Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-30
LETTER TELLS !.
~A e AA0 y;
OF CONTRASTS
lover THERE
Carol johnson Writes From
/, Wall Built by Julius
Caesar.

DR.. and Mrs. S. p. johnson have
received the following letter from
their SON Carol who went to war
with the machine gun company Of
Grand Forks some months ago.. Car
roll Johnson writes about the con-
and the. front from where he hears
the boom Of the big, laundering
guns. Ny s.
The letter is as follows: - -
Is France, May a..
II am sitting on an old wall built
by Caesar when he invaded this coun-
try. Before me in the distance is a
high range of hills and just beyond
them the booming of big guns tells
the story of where two great armies
are locked in a grip that must mean
death and defeat for one or the
other. How in contrast is the scene
just this side of that ridge, which
separates the real and the unreal as
it were. 1t is evening; the sun has
Just gone down. but the western sky
is still tinted with its a The
woods which cover most of the coun-
try are of that young delicate green
which seems to soften and mellow
the whole landscape.
Here and there the red roof. of
a farm house peeps out, lending a
touch Of vivid color, and wherever
you can see one Of those red stone
roofs. Not far away is a little field
just beginning to show green, laid. out
with that mathematical precision so
dear TO- every French peasAnt's
valley lis the historic river Marine.
shaded almost green by the surround
ing country. -
"Just a little to the right is. the
famous vanal, along which the first
French heroes of the war made such
a valiant stand in the crucial hour
of the German advance. Now and
then one can catch glimpses Of the
wonderful roads for which France is
noted. 1t now grows darker. and a
valley mist begins. to rise. filling the
moist earth and forest silt. Over
head a few stars peep out, while far
away, across the valley, a dog breaks
the first notes of his serenade to the
night: truly an historic and wonder
full 'scene-words could never do II
justice.
Does it not make pour heart beat
with hatred. and your blood boil?
Country exactly similar to this IL
nothing but a shell shattered waste,
with not eve a tree left standing.
Over there. too. men are giving their
all to save what Is left and I mus,
coYorades die. Oh it's maddening but
it can't he helped Some day, maybe
IL can realize that I have done my
Bit but it is hard. very hard, to see
it that way just now The only re-
deeming feature is that the loved
ones at home are free from worry
while it lasts. AS you know, we are
at one Of the big ex~peditionary bases
and tho ever increasing number OF
our dead and wounded coming II
makes ones heart go out to the deaf
God grant that it may soon be over
DO you realize that a month from
today I'll be Fl years old? I expect
to celebrate my birthday by having
q cleanup time. I am we'll and happy
and having a wonderful time. J
heard a good lecture the other nigh
at the ~ president Of the Georgta
Technical school. I go there. often
1Tis a pleasure to z and talk to ar
american girl. Our Sunday morning
bible class is growing right along
IS. I think, last Sunday. Tonigh'
we have moving pictures and curren'
events. I am wearing q campaign
bar over my heart, for border service
SOL look like one Of the regulars
CHUCK got III last night and fel
down stairs. He sure heated the at
mosphere for awhile. I had just 30
the stairs oiled and they yer a. slip
tpery as a creased pig. We had
(deleted) last week and I picked .ul
la German (deleted) bomb but tn,
blsi1ed thing is too big to send home
Is getting late and ] will have.to ,rtnl
lnN .EiAAna and .heann NJ l0YA. 4 n vni