Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-05-03


France.
THAT country has redeemed itself
and shown itself strong in power and
ideals to an extent that can never
he comprised by any other country. |
The pity of it is to me that it is the
young men and young boys, those
who have not yet been guilty of the
universal crime of self aggrapdize-
ment, who are showing the stamina
of the country. Yet it is by very
virtue of that fact that all of France
is suffering.
The spirit with which they are
welcoming our boys is pathetic in
its beauty. Let me give an instance
which is typical of the whole of
France. | was at fort one day: Mt
Douaumont. A host of young poilus
were sitting about when came into
the room. They knew me, for thew
| mad seen me about tn place, and so
1elt quite at ease in my presence.
when l entered they were humminp
something. | smiled at them and ask
cd one to do the honors of the COM
pany. He stood smiling at me for n
moment, little self conscious; then
after look ut the boys in the room
ne threw back his head and began
song of welcome whose refrain was
'L'oncle Sam, POncle Sam There
was cheer and shout and every
body joined i'll the chorus with him.
And there you have it. The mex
pressiblc gratitude and appreciation
OF the work our boys are doing, just
as if it wasn't their war they are
lighting for, and the keen desire to
make these boys feel at home and in
the midst of friends. To the credit of
our army, be it said that the spirit of
eagerness, enthusiasm and humility
| i repeat, humility-shown by them
is quite as beautiful as the more
! demonstrativc camaraderie of the
trenchman. But always, always, the
thing that keeps obtruding itself upon
your vision is the sacrifices made by
France.
| ut was that which made nv first
week here after my return almost n
nightmare. | couldn't adjust myself
physically or mentally to the condi-
tons and attitudes here. | can't vet.
One can't help but compare the things
that are going on there and the
things that are going on here. l
mean here in the homes and intimate
lives Of the people. The mental iner-
TIA OF the people, the sluggishness of
their movements in lending hand
. thnIr hlInInncs 10 lao 80,
there, is devastating in its effect up.
on one who can compare the two.
Thcre-war, hell, fire, hunger. home
lcssness, everything one can think of
in the way of suffering, and yet, in
spite of it all and because of it all.
a spirit like that of conquerors; here
ease, plenty, happiness and abound
ing seliishncss and an attitude of
Indifference that is appalling.
at isn't pleasant saying this, but
one can't help saying it, seeing the
way things are. Arc we n nation of
blind moths? Must we have things
staring us in the face before we re-
ceive the gift OF sight? Must our
streets he filled with the sights that
fill the streets of France before we
will awake to sense that we are AT
war and that we owe something to
! the war and 10 those who are in il?
1t is not that we are incapable of
, sacrifice, but that our minds seem
to be wrapped in lcthargy of iner-
tia. We havn't been scratched yet
France has been held. Her women are
! ct IN. bnl. nl,ilsl,.n,, 4
yet we of America go about doing our
duties and taking our pleasures as
though nothing were happening in
! the world.
Every time I see man or wo-
man taking tea at o'clock. want to
call out to him on her to stop, to re-
member that the so cents he or she is
spending for the purpose, in most
cases of satisfying habit, is enough
to feed one French family for week
Every time | see person mounting
bus | want to take him off and tell
him that . cents will buy child
in France five pieces of bread Per
haps l am obsessed with the subject,
but one can't help being that after
having seen the misery and horror
under which the people of the devas-
| tated French villages are today liv-
ing. To the woman who timidly says,
Il don't know what / can do to help;
Pm sure I'd like to do something /
would say, Give up that which is
dearest to you and your life and then
maybe you'll get a glimpse of the
glory of sacrifice of French woman
hood If nothing else, it will make
her think, and maybe pause for mo-
ment before she makes needless eX-
penditure. Giving to the extent of
personal sacrifce-that is the need
of the present time, and saving, saw
ing, saving, wherever and whenever
possible, so that others may have n
chance to live.
"'rhcrc is bright side over there.
Its during the hours of leave the men
have that thew FORGET the rirorS and |