The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-11-20

ouLGTIdluIueuI, ScdSolSu Will pi dy :
ers. Democratic religion l used to
call it. No ritual or dogma, just
praying, and then the fun,
A Practical Religion
You know how religious | am.
About as religious as bull pup, but
even a bull pup gets serious when
taken away from its first home and
unless it finds things fairly comfort
able it gets distempter and that's the
finish of B. P.
When soldier goes into Y. M.
G. A. tent or cantonment unless he
wears binders newell, he can't
help see a sign like this write
home" or Don't forget to write
home" If he goes there to write to
his best girl, he has no reason to say
he forgot to write home. It's shout
ed out to him from that sign. He
cannot say he has no paper, en-
velops. ink, pens, or table, or is too
far away from the post office to get
stamps, he can get them all there
for nothing, except the stamps. So,
if the folks will just inclose stamps
he's got no excuse.
Auu LllC Cl1CCllu VI tlCoC
Y. M. G. A. clerks, or whatever they
are called. Their sunny dispositions,
however they get them, would turn
anybody's blue funk into a joy of
golden hope, or the case is one Of
bad liver and the subject has bet
on it can't be done.
Why He Raves
I suppose you wonder why rave
so about this organization
But they do so much good and as
I said so many of the boys are away
from home.
Here's another thing.
Takes Care of Soldiers Money
If any soldier who gets his pay
and doesn't make an allotment home
thru the quartermaster, loses it in a
crap game or poker game, just be-
cause he held on to it and had it to
play with, it's his own fault. He
could have gone over to the Y M.
c. A., deposited it or bought express
money orders and sent them home.
Chasing Away the Glooms
Last summer while at Plattsburg,
my side partner, who afterwards
went into aviation and made a COM
, mission in that branch of the SER
vice, and who is flying now, was
waiting for me to finish a letter, sat
with his pipe in his mouth, elbow on
the table, head resting on closed fist,
dropped into a sort of meditation.
He is a studious looking chap,
rather serious cast of features even
when he is in motion. I happened
to look over at him and noticed the
general appearance, but I knew there
was nothing troubling him, as he had
passed all his exams for the aviation
and was happy to know it was only
month of routine when he would
be ordered away to a ground school,
We were in the Y. M. G. A. building
After while noticed middle-aged
man talking to Ted. Both were
laughing and chatting.
finished my letter and went over
to them. Ted introduced me. After
a few impersonal remarks Ted and
went out. On the way to where
we were going, he began to laugh
and said, Gee! What do you think?
That Y. M. G. A. man came up to
me while I was sitting there and put
his hand on my shoulder and said,
4 wouldn't worry about anything or
feel badly. There's always bright
tomorrow.
But There Were No GlOoms
Well, of course, both of us laugh
ed about it. Ted was anything but
unhappy. He told his comforter so,
explained he was waiting for me to
get thru writing, that he had only
dropped into sort of abstract line
of thought, that was all. The Y. M.
C. A. secretary explained that part
of their work was to look out for
the discouraged chap, and he thought
from the way Ted was hunched up
and looked, that he had lost out, and
been ordered home, etc.
And just now, all the time I have
been writing. I've been listening to
the men, these soldiers of the
Twenty-seventh division singing over
in the "Tent on the HILL" "The big
top" the "Y," etc. These are the
names for it down here.
1000 Singing the Marseillaise
There is some sort of choral sing
ing or instruction being conducted
over at the "Y." Just now they are
singing the Marseillaise. There must
be about 1900 to 1000 men. It is
big tent, the sort the circuses use.
There they go. Have you ever
heard 1000 mems voices ring out in
first line Of the chorus of the Mar
seillaise?
Unsheath the avenging sword
Form you now battalions
March on. March on.
People march on
For Liberty,
Or death.
They sing our own songs. They
sing hymns. They laugh, 1000 of
them laugh. It sounds like wave
on the beach, glad wave.
They cheer for something. I,
where I am sitting, cannot see or
hear what it is that brings the cheer.
Then they finish by singing "The
Star Spangled Banner"
There will be late moon, the
night is star spangled one.
They have had a clean time,
laughter, song and undoubtedly a
prayer.
No booze.
They will sleep we'll and deeply.
Tomorrow they will be clear
headed.
They will 60 out, some Of them, to