came the armistice and you
realized that you had taken part in
the defeat of the greatest menace on
the face of the Globe-the German
Empire. Germany was whipped and
whipped badly, although she viii not
admit it. Some people say she should
not have gotten off 50 easily-that
she should have been more severely
beaten. However, she shouldn't be
allowed to get on her feet until She
repents for her crimes.
"Now you are home and we are
with you just the same. We want
to help you and help the Legion for
you possess potential influence as no
other body of men in the country has
You should exercise it right. You are
in a position to take little time TO
crystalize because whatever the
American Legion stands for will be
the law of the land.
zone of the best things you boys
/ can do is to get married. Have a
/ frcsidc Of your own. Don't wait IN
/ til you can furnish Is room house,
but get married now Don't wait IN
til you have a marble hall to bring
your wife into, but come along nov
and get married But be careful
in your selection. Use good judy
ment Another thing, get at your
job, TO matter what it is If young
fellow has the stuff in him as all Of
you boys have, you can start at the
bottom of anything and work to the
top. Use tact. Tact means a great
deal. Tact and industry together is
everything. | have looked with
great satisfaction to the way the
boys came back and took their jobs.
With tact and energy and home of
your own, nothing can keep you from
taking your place in the world.
"Thc day is not far distant when
you will have permanent quarters.
know that all we have to do is to wait
a bit and we will have them. | don't
claim any more interest than anyone
else, for everybody is going to come
/ across and help put this thing over.
This is the best darn town in this
state and this is the best state in the
/ United States. No other state did
as much as Vermont for her boys
when they went overseas and she has
made no fuss about it, either. Yer
mont stood right back of her men,
but no better than the men stood back