Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1918)
I . THE OMAHA ' SUNDAY BEE: .MAY 26, 1918.' .- - ' ' -;' m- , - : . ...i : - in tfte' Wa v Zone cftinsfrcZ in France" 7e?fsfftSM 04?rson experiences on tne Western UtgJittn Utonr- ' COtrtlrHT 1918 I J, CHAPTER VIIL ' - Eteath Takes the Boy. r? It wu on Monday morning, Jan- ' And he had been killed -the" Thursday, before! He had been 1 dead four days befori I knew it! And ftil had known. Let no one ever tell me againjthat thert is nothing in 4 presentiment Why else had I bean so lad and uneasy in my mind I Why tlae, all through that &unaay, naa ii comfort in what was saia io cneer me? Some warning had come to me, nm n that all was not well. Realization came to me alowly. I ' tat nd stared at that slip of paper that hai come to me like the breath of doom.- Dead I Dead these four daysl I was never to see the light of his eyes again. I was never to hear that laugh of bis. " I had looked on my- boy for the last time. Could it be true? Ah, I knew it was! And it was for this moment that I had been waiting, that we had all been -waiting, ever since we had sent John away to fight for his country and do his part I think we had all felt that it must come. We had all known that it was too much to hope that he v should be one of those to be spared. The black despair that had been hovering over me for'houra closed down now and enveloped" all my tenses. . Everything was unreal. For I time I was quite numb. But then, as I began to realize and to visualize : - what it was to mean in my life that my boy was dead there came a great - pain. The iron of realization alowly seared every word of that curt tele gram upon my heart I said It to myself, over and over again. And I whispered to myself, as my thoughts took form, over and over, the one terrible word, "Dead!" I felt that for me everything had , come to an end with the reading of that dire message. It seemed to me that for me the board of life was black and blank. For me there was Nio past and there could be no future. . Everything, had been swept away, . .. i ....... .r it,, l.-j ' ..ii p y .nvwi w . w. t cruel fate. Oh, .there was a past, thought And it was in that past that I began to delve. It was made up of every memory I had of my boy. I fell at once to remembering him. I clutched at every memory as if I must grasp them arfd make sure of them, Test they be taken from me as well as the hope of seeing him again that the telegram , had forever snatched away. j I would have been destitute indeed j then. It was as if I must fix in my' mind, the way he had been wont to look, and recall to my ears every tone of his voice, every trick of his speech. . Thera waa anmetninff left nl him that I must keep, I knew, even then, at all costs, if I was to be able to bear his loss at all. , There was a vision of him before trjp eyes. My oonnie mgniana iaa- vimvv muu VMUiig tu m wifc nu the uniform of his country, going out , to mi death with a smile on his face. ' And., there was another vision that , came up now, unbidden. It was a vision of him lying stark and cold upon the battlefield, the mud on his uniform. And when I saw that vision 1 1 was like a man gone mad i anil finiiMui)' nt rtavil ulia ha.! stolen away his faculties. I cursed war as I saw that vision, and the men who caused war. . And when- I thought of the Germans who had killed my boy a terrible and savage hatred swept me, and I longed to go out therend kill with my bare hands until 1 had avenged him or they had killed me, too. But then I was a little softened. I thought of his mother back in our 1 wee; hoose at Dunoon. And the - thoiiffht nf her. horeft T ' sorrowing, even as I was, and lost in .her frightful loneliness, waa pitiful, to that I had but the one desire and , wishto go to her and join my tears with hers, that we who were left alone to beir our grief might bear it together and give one to the other such comfort as there might be in life for us. And so I fell upon my knees and prayed, there in my lonely room in the hotel. I craved ta Gait that 'He might give us both, John's mother and myself, strength to bear the blow that had been dealt us and to endure tne sacrifice that He and our country had demanded of us. '. My friends came to me. They came rushing to me. Never did man nave better friends, and kindlier be on that day of sorrow. They , did all that good men and women could do. But there was no help for me in the ministration of friends. I was beyond the power of human words to comfort or solace. I was glad of their kindness, and the mem ory of it now is a precious one, and one l would not be without But at such a time I could not gain from them what they were eaaxr to rive me. f I could only bow my head and . pray for strength. ' That night, that New Year's night that I ;shall never forget, no matter , how long God may let me live, I went north, I took train from Lond An in Glasgow, and the next day I came to our wee hoose a sad. lonely wee hoose it had become nowl on the Uyde at Dunoon, and was with , John's mother. It was the place for tne. , it was there that I wanted to be, and it was with her. who must hereafter be all the world to me. And I was eager to be with her, too, who had given John to me. Sore as my ; grief was, stricken as I was. I could , comfort her as no one else could i-hope to do, and she could do as much x for me. . We belonged together. . I can scarce remember, even for myself, what happened there at Du- noon. I cannot tell yon what I said or what I did,, or what words and what thoughts passed between John's mother and myself. But .there are some things that I do know, and that 'X will ten you. . Almighty God, to whom we prayed, was kind, and He was oitiful and mcr, ;cifuL For presently He brought us .. both a sort of sad composure. Pres . entlr He assuaged our grief a little and gave us the strength that we must have to meet the needa of life and the thought of going on in a world that was darkened by the loss : of tiie boy in whom all our thought! ' ppI ll otir hopes, had been centered I Clanked God then,, and I thank God Iowa Wonjian Dedicates Verse to Mr. Lauder's Son Mrs. John Palmer Nye, Shenandoah, la, has written a poem in memory of Captain John Lauder, son of Harry Lauder. A copy has been mailed to his father. The poem is reproduced here for the first time: MY BONNY LAD. "My lad,".! aald. "ve must not ask- The men who look to you For anything on God's green earth ' That ye would never dot" He tilted up his chin and said, "Yes, 111 remember, Dsdf And, Oh, the brsw look oa his face Will always make me glad I Ye ken I had my doots about War being right or wrong, But not a doot about the boy I'm loving in my song I X took his hand and said goodby, t And kissed my bonny lad, Who pledged himself in hearty word, "I will remember, Dad!" So long as we could see a bit Of that old dock In sight, We saw him waving to his Dad, That everything was right! We sailed away we left him there. To go his way alone. The days were long without the lad. Who was our only one. My bonny lad. my bonny lad, He's faded from my sight, A wee bit road is left to me, I want to make it right! While God shall let me hold the Flag, And gie me strength to sing, 111 have a care for other lads And comfort to them bring! My bonny lad, your Dad's old heart Is well nigh broke in two, The while he sings to other lada The songs he sang to you; For in each boyish, upturned face He sees that other lad, ' ' Who signals from an unknown port, , . "I did remember, Dad!" now, that I have never denied Him nor taken His name in vain. For God gave me great thoughts about my boy and about his death. Slowly, gradually, He made me to see things in their true light, and He took away the sharp agony of my first grief and sorrow and gave me a sort of peace. John died in the most glorious cause, and he died the most glorious death it may be given to a man to die. He died for humanity. He died tor liberty, and that this world in which life must go on, no matter how many die, may be a better world to live in. He died in a struggle against tne blackest force and the direst threat that has appeared against liberty and humanity within the memory ot man And were he alive now. and were he called again today to go out for the same cause, knowing that he must meet death as he did meet it he would go as smilingly and as will ingly as he went then. He would go as a British soldier and a British gen tleman, to fight and die for his king and his country. And I would bid him eo. I have lived through much since his death. They have not let me take rifle or a sword and go into the trenrhea tn a van ere him But of that I shall tell you later. Ah, it was not at once that I felt sol In my heart, in those early days ot gnet and sorrow, there was rebel' lion, often knd often. There were moments when in my anguish I cried out aloud, "Why? Why? Why did they have to take John, my boy my only child?" But God came to me. and slowly His peace entered my soul. And He made me see, as in a vision, that some things that I had said and that I had believed were not so. He made me know, and I learned, straight from Him, that our boy had not been taken from us forever, as I had said to myself so often since that tele gram had come. He is gone from this life, but he is waiting for us beyond this life. He is waiting beyond this life and this world of wicked war and wanton cru elty and slaughter. And we shall come, some day, his mother and I. to the place where he is waiting for us, and we shall all be as happy there as we were on this earth in the happy days before the war. My eyes will rest again upon his face. I will hear his fresh young voice again as he sees me and cries out his greeting. I know what he will say. He will spy me, and his voice will ring out as it used to do. "Hello, dad I" he will call, as he sees me. And I will feel the grip of his young, strong arms about me, just as in the happy days before that day that is of all days of my life the most terrible and the most hateful in my memory the da when they told me that he had been killed. That is my belief. That is the comfort that God has given me in my grief and my sorrow. There is a God. Ah, yes, there is a God! Times there are, I know, when some of those who look upon the horrid slaughter of this war that is going on, hour by hour, feel that their faith is being shaken by doubts. They think of the sacrifices, of the blood that is being poured out, of the sufferings of women and children. Ann" they see the cause that is wrong and foul prospering for a little time, and they cannot understand. "If there is a God," they whisper to themselves, "why does He permit thing so wicked to go on? But there is a God there is! I have seen the stark horror of war. I know, as none can know until he has een it at close quarters, what a thing war is as it is fought today. And I believe as I do believe, and as I shall believe until the end, because I know God s comfort and His grace. I know that my boy is surely wait ing for me. In America, now, there are mothers and fathers by the scores of thousands who have bidden their sons goodby; who water their letters from France with their tears who turn white at the sight of a teleurram and tremble at the sudden clamor of a telephone. Ah, I know I knowl I suffered as they are suffering! And I have this to tell them and to beg them. Ihey must believe as I be lieve then shall they find the peace and the comfort that I have found. So it was that there, on the Clyde, John's mother and I came out of the blackness of our first grief. We be gan to be able to talk to one another, And every day we talked of John, We have never ceased to do that, his mother and I. We never shall. We may not have him with us bodily, but his spirit is never absent And each day we remember some new thing about him that one of us can call to the other's mind. And it is as if, when we do that, we bring back some part of him out of the void. Little, trifling memories of when he was a baby, and when he was i boy, growing upl And other mem ones of later days. Often and often First Denby Truck Still Operating oh Detroit Streets m fy ws& I -fiw Hip- S it was the days that were furthest away that we remembered, best .of all, and things connected with those days. But I had small wish to see others. John's mother was enough for me. She and the oeace that was coming to me on the Clyde. I could not bear to think of London. I had no plans to make. All that was over. All that part of my life, I thought, had ended with the news of my boy's death. I wanted no more than to stay at home on the Clyde and think of him. My wife and I did not even talk about the future. And no thing was further from all my thoughts than that I should ever step upon a stage again. What I Go out before an audience and seek to make it laugh? Sing my songs when my heart was broken? I did not decide not to do it I did not so much as think of it as a thing I had to decide about. (Continued Tomorrow) Friction Responsible for 25 Per Cent Loss in Motor Power ' -To the motorist who realizes that 25 per cent of the power delivered " by his engine is lost in friction, the . question of lubrication is one of para mount importance. Grease cups are gone over, oil reservoirs are watched carefully, bearings are inspected reg ularly and frequently cleaned. Care in the selection of lubricants' is important to him, too, as he realizes , that each bearing, gear or spring re quires its particular kind of lubricant N, Engineers who are experts in the line of automobile lubrication point, out . that plain oils and greases squeezF out .. under great pressure and heat When flake motor graphite is mixed in, however, the oil or grease serves as . a vehicle to carry the graphite to all parts of the bearing or part to be lubricated. The flakes of graphite adhere to the surface, fill all.tbe min ute irregularities and form a tough, durable film which prevents metallic contact The graphite does not squeeze out Overland Used Car Branch ' Enlarges Its Show Rooms , The Overland used-car department ' at 2406 Leavenworth has enlarged its " ' show room so as to have more floor space for display purposes and tp in- crease its capacity for immediate de livery. Jack Alwood is manager. He believes that the biggest feature , of the department is that every Overland , Y distributer in the Van Brunt Automo bile company's territory has access to 2406 Leavenworth. He is very pround k of 84 sales in 79 days without a dis-, 1 satisfied customer. Not only for formal affairs, but for burin cm, drives and touring, tht,Marmon closed car is serviceable and appropriate Good Forni Dictates Closed Cars a The Closed Car occupies today the position not only of a soda necessity, out of aH-year-'nrand utility. And Marmon Closed Can are especially They are supremely comfortable, yet not a luxury because of their limitless service abiKtyand wmvaledeconomyin operation. Car buyers are learning these facts, and SO regarded because they are masters of anyone who contemplates the purchase of a car muse recognize tnem. all conditions of weather and travel. In die morning, regardless of weather, the. Marmon Closed Car serves to take the man of afiairs to his offices and the woman to her shopping. In the afternoon it dutifully serves in Red Cross work, in charities or calls. In the evening, and for formal afiairs, the Marmon Closed Car insures a privacy and a comforting protection. . NFor every-day driving and even for touring, the FamLy Sedan, the Limou sine and Landaulet have the advantage of parlor car comfort and security from dust and storms. May we not have the pleasure of show ing you the new Marmon attractions in coach design and uphojstery ? Please call, or telephone and we will call. 136-iiuh wleelb&sellOO pounds lighter Marmon Cars 2205 Farn&m St. Ever-Tyte PISTON RINGS STOP 90 PERCENT OF ALL MOTOR TROUBLES Designed and built on mechanical and practical lines. THEY DO WHAT REAL PISTON RINGS SHOULD DO. They cure that oil-pumping cylinder They stop thaflott compression They save oifantfgas, and Make motoring a pleasure Get "The Piston Ring Primer" an interesting booklet on Piston Rings, from your dealer, or write The EVER TIGHT PISTON RENG Coi Dept. D. 8T. LOUIS, Ha yttopiAa.yoii4. CADIiLAC Cadillac Wins in Cuba Motorists have become so accustomed to the unusual per formance o'f Cadillac motor cars that nothing but topnotch per . formance is expected of theni. .'Just as a matter of record, however, we feel that a brief statement regarding this latest Cadillac achievement is worthy of mention: . V. On April 14, at Oriental Park, Havana, Cuba,- a .Cadillac Eight finished first in an official race with two racing cars of international reputation. A cash prize of $1560 was awarded to Amador, the owner and driver, who piloted the Cadillac, and cups were presented by the ''Automobile' Club of Cuba and the Cuban-American Jockey Company. This is the fifth race won by Marcelino Amador in his Cadillac Eight. - The Cadillac is constantly proving in the hands of owners its right to the well-earned title, "The World's Greatest Road Car." The ever-increasing demand for Cadillac motor cars and the increasing shortage makes it quite necessary to order your Cadillac now if you wish to be assured of delivery. A third shipment of individually colored models has ar rived Come and select yours now while you still have the op portunity t ' (' , i Jones:-Hansen - Cadillac Co. Ask us 'for a demonstration Harney 710 Farnam at 26th i 4