Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-09-08
BOYS ON THE BORDER MISS
SOCIETY OF THE FAIR SEX


back home knew how much the
soldier boys on the border yearn for
woman's society, they would be both
sorry and slad-sorry that they can't
be here 10 cheer their young men
friends with a smile and a word, and
glad that their sex Ia receiving the
compliment IL is from the boys in
khaki.
II anyone wishes to know the great
est deprivation of camp life far from
home, just tell them II Is the loss
of woman's society. To every man OF
the many thousand who are now en-
camped on the border, woman has
played an important part in his life,
a part that the men have never be-
fore realized. II he is not married,
he has. perhaps, a girl In whom he
Is interested, and II not that he has
at least had the benefit of meeting
women in his everyday walk of life
at the store, workshop or ofIice. And
always his evening stroll, at home,
has been frightened by a "how-de-
do from some girl OF his acquaint-
ance, but this is gone
How much this meant to him.
Johnny noughboy' did not under
oNNAAN MAAsAA AAO AC9SsACA LAE BQEWGE.
On the way down he was greeted BY
motherly women and cheered by the
fairest girls in the land. who gave
him their addresses and gazed at his
uniform and aeeoutrementa az they
would at the trappings OF a knight.
Being a hero" he made the ac-
Quaintance of the fair sex without
trying. They came to him, casting
aside maidenly reserve asked bis
name and gave their own.
Here, IN the lonesomeness of camp,
amid heat and dust and eternal sum
shine that biazes at him with a mock
ing glare from morn until night, the
soldier boy finds himself deprived
Of even a single word with q woman.
No women visitors come to his camp
and IL they did, Johnny couldn't talk
TO them. It's a working camp and
Johnny Is a worker. Occasionally an
automobile will pass thru camp with
one of the fair sex comfortably seat
ed In It. and az the soldier boy looks
! up from his task to take a fleetine
glance. IL seems to accentuate the
hunger of his heart and his lips seem
I to murmur, "Oh, IL / could only
speak to her-if she were 10 only
say that Il IL a fine day" II would
be relief. This may seem odd TO the
\ folks at home, who have never been
communicated from the society Of
The gentler sex, but 1t is true that
his Is the feeling that Is found iB
the hearts Of ninety-nine out of every
one hundred who zee an occasional
woman In camp
But. say the girls at home, don't
the soldiers get a chance to 70 to
town to meet people socially? They
90 to town, but IN the case Of enlist
ed men. their principal diversion In
wandering about town. going to a
movie show. where he sees none but
the men who are doing border duty
with him. He may wander into a
i stag dance hail. but as q general
rule the men don't care about dan
cling with their own sex. Then ne
starts for camp-he must be there
by p. m. but he generally turns
! Ia at 9.30-and when he arrives he
is empty handed, empty hearted, and
! as lonesome as a man On q desert
! island. His lonesomeness has been
increased by what he has seen in
. town. The streets thru which he
|. wanders are. between and . al
. night, filled with promenaders. who
. lightly dressed in their white linens
look cool. And how johnny longs Ia
/ be one OF them. for cool "a one oi
the foremost thoughts I'm hfs world
/ And how eontented these people look
/ but they gaze right thru the soldier
/ boy from up north and don't even
J seem to know that he il there, neve5
] betTaying any consciousness OF his
! presence
! This is practically true OF the fem
) Inine portion of the crowd. The sol
: der. IL bis dusty khaki. Is 30 herr
20 them As be passes thru the Grove
he cannot help hnt thfnk that IN.
warm greetings be received on IN.
J way down are part Of q fantaatfl
dream. There is only one thing tha
keeBs the men IA khaki eoafen1efz
: and that Is faith. They Needed 4 EAT
from their eountry-fhey came {.
I serve Old Glory-they came with IN
fact staring them IN the face. tina
/. they were called upon 10 perform