Part 02: Dene Barrett Fry letters, 17th May 1915-16 April 1917 - Page 117
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[Page 117]
2
what Alan was to her. Now to-day, Sunday just after Church parade I have Fathers & yours. I think you are very brave Mother dear, but of course you cant help being the proudest woman in the world through all your grief. I know everyone would be nice & kind to you for your son was much of Uncle Jim in his way of winning people to him. I tell you I have come to value the "man" in men more than their earthly attributes of education and the flimsy skene of plausibility so many attack you with, more & more every day I'm in this army. There are lads in this unit who have befriended your son time & again, men who don't allow just the mere difference in civilian positions to make any barrier between them, and these are the true men. This is the "man", and yet I couldn't take them home with me. It's a funny world. Alan was like that. He was a pal to everybody, and I'll bet he never did a man a bad turn in his life. Some of the plausible kind I made friends with in Liverpool camp, have turned out despicable rotters without a spark of manhood in them. They feather their own nests and poison peoples minds against others. One is Spence. Bar! I reckon I