Читать книгу The Times Great War Letters: Correspondence during the First World War - James Owen - Страница 36

INTRUSION ON BEREAVEMENT

9 February 1915

SIR,—MAY I, AS ONE whose sad privilege it has been to announce the death of one of his sons in action in your paper, venture to make an appeal on behalf of those who in the future may have to follow in my footsteps?

I appeal first to those who in the interests of their business watch your obituary columns, and think they afford an opportunity of pushing the sale of their wares in the form of sculptured urn or Iona cross, forgetful, perhaps, that our boy lies “within some lonely glen,” the very site of whose grave may have passed already from human memory, or may perhaps be identified by some faithful French peasant in whose cottage he died when we go on our way weeping to find it when the war is over. I would ask these tradesmen to respect our mourning and to remember that few of us, be we father, mother, husband, wife, have not already had recourse some time or other to their services, and when the time appropriate occurs may seek it again.

Then, again, there are the photograph enlargers, miniature painters, &c., and finally I would appeal to those who, with a singular lack of delicacy and failure to understand the ethics of Christianity, take the opportunity of plunging our stricken souls into vexed questions of eschatology, and ask us to ponder the probability of our dear one’s “soul being saved” by means of circulars dwelling on this solemn subject. It is not only impertinent but fatuous, and would seem almost incredible that people should have such bad taste; but it is the case, and only last week such a pamphlet found its way into my fire.

Then, again, there are other societies of a philanthropic character who take the opportunity of a chance appearance of one’s name in the paper to urge the insistence of their claims at a moment when personal sorrow does not make even the most benevolent the most approachable.

I suppose these worthy tradesmen and societies can have no knowledge of the pain and annoyance they give in systematically opening wounds that God’s comfort is quietly healing, but if they have not, I would ask them to put themselves in our place, and not to exploit our grief for their advantage, and whilst we mourn our fallen soldier, leave us alone in our glory.

Yours faithfully,

PATER MÆRENS