Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-30

i have just had "a delicious cup of
chocolate made on my Sterno stove
BLESSINGS on DR.. Palmer) from 4
little chocolate that l got in TroyeS
yesterday, where L went to get sup
plies for the hut. I just heated
some water and put the cube in it.
1t required neither milk nor sugar.
L had too busy a time yesterday
to see much of the city, but the beau
tiful Cathedral will certainly be Wis
tied some other time. / could not
help dropping into a patisserie and
eating lots of wonderful cherry and
apple tarts just as l did before the
war when l was in Paris.
| also sent some cards to you all
and only wish l had time to send d
few dozen more.
Joan of Arc Unharmed
spoke in my letter to you to-day
about the old church which was al
most entirely destroyed by the Ger
mans. l shall always remember the
statue of Jeanne dare rising mp
above the ruins absolutely un-
scratched.
Some days there is a constant
procession of cannons going by my
window on the way to and from the
front. Many of the men who re-
turn come to the huts, gather round
the piano and have the best time
imaginable and for the first time in
many a day. 1t is a source of con-
stant wonder to me to see how many
men escape death. Just day before
yesterday detachment of men came
in. One of them had a violin and
he began to play, while another ac-
companied him. Fritz Kreisler him
self could not have poured forth
more wonderful music than came
from that violin. The whole hut
became quiet as mouse and when
it was over there was a great out
burst of applause. l Immediately
went up to shake hands with the
men and found that the player was
Ismael Michelon, of the opera or
chestra at Paris. The man with him
was a chef d. orchestra from Paris
and he said he had an orchestra OF
thirty-five with him, who had Just
returned from -Qooks like Ver-
dun erased). l Immediately ar
ranged with him to give us a con-
cert next week some time and asked
Michelon to play for us at the Sat
urday night song fest. They We're
only too glad to do what we asked
and last night we had wonderful
time. There were a few good old
songs, but after that the evening
was given over to the French mu-
sicians and to a comic artist, Brielles,
of Paris. who also had just re-
turned. He is a man of fame as
Harry Lauder is with us and he was
screamingly funny. They encored
him about twenty times and he had
something each time. Most OF these
men have been in the war since
1914, have all been wounded once
or twice or oftener and yet are all
nd rna6V n rntllrn fO
their duties.
We have had. three cheap Vic
trolas, but they were so overworked
that they are no longer fit to run.
l had two of them put away and
was looking for the other, when |
saw that two Sengalese had just
begun playing it. l don't know If
they had ever heard one before. Ev-
identity not, because they seemed de-
lighted with the awful discordant
notes from the busted Victrola. 1t
would screek and grind and rumble
but they kept on playing and play
ing it. trying to hum the tune at
the same time. The men in the hut
who were trying to write home were
first amused, then it got on their
nerves and one by one they began
leaving the room until finally the
whole hut was cleared. The minute
the ebony-colored Sengalese reluct-
antly tore themselves from the
agony producer l rushed to it and
carefully placed it under lock and
key.
We have now three huts and If
we had ten we could fill them all.
1t is a great comfort to me to be
able to interpret for so many people
in so many ways, and l get great
pleasure from my French classes.
1t was rather embarrassing at first
when the French began to flock in,
but the same ones keep coming in
night after night, so l know they
like it. The Americans, too, are
most appreciative and my class is
very faithful. 1t varies from seven
ty to 100 and when it comes to
cleaning up mornings they always
take hand and help me whenever
they car. Some of them have put
up shelves for magazines along the
a