Evening star., 1915-12-27

| simple folk song of their home Regions.
and examined parcels from home and
talked of victory. One soldier read a
little note from home. which said
This year it is who play father. This
year l broke open my savings bank
| and am sending presents to papa at
| the front" The soldier didn't explain
| who. the writer was, but his thick,
coarse beard failed to. hide touching
smile with which he accepted the re-
versal of Christmas roles.
They're singing over there, said a
soldier, just back from the first-line
trench. They've got an orchestra. and
| they're shouting to- beat all, but it
doesn't sound very gay"
Meanwhile, the impromptu concert in
| the trenches went on in tones that
were light, gay and confident. The
same phrase was heard in all the
| toasts given here. 1t was Peace
through victory"
a bombarded barn. covered by an i'm
provised roof. the midnight watch was
preceded by a concert, in which the
soldiers who joked the military on the
stage in peace times reversed the
order of things and with the greatest
zest caricatured the civilian behind
the zone occupied by the armies.
From Trench to Church.
All along the roads in this region two
lines passed in different directions.
Some with pick. shovel and rife were
going to take their turn in the
trenches. while others were going back
to the old village church to swell the
congregation. Officers. including gen.
erals, colone1s, captains and lieuten-
ants, with sprinkling of civilians and
many women. were in attendance.
AS in the quarters of the soldiers
in hn
attitude of the service brought out the
same note: Peace through victory"
A chaplain with the red ribbon of the
Legion of Honor on his surplice, who
more in the army, all of whom have
been cited in orders of the day, and
he himself twice cited for heroic con-
duct, preached on Peace Through Vic
tory"
A stretcher bearer, with a military
medal, and a grenadier, with a war
cross on his breast. sang a. Christmas
anthem, to the accompaniment of the
modest old organ. played by a simple
soldier with such master hand that
the best-cathedral music. The last
note, Peace on earth, good will toward
men," died away as the congregation
was fling out of the little church,
while In the distance the booming Of
cannon recalled mo truce for, Christ
mas"
How British. Soldiers Celebrated.
LONDON. December, IS, 7:43 p.m.-
The Reuter- correspondent at British
headquarters in France sends the fol-
lowing account of how the men spent
Christmas
christmas broke over the British
western front wet and blowing and al
together cheerless. AS the morning ad-
vanced the sun struggled through the
mists, by the soldiers dinner time it
was quite fine and very mild
The day was uneventful in the
trenches. Plenty of good fare was
provided and conditions were as COM
Portable as possible amid the water
logged environments.
Among the troops in reserve and
billets, Christmas was celebrated with
more thoroughness. The enemy SEEM
ed satisfied to spend his Christmas
the British lines. If the Germans mani
tested no desire to be aggressive, to
force them into hostile activity. On
the other hand, every preparation had
been made to meet the least tendency
to strafing, in a vigorous manner.
Hence, comparative quiet lay upon
the fire-withered zone. During the aft
ernoon every available acre of meadow
in the rear Of the lines was taken pos
session of for foot ball.
In the trenches themselves there was
much hearty singing, ranging from
what the French call that melancholy
hymn, Tipperary.'- to "A che la Morte.'
German Voices Heard.
I'm places where the enemy lines
skirt the British closely the cultural
chanting of the, Germans was borne
athwart the shrill song of the south
easter, and was invariably the signal
for a deeper outburst of chorusing on
the part of our men to drown the
sound.
"Overtures toward fraternizing by
the Germans were but slight and
faint hearted, as though their rejec-
ton was a foregone conclusion.
There appears to be a general sense
of relief among the soldiers that
Christmas is over. The spirit of the
season is, SO completely out of har-
mony with the grim atmosphere of the
trenches, and contrasts born Of remi-
niscences are not of a cheerful order.
1--WE don't want to stop and think
more than We can help said High
lander. We just want to get on with
IL - <f,f NAV SOnner he finished