The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-16

f,,ll of loya and humble gratitude that the
crisis was past, the mother forgot hersel
"a she held the tiny bundle and pressed love
into the kisses placed on his soft cheeks
DumbIy and deeply thankful to Sod for ms
great gift. 3, !.
words IT love you mother mine, his tire
less feet battered in and out ever under the
watchful guidance OF eyes such as only moth
al As ths. day began and the evening closed,
from the mother heart, for mas soul ana ms
health.
by precept and practice filed his soul, At
school and church his eager mind took in the
temporal truths. The neighbors and passers,
by stroked his curly head and saw love and
faith in al the good he had heard in the
temple and home shine forth from his eyes:
Tho father worshipped his first born and told
him tales Of valor, virtue and unselfshness
this nanchiId should grow fine in form and
rich in spirit. the dreams and hopes OF a
past generation should find fruition IN this
in intellect lofty in ideals. The soul of the
young is as nnwritten book, clean and
write: truth and faith mark most indelibiy
Months roll by az swiftly as silently. but
age in ones arst born is not in mother
knowledge.
Then gradually comes a little cloud over
the change, gradual though noticeable, the
lighter skinned; dominant race adults no
longer ra-ess him. the menchildren Of his
arm and swap holly pops. Wonder widens his
eyes and pain begins to quicken about his
heart; at last he must challenge his home
teachers. Did they not tell him that appli-
cation to books would bring him honor and
reward did the declaration Of Independence
and equal. and are endowed with certain in
err when it read IAN men are created free
slienable rights. among them the right to life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness was
the virtue Of character and body hoax his
parents had inventeds The mother had known
that somewhere he mnst come face to face
with this humiliation. but kept back the pain
ful fact hoping that with him that Gods
might change the man made practice, and for
him and his hosts Of fellows in turn. brown
and black new order would come. But
she could not bring to his high ideals the
The pages Of history told him Of brown
men who were wise, valiant, kings and
prophets. He knew that the ancestors o.
the dominant race were cruel blood thirsty
and had ben slaves. His faith in right
Justice and God kept his feet ever in right
paths and his soul upon q high place. Wrons
his honly teaching was kfndled anew each
day. for he honored his father and mother
What that physically and morally de.
formed war lord of Germany supposed that
he could stretch forth his good arm in
mighty conquest. he famed into blue fame
the spirit of the brown hov--here was the
blow
IN camp in France IN his heart most OF
all he burned to emulate the deeds of Il Over
ture and his followers: the deeds of hun
bred heroes kept his spirit high The hard,
ships OF trench and iron discipline he knew
not for he wanted world t'safe for de-
morrAcy.'
The orders. the high pitch Of moves, the
prayer to God to keep his flesh equal to his
faith; the singing she'll the zip Of bullets
the noxious doors, the binding verg lights
the tangled cruel wires the complete forget
fulness OF self the exaltation of spirit--then
dizziness brief dream Of mother and
home. The war departments form II re.
greet to inform you that your was killed
in action. =
The mother lived again the pain of bring,
ing her man child, tear. PRAYER. realiza,
tion that he had lived the highest life Of a
man and mixed sorrow and JOY that he
was with his heroes Of antiquity and M
longer was puzzled by the injustice of man
to many.