"A Friend 
     
    
   
   
    
     Author Unknown 
     
    
   
   
    
     Dear Mom and Dad, 
     
    

    
     The war is over, my task is 
     
     through. But Mom there is something I 
     
     must ask of you. I have a friend, oh 
     
     such, a friend . . . he has no home you 
     
     see . . . 
     
    
   
   
    
     My Son, » 
     
    

    
     Of course we don’t mind if some- 
     
     one comes home with you. I’m sure he 
     
     can stay with us . . . a day or so or two 
     
    
   
   
    
     But Mother, . 
     
    

    
     You don’t understand . . . what 
     
     I’m trying to say . . . I want him to live 
     
     with us for as long as he may . . . But 
     
    
   
   
    
     Mom, I must tell you something . . . 
     
     Pleasexdon’t be alarmed . . . My friend 
     
     was in a battle and just happened to 
     
     lose an arm. 
     
    
   
   
    
     My Son, 
     
    

    
     Don’t be afraid to bring him 
     
     home, he can stay forever, at least a 
     
     week or two or so . . . ‘ / 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     But Mom, 
     
    

    
     He's not - iust a friend, he’s a 
     
     brother too. That is why I want him to 
     
     stay and be a son to you. But before 
     
     you give an answer there is something 
     
     I must say. My friend iust fought a 
     
     battle in which he lost a leg . . . 
     
    
   
   
    
     My Son, 
     
    

    
     lt hurts me to say, but the answer 
     
     must be “NO,” your father and I have 
     
     no time for a boy who’s crippled so .\ . . 
     
    
   
   
    
     So . months later a letter came, 
     
     saying theim had died. When they 
     
     looked ’at the cause of death the letter 
     
    
   
   
    
     _ said “suicide.” 
     
    
   
   
    
     Sometime later when the casket 
     
     came, draped with the country’s flag, 
     
     they saw their son lying there without 
     
     an arm or leg.