Show o o 00 0 0 a 0 a I by Eho Nee Only a Miracle Can Save Bobs Bob's Sanity Can Can I Work That Mir Miracle cle When Bob Is discharger I From the hour of ot his enlistment I had pictured d how Bob would look and what he would say when he should come home to me I had dreamed only of ot a Joyful homecoming How different were all my gay dreams from the sad reality Mother and I wept together partly In Joy and partly in sorrow because the hour of ot his return was at hand Fi Finally Finally Finally Fi- Fi I nally Mother said But think Jane dear What if it he herS were sleeping now now now-In in F Flanders anders i iI fields rS I have thought Mother And my heart aches for tor other wives who have I of that sorrow to carry carryon on on in spite I Th Then n have you courage to carry on on in spite of ot this this this-this this living death death- I which grips your our husband I IMy My only reply was to cling to her a n I little closer Sometimes I. I think Bobs Bob's state Is a I retribution in a way for tor the vast fortune fortune fortune for for- tune his father tather has made from the war Mother whispered sadly You I would be hapler lItle girl if it we were back tous to very poor and Bob had come us us in any state state but but this Had he been crippled or blinded I i would have slaved for tor him Mother But that is only what hundreds of ot wives of soldiers will have to do I I think you'll have your our chance to slave for Bob as it Is Mother went on Can you bear the whole hard truth I wonder I If It B Bobs Bob's bs b's mother can Ill I'll try I mur mur- I held my head up proudly and affected a courage I was far from I feeling Mother took both my hands in her own own The simple action chilled rather I Ithan Ithan than comforted me She was preparing mo me for tor something Could any news about Bob be worse than what I already already al already al- al ready had Bob may not stay as he is at present present present pres pres- ent she ventured I looked up at ather ather ather her In wonder Unless he bets much better very soon he will fall tall gradual gradual- gradually ly y he will sink into the mental condition condi condi- condition I tion of ot a child Do you understand I condl-I what I am saying Jane I merely nodded almost without emotion The probability paralyzed my senses e e Or ho will become violently Insane Insane- a subject for tor an an asylum I shuddered I hud had lived one full week In an asylum We Ve tell you dear because because only a miracle can save your husband now now Mother stopped ab ab- ab She did not even add her tears to the story Only a miracle Only a miracle can save Bob I repeated the tho words softly over and over and perceived at last that my lips were moving without malIng making malting malt mal ing a sound Silence wrapped trapped us for tor a along along long time Finally I grasped the idea that poor Mother was suffering as m as I and I said I didn't expect Id I'd ever have to comfort comfort comfort com com- I fort you Mother dear Youre You're always so strong so self sufficient But now Im I'm asking you to trust me to me-to to believe in me Mother I I-I I I myself will myself-will will perform perform per per- form that miracle I I rose to my feet teet and stretched my arms wide Mother looked at me stead stead- ily Each one of us has his cross she said simply Your turn has come You will take up yours and bear it bravely I know My cross can wait walt My voice rang shrilly insistently through the room First First comes comes the miracle To be continued I |