The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-11
BUSINESS OF LIVING
Patty Tells How the CnmentiOnable
Grimes of Invading SaVageS Affected
Ono Wnundeh INI,nnf.hnnan
az MRs. EVA leonard

Patty Tells How the Uncomfortable
Grimes of Invading SaVages Affected
One Wounded EFenchman.
Dear Douglas and Eleanor:
Z am all rnstrung. Really 1 am
surprised at myself 1 thought 1 had
seen so many horrors that nothing
could stir me. but 1 was mistaken. The
story a little Frenchman whispered
to me in his weakness this afternoon
has wrought the change. He was
brought to the hospital five days ago
so weak and gray ] did not expect him
TO live thru the night. But l did not
know the stuff he was made of. This
afternoon when l was making him
comfortable l said, You are better;
you are getting Well
oh, yes, 1 shall get WELL he an
swefed simply as if that settled the
matter, and added, I cannot die till
l have seen the boches driven from
northern France He stopped, then
said in a tone of such unutterable sad
ness. How long, oh God, must they
wait and suffer-
4 said, You had better not talk; it
will excite you and keep you from get
ting we'll
I'll will not make any difference;
think, think about it all the time. 1t
is like gnawing pain in my mind all
the while He paused and his brow
contracted painfully. 1 only stroked
his hand, not knowing what to say to
comfort him. Madam he continued
in the tense low voice that made your
eyes wet before you heard what he
WAS telling you-it was the saddest
voice / ever heard-'Madam, can you
imagine what it is to know that those
you love are in the power of those Ger
man devils, and then not be able to
hear a word; not know whether they
iS
nearly two years since 1 left them and
7 have had only one letter. My wife
received only two from me. Can you
imagine what 1t is like?'
Il pressed his hands convulsively
for answer, for 1 could not speak.
Just before ] was wounded l got
the one letter spoke of 1t was
brought me by friend who risked
his life 20 let me hear from my fam
lily. If anyone, is caught carrying let
tiers he is shot unless he will give the
names of the persons sending and re-
ceiving letters The Germans subject
them to ali kinds of tortures to make
, them tell. Most men choose death, of
course, but occasionally a young boy
is entrusted with them and he is
frightened into telling who gave him
the letters. Then the poor people are
tortured and imprisoned, starved
cannot tell you he ended in sudden
despair of making me understand.
our WlIe ana CnllQTen are
well?' 1 asked, hoping to get him
started again, for 1 was deeply in
terested.
They are alive That is some
thing, if I am selfish enough to wish
them to live. They are gaunt with
hunger and only half clothed. My
wife told me in this letter about see
ing them carry away all the woolens
from a factory across the road from
the house where she is sta ying. For
days they worked carrying off the
stolen goods and all the people in the
town were in rags. They keep the
mills running, but the entire product
| is sent into Germany. She says that
| if they had not been fed by America
all would have persisted. Bless the
United States, l say! There was a
thrill in his voice when he said this
There are things that I may not tell
YOU he continued. Things that no
one dares repeat. Things that light
such a fire of hatred in my heart
that I should be consumed with it,
/ but that l must live to avenge the
| wrongs l have heard Of His eyes
= blazed and two dull red spots burned
! in his sunken cheeks. I realized that
/ he was making himself worse talking
so 1 whispered. You go to sleep now,
you are getting too tired. You must
get we'll, you know and I slipped
! away. l will talk more with him
| when he gets stronger. 1 am inter-
ested in this tragic history.
YOUR LOVING PATTY"
ITO he continued