Show r 4 When the Draft Boys Larch ch U. U With Very Verb Interesting Company any vh HE other day a l spectator on a certain THE curbstone in an American city might have seen in the midst of a company of marching draft men still wearing the 3 garb of citizens a woman with upturned upturn d smiling face In Iii one arm she carried a baby The Thc other arm clutched the arm of one one- of the youngest of the marchers The fact as revealed by inquiry though inquiry though the situ situation tion became obvious obvious a a mother walked r r. r J with her two children The baby was her youngest The to soldier-to-be was her oldest There is another kin kind of beauty in the themore themore themore more frequent picture of the younger mother carrying her baby and bidding her herboy herboy heri i boy husband good And these scenes are arc without any sign that anything extraordinary extra extra- rl ordinary is happening a anything awkward for feminine participators It is all part of I the momentous emotion of war War Var is not all strictly military and among all the features that stir the imagination tion few can rival the moments occupied by the first march in the clothes of the citizen n. n r In hundreds of United States cities and towns the impressive spectacle is repeated Bunting flies The town or city bands shout their good-by good tunes The soldiers of earlier wars in their faded martial clothes honor the hour with their venerable presence presence presence pres pres- ence marching proudly with the youn younger cr crmen men who are going away to make history But most impressive of all presences in in these first parades is that of moth mothers rs sweethearts sweethearts sweethearts sweet sweet- hearts an and young wives arm in arm with the departing boys The painter or poet could ask no better theme th than n this There is a light in thes these faces that is not to be kindled save under the spell of crises such as that which Ch has been confronting the world The flags which are certain to be frequent in all such assemblages betoken i eloquently the high spirit of devotion that may always explain the glow jewelled perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps by tears that spreads its answering colors in cheeks and eyes Mothers and sweethearts understand And so soo do the elat elated d boys who have Ve turned their faces toward the fra fray o |