South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-13
BRITISH TOMMY
ISAT HOME NOW
Settles Down to Life Along the
Front as if it Were the
Usual Thing.

PARIS, Aug. 13.-It rs curious to
watch the ease with which the new
British Tommy just arrived at the
first stage Of his remarkable foreisn
tour. his future as unknown as the
name OF the village in which ne finds
himself takes it all with as much
cOmpOsure as though he had never
done anything else. 8 host of them
were quartered on our village for a
few days They appeared unexpected
IS IN our quiet place from nowhere
in particular, filled the roads, the
barns, and the houses. and their
khaki became as usual in our land
scape as trees.
In half an hour they were nursing
children on cottage doorsteps. eX-
changing the antique village pleas
antries with old inhabitants. and Oc-
casionally with young ones, while
waiting their turn at the communal
pump; and were as reposeful in an
Client wayside barns as though these
weathered oakan beams were put
there by their forefathcrs. Some of
them assembled in the principal
street. with combs. and one became
"a solemn bandmaster. and so they
celebrated the occasion with music.
10 is obviously difficult 10 worry ma
lures of that kind. They look around
them with quiet interest. gaze at
premises labelled Debit de BLOSSOMS"
with knowing intelligence, ask what
BLOSSOMS are, and go inside
The last / heard of them was late
a few nights ago, where in an old
clubhouse they lay on straw in total
darkness. singing Joyous songs quite
new 10 France-though the list tune
they sang was of a different nature
IL.
an open window, IL was easy for this
country-nen of theirs to know where
Their thoughts were. The next morn
ing they had DISAPPEARED so compile
ely that they might have been no
more than an occurrence we had
been dreaming about.
Men Are Well Liked.
They are we'll liked here. There
is an understandings between the
French and our men which / should
say is unshakeable. Perhaps the
French of the country districts find
NJ even easier 10 get on good terms
with our Indian troops.
The Indians are of a shy. modest
and gentle nature, and themselves
living near To the earth at home, they
have certain kinship with the people
of the soil. Their interest in French
agricultural methods is frank and
their hosts welcome il. The Indians
seem % find no difficulty with the
language either. 1t is common to see
them i'm easy and casual conversation
with the French. one Of their Off
GERS told me ne discovered lately
some Of his men talking Flemish
This excellent standing-there
is no need 10 point out its vital value
though essential 10 the success of
the common cause yet could not have
been ordered like shells. But we
have IT, IL was the best feature of
the afternoon last sunday when a |
band of an Indian division gave a con-
cert in the square of "A considerable !
town not SO far from the firing line. /
The Indian musicians had bagpipes, |
and perhaps their French hosts i'm |
agined this was the wild music of the /
orient But il was the March of |
the Cameron Men" The Bridge OF
Perth and things like that. The |
first wall of the pipes filled the sur
rounding houses with faces UP TO |
the attic windows. and drew rapid |