The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-15
BUSINESS OF LIVING
Patty Buys Two Godsons and in a
Letter Home Explains Why.
BY MRS. EVA LEONARD

Patty Buys Two Godsons and in Il
Letter Home Explains Why.
Dear Folks at Home:
Il have just returned from Paris,
where 1 went to meet my two god
sons. Now, don't laugh, 1 mean it
One day a doctor from our hospital
came home from Paris full of the
pleasure he had had from entertain
ing his godson. We asked FOR an ex-
PLANTATION, for he was an American.
and It did not sound reasonable that
he would have a French godson.
Why, haven't you heard about
the adoption of soldiers? 'ae asked
in amaZement We owned our igno-
rance and he proceeded to explain.
Every three months the French SOL
der is given six days at home. or
course if the regiment is fighting
critical battle when his leave falls
due he does not get it. 1t is post
and uncertain as this leave is, it is
something to look forward to and
makes the grind endurable, not only
for the soldier but for the soldiers
family. This permission, much AZ
it is longed for, is often a ve1y reart-
breaking experience for there is al
ways the shadow of the parting that
may be forever hanging over a little
group like the sword of Damocles. L
know all about it, you may be sure.
Il
the present, l can tell you, and so
they keep sane. The husband and
father comes back from The front
glorified with his sacrifices and suf-
| ferings and the whole family spend
the tine adoring and worsaiping
/ to have some little becoming thing
/ that is new. How well the French
understa nd the art of dressing, even
the humber folk. The house is dec
GRATED and the meals planned SO that
the six days shall be perfect i have
heard men say that the wonderful
thing about this frightful existence
at the front is the sense it gives one
of being intensely alive. As if each
had decided to get the most out of
| life, the span being so uncertain.
There is nothing stupid about these
six days, you may be sure. There
is no hiding the deep delight in the
homecoming for fear people will see.
| One sees it everywhere in f'ar,s. for
Paris life now is made up mostly of
these 'permissionaires.' I was so
| deeply touched with the things l saw,
I could fill twenty letters and some
day 1 will sit down and write i out;
some day when 1 have time.
But you say, what has all this to
do with godsons? Just this: The
| permission is to visit home if it is
no farther away than Paris and the
money and time to visit places at a
greater distance are not to be had
Are those unfortunate men from the
south, too far away to reach home, &c
lose their leave? Not SO. The French
have arranged a plan by which any
one can buy a godson, and they are
remarkably cheap. By depositins
s2.64 with this organization you buy
the happy privilege of becoming
sponsor to a .poilu' on leave; for thi:
small sum pays for his board an6
lodging while he is in Paris. So
Deuvre des Saldats de la Guerre, fol
I thought while / was buying god
sons 1 would get a couple. The uss
of this building is donated by the
owner. There are baths and a might
shirt for every one of the poor fel-
lows who have slept in their clothes
for months. There is a big dining
room where they are served three
square meals a day, and there is &
living room with books and paper:
where he ca est whenever he want!
to do SO. Two hundred men are
cared for at a time in this place.
II thought l would take a godsor
to the cinema, the French for movie
and blow myself entertaining them
found two smiling bronzed fellows
understood. My French is improv.
ing, for most of our patients are
French and we talk it most of the
time among ourselves for practice.
There. the clock has just STRUCK
and l must go on duty. l will finish
my letter tomorrow.
Lovingly. PATTY"
(To be continued.)