Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-03-23


when he came to arrange for the oc-
cupation of the house by the Maine
| Committee of Public Safety, to
| which just as soon as he heard it
/ had been formed. he had offered Its
| use. l never saw him again. Six
days later war was declared.
Can you think Of three better err
rands for boy to come back to his
| home town?
Walker went into the Infantry and
became first lieutenant of Company
I Of the 31oth regiment of the 18th
| Division, and in May, 1918, went
across. Mrs. Beale lived with him
/ through his letters. You know what
| letters to the home folks" means.
| Then came the news Of his death
with but few details. The days
passed by Mrs. Beale had become
a nurse in the Red Cross service and
worked in the Walter Reed Hospi-
| tai, yes worked heart and soul. One
morning in December she found in
her home in a drawer which had not
been opened for a long time some
khaki covered soldiers things. WAL
| ter had taken some, these, among
F, which was case OF brushes, he had
| left. Keeping something as a remem-
| brance Mrs. Beale took the rest to
| the Hospital with her to give to
| some soldier and with natural
! touch Of sentiment she wanted it
! TO be an overseas soldier. BY chance
, before going into the overseas wards
| ward. whore many Of the cases from
| the adjacent camps were. A new
| man had just come In. She gave
, him q few small things. He asked
: Il the Red Cross had brushes. He
had lost his. Mrs. Beale said the
, Red Cross did not carry brushes and
! was going on to the next man when
! her conscience smote her. Why
seek an overseas man from scnti-
| ment when here was one who needed
the brushes? So back she went and
| gave them to him. From what camp
| did he come Not from q camp, he
was overseas. And what regiment?
The 310th, and what company?
Company I. Do you wonder that for
a moment the light faded and the
world spun around. For days and
days ever since her only son had
gone from her and most Of all from
the day he had gone on further never
to return. a mother, holding fast to
duty. with an aching heart had
longed to find some one who had
seen her boy and to learn from him
all those many. many things. large
and small, perhaps really none Of
them small. which she longed to
know. And here in this sudden, un-
looked for way she found this sold
icr from Walkers own company. Do
you wonder that she believes that
some kindly power gently led her
that morning to Private McNellis Of
Company /? She does with an un-
changing and Interchangeable conf
dence and conviction. From him,
from time to time. she learned Of the
passage across, the submarine at
tack warded off, the short stay in
England, the cross to France, the
Hrst night bombing, the marches in
tho interior, Of Walkers care Of his
men, of how they liked him, of the
sending Of one of the lieutenants to
the Brigade Staff, Of Walkers calling
his men together to tell them that
/ the lieutenant's going was great
loss to the company but that the
| better man had gone. of the wish of
the men that no British officer would
/ take them over the top but "just Kid
| Beales." "He was the only officer !
ever saw carry a pack for q man."
said McNellis. "a little italian was
! Ill and the lieutenant carried his
pack ten miles" McNellis had been
The lieutenant wanted him to go to
4 the hospital. One day on a march
| poor McNellis was compelled on
| long hill to lag behind. He felt two
7 strong arms come up under his and
| carry him up. Turning his face he
looked into the face Of Kid Bcales.
NOW. McNellis, you must co." said
the lieutenant.
! My friends could not refrain from
telling you these things. You know
Walker better now.
| l wonder If this beautiful hall and
all these things which you are gath
ering together will ever become COM
monplace. l know you have seen
much and experienced much of the
awful realities which life sometimes
presents. Will these quieter things
lose their force. cannot think so.
believe not only that you will never
forget this evening but that the re-
membrance OF it will grew sweeter as
you grow older. TO me indeed. 1t is
one of those unforgetabie evenings of
life and / am profoundly grateful for