Girls High School - Yearbook (Reading, PA)

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story of how a shot had caught the boy full in the chest. He fell and death came almost immediately. His captain was beside him, trying, as he lay there moaning, to soothe and comfort. 'Be brave, my boy,' he said. And the answer came in short breaths, 'l am brave, but would be still braver if I could have made mother happy by a visit before I died.' - Although we can never forget the spirit shown by our boys, we are ready, now that the cannons have ceased roaring and some of our boys are coming home, to forget the horrors of this war. But some we can never blot out. Sweet memories of the heroic dead will forever be in our minds. Song of peace, nor battle's roar, Ne'er shall break their slumbers more, Death shall keep his solemn trust, Earth to earth, and dust to dust. Dear, yet living, their patriotism, sacrifice, endurance, patience, faith and hope can never die. Loved and lamented, but immortal! Paeans for the living, dirges for the dead! Their work is done, not for an hour, a day, a year, but for all timeg not for fame or ambition, but for the oppressed of all lands, for civilization and Christianity, for the welfare of the human race through time and eternity. RED CROSS CHRISTMAS DRIVE fb ,nl fi M ft i tt 4 ttf 'til In the Red Cross Christmas Roll Call drive the girls of the High School took an active part, and in so doing helped to make the drive a great success. They went to work with a will and made success their goal. The drive was carried on one week from December 16 to 23. The girls of the High School were made official collectors, wearing a red hat, on the front of which was a red cross on a white circle, and an arm band on which Xmas Roll Call was printed. ' Through the kindness and patriotism of the principal, the girls were allowed to go out to canvass during study periods. In this way they accom- plished a great deal of work during school hours. The girls were given half of the city to canvass, and before the week was up had succeeded in canvass- ing the entire district and had realized a good total. 17

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There's a little too much of the 'We'lI show you how. We'll win this little war for you.' The part that we have so far taken in the actual battles has not been overplayed by the newspapers so far as we have seen those accounts, but you folks have exaggerated them. For instance, we are given credit for win- ning the great victory on the line from Soissons to Rheims. Now, on that whole front the troops that took actual part in the battles, that did the fighting, that won those great scraps, were divided fairly, and only fifteen per cent. were Yanks. Eight-tive per cent. of the lighting was not done by us. We boys are making good as well as we know how, but we know too well how really small an actual share we have, how much belongs to those glorious French and the others. But don't you folks back home get too chesty and let the notion run away with you that America is doing it. She is doing some, a little, yes, but our Allies are taking the brunt of it. Our losses are nothing in comparison wth theirs. We shall probably take a greater part in it later and will have to supply the balance that will tip the scales, but even then, when we do that, don't let us forget what has gone before in those awful four years. This is only one of many thousands of letters of this kind, sent to America during the last four years. Although our boys are too proud to admit it, we know only too well the long months of hardships through which they have fought. Not only is their unselfishness shown by the tone of their letters, but also by their actions. Their thoughts are not of themselves, and the great opportunities they are sacrificing, but of those at home, especially mother. They think only of her sacrifices, and are happy in their thoughts that some day they will go back to her. A very pathetic story, which brings out clearly the unselfish spirit of our Yanks is told by Stephane Lauzanne, a member of the French Commission to the United States: It was in 1915, near Verdun. Overlooking the entire plain of Woevre was a terrible hill, the name of which will always be spelled in blood- red letters in this war's history. It was the Eparges hill, where a heroic hand-to-hand struggle had been progressing for one year. The right side of the hill belonged to the Germans, who held on to it, the left side was held by the French and Americans, and the top belonged to no one, or rather it belonged to the dead who covered il, and whom it had not even been possible to bury. That hill was the terror of all who had to go up. One evening, a few miles from there, I met a young soldier walking along, a flower in his buttonhole, gayly singing a song. He seemed so happy that I could not help stopping him. 'Why are you so cheerful?' I asked. 'Next week, sir,' was the answer, 'I am going home to my mother in America. I have been assigned to train some of my countrymen to fight, and the camp to which I have been commissioned happens to be on the outskirts of my home town. Probably you think I am a slacker for being so happy to get home, but I assure you, sir, such is not the case. I am happy, but it is because of mother. I know it will cheer her good heart to see me once again and know that I am well and happy. But for her, I should have declined the appointment and stayed on this side to fight with my com- rades. Tomorrow I shall spend another forty-eight hours taking the Eparges trench, and then I shall go.' He gave me his name and the name of his cap- tain, who happened to be a friend of mine, and off he went lightly singing his song. By chance I met his captain a week later, and, as the lad with his song and cheerfulness had awakened my interest and sympathy, I asked about him. I told the captain the story I had heard and then asked, 'How is he? Has he gone hom yet?' 'Yes,l replied the captain, sadly. 'He has gone home. He went West the day before yesterday at Eparges? He then told me the sad 16

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VICTORY COLUMNS Our Great General GENERAL DAVID M. GREGG tln 18633 In the Civil War The members of the Class of 1919 here render a tribute to their grandfathers who fought in the Civil War. The Members of the Class of 1919 Here Render a Tribute to Their Grand fathers Who Fought in the Civil War Pvt. Jonas B. Angstadt Pvt. Wellington Bertolct Pvt. John llielnn Capt. Peter Y. Edelman Pvt. William G. Gallaqlmur Pvt. Charles P. Glaze I Pvt. George Haines Corp. George Hart Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Col. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. 13 Daniel H. Hartman George Hassinger Daniel Houser Charles H. Hunter John M. Jacobg Jonah Kcim Levi Keller Jacob Kenney