News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-03-15
CHAPTER XIII.

! SO everywhere over the country, that
| winter Of 1915, there were light-heart-
| ed boys skyarking--at college, or on
/ the farms; and in the towns the
| young machinists snowbaled one an
other as they came from the shops !;
while Oh this Sunday of the frat"
snow fight probably several hundreds
of thousands of youthful bachelors, be-
tween the two oceans, went walking,
like Ramsey, each with girl who
could forget the weather. Yet boys
of nineteen and in the twenties were
not light-hearted all the time that win
ter and that spring and that summer.
Most of them knew long, thoughtful
nOments as Ramsey did, when they
seemed TO be thinking not of girls or
work or play-nor Of anything around
Them, bur of some more vital matter
or prospect. And at such times they
were grave, but not ungentle.
For the long strain was on the coun-
try: underneath all its outward SEEM
ing of things going on as usual there
shook deep vibration, like the air
trembling 10 vast organ pipes in dia-
pasOnS too profound TO reach the ear
as sound; one felt, not heard, thunder
in the ground under ones feet The
succession of diplomatic notes came
10 all end after the torpedoing Of the
Sussex; and at last The tricky ruling
Germans in Berlin gave their word to
m r1np m anh nannla said ssINhiS
means peace for America, and all is
well for u.s." but everybody knew In
his heart that nothing was well for
us, that there was no peace.
They said, "All is WELL" while thai
thunder in the ground never ceased
il grew deeper and heavier till all
America shook with 1t and il became
slowly audible as the voice of the old
American soil. a soil wherein lay those
who had defended it aforetime. a soil
thar bred those who would defend II
again. for il was theirs; and the mean,
ing Of it--Life, Liberty, aud the Pur-
suit of Happiness--was theirs, and
theirs 10 defend. Aud they knew they
would defend it, and that more than
the glory OF Nation was at stake.
The Freedom of Man Was at stake. So,
gradually, the sacred thunder reached
rheeears of the young men and gave
them those deep moments that came TO |
them whether they sat in The class |
room ar the cOunting-room, or walked |
with the pillow. or stood to the machine. |
ar behind the ribbon counter Thus |
the thunder shook them and tried them |
aud slowly came into their lives and |
changed everything for them.
Hate of the Germans was not bred: /
but contempt for what Germany bad |
shown in lieu of a national heart
as mighty and as profound /
as the resolve that the German way
vail in America. nor In any country of
the world that would be free. And 1
when the German kaiser laid his COM
mand upon America. that no American
should take his ship upon the free
seas. death being the penalty for any
" no disobeyed. then the German kaiser
got his answer. moi only 10 this new
law he had made for US but TO many
other thoughts Of his Yet the sn-
swer Was for some time delayed. .
There was q bitter sunday. and it's
bitterness went everywhere. to every
place in the whole world that held
high and generous hearts. lis bitter
ness came TO the special meeting in
he frat hall" where there we've
ieats. indeed, Of that right sort, and
,ne Of them became vocal in its bitter
less. This was the heart of Pred
Mitchell. who was now an authority. |
,eing president Of the Junior cla~S.
hartman Of the PrHu committee. and
,ihpr things pleasant 70 be and % live
or NJ his age.
"Tor me. hrothers- be- said. 7 think
ri great deal rather have been shot
through The. head than heard the news
ro.l Washington today tel you.
we spent The neanest afternoon I
.ver did Co. ny life and guess t's .