The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-04-23

I They have been quartered In this
stables at Hastings townsite. used
for thorobred horses during the an
nual exposition.
Four men 70 a stall was the al
lotment. There they slept; there
they pitted their wits and the fates
against the vagaries OF poker and
seven.up.
There they devoured news from
the front and. in groups. fought the
battles that their kinsmen who hnt
gone before were fighting 10
/ France.
Every DAY they have drilled. roi
few hours each day they have
been permitted TO go home. Most
OF them have dinner every might
with their wives and babies or with
the old folks. then back TO thell
quarters IN the stables. where they
must be by o. m.
Saturdays they are dismissed a,
.. m. and allowed the afternoon
off They receive for all this q
soldiers nav.
They all shudder when they men.
ton the past few months. There
IL not one OF them who would not
rather be In the trenches.
True, the business OF tearing
themselves away from the folks a,
home Is something TO sober them T.
| but then. Vancouver. In the pas,
few months. has become a changed
city.
She II a war city now. and the
faces OF her people are set In de.
terminedly cheerful lines. None OF
them let's anybody else suspect tina,
he Is anything but pleased to death
10 see a brother 20 away--undoubt.
edly forever.
so. to outward Appearances. the
parting won't be the fearful. heart.
wrlnging affair II was last fall.
when the first train load OF sol.
diers rolled away from the c. r. r.
depot.
a family that Rad five bio
sons when the war started. Will
be reduced to one son and
father and mother. when the
third contingent leaves. The
mother has decided that the
fifth son shall STAY at home.
~ think four Is enough" she
explained cheerfdly 10 a Star
man. with about the same out
ward sembIsnce Of emotion she
might have displayed had she
been discussing probabilities
Of rain.
Two Of her soldier boys we're
standing at either side OF her,
with their arms around her, as
she spoke.
Maybe we'll get a chance TO
shoot the kaiser, mother" one
Of them laughed.
~ hope so, my SON." she re-
piled. her voice suddenly VI
brsnt with hate.
The two already at the front
have been sending home letters all
a.thrill with the excitement OF the
campaign. One OF them is In the
trenches: the other in the artillery
Both say they are having great
sport. IL IL az tho they we're on a
hunting trip,
The Star man saw n letter from
the boy In the trenches. On II was
stamped the o. X. OF the censor.
Il am very comfortable" said the
letter. AS I write. the bullets are
melting a piece OF metal with the
force OF their impact. about three
feet from where / sit WE ARE
HAVING a GRAND TlMEl
We are in a trench formerly oc.
cupied by the Germans. We have
been here only couple OF days
but we have made several i'm.
provements. II is much better now
than when the Germans had II"
After the mother OF the family
had finished reading the letter %
The Star man. she turned to the
telephone and. In a pleasant voice,
ordered the meat for dinner
The Star man was supposing the
boz had forgotten himself and
stood up after he finished that let
ter
Why. he might have beevead
week or more now
IL seemed all very terrible, but
the family went on with their daily
tasks. apparently unconcerned
The other boy in the war zone
was too busy 10 write. He had Just
sent one OF Kitchener's famous
service postal cards.
on II we're printed a half dozen
or more sentences. And all but
one OF these the boy had crossed
out. and had then signed his name.