 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of public service time has been made available by this station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail Julia Ward how our story is entitled song of glory a true story of the immortal Julia Ward how our first act curtain will rise in a moment but first this story about a courageous American woman of the past prompts me to say a few words about courageous American women of the present who are serving their country as service women in the United States Army and United States Air Force they had the gratifying knowledge that they are writing new pages in the history book during one of the most critical periods in our nation's history you can join these women by volunteering in the WAC women's Army Corps or in the WAF women in the Air Force visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station and enlist now and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production song of glory let me tell you about the girl humming that tune her name is Julia Ward someday she's going to sing a thunderous song of freedom a battle cry for equality but she isn't singing that song of freedom yet she's just an ordinary girl in the Boston of the 1840s a bit prettier than average but still very much like a lot of girls you know yourself Julia's mother died when she was a little girl and so her father raised her there were some things he could teach her but she had to learn for herself the bitterness of life and she had to learn harshly one of the she was to learn the night in her life when she met Samuel howl good night Reverend Barker and thank you for bringing your friend Mr. Howl good night Mr. Howl miss Ward I feel I cannot leave without apologizing apologizing Mr. Howl my conversation was not entirely pleasing to you would have been better had I not discussed my work on the contrary the description of your day makes ours seem like a sugar water existence you will accept my apology all the same of course Mr. Howl since you feel compelled to extend it good night Mr. Howl an evening well spent Julia in some ways you're quite the hostess your mother was in some ways father did I do something wrong I must say Sam Howl is a brilliant man I've never heard a talker quite like him he doesn't have to wet his tongue to do it he had much to talk about well I'm tired I'm afraid you showed evidence of that while mr. Howl was talking did I I didn't mean to did you really try Julia I know what you mean that I was rude and showed what I felt of his conversation but it was for everyone's sake it was so terrible listening to all that talk about incurable blindness cripples insanity Julia he is establishing a foundation here in Boston I don't care it was horrible listening to it all can't you see Julia Julia stop it this instant what yeah here Julia sit down beside me I have something to tell you you're 23 for 16 years now I've been both mother and father and perhaps not very successful as either but one thing certain I changed a great deal with your mother's death when she died I was left very much alone but I soon realized that I had to work to fill the bleak emptiness left by her death Samuel Howl is doing that for others for those who cannot help themselves to a fuller life your healthy pretty talented so most of your friends tonight perhaps for the first time you realize there are others in the world not so wonderfully fortunate as you those are the people Mr. Howl is trying to help I like to think of Sam Howl as well as a pioneer there are too many people who don't know that these people exist need help too many who seem to despise them for their ills father father what can I say don't ask that question ask yourself instead what you can do Miss Ward I was told I'd find a young lady waiting in my office you didn't expect it to be me well I was afraid my behavior in your home the other night it was I who should have behaved differently Mr. Howl you were an excellent hostess Miss Ward no no I was rude and abrupt and worse than that I was intolerant thank you for coming and telling me that I came for another reason my father enjoys your company very much and with Reverend Barker returning to Washington I was afraid for his sake only for his sake for mine too I could profit from knowing you Mr. Howl I hope you'll come often to our house thank you I hope you'll come often to visit me here father says that someday this may be an historic clinic what a great sense of satisfaction it must give you to bring hope into lives surrounded by darkness I look upon what they bring to my life a great deal for the lame the blind see more clearly than we through suffering their eyes have seen a glory that's denied to you and me with this deepening sense of values a new feeling was sweeping over Judea Ward perhaps distantly she was hearing the first notes of the great song of freedom she was to write but at that time the music she heard had other meanings for her we've danced three in a row sure I'm not tiring you I feel very happy not tired in the least afraid I haven't made much progress with these new steps you've made amazing progress what about the new steps you've taught me to any progress it's amazing to me you're able to work the long hours you're doing more amazing you understand so much of the work so short a time but you should spend more time on the poetry or beginning to write work at the clinic gave it its beginning that and something else something father says every young girl is bound to feel you mean there's someone toward whom you feel drawn someday I hope to feel worthy of his affection man must be a fool not to showing you that you are the man himself will tell you that his progress is very slow you mean Sam who do you think I mean Julia Ward and Samuel gridley howe were married in the spring of 1843 and then the gradual procession of years patient years years of struggle so that others might walk with sturdy limbs and a sense of sight the path through the years and because they were two people in love joy had its counterpoint of sorrow two themes building in the heart that was to give the world its song of freedom an evening in the how home in Boston in the early months of the year 1861 and you say you've looked everywhere Jenny and every one of his hiding places mother then I will come out of hiding Mrs. Howe so that Jenny may search for her young suit my mother Mr. Whittier was hiding in that chair all the time please accept the apologies of a crotchety poor Miss Howe and seek that young man I will Mr. Whittier the reason for my disappearance was that I was meditating on a dedication for a volume of verse to the charming wife of Samuel Howe John Greenley Whittier wishes to dedicate a book of verse to me all evening I've been wanting to ask you if I may but the word the phrase to describe you perhaps it can be found in your work for the blind the disabled that work is a dedication in itself I've learned strong lessons that perhaps is the secret of all great work I've done very little may look upon it that way I too feel your greatest work is yet to come I don't understand what you mean I don't really know myself except that well you have recognized this quality and other so you must know what I mean you've given a welcome and encouragement to young Mr. Whittman for this reason when the rest of us have well rather shunned him haven't you because his verse sounds ragged to your ears there's little music in a muted drum roll but when it speaks loud and full you'll listen freedom speaks through Walt Whittman your love of equality to this I could write my dedication and yet it doesn't tell everything here what of Julia the mother whose many sorrows I've given three children to God and find great joy in the one that he is left to me Jenny how like my golden girl if she had lived how happy it must make you that such a nice young man is in love with her it has brought me the greatest happiness of my life I think Arthur Stanley was sent to make up for many sorrows my son Richard would have had just that honest look on his face George would have had his vigor yes Arthur Stanley is a nice young man and the flowers spring to blossom where she works I thought Mr. Whittier would really get a chuckle if he knew you were reading his poetry to me he says he seems a lot better than I could silly you're always good enough for me except for some of the things you say they frighten me because you're afraid to open your eyes can't you see what's happened president Lincoln has been handed a lighted fuse next few weeks may determine whether there be a union or not neither be a war to decide this with the possibility existing we can't live in a world of sentiment and poetry hey even your mother's poetry doesn't face the real problems I think Arthur the real problem is one we're all afraid to face even you this is how I'm sorry I had no idea please don't apologize you're right Arthur we don't admit to ourselves what it really means war you speak of the nation it will tear us under and that's a terrible thing but have even you Arthur given thought to the lives and hopes that will be torn as well I wish there were some other way that's what I meant when I said that I know what you meant it's a great tragedy that we cannot bring our experience to bear and find a solution to the problems with our minds the president is trying to do this and every day you and I pray that he will be successful and yet all Arthur talks of his fighting are going away to fight I'll have to Jenny if it comes to war but with the president working so hard how can it come to war a single shot can start a war it could come any day there's a garrison commanding the entrance to Charleston Harbor I've heard that it'll be a fired upon unless it surrenders within a week could this start a war we must pray with our president that it will not a military post that no one even knows the name of I think the garrison Arthur's referring to is called Port Sumpter at 4 30 in the morning of April 12 1861 a dull report jars the heavy oppressive silence of Charleston Harbor hundreds of eyes watching on the shore follow a spark as it hurtles through the darkness swinging over the harbor it descends seems to hover for a split second then bursts into flame war has come you are listening to the proudly we hail production song of glory will return in just a moment for the second act love and loyalty to one's country have never been the exclusive attributes of men women too have given concrete evidence of their devotion and courage now more than ever before the services of women are urgently needed to undertake thousands of jobs in the armed forces where a critical manpower shortage threatens the defense effort more than ever before the united states army and united states air force needs young women in its expanding forces so go to your nearest army and air force recruiting station have a talk with the recruiting sergeant he'll help you decide how you can best serve your country volunteer for service in the whack women's army corps or in the whack women in the air force do it today you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of song of glory discord and anxiety were the two themes playing counterpoint in the heart of the nation judy howl listened to the angry notes the timpani of hate and in a paper published by her husband and herself the commonwealth she sought to find a way out of the discord her pen wrote tirelessly articles editorials in spite of her anxious thoughts for author stanley and others about whom there'd been no word for six months since the outbreak of war and then in the twilight of an autumn day that same year at the howl home in boston julia what jenny and i have a surprise for you oh what sort of jenny i think your mother's ready when you see mother look who's come home to us author hello mrs howl why author well you look wonderful doesn't it you gave us no word that you were coming well i wrote as soon as i got leave for my regiment but i got here ahead of the letter he said sometimes when our letters were delayed he'd get hold of a copy of a commonwealth it was like a letter from home not only to me knowing the work you put into it but to all the men fighting with me like a letter from home knowing the folks back home were in the fight too and only a moment ago i was really beginning to doubt if the effort was succeeding this will only inspire her to work all them later into the night not if i have anything to say about it the general order was issued that all soldiers must return to their regiment at once i only have a few hours with you well we'll make them count won't we mother oh we will yes you can be sure we will carriage has disappeared down the road hampton will bring jenny back from the station shall we leave a light burning your last words to him were goodnight son well you soon be marrying our daughter if our sons had lived they'd be like him yes i'm sure of it strong you know i think his strength has doubled the strength from within that is where it comes from i think you're going to leave this light burning for jenny i'm going to stay and work by this lamp for a moment all right you good night good night dear strength in his body the strength in my hand i gave my son a palace and a kingdom to control the palace of his body the kingdom of his soul hey well somebody stop playing that tune for just a minute so i can get on with this letter oh dearest jenny it's not easy writing by the light of a kerosene lamp not easy to keep that tune out of your head every harmonica plays it in a soldier's camp but i'm getting used to it even to the shells falling near arbent campments harmless lightning comes closer than the others shaking the position and you hear the harmonica still playing the same tune you're sort of glad to have a battle him even one that has no words he says they're camped at a place near manassas mother are you listening yes dear i know where manassas is and how cold it can be in the winter but he says we probably haven't heard of the place they're camped how far from manassas it's bull run sam sam you don't suppose she saw this letter was it lying here like this i think so i don't blame her for reading it we've been acting so strangely wounded so badly we've got to find her you don't suppose she's going to be with him it's what i'm very much afraid of she'll be in various letter where is it he he says in all conscience i cannot ask you to come here to washington the opposing sides in the retreat from bull run have come this far and are posted on opposite sides of the potomac shelling each other constantly an attack is expected momentarily oh sam i'll leave it once for washington he will help us i'm going with you you've been through an illness i must go there are two young people in two young people closer to us than all the world late i'm glad you arrived before nightfall they wouldn't bring the train into washington we had to take a carriage from the last stop have you seen her reverend parker she came here i arranged for her to visit him at his bedside she remained to look after him and care for the other patients too little jenny and arthur will he live i cannot say but the workings of providence are not known to me in this hour of crisis i've not abandoned my faith or my belief that some goodness comes of all suffering but what i've seen frightens me i've often thought of the solemn marches in the night but the danger lies in the wrath that is stored in their hearts and minds wrath that god alone can't remove let's go quickly julia ward howe went with her husband and the reverend parker to the union encampment on the potomac centuries walked in the dusk of the night that was closing in on the watchful camp fatally from across the river came sounds from the camp on the opposite shore watching and waiting too and as they moved along the silent rows of tents julia howe heard for the first time that tune that every soldier's harmonica had picked up it was as though every soldier who had played it had passed along the ragged phrasing to the next for julia howe to hear with all its imperfections this cold december night in her life here are the hospital tents arthur stanley is in this one will you go in mrs howe thank you reverend parker sam look mother jenny you shouldn't have come oh but i'm glad you're here thank you reverend parker bringing me oh there jenny there there i didn't mean to leave you i did i had to be with arthur of course you did how is he mother what does it do come he's over here he's at his old bandage i changed the bandages this morning when the doctor came to look at the wound you've been very brave that's because you see me now you wouldn't have said that if you'd been here when the doctor told me about arthur what did he say jen the wound is too deep take his hand set this item when i do what i can for the others julia ward howe sat at the bedside of arthur stanley watching hopefully for the first sign of waking or recognition her daughter moved silently among the other wounded in the tent tending to them with a patience and skill born of no other knowledge than that which their needs had given to her mrs howe your husband and i feel that you should leave the camp now the shelling has begun from across the river i know i can hear the bursts i think he can too i saw him stir just now as though the sound had reached him you think he's waking julia see what you think jenny yes mrs howe we're concerned about your safety thank you reverend parker but i can't leave now i wouldn't want to leave jenny you're in danger shelling oh they're landing far away they'll come closer during the night you stop worrying see who's come to visit you hello arthur oh tell jenny she shouldn't have come jenny's didn't mean to cheer us up like a man they're very much like the son you have to come to us there's gentleness in your great courage i promise to look after jenny you'll do that for me when i oh no no i don't say that jenny anything takes you away jenny i i used to think there was danger in those harmless flashes of man-made lightning in the air now i know they never touched jenny they never touched me for i have seen his fateful lightning dearest he used to write of comfort that toon gave him to others i wonder if he can still hear it he called it a battle him played on harmonica for him needing words jenny shall we take you home now not now i want to sit here a moment very well dear i'll come back for you for him needing words are the words out there in the silence or up there in the sky torn by light sound through suffering our eyes can see a glory denied to other men my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord the danger lies in the wrath stored in their hearts and minds wrath that god alone can remove he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored i have seen his fateful lightning he had full lightning of his terrible swift sword his truth his truth is marching on morning i've been looking for you forgive me for frightening you i wandered further than i realized where is jenny back there she wishes to stay and continue caring for the second woman little jenny well we must follow her example sam we too have much work to do do you hear that tune i want you to listen to some words i'd like to put on paper side by side julia howe and her husband left the encampment on the potomic where that night out of suffering and trial was born a hymn a hymn destined to give courage to those who solemn marches fill the night and to those who watch and wait through the night julia ward howe had written a battle hymn for the times a hymn that was to become a song of freedom for the world you have just heard an interesting story about one of america's gallant women of the past if you're between the ages of 18 and 34 you're invited to join america's gallant women of the present who now serve in the wack women's army corps and the waff women in the air force visit your local united states army and united states air force recruiting station get all the details today this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with the station by the united states army and united states air force recruiting service this program featured a cast of outstanding players this is kenneth banghart speaking and inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail