The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-06-02
WAR INCREASES
SOCIABILITY
AMONG TRAVELLING COMPANIONS
~ ALL TIE AFFECTED
COUNTRIES
Conversation . Very Easy Matter. and
u Always Brings Some Interest
ing Stories OF the War.
~tcopyriEht tsft.by the Chicago Tribune)
BY CAROLYN WILSON

~tcoDyriEht. isfs.by the Chicago Trfbune)
BY CAROLYN WILSON.
PARIS. May ia noticeable mi
nor result OF b war has been the in
creased ~sociability Of travelling com
panions. Nowadays no one would
think OF riding from Paris to seeaux-
about a half hour on b train-with-
out talking to ones neighbor.
There are so many way OF opening
the conversa;ion--Monsieur has mo-
seen the evening paper. perhaps? The
Tauben made an attempt at St Denis
this morning"
glass mourning wreaths in her lap.
Usually a fearful r~eticence hold one
dumb In the face OF sorrow.
But now she expects the question:
You have given some one. too. mad
ame-a son? A husband?' And she
tells you about Il simply, adding with
pride that he died leading the charge,
or that he was given the Legion OF
Honor before he succumbed to his
wounds.
You notice this increased friendli-
ness among the travellers more In Eng
aA1n Annh nug EOI lQtN nave
never been ~loquacious travelling COM
panions.
Stern must have been the exception
that proves the rule when he said.
Let me have a companion on my way
We're II but 10 remark how the shad-
ows lengthen as the sun declines"
] But there are many OF us who fear
that the story will be as long as the
shadows OF it's narrator Is too much
encouraged.
But / actually got into two long ar
guments on trains in England-an
easier thing han mere conversation,
1 4 admit. One OF the most iIluminative
talks l had was with two English So
c~ialists who had just come N of Aus
tria after three months of II. and
were trying to sell their experiences
to any English journal. only they
couldn't find one that was willing TO
accept their mild. Just kindly unvitu-
perative account OF life in the enemy's
country.
But France Is really the place for
conversation. I am the bosom friend
OF a woman I travelled to Clermont
with: I bow radiantly to a man who
lives down my street. a lockmaker.
with whom i once journeyed to Sen
lis.
And as for the English officers with
whom | came up from Marseilles. play
ing bridge all the night through, !
spent many INT many an hour in Eng
land taking things to their parents for
them or calling on a mother TO tell
her what I little I knew. For they are
all dead. brave fellows, all the sixteen
who made that trip so merry and
III IEl~A L-N- a. -
in action.
Then there Is the girl we met on the
boat coming from England. a Belgian,
looking for her lost father. They
wouldn't let her enter because she had
no money and were going to send her
back to England Of the same boat. so.
we paid her fare to Paris and later
found her a position Is femme de.
chambre to Nine. b. And every after
! noon she goes to the Belgian offices
here and looks at the aff1ches and asks
about her father. But she has never
heard a word.
Or there was the funny. eccentric old
American with his funnier, more &c
centric wife. who travelled from Boul-
ogne to Paris with us the last time.
We called them "Tiens, tiensi" be-
they were always saying some
thing 20 frightfuIly banal with tbs air
OF a weighty u~tterance. and yet in
spite OF their bromide remarks they
did the most unusual. unheard of
things possible.
We were trying L interest them in
our favorite Partisan charity, for we
felt sure that they had money and
could help II along. We painted in
tear-compelling tones the miseries and
hardships and little braveries OF our
p%roteges and Just before we drew into
the Care du Nord the woman Jumped
up, and yanking an enormous suitcase
on the upper rack. fairly dropped in
my lap.
There" she said. haven't got any
money. can't be giving cash, but IL
there's anything in there you can use
why take IT,"
My circumstances that there must
be things she needed and perhaps
money. n only a little. would be better
were OF no avail.
And when that suitcase was opened
we laughed till we cried. Our pro-
teges are little Partisan working girls
OF the midinette order. who are out OF
work during the war. and they need
food and clothes and that is about all
Vel. there were two pairs of her hus-
bands suits OF clothes. a steamer rug.
two pairs OF mems boots. much mascu.
line and feminine lingerie. reams OF
writing paper, and novels of the
T~auchnitz edition. several dozen hand.
kerchiefs. and a sewing bag and smell.
ing salts.
hope don't seem u~nRratefuI 10 The
American wOman-for otter all nor
things did some good. though NOT in
my ouvroir-but 70 was the oldest gif
10 make to girls that ! have ever seen
Last week going up north a way'
Where not many civilians 20. we had
some interesting people In the train
There was a householder one time
householder ri La Ferte. a ounde
soldier on for HIS con~valescence TO the
nome town. who had in his care a
silent creature IN uniform who nevor
spoke. a rarely lifted his eyes. whose
ace Wa a pale unhealthy gray.
ne mad lost his memory. his Friends
said. N went from him ono A..