The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-12-26
Christmas
Shopping
In France
BY L. f. CoRLETT

home, have not forgotten their native
haunts and customs. As Christmas
time approaches they are anxious to
let the. home folks know that they
have not been forgotten or neglected.
They hope that the lasti4station on
General Pershing's program "Heli,
Heaven or Hoboken before Christna
will greet them ere long. Being IN
some doubt as to seeing home folks
before Santa Claus comes. they aer
wanting to send some message, in the
| form of Christmas cards, to the folks
| who are just as anxious to receive
something as the boys are to send 1t.
We have made every effort to supply.
the boys with everything they need Z
for their happiness at this particular
season, when,,',ff they were at home,
their joy would be complete.
| With this in mindt~ Mr.. Vance and
I started out to do some Christmas
shopping. Wednesday, November
Goth, we went down to- head
Tuarters to see what we might get
there We found nothing. After noon
mess Mr.. Vance went to the Y ware
house and took the train for Romor,-,
/ antin, about five miles away.
Romorantin is little" French town
with. narrow streets and side walks
10 match. Old stone and brick build
ings with moss covered tile roofs. |
have never seen anything similar in
the States, except little town known
as Clayton Center, located near the
middle Of Clayton county, Iowa.
The biggest thing about the narrow
gauge train l rode on was the engine
whistle, which the engineer spent most
of his time pulling. We went over
road which sfhe French said it would
take three npnths to build. The Am.
orleans built it and had train run
ming in thirty-six hours. I got mo.
Ticket when / took the train. When :
we got off we all had to line up and
go thru the depot in that fashion so
we could pay our fare at the door.
There was no conductor on the train
to interfere with one mapping If one
chose TO enjoy himself in that manner.
If he did, he would have to rest his
head on a hard board and not on an
upholstered seat. -
The shop windows were filled with
all kinds ofisouvenirs. Some very in
teresting, most not so. was looking
for Christmas cards, so visited every
shop, or. store, where some might be
found. Many of these cards were pre-
pared without thought of the Amer
ican soldier. Perhaps that wasg$be-
cause the French do not understand
our Christmas. custom. After. shop
ping most of the afternoon / sue
ceeded in finding about five dozen
cards, which when / got back to the
hut were sold (at cost within an hour.
Many mofe are needed, so tomorrow
we will get more. 1t was market day
in this little town. The square, was
! full of all kinds of goods, meat, etc.
One place where fish were on sale the
old woman had three large tubs of
different sizes. in the smaH6st tub
about in water They looked like carp
The size of the tub determinedtthe size
of the fish, all alive in fresh water.
While we looked at the fish the old
woman in charge. stood with her foot
on low window siI making change
! for a customer. -
Just around the corner was small
blacksmith shop where a pony was
being shod. The manner of doing the
work had attracted the attention of a
|
not slow to remark about the way the
work was being done. The owner of
the beast held the foot. The black
smith heated the shoe almost red-hot
and placed it on the foot, burning
away the unnecessary hoof instead of
cutting it. Between acts the men
would talk and apparently kill time
much as American men do sometimes
and on some occasions. One. can get
nothing to eat until six o'clock in
these French towns. My train left at
500, so | went down to the Y. M. c.
A. and got a cup of chocolate and
some bread and butter for my supper.
| do not know whether the six o'clock
rule governs the sale of drinks or not.
| haven't been here long enough to
learn all the customs of these people.
! What may seem to be a. custom no
doubt is war measure for the con-.
servation of food and heat.
We were in little hardware store
when an old lady came in with an old
cup to be snended. One of the boys
said Throw that away and get new
one." She told us she was a refugee
and had no money. She had lost her
! home in northern France. Four sons
had been killed in the war Then for
the first time did tears start when
she said, "No Notwithstanding that
her husband also wasdsaGs She then:
turned and went down tha- street.
Everything had been taken from her
blythe power of the man who now is
refugee from his 'Vaderland," hated
and despised by all thinking people.
He should be the man without a coun- !
try. / hope the Kaiser win be turned
over to the allies for punishment.
The boys appreciate our efforts in
getting them Christmas material and
am sure the joy they feel in- sending
them home win be shared by those
who receive them. hope the Christ
mas time may be merry and the New
Year happy for all.
Sincerely,
LEROY E. CORR ETT.