Evening star., 1918-06-14
TRUE "SL|CE Of LIFE"
COMES FROM TRENCHES
Woman Writer Describes Scene
Enacted In q Soldiers
"H0me" in Paris.

A true slice Of life" from th'
trenches is given by Carol K. Core,
in q communication to the Nationa
Geographic Society and issued by thu
society as a war geography bulletin
The scene which the writer de-
scribes occurred in a soldiers home
in Paris Familiarity and affectionately
dubbed "Blighty." She says:
"The room is nearly empty now and
almost quiet. I've about decided b
leave when a gaunt, cadaverous per.
son slouches in. Alphabetically hi
asks II he is too late for tea. Be.
cause he looks 50 wretched, reply
in the negative. just as he notices the
signs. No tea served after GAS He
smiles gratefully at me, with a smile
that changes all his face. We are
silent for a few minutes, partly be-
cause I'm q little tired, I guess, and
partly because I feel bit timid be.
fore this most unusual type Of visitor
He Reads Her Thoughts.
Suddenly. without q word of warn.
ing. he informs me:
You're right. I am a rough Gus
toner. I'm just out of clink' (jail).
Il say; 'ha. ha! Caught with a
camera, eh?
Worse than that says he.
so I guess again: You took all
the temper out of your tin hat when
you cooked eggs in it.
But he finds no humor in that
ancient Joke. When state positively.
You're not the sort for an s. I, W.
he murmurs sadly.
":No;' 1t takes nerve to go in for
a 'self-inflicted wound
Ills face is pinched and drawn.
though almost triumphant, as he
officer -A'
I'm spite Of myself gasp a little
Tor this Is serious business; but I say
noth1ng, for he has started a very
First Volunteer From His Town.
3"T was the first volunteer from NV
town, ne tells me. because then I
brothers came. too. One is blind and
two are dead. The littlest one was
the prettiest boy I ever saw-abso-
lutely the prettiest. I found him right
after they got" him. and he looked
~ a
ty.. His face hadn't been hit at all,
and not hair was out of place. 1
helped to bury him. then I sent the
cable home. I'm forty years old, and
all my life I've had men under me.
My father owned a big horse ranch.
And when that. young, impudent
DARED
"Yes. yes 1 break in. I know.
".You know laughs he. You
morning. in a steam-heated room, and
you look out Of the window. If it
happens to be drizzling. you say to
yourself. My; my. today I'll get my
little boot soles wet" When you've
to Leave bnsan,s masa to ae in h the mud mud
sufficient strength to pull your own
legs out, then you know something
about war and its glories. Oh. but
it's cruel. that mud Of the Sommei
And that night. when "a worked in
1t in my rations for ten days. that in
sufferable cad. that intentionally
odious tupenny ha'penny captain-'
-"'Can't you forget 1t for a little
while now? Your tea will be stone
cold. Besides one Of these days were
"sort Of Stop Counting on It."
Maybe So he sighs. But some-
how, after more than three years, we
sort of stop counting on 1t. You see
sailed from Sydney on what should
have been my wedding day: "a been
engaged a long. long time. but would
MT marry, for I'd bought bit Of land
and wanted to be out Of debt first.
For exactly a year I lived alone in g
hut. ] was my own cook. and tell
you frankly I was low and dirty: but
each month I knew I was getting q
little closer to the end. because each
month ! was able to buy another cow
or two. And there wasn't happier
cuss in the land.'
Then. well. the war came. So
leased the place to a dirty Stacker.
and the next week the government
gave him a contract for his whole
output of milk and he's getting rich.
AS for me. all ever asked of life
was peace and quiet. Would you like
to know how I've. spent most of my
leave in Paris? On bench in a park
watching the kiddies at play. If ]
could Just wake UP in my room. with
the comfortable old furniture and with
all my things in a drawer!