The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-06-15
CHAPTER XIII.

so everywhere over the country. that
winter of 1916, there were light-henrt-
cd boys skylarking-ut college, or on
The farms; and in the towns the
young machinistS Snowbulled one an
other as they came from the shops ::
while on this Sunday Of the frat"
snow fight probably several hundreds
OF thousands of youthful bachelors, be-
tween the two oceans, went walking.
Ike ramsey, each with girl who
could forget the weather Yet bows
OF nineteen and in the twcntics were
not light hearted all the time that win
Ter and that spring and that summer
Most of them knew long, thoughtful
moments, as Ramsey did, when they
seemed to he thinking not of girls or
work or play--nor Of anything around
chem, but OF some more vital matter
or prospect. And ut such times they
were grave, but not ungcntlc.
For the long strain was on the coun-
try; underneath all It's outward seem
inG of things going on as usual there
shook 4 deep vibration, like the air
trembling to vast organ pipes in tiu-
paScnS too profound to reach the ear
rs sound; one felt, not heard. thunder
in the ground under ones feet rIhr
succession of diplomatic notes came
To an end after the torpenuiny of the
Sussex: and at last the tricky ruling
"GrrnrnnS in Berlin gave their word to
.-.urocr II" more. and people said, This
means peace for America, and all is
well for us" but everybody knew in
his heart that nothing was well for
us. that there wns no peace
They said, ".All is we'll" while that
thunder in the ground never ceased
1t grew deeper and heavier Till all
America shook with ii and ii became
slowly audible as the voice ol the old
American soil, Il soil wherein Law those
who had defended ii aiorrtimr, IL soil
that bred those who would defend It
again, FOR 1T was theirs ana the mean
ing of it--Lirc, Liberty, ana the pur.
suit Of IlaprnrSS--wns theirs. and
theirs to defend. And they knew they
would defend it, and that more than
the glory Of Il Nation was at stake.
The Freedom OF Man was ut stake. So.
gradually, the sacred thunder reached
the ears OF the young men and gave
them those deep moments that came to
them whether they sat i'm the class.
room or the counting room, or walked
with the pl"w, or stood to the machine,
or behind the ribbon counter. Thus
the thunder shook them and tried Them
and slowly came into their lives and
changed everything for them.
Hate of the Germans was not bred
but Il contempt for what Germany had
shown in lieu of Il national heart: II
contempt as mighty and as profound
as the resolve that the German way
and the German will should not prc.
vail In America, nor in any country or
the world that would be free. And
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
who dtSobcycd, then the German kaiser
got his answer, not only TO this new
law he had made for us, but To many
other thoughts of his. Yet the an
swcr was for some time delayed.
There was Il bitter Sunday, ami its
bitterness went everywhere, To every
place IN the whole world that held
high ana generous hearts. lis bitter.
ness came to the special meeting in
the 1rat hall," where there were
hearts, indeed, Of that right sort and
one OF them became vocal in its bitter.
ness. This was the heart OF Fred
Mitchell, who was now an authority
being president of the Junior class
rnhirmhn of the Prom committee, and
other things pleasant to be and TO liz,
for al his age.
"For me. brothers." he said 81 tbin)
ia q great deal rather have been sbo,
through the head than heard the news