The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-05-24
LETTER FROM FRANCE

| The following are extracts from, - ,,....
| Inamm.eh " one OF his sisters by Frank N
IL i ol from some point in France:
ever M Is as haraer ,r to write letters now than
nlhd Is the big battle that is raging ',S mS
@ ',,e western 'front.', and the expression Of
opinion about that. or any other 'ao't a"tion Ui
over mere Is absolutely taboo ~ N'''''
wish you could come ana erio,, .,o
ps peauties ana wonders of these countries
| Gr,S oouiSe alter the war is over / shall he
Ca Smt f XIX ANXIOUS * th to get back to Ameri-
"a. 80. uut TINS is the one big chance to see
I ,nese countries, and as l feel about II
| no" cafnut &ifoId to let impatianre tn
see the nome country induce me to foreo
For the past two weeks the weather
| mas been the most disagreeahle we have
e3Nperieneed. 3n, this being the rainy season
such as preceded this present storm ana
IN tne meantime the trees and shrubs ave
putting on their brilliant sumner GAR
s',n nei'S S o. aelicate green, and When the
clouds this will be gala countrS
indeed. The old maison in Which we are
estah,lshed, like all buildings, in this part
py h!gh stone wall that gives an air
Oh seclusion, almost of secrecy This en-
circ'lns wall also encoses a considerable
bit OF ground, which is filled with trees
and shrubs and carpeted with grass ;r6e
malson Is two story structure with a
steer slate. or tile, roof and little dorrnar
WINDOWS, so characteristic of the archi-
teceure mere, peeping out from above the
caves The windows that light the seV-
eral rooms are al placed on one side of
n 5ne building. facing the. court, or yard.
is square room about 1Sx20 feet in ,ii-
inehsiCn, with little marble faced ire
pid'e at one end. AS | write we have
= cheertuI fire glowing in the yrYte
throwing out its comfartabe warmth
My typewriter is placed on a big, round
iron iron tapie, one OF our principal work
tables which gives room for half a dozen
tric lights, not the best Of power. and
UNCERTAIN in the flow of Juice .
The French have fine kitchen ranges,
heating stores or furnaces. They depend
upon fire places almost entirely for the
niue warmth they require. The OLD
stone buildings therefore are freouentlv
damp and chilly and somewhat clammV.
The truth is this country is far behind
IN many of the modern conveniences that
nave become necessities to us Americans
EVEN IN the best homes the kitchens have
rev OF the appurtenances and appliances
or an American cottage Sinks and drains
ana such things are unknown here There
appear to be no plumbers. and no plumb
ing science or art | have seen kitchen
sinks carved out of huge rough stones
with a mitch cut at the back to let the
overflow trickle out through a hole i'm
the stone wall back of it. The old method
of cook King over an open fire is still in
vogue in some places that | have been.
I"itll lOoHlS are SeluOIn provided IN homes
or hostlrieS here. There are no bath
tubs taht know of in this town. Clean
llneSS does not seem to be a requirement
here. and | have seen many old people
who would make interesting biological
studies for those earnest scientific gentle
men who are capable of reading history in
the successive layers of sedmentary de.
posits of the paleoZoic mesozoic and
cenoZoic ages Many of them are so
deeply encrusted with the earth to which
they seem so strongly attached that it
would be discouraging to attempt to un-
cover and clear them with anything less
than steam shovel. They seem to have
outlived time itself. and to have carried
with them through the successive eras
down to the present day considerable of
the dust from which they sprung and TO
which they are most certainly and ever
lastingly returning. | believe if they
were little more cultivated they could
grow vineyards and gardens on their par-
sons. Since Atlas won fame for carry
ing the earth on his shoulders these peo-
pie ought to win immortality for carrying
it all over their persons. OF course all
of the people are not like this, but il is
a mystery how any of them keep up the
appearance of cleanliness even The chI-
dren are particularly attractive. Their
compilations are rosy, their eyes bright
and many of the little girls have remark
able quantities of hair Most of the
older women sport fine mustaches and
boards, and they don't shave.