Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 27, Number 89, Decatur, Adams County, 13 April 1929 — Page 3

The Glory Boy by Betty Kroner

—rTTNote: The following written by MiM Betty ‘ >ntr of Geneva, won first place the 'ihort story contest of the Jual Adams county LiteraryMusic contest, held last week. Martha Berry, a graduate of one of exclusive boarding achtxds Fast, has Just returned to her ln in the mountains of North hOnl Hn l i It was ,hp f,rst ,lm *‘ 1,1 veatu Each year during her “stions her parents had taken her , mail, 'loins all within their power maid her in capturing a man, who Ld a title. They desired her to be happy and never to know pov'old Jerome Berry had made his for„.ne in cotton ami was now retired. Because Martha was the only child. X more or less was left, to do Just ~ , h e Pleased. Her father was very proud of her and upheld her in everything that she did. One beautiful day. soon after her return, as was her daily custom, she was riding her pet horse, Majesty, on a trail leading through a thicket, when she quite suddenly came up to a clearing. At ita end. against a background of laurel, chinkapin, and tulip trees, stood a cabin, desolate in its grayness of rainsoaked, weather worn timbers. On a decrepit bench in front of it sat a man, drawn and sal- | low .his eyes hollowed and his frame gaunt, old before his time through a wasted vitality. In the doorway atood a woman, spare and toothless, but with a remnant of youth in her great eyes. To her soiled, tattered skirts clung two tots, ragged and unkept, i their little faces smutted by bacongrease and the natural grime of weeks without washing. When the woman saw Martha she spoke to someone inside the cabin. Immediately there rap out into the sunlight four other children, steps they were, ranging in age from six to ten, and covered with rags. To one side of the cabin an older hoy and girl wer doing their best to plow the unwilling soil with a half-starved horse hitched to an improvised plow. Here were the poverty and misery of which she had so often heal'd, but had never seen for herself. Dismounting, she spoke to the mother, who shied away from her, but her friendly questions persuaded to some friendliness. Invited in. she. looked about ih amazement, torn mattresses served as beds and the room was cluttered with a few pieces of broken tables and chairs. A huge fireplace occupied most of one side of the cabin. By tactful questioning Martha soon discovered that none of this family could write or read. Here was the inspiration that she needed! Why not organize a school for the boys of the poor—yet very proud people of the south, where each boy might work for his education. It was evident that there would be no money for schooling from the many families in the same circumstances that this family was in. After talking it over with her father, she. with his approval, started her school in one of the large houses on the plantation. Because they were suspicious of her seemingly good intentions, she first taught the boys Bible stories. All of these people were very religious. This she had dis- j covered at the first humble cabin that she had visited. Gradually she increased the curriculum until it was similar to that of any other agricultural school. Some limes she had trouble in getting the boys to do their share of the work. However after seeing what the outcome would be they became accustomed to do just as they were told. ■t was to this school that tiny, ragged. forlorn little Colonel Andrew Jackson Brantford came, one cold, rainy day in November. He was brought to the entrance of the school 11 an old spring-wagon to which a sas-backed, sorrel horse was hitched and was scarcely given time to take 9 numb, gray-blue body out of this 1 a P'dated vehicle, when the horse Was furiously lashed into movement. As the wagon went past the lad who was lying in the ditch, where he “ a< fallen, a tiny bundle was thrown car him. it contained all of his worldly possessions. He painfully arose and started toards the large house in which he a!! *o make his future home. t),. n t> res,x>nse t 0 *H S timid knock Marine T' r,ls i ,e( i to the door and seehim ■ |)athetic little boy, caught larP her arms and said, "Hello v ', ' ilen did you come? Why Ynnm nea, ’ y frozen, aren’t) you? 'll soon be warm though, after l« v* Sa * l>y tke Hre for a time. What 8 your name son?” name is Colonel Andrew Jack- ■ "Th r t i,nt h e Proudly replied, tha a njce name ” smiled Mar- • Do you know mine?” done c ti ° ne knww >t once, but Ah’s done forgot it, Ah has! " Bc .j. '. e y ° U Boing t 0 come to my !?°°‘ now ?” she asked him. you-an’m^ B all ago 4n ’ t’ come es died .4. " ave me - My mammy done ~-tnv A She wuz worked down, P a Py nevah did no work nohow.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1929.

He done said he waren’t agoln* t’ have a lazy good fo’ nothin’ boy ’round him. He done put ma brothas and sistahs out t’ work fo’ they keep. He done said es dat woman what was atakin’ boys wud have me she could. Won’t you-all take me—cuz nobody done want me!” he sobbed. ’’Now you mustn’t cry! It makes your eyes red and you feel bad. What did they call you at home, Andrew?” she questioned. “No they-all called me Chaffy. O.ie time a man who cud read said it would be a good name fer me—cuz Ah wuz so useless." “Well we won't call you that here, so you and forget all about it. I think Drew would be a nice name for you. Andrew is too long and there already is one Andy here so we'll call you Drew.” “It sounds nicer than Chaffy.” He made an effort to smile as he agreed with her. “Will you-all keep me hyar?” “Yes, as long as you obey the rules of the school!,” replied Martha. She was amazed at the way Drew could command her sympathy. Already she had promised herself never to forsake him. Poor little chatp—no doubt he had been treated badly at home after the mother’s death. She resolved to do her best for him. “You must go and wash your face and get cleaned up now. I'll get yon a suit like the rest of the boys wear and then our supper will probably lie ready,” she said as she filled a tub with water. Drew looked at her in amazement, “What's you-all got the tub fo'? It nevah done took so much watah to wash ma face befo’.” “But you must wash your body, too.” and seeing the look of disapproval on his face quietly added, “it’s one of the rules of the school. Drew." Quite clumsily he attempted the unfamiliar task. When she returned he was sliding around on the floor on the soap. “Why Drew! What are you doing"? "Ah doan know ma-sel’. Ah nevah befo’ done seen dis heah white stuff. What does you-all call it ?" he queried. “It's soap and you are to wash yourself with it and not stand on it and slide around." she kindly explained to him. When he appeared for supper his transformation was so great that Martha would have said they were two different persons had she not known the difference. “Boys, we are having potato soup for supper and there is plenty for all. We have a new boy with ns tonight. His name is Drew Brantford. I shall expect you to all do your part in helping him get acquainted. Let us all bow our heads and say the Lord’s prayer.” At that moment twenty-five boys bowed their heads and reverently said the prayer. "Dinah, you may start serving now" announced Martha to the colored maid When they had all been served, she noticed Drew hesitating somewhat before starting his soup. "What's the matter Drew? Soup too hot?" she aske in a whisper. “No-ah-ah doan lak it!" he replied, two tears just beginning to roll down his cheeks. Seeing that the other boys were looking at him she said, "We’ll just pretend that you are eating until the others are finished and we will see what we can do about it.” She was not long in discovering that Drew had a very great, inferiority complex. He disliked any sign of courtesy from the other boys and wculd cry at the least cause. After unsuccessfully trying many means of helping him overcome this she discovered that he was very much interested in stories of great wars. She would give him books to read and then have him tell it to the clasd. Gradually he became interested in other things although he was not very much interested in working no learn more about them. Drew was not dependable. When each boy was doing his special task more often than once Drew was found out some place in the large wood reading a war story. Punishment did not help him. He was very sensitive to any remarks made about his uselessness and would brood over some mention of it for days. Once Martha threatened to send him away from the school, but when he looked up at her with a look of pity in his eyes she couldn’t make herself do it. Then came the great war! Here was. Drew’s big chance to prove himself! Drew was one of the first to enlist. He was just, eighteen, in splendid health, and his great figure was the envy of all the boys at the school. Indeed he was the ideal representative of Martha Berry’s school. Before he left he had a talk with Martha. Perhaps it was beneficial to him. “Drew, you now have a chance to prove yourself. To prove that you aren’t deserving of the name ‘Chaffy. Try to do your best, to be worthy of your school. So that you may have a constant reminder I will give you

Wives Figure in Latest Trade n “ . JI '-.sW® I (7®H| UtMl Mrs. Horace Reed, 25 (left), and her children of Bennett, Neb., who was traded bv her husband for Mrs Otto E. Slade (right) and her children. Reed 'nsisted that his wife was better looking, so Slade threw in a $26,000 garage as an added consideration and the deal was consummated. Both men are i ow in the Bennett jail. Notables Mourn Leader’s Death e f < ’ 111. / z Marshal Petain (left), General Pershing (center) and an American military attache (right) are shown in front of Marshal Foch home after paying tribute to the great leader as he lay in state. Notables of every nation paid homage to the commander of Allied armies during World War.

this ring. It was the prize possession of my father,” she said as she gave him an engraved gold ring with a ruby setting. Drew was overcome by both joy and grief, "Miss Berry,” he murmured brokenly, “I’ll do my very best. 1 thank you-all from the bottom of my heart." He left soon after that. After weeks of drilling he was sent across to fight for his country and to L>rove himseilf. Daring feats of bravery soon made him the idol of his company. They called him “Glory Boy” because: "You are not satisfied unless you are out after some new honors and glory, hoy," one of his companions had said and somehow the name stuck. He wrote letters quite often to the school. They were filled with glowing accounts of the war. Never once did he fail to mention that he was always trying to prove himself worthy of being ‘one of the "boys from Miss Berry’s school.” After months of fighting and he had more medals than he could account for, he sent them with the following letter to the school: The Argonne Nov. 9, 1918 Dear Miss Berry and all of the “Boys,” I am sending to you the awards that I have received over here. I hope these shall be an inspiration to some “useless boy who can't realize that he isn't like the rest of the 'Berry Boys’!” There are rumors that the war may soon end. Yet no one knows —-save Gori alone. Before it is over I hope to have proved myself worthy of our dear school. One doesn’t realize things—nntU it is too late! I hope that I didn’t seem too unappreciative of all that you have done, for me. Miss Berry. May this confession of my soul be a lesson to some other lad who doesn’t really understand. Your own “Glory Boy,” Drew. Before the letter had reached its destination the war was over. There

was great rejoicing in the universe and in the Martha Berry school, "Glory Boy” was coming home! No word was heard of him for several weeks. But then it was not so alarming since exciting things were happening at all times. One day Joe Chandler, who was a great admirer of the “Glory Boy," came rushing into Martha’s study with a newspaper. “Oh, Miss Berry.” he cried, "they’ve got a soldier in Washington that they are burying as the ‘Unknown Soldier.’ He is to be the one whd is to represent American bravery during the war. It says that he was killed in ■Action.’ What does that mean, Miss Berry?" “Killed in action? Why that means that he died while fighting, Joe. Let me see the paper.” Quite suddenly Martha decided to go to Washington for the ceremony. She, quite unknown even to herself, felt that she ought to go. After announcing her decision to the pupils she started on her journey. When she arrived in Washington she found that the people were already viewing the “Unknown Soldier" and she did likewise. She gasped with horror as she looked at the face of the man, who was the bravest, and the one who was the most honored of his regiment, the one who was to be known and honored through the ages as rhe “Unknown Soldier”—the example for all men. “If I only had one thing for proof,” she sobbed, "something to prove that my suspicions are correct.” Glancing down to his hand she started and then smiled. “Poor soul,” someone said,' “she must have lost her son too.” Martha Berry was not sad any longer—on the soldier’s hand was an engraved gold ring with a ruby setting. o Dubious The hardest person to convince that there are as good fish in the sea as ever were caught is the girl who has lust landed the one she wanted.

The Citizen Editor’s note: The following essay on "The Citizen", was written by Bryce Daniels, a pupil in the Pleasant Mills high school. It won first place in the essay contest of the annual county high school lit-erary-music contest this year. The Citizen A good citizen is the member who does well his part in the life of the community. A bud citizen is the member who hinders the progress of the community when he might be helping. A citizen has certain rights and certain duties. His rights are what the community owes him; ills ditties are what he owes the community. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that we are not yet citizens because we are young. The Constitution of the United States says that "all persons horn or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” The part that a member plays in Community life may be more important that he realizes. Each member must be not only in a healthy condition but also well trained. So the patriotic citizen is not one who is unable to see defects in his community, or who refuses to acknowledge them, but one who has high civic ideals and is loyal to them, who understands in what respects these ideals have not been reached, and who, as a member of the community, contributes everything he can to keep it growing in the right direction. The people of the United States may be classified in three groups as follows: (1) native-born citizens; (2) naturalized citizens; and (3) Aliens. The first two of these —the nativeborn citigens and the naturalized citizens —are entitled to all the rights and privileges as well as the obligations of citizenship. An alien is a foreign-born resident of a country in which he is not a citizen. Although they enjoy almost all the rights of native-born Americans, and therefore have much of the responsibility of citizenship, until they are naturalized they are still considered as members of the country from which they came. Therefore, they are denied certain political rights, such as voting and holding office. These same political rights are denied to native-born citizens until they have reached maturity. Thus every child horn in the United States and subject to our laws is an American citizen, no matter whether his parents are citizens or not. The American born children of Ambassadors from foreign lands are not subject to our laws, but to the laws of their parents’ country, and are therefore not citizens of the United States. Likewise, the foreign-born children of our ambassadors are not citizens of their native land, but of our country. Our study of thrift and conservation showed us that good citizens provide for their future and assist our government to conserve our national re-

The World we live in TODAY the world is literally at our doors. A spin of a dial, and we listen to the President in Washington, or a football game in San Francisco. From our talking machines the greatest of operatic stars sing to us, the foremost dance orchestras play lively syncopatior of our choosing. Our automobiles stand ready to whisk us over smooth boulevards to new scenes. Mondav is no longer blue; toe family washing is done bv electricity; so too is U o e<<cl mg. and the preserving of food, and the sweeping of floors. Y-’s, the world we live in has changed ... changed marvelously for the better. Have you ever stopped to consider the part advertising has played in this change? Glance over the advertisements in this newspaper. How many of the products mentioned are old friends of yours, familiar because you already own them or intend to get them soon’ And the articles in your own home. Every one of them, probably, is advertised, either heve or elsewhere. The chances are you first learned of them through the advertisements. Advertising is important to you because it keeps you informed of the changes in the world. It tells you of new products, of improved designs and workmanship and materials. It helps you to spend your money wisely and well. It points you to the better things of life. Advertising is the herald of progress. Decatur Daily Democrat

sources for future generations of citizens We have also seen that our government guarantees uh religious liberty, freedom of speech, and freedom of tiie press. In turn, our government expects every Citizen to live in peace and harmony with neighbors of different religion, suoclal, anti political ideals. These three habits of every day life are possessed by al) good citizens: working for personal and public health providing for future needs; and practicing the spirit of tolerance toward others In the community. Our government expects every citizen, no matter how young, to develop these personal habits in order that national prosperity and the feeling of good-will may be increased. One of the most Important services performed for the community by the homo is that of training its members for citizenship. The family has been called “a school of all the virtues" that go to make good citizenship. It is a school in which not only the children, but also the parents, not only the boys and men, hut also the girls and women, receive training by practice. Thoughtfulness, spirit of self-sacri-fice, loyalty, respect, and obedience are developed in the home. If these qualitis of good citizenship are not

' I > 1 ■I .. 4 „w <' , CONSTRUCTIVE I HISTORY B M n #The history of the First I National Bank is one in which ml ,’, every citizen of the community , L feels an interest, because it has f been a history of community building, in which the prospernL ity of the individual has been n fw paramount. 1! g Capital and -

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cultivated in the home, it is not In a healthy condition nor performing its proper service to the community It is the duty of every citizen to obey the laws and to assist In their enforcement. His duty Is to know the laws that affect him and his business or profession. Every citizen should know the Imprtant events in the history of his country and always be ready to uphold Its traditions. It is also the duty of every American citizen to serve his community by participating in and giving support to its civic and welfare organizations. The greatest duty of a citizen is to prepare to earn a living for himself and for those who are dependent upon him for support. 0 — ■ — Lindy Reaches Washington Washington. Apr. 12. —(U.R) — Col. Charles A. Lindbergh took off from Bolling field at 2:05 p.m., 15 minutes after landing on his flight from Greensboro, N. C., today. He had a number of engagements today, but bad weather which detained him at Greensboro last night compelled him to proceed at once to New York there to meet the French cruiser bringing the body of the late Ambassador Herrick from Paris.