The Tupelo journal., 1915-09-10
A Tommy
Atkins Yarn
By r. A.

back from fghtin' In Belgium. dis
charged from the service for disability.
The Germans discharged one Of my
arms, and that's the reason Him ex-
cused from fightin' any more.
All my friends ave been askin' me to
tel 'em a story about my hexperiences.
Hi only got n story, and Hive told that
a dozen times already. But anything
about the war goes, and heverybody Is
always ready to listen. Hi don't mind
tellin' it now il you all want to hear 1t.
Hi vas among the first hexpeditionary
force Lord Kitchener sent over into
Belgium. 1t was reported that we
were 10000 men, but there wasn't
much more than $4,000 in the first lot
of us that landed on the other side of
the channel. Hi was in the fghtin'
when the Germans drove US back on
Paris and when we run 'em at the bat
tie O. the Marne. Then there was a
short interval afore we got into the
trenches.
1t was in this interval and while we
was marchin' about changin' positions
hevery day that Hi, bein' 'pngry, one
day dug Out to look for sometbin' to
eat. The Gerpans wasn't at hany
great distance from us, and Hi 'ad no
business to be prowlin' about. but
'avin' nothin' to eat made me reckless,
I'll suppose. Anyway Hi spied a 'ouse
off in the direction Of the German
lines, and, heverything lookin' quiet
and peaceful there, Hi went over, and.
SEEM a girl washin' clothes in the
front yard, Hi asked 'er for somethin'
to eat. She says, Non comproney pa
and Hi says, Him not yer pa; HI want
somethin' to eat" At the same time Hi
chawed my fingers and rubbed my
stummick.
She took me into the 'ouse and put
some dry bread afore me with tile
O. wine. Think o. eatin' dry bread and
drinkin' wine. At 'ome we ave roast
beef, and if we git a pint o beer we
think we're dom well.
Hi was munchin' the bread and drink
in the wine, when through the win
der Hi sor twenty or thirty German
'orsemen comm straight for the 'ouse.
Hi looked at the girl as much as to say,
''Ide me-" She pulled up a door in
the floor, and Hi vent down a pair o
stairs into a cellar. The 'orsemen rode
I'D to the 'ouse, and lookin' through a
cellar winder Hi sor a general and is
staff and hescort. The general and is
staff dismounted and come into the
'ouse, leavin' the hescort outside.
Within the mex 'alf hour two other
generals rode up to the 'ouse, from diff
ferent directions and wen hin. Then
Hi card the cussedest lot o. jaw break
in talk Hi hever card hin my life. Hi
wished Hi could understand it, for hit
looked like a conference or a council O
war, and hif Hi got away after they'd
left Hi might tai some important
information to our commander hin
chief. But 'ow was Hi to understand a
language that vas worse than a cobble-
stone road and no springs to the Wag-
on? Hi card n mar say Mem
and another say "Jah," and then both
of 'em began workin' their jaws, shov-
in hout words like bullets from a rapid
fire u
Arfter awhile one O. the men got
blowed, and not being able to talk as
fast as the other histed the white flag.
Hanyway. they stopped talkin', and
soon arfter that they went out, mount
ed their 'orses and rode away. When
they'd got clean out O. sight the girl
| opened the door and said somethin' in
the French lingo that sounded like
"venney,' meanin', Hi suppose, that Hi
was to come up, and Hi mounted he
| steps. Forgettin' that she didn't under
| stand the only decent language in the
world, Hi axed 'er wot the generals was
talkin' about. She said somethin' like
Jenny WI compromi pa" Hi said,
your name may be Jenny, but Him
not your pa, as Hi told you once be-
fore"
Then Hi made signs by putting my
finger to my mouth and pointin' to the
! generals ridin' away, and after awhile
| she understood me. Then she whipped
a paper out of 'er pocket and landed it
to me. Hi looked at it, but it was all
| 'Ebrew to me, and Hi 'anded hit back
to 'er, but she made signs to me to
keep it, and then Hi got it through me
'ead that it might be somethin' dropped
by the Germans.
Before leavin' 'er Hi says, If Him
yer pa Hi reckon Hi Ort to kiss you at
partin',' and Hi gave 'er a smack. She
| didn't seem to mind it. and Hi made
off for the camp. When Hi got
there Hi reported to my captain that
HID got separated from the command
and bein' surprised 'ad id in a cellar
and told i'm about the German gener-
ais wei me cad. Then Hi gave i'm the
paper the girl 'ad given me.
Hi didn't ear nothin about that pa
per till we'd 'ad a lot O fightin'. Then
one day Hi was hordered to report at
general 'e%adquarters. Hi was scared
out of my boots. thinkin' Hi was goln
49, W. 0N