Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-03

@-NN- AANO N'S NNSS ~ NH~ $1,000
w prowling by night in search of food,
crouching by day In terror of bullets, sleep
less day and night in the rain-soaked mud of
the freezing trenches" 1t is a letter from
world Of war to the world of peace. 1t is the
story of a teacher turned soldier, the keen
Impressions of ]. Norton Cru, for six years
instructor in French at Williams College, who
returned to join his regiment at the outbreak
of war. and who writes to a former colleague
In these terms:
I'VE live here apart from the civil and
civilized world, in a military and subter-
ranean waste, and we are so happy to re-
ceive news from your world, from Will
Jams, which survives in such contrast to our
trenches. This reminds me that a few months
ago 1 was a teacher, a peaceful citizen de-
voted to his studies. A teacher? 1 hardly re-
semble one now. My long beard, uncut for
four months, gives me an almost wild appear
ance; the mud of the trenches covers me
from my heavy boots to my well-worn kept;
my garments are torn and are falling to
pieces; my face goes unwashed for a week
at a time (once for two weeks); all of which
is scarcely professional.
When the Moon Comes Out
The life that I lead is hard, very hard,
but 1 find within myself latent reserves of
stoicism and healthy vigor, the existence of
which had not even suspected. I have been
at the front since the 18th of October. First
we were set to digging trenches for our COM
rades, later we occupied trenches made by
others. Yes, 1 have directed a squad of men
with picks and shovels. And thrilling 1t is to
do this work on a dark night opposite the
German trenches which are firing upon us.
Then you fear the moon, for as soon as 1t
- LID LIE.
dzinn. comes a volley of rife balls. We are
ordered not to fire, not to reply, but to work
fast, very fast. All. these bees of the night
which buzz in your ears, what a horrid sound
they make. As soon as we hear the first one,
we throw ourselves fiat on our stomachs, our
faces close TO the ground, and wait until 1t
is over. Then back to the picks and shovels
again.
For more than a month'we were in a vast
forest where the hostile aeorplanes could not
see us. We built huts of branches, where
we lived quietly enough, in spite OF the shells
which few over our heads, destined not for
us but for others. One evening. however, as
I was finishing my ration, a sharp kissing
noise followed by a %deafening explosion filed
US with terror. 1t was a shell of great cali
bre. a 'marmite,' as we call them. that had
fallen nearby. In a few minutes we were all
In the deep holes that we had dug near our
huts in anticipation of just such an exigenoy.
1t was lucky for US that we had these re-
treats, for other 'marmites' followed, whose
enormous fragments moved down branches
and small trees all about US, No one OF us
was injured.
Like Beasts of the Forest
? Since then we have moved and we are now
not far from Verdun. We pass successfully a
period Of four days IN the trenches and four
days in a village somewhat in the rear. yet
not beyond the range OF the German shells.
The hostile trenches are at distances from
our own which vary from 900 metres to
scarcely 10 Cess than IS fee) in certain cases.
At the point where I am stationed a broad
valley separates the two lines.
"our life in the trenches is very curious.
We are like the beasts OF the forest that hide
during the day and are active only at night
when they come out in search OF food. Dur
ing the daytime w watch without daring
70 show ourselves, for II a head appears but
Tor an instant above the ground. there Is
the hiss Of a bullet and another poor fellow
has paid with his life for his impFudenee. As
the trenches are not very deep. there are only
3 few spots where L Is possible for a man to
stand upright without exposing his head.
There are arteries OF communication which
connect the different trenches ana IN them
you have to walk almost bent double. It Is
very tirssome 70 remain four days without
being able 70 stretch your limbs or to lie
down 70 sleep, We are forced to remain in a
sitting posture, erouehing low. with cramps
ID our legs ana pnhearabla numbness q our
arms some men sleep 4 little daring ne day.
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