Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-07-26

~ I.Svs SGzIl Bo1I|zS1s Ivy ~ -
piano. T6e walls kre coVcEod Viii
Canada scezcfy, between whieh pzn-
cards bearing such admonitory legends
as There's a wee Wife Waiting,
Don't Forget the Girl Back There,
They Can Keep the Home Fires Burn
ing Brighter if You Write Oftener',
and such other reminders to encour-
age one to writ home, appear
Paper and material are free, quiet
places are provided and our letters go
post free. The battalion chaplain is
always ready to talk it over The ~
has big building near every battal-
ion where sweets, post cards, tea
coffee and first rate entertainments
are served. The last are free and high
class artist from London lend their
talent to the cause and make Tommy's
evenings very pleasant, Doing Their
Bit in some maner; to relieve part
of the universal war strain is keeping
good many of the great ladies very
busy. For if one cannot bring any en-
pertaining talent into play, one can
always assist in the pouring of thous-
ands of gallons of tea, that together
with sandwiches, is served free to all
soldiers in transit at all the big sta
tons in London. There is no dearth
of opportunity for doing little acts of
kindness in these days and the people
are magnifciently responsive in that
regard
the cool, shady roads to the quaint
little villages. Yesterday evening two
pals and 1 walked down to the village
of Liphook. There in the middle of the
street and directly in front of the
Royal Anchor Inn, We olde TYNE hos
telry, stands the most venerable, lord
ly, old chestnut tree you ever could
imagine 1t is covered with white
blossoms now and when we were there
about fifty soldiers were resting under
the canopy of its foliage. In com
menting upon its appearance to the
aged proprietor of the inn 1 was SUR
prised to learn that it is designated
by historians as the Scource of inSpir-
alton to Longfellow for his Village
Blacksmith and the old man added
further that a grandson of the mighty
smith had passed a few minutes be-
fore, dressed in the only correct mas
culine attire just now-khaki. Warm
ing to his memories the old man
squared his scrawny chest and yield
ing to the universal disposition to
imn ortalize the last common places
of the famous, he shrilly informed me
that the ancient tavern before me was
the scene of the last breakfast IN
England of the immortal Lord Nelson
of Trafalgar and England expects
that every man will do his duty fame.
AS to the latter point 1 can readily
recognize the FEASIBILITY of the ac-
count, this being the old London
Southampton post road and doubt
less Nelson felt hungry after travel
ing over half of the way to S'hamp-
ton, where, we learn, he Joined his
feet and sailed out to victory. And
as to the spreading chestnut tree, l
can after seeing it in blossom, easily
believe that it might be the tree Long
fellow had in mind. I am sure that
it impressed me sufficiently to have
inspired poetry except that l do not
seem to find means of expression In
the effort.
But l must tell you of the most
truly impressive sight 1 have seen, l
think since 1 have Joined the army.
We walked home from the chestnut
tree and the ancient host, through the
cool twilight AS we merged from the
road and crossed the square" the
the wild shrill skirl of the bagpipe
band and the roar of it's drums and the
yells of hundreds of people rose up
into a turnult of sound. 1t was the
draft" as the body of men always
in readiness for the order to go across
and upon the line, is called and they
were just leaving.
III Crl0 Ce1CeE Ol Tic SIOOlO Gl1SS
stopped, dropped their heavy packs,
while the good natured officers tried
to hold back the yelping crowd until
the final roll call and detail could be
managed. The colonel then asked for
silence while he delivered a few SIM
pie words of well wishing, asked il
every man had his field frst-aid dress
ing, then he and the chaplain passed
down the ranks and shook hands with
the boys while they rOared out Good
Old Colonel"
For the most part little more than
boys, with quite a lot of casualty"
men going back for their second and
third time, they joked and swore and
sang songs, shouted farewells like an
lot of children. Every
body said a hundred good-byes and
one veteran sang out to his pal who
was left behind, $50 long, Bill, III
meet you in the dressing station"
And this is how they will explain |
their point of view to anyone who
cares to ask for it. They like living
as well as anyone, and they realize |
what chances there are to be met but |
they all say it's a matter of ones |
luck. If you are lucky you don't get
it, or at best, you get a "BHghty" Ga |
wound serious enough to require your |
being sent back to England to a hos
pital from which you have a nice long
and if you are not
lucky you are simply through with it
and that's all there is to it. Fatalism,
they say, is the beginning of cour-
age and old drunken Mac will tell you
the account of the man who left Can
ada on the Lusitania, escaped from |