The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-28
FRENCH SOLDIERS IN LORRAINE
HAPPY IN FACE OF GRIM WAR
Jokes Often Heard and Spirit of Men Exces That Found In Any
Other Section Of Great European Battle Theatre at This
Time

Nancy, Aug. 25.-It isn't possible
for an army to be happy. Every one
knows that. An army may be cOnh-
dent arrogant, determined, stern
but not happy. This is one of the
minor canons of war. Correspondents
by the score have demonstrated 1t.
Nevertheless the army of Lorraine is
happy. The look it's men wear is not
to he mistaken. They act almost like
schoolboys out for a romp. There Is
no lack of discipline, but they enjoy
themselves. They smile spontaneous
ly. They make little jokes. They
laugh freely.
What do you think Of them l
asked an American l met here.
They're full of the old pep, said
he That is an Americanism all Amer
leans will comprehend. After a mo-
ment he added:
Il think these men would charge
hell with "a can of powder"
We found an artillery captain on
the staff i'm one of the Vosges passes.
He personified this spirit to me. He
was the most brilliantly alive man
have ever met. He enjoyed the war
and his men and the trenches and the
mud and the discomfort to the very
core of him. He fairly bounded on his
way from sheet excess of happi-
ness.
proprietor showing off his acres" said
one member of our party.
He was more exuber nt-mOre
viz Nid-than any one else We met, but
the others had the same spirit These
men are no doubt fighting because
il is their duty to fight, and because
they can't help themselves, and all
that sort of thing. But they act like
men who are fighing because they ne
JOY it, They seem to have a personal
interest in the war. Thus is their
war they seem to say to you-'and
isn't it a pippin?"
Cook and His Soup.
We met a cook upon narrow path
leading to a trench in one Of the
passes Of the VoSges. With his helper
he was carrying a steaming cauldron
Of soup to the front line. Ordinarily
one does not stop to pass the time Of
day with cooks in mountain passes
But we had the artillery captain with
us. He beamed upon US as he parad
ed the cook.
Don't you want to taste the soup -
he asked
/ didn't want to taste the soup. But
before / said so-before l revealed the
cruel truth caught the look upor
that cooks face He was glowinl
with pride in this creation of his. He
was frank about it. He isn't the sor
of an artist who will skulk in the cor
ner of the salon and admire his paint
ing from afar. He would be right III
on the brass rail, this cook-and prob
ably clapping his hands.
"A spoonful" l said.
A sunrise spread over his face. H
dipped that spoon in as though i
wene a rite-carefully between tn
floating bits Of bread-and handed
to me almost with prayer. When
had finished it he handed me another
He didn't ask me this time. He krey
the quality of that soup. He kney
that IL l declined that second spoon
full l would sorrow for it to my dyin
day. That sort Of a cook doesn't bre,
soup for grouchy men. They are hap
py. or he would not manifest tina
acolytic ecstasy. Grouchy men parti
cular hate cooks.
We came to a battery Of field piece
through a winding path, half trench
half covered way. l watched the me
as our party examined the guns. The
eyed us just as the head groom doe
when the stable favorite is brOugf
out. If we had not compliments
those trim beauties-well, they wou1
have asked us to stay while ley e1
planned further. Each gun had
name, it seemed, and their chara,
teristics different. Their men love
them. and were fiercely jealous OF tt
cheer. What would a grieving ma
care whether guns voice were me
low?
Newspaper at the Front.
We visited a newspaper office
near front trench that one wake
In the neighborhood with circun
spectiOn. ia Guerre Joviale' is fl
OF jokes So are the walls of the new
paper office full of bullet holes. Tn
fact hasn't dampened the spirits
the editors. When not engaged
turning out humor for the fro
trench they have ornansented the WI
OF their shack with cartoons Of Il
Germans and each other md the
allies On the ceiling overhead foe
prints had been painted. Nothil
startingly funny about that. Of cour.
But an unhappy man would not ha
thought Of it.
Where is the Boy Poilu?" shout