The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-09-23

Of Civilization" describing the i'm
pressions Of visit TO the fighting
line in France.
BY RUDYARD kiPLIN0.
fCopyright, l9l5, by the Sun Printing and
Publishing association
WYE passed into the zone of an
M other army and a hitler coun-
W try where the border villages
lay more sheltered. Here and
there a town and the fields around 1t
gave us a glimpse Of the furious indus
Try with which France makes and han
dies her material and troops. With her.
as with us. the wounded officer Of ex-
perience goes back to the drill ground
10 train the new levies, but it was al
ways the little, crowded, defiant vii
iages with the civil population waiting
unweariedly and cheerfully on the un-
veariea and cheerful army that went
closest to the heart.
Take those pictures caught almost
anywhere during journey-a knot OF
little children in difficulties with the
Village fountain or high handled pump.
"A soldier, bearded and fatherly or
young and slim and therefore rather
shy Of the big girls chaff, comes for
ward and lifts the ball or swings the
handle. His reward from the smallest
babe swung in the air or, If he IS an
older man. pressed against his knees is
q kiss Then nobody laughs.
The Missing Wine.
Or a fat old lady making Grafton
against some wicked young consTlpts
who, she says, know what happened
10 a certain bottle of wine, and l
meant it for all-yes, for all of you
this evening instead of for the thieves
who stole it-yes, l tell you. stole 1t.
The whole street hears her. SO does
the officer who pretends not to and the
amused half battalion up the road.
The young men express penitence. She
Rrowks like thunderstorm, but, soften
ing at last, cuffs and drives them a.
zectionately before her. They are all
one family.
Or the girl at work with the horses
in plowed field that is dotted with
graves. The machine must avoid each
sacred plot, so, hands on plow hits
her hair flying forward. she shouts
and wrenches till her little mother
runs up and swings the team out OF
the furrow.
Every aspect and detail Of life In
France seems overlaid with smooth
patina of long continued war, every
thing except the spirit Of the people.
and that is as fresh and glorious as the
sight of their own land in the sun
shine or the Frenchwoman.
City the Kaiser Needed.
We found city among the hills
which knew itself to be Il prize great
ly coveted by the kaiser, for truly it
was pleasant a desirable and an in
solent city. Its streets were full OF
life 1t boosted an establishment as
big as Harrod's full Of buyers. and its
women dressed and shod themselves
with care and grace, as BELTS ladies
who at times may be ripped into rags
by bombs from aeroplanes. And there
was another city whose population
seemed to be all soldiers in training
and yet another given up to big
guns and ammunition. an eXtraordi
nary sight.
After that we came to little town
of pale stone, which an army had made
its headquarters. a sort of forgotten
provincial subcenter that in the dirty
old days some materialistic novelist
would have exploited in 300 pages.
Now it looked like plain woman who
had tainted in public. 1t had rejoiced
in many public institutions that were
turned into hospitals and offices
Wounded men walked its wide dusty
streets; detachments Of infantry went
through it swiftly and utterly bored
motor lorries cruised up and dowr
roaring. suppose, for something tc
look ut or talk to.
A Deserted Schoolhouse.
In the center of it found one fanny
OIy Idtuci, LIS udiOie UuoL. DAoooIAs
over minute iron rallied garden OF
half dried asters opposite Il shut W
school, which it appeared from the
description fanny had founded some
where in the arid thirties. It was pre-
cisely the sort Of school that fanny, by
the look Of him, would have invented
Not even French adaptability could
make anything of it. So fanny hat
bis school with faint perfume Of var
nish all to himself In q hot stiffness Of