Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-09-13
can friends, whom you have only
for a few months" ... ..

f'.,ter's answer was a beautiful ,n".
eve have the same religion he said.
So happy in the prospect of seeing
his friends. Peter set out on his long
march which brought him to us in the
early evening. ,.~.-.s't
Before we Separated; together, we
thanked the One. who in His loving
Blindness had brought to us this JOY
Gus reunion and afterwards, looking
at Peter, we said: Peter, you can
not know how happy we are to have
you here But you could not be as
happy as l." was his response. Then
l remembered, that for over year
and half. he had been living in a
mud filled trenches, or back of the
lines in abandoned farm houses, sleep
ing on straw. eating the coarest food;
| rememberd too. that for two years
he had not seen his aged mother and
father, nor his little bride of two
months; and I began to comprehend
something of what our loving interest
end more, what our spiritual COM
munion meant to the heart of this boy
of twenty-five.
AT last all reluctantly we conducted
our boy to his hotel room. He had
begged to be permitted to join his fell
low in one of their quarters, where he
might share their bed on the straw,
| but to this we would not listen. The
"Bedlinck's" best was none toe good
! for our Peter, so we led him to the
little room engaged for him and left
him to his well merited repose.
| Happy as we were at the privilege
| that was to be ours the next day
when we should be conducted to the
trenches, yet our regret was keen that
we must lose the time with Peter, as
| he must return to his post in the at-
| ternoon and we as well were to leave
La Panne. But when in the morning
! the Commandant from Head Quarters
appeared with the grey military
motor car that had been put at our
disposal. | summoned by courage and
proffered my request, which was that
Peter, might accompany us as inter-
prefer.
To our great JOY our request was
instantly granted, so it happened that
while all our boys had longed with q
great longing to stand besides thell
"Father and Little Mother" in the
trenches it fell to Peter, self fOrgetful
devoted Peter, to enjoy that pleasure
and privilege.
Our Commandant guide chose tt
ride outside, to direct our course so II
| came to pass that we found the three
riding together to the trenches in
side comfortably appointed cloded
car. "How does it seem to be riding tt
the trenches in limousine?' we ask
ed Peter.
I may not tell to what section o.
! the front we were conducted but l,
suffices to say that it was to the from
line of trenches that we were led
There were several uncomfortable
moments, before we reached the shei'
ter of the trenches, when for the first
time we found ourselves under shel
fire. Our nerves were not rendered
less iumpy when we heard the deaf
ening thunder of battery Just at oui
left and awaited the reply OF the Ger.
man guns, knowing their reply coulC
very easily wipe out our little eNls'
tence. Nor were we reassured wher
we saw the Commandant quicken MS
steps and we needed no urging to like
wise quicken ours and all OF III
breathed little freer when we hac
reached the comparative security OF
the trench.
What an experience for civilian O
neaceful habits for the first time tt
hear the swish of shells overhead
] And how exciting TO see a quiet look
ing farm at our left suddenly dissolve
as by magic into coherent heap o
rubbish. We forgot fear and los
sight of the devastation in the sheer