Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-09-06
BY MAMMALIAN FOSTER.

"A churchgoer or the ordinary, old
fashioned kind would be bit puz
zled, no doubt. II he we're to see ths
way the American army in France
observes the Sabbath day. Sundays
is accustomed to at home. Even the
most religious among our fighting men
have widened their views regarding
| the Sabbath.
Understand now, this does moi
mean that our boys have grown un-
godly. 1t Is the very opposite, rath-
er. The first thing that impresses
the newcomer, In spite OF what he
may have heard at home, is the strik-
ing decency and wholesomeness OF
this host of young Americans. France.
In fact, has marveied ut our soldiers
self-restraint; for no matter what his
tory has to say Of other great bod
les OF armed men. our boys have con-
Quoted themselves in a way to make
their mothers proud. So, even
though It be said that their attitude
toward Sunday has altered. this does
not mean--far from 1t, indeed--that
It has altered for the worse. 1t
means merely that among them Sun
day is not devoted entirely to re-
ligious obseryances. Here, II you
like, Is a picture Of one Sabbath In
France.
The place Is up In the Luneville
sector. That Sunday the sun was
shining, glowing down with a dazzling
radiance on the towering fields and
hills behind the lines. Out In front,
n bare three kilometers away, was
the ugly. SCARED zigzag Of the 'front.'
line trenches, the one blemish on the
landscape as far as the eye could
see.
Insurance Man Leads.
Near by, the little town, hardly
more than a village. and now bat
tered by the Huns bombs and shells,
lay peaceable and quiet In the morn
Ing air. Presently one heard
burst OF song. that good old hymn.
"Rock OF Ages. Cleft for Me-" It
rose on the quiet air, propelled from a
hundred or more sturdy lungs. The
source OF II was Y. M. @. A. field
hut. now tenanting what once had
been blowsy drinking place. In
side morning services were going on.
The leader OF the services was a
former Buffalo IN. " real estate
and insurance man. He was not |
he never had been one. but |
the war had imposed on him this
new duty. The services were brief.
but they were earnest.
After they had finished 1t the ex-
tempore pastor gave them little talk.
There was nothing snug about 1t,
nothing mealy-mouthed. 1t was just
a bing-bang sort of an allocution such
as might have been heard In an ath-
etic field dressing room between the
TWO halves of varsity football
match.
Afterward the amateur pastor gave
hem his benediction, sort of
Here's luck, fellows" valedictory. A
moment later one saw the insurance
nan, relieved from his spiritual du-
les, dispensing chocolate, chewing
rum and cigarettes at the other end
# the hut.
These were the mornings religious
ervices. At one o'clock the insur-
nee man was at 1t again.
His chapel now had moved from
he former buvette to a bigger. more
temple-nature's world
{ out-of-doors- The Insurance mans :
ak was a homely bit about the 4,
Ioiy Writ. But the boys-there c
'ere SO OF them now-listened with J
ilent interest. "Get it?' inquired $
he insurance man. Yes; they got it. !
he at" was something about an y
Their preacher who went upon n
and what he said to null y
tude. 4
Just Innocent Fun. c
At two o'clock the "Y" man was 6
ack In his hut. The hut. by then. a
ad begun to I'll. Presently the "Y"
ian. with grin. called the place TO :
rider.
s.The first event on the program" 4
e announced. "will be four-round 4
out, Spike Anderson versus Bat Il
ing Bill Roberts. Shake hands d
irst roundi Timer
A trio OF buck and wing dancers =
after which there was =
ing. very topical one. Then II
"Old Ironsides at Anchor sl
NY" The hit Of the occasion. @
rough, was a real. simon-pure glass s.
,ter. young private from a neigh u
nring unit. I.
SO, for three hours passed the Sun I,
ny afternoon. A queer Sabbath e. =,
,me will say: yet what of II? One =,
as certain Of Its innocence. q,
That night. when the writer was W
! his way back through the town, II
ere rose from within "Y" hut ii
,using chorus of voices. They III
ere young, fresh, hearty voices. and SC
hat they sang was 1.-THE Son of u
W