Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-24

'@'''-'''' tie wnlIe, IOr he
had no friends in London. and he was glad
Of Il casual visitor.
IT'S a queer, mad sort or world isn't
it?" | said.
He locked at me protestingly through the
god-rimmed spectacles.
"No, no." he said; don't say that
please don't say that ] have thought a
great deal about it while ] have been lying
in bed and It Is very good world. and
never knew how good world it was till
went to fight in France"
lie told me, in an almost awe-struck
voice. Of the wonderful kindness, comrade-
shin. courage, dutifulness and unendlng
patience and endurance of the men with
whom he had been thrown
81 never knew that men could be as good
as that" he kept repeating.
The words of that American schoolmas-
ter came back to me when day or two
later | happened to be in big London rail-
road terminus as IA convoy OF wounded
arrived i'm a Red Cross train. The scene
revealed splendid stoicism and self-dsci-
plins, 1t would be idle to say there was
never a groan and no tribute to human
weakness among this mass of suffering and
dying men. Yet there was such cheerful
ness, such bravery SO much thought for
others such courtesy and gratitude toward
those who mnlstered to them, that / was
amazed.
COURAGE COMES WHEN NEEDED
The other day | was discussing courage
with "A group of soldiers. One of them said,
"I was afraid before | went In, and / was
afraid afterward, but wasn't afraid while
| was In it."
And that's the view of the majority,
where courage il concerned There's the
apprehensiye fear beforehand, and the awful
fear in retrospect, but always strong
courage within the actual sphere OF action.
What did you find particularly In the
French trenches?" asked, for he was but
newly returned from that part Of the line.
Two things only" came the quick
answer Mud and confident, high spirits
I gossiped with officers and men of the
territorial regiments in Champagne, men
long past their youth, but stalwart ana
admirably soldierlike. I talked. too. with
artillerymen In the Argonne. and with bat
talions 'delite' who have battered the Ger
mans on the battlefelds of Verdun. Every
where | saw smiles and cheerfulness."
He described some of the scenes to me,
and the horrors of discomfort which these
men went courageously through, lie mad
passed a young soldier, crouching IN a
tunnel sludgier and muddier than any creek
writing letter home to his mother
the light OF a Pickering candle. The YOU
soldier had looked up as he passed "a
had made a joke about his oozy res hg
place other soldiers were In even worse
| condition.
''The French army is smiling host
| said he their courage Is amazing
Everywhere in the French army there Is
| bieb appreciation of the American and the
| British soldiers. Men OF both armies are
looked upon as the Frenchmens worthy
20 nrades, and any day you will hear the
'sammees and the 'Tommees' applauded In
| the French trenches.
The other day ! met a man Just re-
| turned from Rheims. ''the city or Germany's
samnation." as II has been called. In spite
~ the fact that II is q city Of desolation
he had enjoyed the most delightful lunch
| of mis- life there, and told me he considered
| the yssnsh Woman n most oonpstsnt q
nm =: 4, 4: y