Evening star., 1942-08-08

the pup is griev-
ing himself to Henry McLemore.
death because Of the shortage OF
canned dog food. - -,
The request is sensible one:.k
soldiers lot is tough enough wtthout
having the burdens Of the folks back
home added to his pack. After a
day of forced marching under
blistering sun. or jumping from an
airplane. or driving tank through
forest and underbrush, 1t coaidnss
possibly cheer him up to learn THAT
the termites had eaten the living
room floor away. that sister had
broken her arm in two places lookfng.
for scrap rubber In the basement,
and that his best girl was going
steady with the boy next door VINO
missed induction because of sneenHg1
| fits. aVs1
1t should be remembered, when
writing to soldiers, that their sacriss
fees are so much bigger than those,
of civilians that they may find "
difficult to sympathize with the
petty inconvenience suffered BY
those on the home front. . %
A marine. say, who has been prac+
ticing landings through the surf All
day, is not calculated to be very urI-2
| dersatnding of the Hardship Iofs
having to get by with an A gas caTffs'
1t might make ferry command.
pilot swear bit, when opening his /.
mail after a foggy crossing Of the
Atlantic, to learn of the discomfort
suffered by the folks at home during
a 20-minute blackout.
And, the boys on a lonely AUS
tralian outpost might not quite ur1-,
derstand complaint against high
taxes, driving across town with only >
the DINNERS on, and not being able !.
to get the choicest cuts of beef every
time the butcher Is called.
asr
On the other hand, those Of lis at
home should guard against being TOO
cheerful There is a happy medilm.A
which Is probably the note military
authorities want us to strike in OUT
letters. A Gloomy Gus is no worse
than a Po]lyanna who uses milk and
honey instead Of ink. The average
American is no phoney, and can spot
it mile off. ~
1t would really upset the averages
soldier to get letter such as this:'
Dear Charley: Congress voted
some more taxes today and I wish.
you were here to see your father.
He is tickled to death. When he,
read about the new surtax he was
happier than I've seen him since he
first broke 100 on the golf course.
He said the more they taxed him,
the more he liked it. Your young
brother, you'll be glad to know, hast
obeyed to the letter your Instructions
about not touching any of your
things while you're away. I told ;
him the other day that he could use
your tennis racket, that you wouldpt
mind, but he said, mo" he had made
you promise and was going to keep
1'' A ~ ~ |
4 Charley is no sap. He knows that
his Dad has all but had apoplexy
over the taxes, and has probably
harangued the family for hours on
how the Government couldn't do
that to him. Charley also knows
that he had no more than gotten
out Of sight than his kid brother
went to work on everything he had
tennis racket, golf sticks, shirts
ties, socks, and everything else, srlds
that he'll be lucky to have so much'r
as cuff link when he returns homef-
There is no use for Charley4
sweetheart to try to fool him. either.
The chances are that Charley knows
his best girl pretty we'll, and loves
and trusts her. 1t won't make him
feel any better for her to write hirfrr
letter in which she paints herself
as a sort of young Whistler's Mothef.
rocking away on the porch, moping
from morn till night, and generally
going to pieces waiting for his
return. 1t would make Charley feel
lot better for her to say that she-t
is trying her best to live as she has
always lived. but that the dances and.
the parties weren't as much fun rs
when he was there to be with her.
In short, Charley's no fool. Toe.
he probably has read where the
folks at home have been advised to-,
write him cheering notes, and will
be- remembering this warning as he
reads his mail.
distributed by McNaurht Syndicate, Inc)
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