New-York tribune., 1916-07-02
The Poau S Bouquet
u Al RENE BENJAMIN.
,,.,5 ,riA introductory comment 'y
Ird'N rr;,,o-r t. Mcpherson.

RV NJ RENE DLAN'%N
- ,r;h Introductory comment 'Y
r;nia-n L. Mcpherson.
NJ Re-, ;or,iu is the poet ld''oote-or'
>" ~ ,rin the prose laureate OF me fr'""
yO' The story ,chich follo'os sto'S h'WG-
F' b;s best. The poigNoney of as ''09''F
mn ,.t.(,ed .. through the creation Of an At
" "es -, .loyoed ,cith genuine poetic fee''ng.
moSP.,' ryor,imon is noe and then a poet
'b'''E .,,ir,, Of the story. who longs ~ the
s'gS - Tor tho bloom aud freshness and
- soriuo. Ro at least has the so'd o.
co. ',,. The more ooonising the c'7'e' o''0N-
..., go, r1ich tote has IN store for nam
81 DESCENDED from the train at
station in Lorraine, which the Ger
\ ,,sn shells had battered into shapt-
mass Of bricks the station master came
ed g nc. saluted me and somewhat t'midN
INQUIRED ..o;n h,.l This
~ Champagne. are you not? | have
S'''".s s,rs;e,,r. a little basket Would it be too
".., .-onb,e for you to take 1t with you!
@u.bat is it," asked.
.y,n vou come with me for minute he
rsjoircd ,. s,u ;,+o Tho o.rtb
B. ~, served him as an office.
We're it is. It is for soldier 1t contains
sovtrs. .., y. .os ,,,,,,,~;ors
asses. your soldier.
Tho station masters look became very grave
-.-,.,vc1
ar, y, !. sad story. Sit down, please and
his I, is a letter which n workman OF
.ss reirhborhood. young fellow OF thirty
...-s his written TO his wife
Itook the paper.
NV dear" it began.
%. " ! said would it not he an in0lscre-
,.on for me to read it?
no" he answered; not now.
INV dear: have received your letter
,,5 you~ nackaCc-your letter all me
y.,-ss Of which awaken my emotion ana
..,r ,acsace. for which my comrades JOIN
-. +, blessing you. Your honey makes US
5rear, Of tho perfumes Of summer. Your
,s.s is worth going miles for and your
,,,+e~ rromnted tho lieutenant TO say
that the dairymaids in our part OF the
country must be very clever.
oThirrs are going well with me. Inc
Bo,bes are leaving US in peace. am very
bo,5, Jeanne that you no longer have
headaches. and that the child recognizes
~. IN every soldier who passes by. lie
begins early to see resem6lances.
aRvt YOU ask me what else ] want.
sni,ed bread? Confections? Or chicKen
On ge,6e as at Christmas time? Listen
darling, ana going to astonish yod' my
r,,,s one. For you have known me 10 he
v.rv fond Of gormandizing, very prosaic'
rsr, ra,eriaHstic. But Just now ! have
M io,ger arv weakness for eatabes.
oyou are startled? Don't be startled. /
have not become an etherealized spirit. But
WON'T letter. YOUR dear letter, in which there
was al the soul of a woman, youthful and
sensible. vour sweet and tender letter has
urrervei me-a.most to the point OF tears
81 an going 70 explain. First, my little
ors Won must understand this; Your hus-
I hand is in a trench in dismal, desola'e
Champagne
oYou can imagine what that IS? No;
an sure YOU can't For that is to imagine
only mud when il rains and only dust
when it doesn't rain Nothing-nothine
else. A country shaved, stripped, bald IN
which the cannon, theirs and ours have
destroyed even the last blade Of grass the
last ri, Of verdure Desolation, ru'r'
death
cone RENTERS the trench with a heavy
heart Then one feels in his pocket and
his hand finds the letter from Jeanne An