The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-29

boy in the train who couldn't have
been over Is, as he had such a round
face and pink cheeks, had the white
cross OF the Legion of Honor pinned
on his bosom.
Once, when we passed the outskirts
Of a town we saw, quietly reposing in
q ploughed field, that looked as if it
might just as well be in Vermont as
France, big biplane, with red, white
and blue circles on its wings. 1t was
guarded by a French soldier with fixed
Davonet, and around it tapped the
crows, evidently grown quite used to
that kind of scare-crow
A little farther on we came to some
German prisoners working in a sim
liar field. They were also guarded by
a French soldier who was leaning on
his gun.
All that is the picturesqueness of
war-what one sees on the outside, one
might say. The inside is quite differ !
cnt. | realized it best when first II
went into a shop. 1t was Il grocery
/ store and the women We're buying their
| supplies Of coffee, tea, etc \ long
/ line Of purchasers, ticket in hand, were
waiting for sugar and every woman
in that line was dressed III black.
There was no gaiety or variety Of eos
tune there, except that some Wore
4 widows wells ana some hats, while
others wore only thin knitted shawl
over their shoulders and no hats at all
but all were uniform, for all were
dressed in black.
Since then we have been through
many towns. big and little. Every
where, no matter how small the town,
5 we see ono thing always the same
n Red Cross flag flying from some
building-that means q hospital. When
we make inquiries we get an invari-
, able reply Al, yes, we have had
many losses in our village
/ Paris is larger and gaFer than the
villages, and the streets are always
a filed with pcople-though rot-black AT
( night Cor when coal costs 10 francs
lS2l for srant two bushels they (thg
) government have to economic on
n lights even if they aren # afraid Of
+ Zeppelins, which they are. But The
n country is big and sad and empty.
O don t see who does the ploughing anC
n roaping. 1t must be the women an,
g children and the very old men, an,
D. perhaps the prisoners in some cases
4 One hardly ever sees any one in tn
n fields, hut the country is ploughed an,
cultivated and the trees clipped as be
n fore the war. so someone must do it.
lrl You never see 4 young and able
a bodied man who is not in uniform ava,
.. from Paris. They have every en-
M gone to the war.
III Some Of your things came last weeb
sr 1t made me homesick to see them. NJ
IS mother forwarded me Mrs. Rice 5 r.
rg port and it got here at the same tim,
t. 1t was a splendid one, the best W
IN have done yet ! think. and l wa
TO proud and happy to get it.
o.. You have no idea how badly all tn
things are wanted and how they al
h Appreciated. I must tell You what
rs did with some Of the bags on Chris
OF mas day.
A. We sent word to one of the sma
he hospitals in Paris-one kept on til
ad 50 Bon Narche' for its employees
he peace time and now a part Of 1t
~ militarv-that we were coming q
. Christmas to see them, with mesSag,
in from America We arrived abog
NJ half past two in the afternoon with
re comfort bags for a ward Of 80 bed
| One of the sisters at the head of Il
pv hospital greeted us. She was tin
nv with little. wrinkled face full
me care Her face was almost lost in
ms huge and s-o5lcssiy white head-drss
it She was fun of concern for her chi
ON dren. her 30 soldiers, and had dress,
he them mp as much rs was possible
their beds. When we came in
elk smiles heamed from those beds.
distributed the bags and told the 81
- dicrs that they came from Amcric
y from where the senders wished them
q happy Christmas, and where tn
worked for love Of France and her ;
lies, as they wished to do what tn
4 could to help har win the war | wi
You could have seen their eXpressio
when they opened the bags. They Ii;
smiled before from politcnass, b
then it was from JOY The little sist
few around from one bed 10 the 9th
q as happy and excited as her "poius
One man found pink ccllulo
mirror IN his bag lie considered
| 4 the jewel of his presents and Ike
turning it over-I don T know wheth
Z he liked the front or back best Anot
or man had n mouth organ and at t
4 same moment another a tin futish
IdlI. -NtllNtt tI intiI kucM HOW
\ play Some more men found simil
3 ones. Another man nearby did knC
how to play. The others were thrill,
Ihe% would learn. 1t was somethi
to do. | dare say hT the next 4
most fearful noises issued from ii
ward.
Then two or three of them fou
chewing gum. We try to take it o.
for as you all know they don t und
stand il and trF to swallow it. @
h OF us had to make a speech and t
. them that Americans chewed it
luck and one must never, never sw
low it as it was very bad. The lit
sister was Mortified but 4 hu
Poilu treasured her bF saying
i had seen the Canadians chewing it !
hours and it did not harm If it was /
swallowed. lie was 50 dramatic in
4 descriptions Of the Canadians, that
y I vision arose before one of trencl