Evening star., 1917-10-14
Little Stories of
the Great War

sleeping in mud, eating. drinking. dys
ing in mud. They have suffered abom-
inably. for the fighting is becoming
more serious each day. They want to
forget what has~passed and to close
their eyes for ten days to what Is to
come.
They are astoundingly well behaved.
1t is not often one sees a drunken soldier.
been opened for them, just to hear wom-
ems voices and listen to the music, and
rest. They are SO tired. The first thing
they demand when they come to town is
water gets the CRIME out of them. They
go out on sightseeing parties. to Ver-
sailles and Malmaison and the Louvre.
They are only boys-tired, worn, nerve
shattered, incredibly innocent boys. For
the most part the pleasures they ask are
innocent pleasures.
DO you want to go to a quiet ana
clean hotel?" they are asked when they
walk out of the railway station on ar
rival
That is what they do want. above
everything else. They want quiet and
cleanliness and rest. Most Of them go
to bed at o'clock at night and do not
get up until o'clock in the morning. But
sometimes they wake up in the morning
without a sou.
Only the man who has gone through
this experience can realize what a
IL
must cut short the cherished leave to
which he has been looking forward with
such sick anticipation through so many
weary months. To rob a soldier on Leave
is the eruelest thing in war
One leads a reasonably simple ms
in Paris nowadays. whether one wishes
it or not. There Is but one hotel in
town, where there Is hot water all the
time. and hot water can only be had
L. - t. So 1rx.r aVfA Av~U
for all the foreign notabilities who are
constantly arriving here on diplomatic
or military missions.
In every other house in Paris ono has
hot water only on Saturday and Sun
day because of the shortage of coal IT
makes one think of the good old days
of the washtub in the kitchen on Sat
urday night On two days of the week
no meat is served, and there are rumors
of meatless weeks to come. On two
days one can buy no tea and no candy.
Hard" drinks are served only at lunch
or dinner, though there are rumors OF
brandies being served in teacups in
dark corners. Women are not served
with hard drinks at all in bar rooms
and on cafe terraces. Because there is a
shortage of copper coins one often gets
a box of matches for the two sous
change coming after the purchase of 4
cigar.
Down on the Rue Castiglione Is 4
famous bodega where tradition has It
that the late King Edward used to
sip a glass-or several glasses-of
port each day that he spent in Paris.
The clientele may deservedly be called
exclusive. when it isn't American. and
the prices are extraordinary. A glance
at the list of liquors kept in stock now
is illuminating. 1t shows how the i'm.
portation of luxuries has been cut down.
Once there were nine varieties Of
whisky kept in stock. Now there are
only two. and when they go no more
will be imported until conditions relax
The prices tell the rest of the story.
For example, an American whisky that
formerly sold at francs a bottle was
marked up and up until 1t finally
touched IA francs Then it was stricken
from the list. The bottle trade In
further discouraged by the provision
that three bottles at time must be
purchased. or none. AT the present rate
only azRothschild can AFFORD nDe>
tleSs,,as ST.