Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-12-27
French Soldiers Worship,
Get Gifts and Produce
Stage Comedy
APPEAR IN TRENCHES
Orchestra Lends Aid to Festivities
Peace Through Victory is Theme
= on Every Hand. K ;Es:3.

Arras. on the French Front. Dec.
27-Hundreds of big shells tore the
air over Arras all Friday afternoon.
The echoes of these were the last
compliments of the season, and they
had no sooner died away than tne
life of !Arras began to show ltseiL
through reopened cellar doors and
windows in preparation for the usual
Christmas festivities. The people OF
the Artois region rise above their az
Aictions due to the war and the spirit
of !Arras survives among the heaps
of ruins.
at would be really Il shame If we
had not gotten used to it during all
these months" said woman selling
postal cards and stationery by
candle light on the first floor OF
building three parts open to the SKY.
what we've got to do" the woman
continued. is to hold out for tlnai
victory and lasting peace"
After the usual systematic shelllng
died down, rifle shots and the occa-
siona rattle of machine guns was all
that broke the stiffness of death tnat
settled over the city. The Cathedral
where midnight Mass was SAID last
wear under the thunder of cannon,
stood out against the twilight in rag
yed ruins like !. spectre, with crum6i-
inp walls of demolished buildings all
around. giving the aspect Of gigantic
cemetery with decaying headstones.
The rattle of machine guns struck
IN again and few rife shots rang
through the clear air. Toward s o'clock
the soft strains Of an organ were
heard from an invisible source. Cong
through heaps of stone and glass to
chapel entrance, candle-hght was
seen fickering through the darkness
4 short distance away. Staff officers,
waiting for dinner, led the corrrespoli-
dent to an adjoining room, which re-
sembled the crater Of miniature eN-
tnct volcano.
"If it continues much longer, you
are likely to have your dining room
also opened to the weather. said
the correspondent to the officers
THAT is quite possible" replied a
captain, "but the destination Of a
shell is something over which We laVs
not found any control yet, have we,
lieutenant?" But the lieutenant was
absorbed in an illustrated paper,
which had just arrived, and made no
comment
Santa Claus and the Christmas
spirit, Notwithstanding therwar, were
in evidence everywhere along the Ar
tots battle front, where the CORES
pondent passed Christmas eve. 'Fhey
were in the trenches and shelters
with the simple soldiers; in the tenn
porary barracks, where the tradItlo-
nal Christmas eve theatre was re-
placed by an improvised concert and
vaudeville that almost rivaled the best
Paris could do in time Of peace. IN
the quarters, where the officers cele-
brated with no less simplicity, and III
the first little church still defylns
she'll fire, that one finds behind the
battle front midnight Mass was cele-
brated. From the. road running almost
parallel to the trenches rockets shoot
ing up into the air from both lines
recalled the Fourth Of July fireworks
in America. An officer explained that
this was partly due to habit.
Fuses are set off every night.
the officer explained, even when the
moon shines brightly, as tonight, anc
besides, the Germans may, as last
year, have an idea that we are going
at them before morning" .,!ss4s.