The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-29
LIVE WELL IN FRANCE
Lieut.. Munseli, Formerly Of list VI,
Surprised at "Luxuries."

Lieut.. Munsell, Formerly Of list VT,
Surprised at "Luxuries."
One of the best Letters that have
come from France since the Vernon
boys arrived overseas has been written
by Lieut.. w. Henry Munsell, former
" of Wells River, who is with A com
pany, 103d machine gun company. He
is the son of DR.. W. II. Munsell OF
Wells River, and is a graduate OF Nor
witch. 1918, He taught for two years
at Springfield, Vt, and one year in
Bellows Falls He served with the
Vermont troops on the border year
ago last summer, and was stationed
last summer with the LIST Vermont
regiment at Fort Ethan Allen, UNI
til the regiment was transferred to
Camp Bartlett and became part of
the l03d His letter, which gives an
intimate picture of French life, was
written to his sister, Mrs. Cassius d.
Root of Springfield, Mass, who was
Miss Antha Munsell.
Dear Sister We are at last settl-
ed down in a little French village
where the chickens, ducks and pigs
get under the front window, and the
suds and wash water flow into the
street in true Francise style and the
more than abundant rain washes II
away to brook that winds through
the meadows.
This may be Sunny France, but /
fail to see where the sunny part comes
in Thus far it has rained every day
or been cold or cloudy. Wood seems
to be very scarce around here, al
though the hills are covered with
woods. II one has nothing to do but
loaf he has to freeze. All the houses
here are made with layer upon layer
of fiat stones until any stray drop OF
water would get disguised trying to
get through and at last fall into the
street.
"All the houses have ,at least two
stories Our town has about 30
houses packed closely along the mar
row, crooked street. We also have
church with three chimes which
strike the hours, angelus. etc.
Il wish you could see the house
I'm rooming in, my room, the furni-
ture, etc; YOU would certainly enjoy
it. My host and hostess, Monsieur
and Nine Mannierre, are quite elder
ly. They have a son who has been
in the war three years and is pro
cureur publique' in some small town
near Nancy. Monsieur used TO he
professor in school inn a nearby
town, where he taught German, so if
we get stuck ON French,h he fires Dutch
at Boynton (who rooms With mel who
speakes it quite we'll Monsieur is
also good sport LIND full OF fun.
Mime Mannierre is every intelli-
gent woman and jolly; she is q great
help to us in learning TO talk French.
She can slow down TO our speed !
think she was a school teacher, for
che understands the how of teach
ing She thinks our pronunciation
awful, and | wish you could hear her
try to pronounce English These
people are OF the 400 OF the town
and are quite sanitary for they don't
use the old.fashioned front sink.
They have nice stove which they
use for getting dinner. while the
others in the town use the fireplace
for both cooking and heating pur
poses . We have good fire
in the fireplace and are keeping
warm.
Breakfast is our light meal, we
usually get big bowl of coffee, toast
ed bread, and sort Of prune jelly
very delicious) and cheese. The
bread is fine, dark bread, some
thing like oatmeal or graham bread.
1t is either baked in q round fiat loaf
about is inches in diameter or in
long narrow loaves like German
bread. We have nice soups. rabbit,
chicken, pork and beef for meats,
The men are getting fresh meat and
bread from brigade headquarters and
are being we'll fed think the 10th
infantry is in some village near
here
Had very unusual day This
morning noticed a funny looking cord