The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-05

"The war-when will II f1nish?' they
say. Another winter, Bah"
Some time later darkness has set
in and rhe supper Is finished. The
men clean the tin plates and spoons
with chunks of the heavy military
bread. and folding up their knives put
them back n their pockets. They
close the door To- secure themselves
from the ears of the enemy and some
one starts { sing softly as they sip
the red VIII" from the blue flannel
covered c%anteens.
Il Know That You Are Beautiful
h" sings. and 500 every n joins in.
Tho sergeant has n remarkable
tenor In former days he sang at the
Madeleine IN Paris. There Is a good
bass and they sing We'll with the quick.
soft melody Of French music. one If
the soldiers has n l~ewsharp. Il is Il
happy group in the snug little place
measuring only a few feet each way.
With the means ut their disposal the
men have nttod !, ny 80 tina; Il il ns
homeIIke a. possible,
Hung over wooden pegs driven into
the earthern walls are their steel he'll
NETS. There are also "A soldiers cap.
several canteens and a picture cut
from "A magazine Of an English soldier
in nohby uniform walking through a
trench With a cane. ~ - sid is 4
picture Of a French soldier.
Al Of the men wear 'ho War Cross.
Thrice their number are all that pa
nam of tho once gallant company az
30 men. They are veterans, these soI-
diers, vino wer. in IN. thick Of tho
hot, hlOudy months Of the past sum
mer and autumn when death or in
jury 10 every man seemed only n que
tiou OF days. ofttimes hours. II wa
when they were advancinC, inch 10y
inch. 20 the present position here. Z
l. n place of vantage, SO coveted hy
both sides that thousands paid thell
lives for ~ possession, and now, after
months Of fighting, the French over
! look the German positions from III,
top Of "A slight hill.
They are too Well fortified 70 l..
driven back aga.n, they say. confident
and satisfied. Looking back oye th,
~fearfully torn stretches. vast, yawn.
ing holes. uncountable sp!!nters q,
things and burst shells. marked here
and there by the semhlance ot form.,
trenches that have been blown upar
and blown in again. n pictures {
wake Of ~praveyards. They make shall
low coverings for the gay young feel
lows IN marched up in their turn, ant
with them are incredible stories
miGhtier tina the imagination coul(
frame, hat will possibly never b. told
Every turn in the trenches now hring'
memories TO III. remaining ones.
Those In the dugout are of duty ful
the next six hours. They viii speu'
another hour talking and hen the!
will go TO bed to get some rcst befoi,
taking w their watch again at mid
night. The chill of the rainy nigh
penetrates into TN" place, but tn.
mind 1, not. They are well clad hi
winter with heavy waistcoats " sheep
.kin, good. long overcoats and boot
/. that come near the hips. II il muc'
! better than last winter.
: Things remain quiet alons the line
as far a. they can hear. ono" !
, "a while there Is - sharp crack of
rife a. some soldier near by fires !
, the direction of the en"my's tronch
break the monotnny. 1t is almost II
variable .Jllowcd by = shot or so .
reply from the enemy 10 Show the
, are on the lookout. some distan,
away there is a sharp, tearing repnl
as "A grenade eXplodes INC a momeE
, later II muiiied report as some Frenc
n soldier sends over a grenade into
= German trench, once there was
!, deep rumble as a mine vas probabl
< set Off. But il was out Of h sect,
and 80 far away that II sounded ill
distant thunder.
q As the men talk the lbs on the hi
u at the far end Of the tow Tn tho rei
{ open up for several seconds and II
soldiers. knowing. listen for the swis
g and crash If the shells exploding
g the German lines. But the shcl
shrek by overhead and their crash'