Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-12-19

there is no way | am permitted
to tell you. France is an old
country where many of the hous-
es have stood for nearly 1000
years. There are many queer
little statues and s%tatuettes, old
stone crosses with and without
the cruciticd Christ standing
near churches, graves or cross
roads, some of them so old as to
be crumbling and so 0 cover.
ed as to be almost indistinguish
adle. The people are wonderful.
~ kind and polite anxious to. do
all they Can for the soldier. I've
bought a few French books and
an studSin the language trying
to learn to speak it correctly. Je
voudrrz du lait acheter-I wish
some milk To buy. I've seen
more of the world than | ever eX
pected to see, and yet I. can't tell
you through what part of the
ocean we came, nor what cities
of France we've seen. and can't
even send you some wonderful
views | bought ut places where
we came through or where we
stayed. Well, | am too sleepy
to try to write you more tonight.
September %.
Yes, | soc Vernon once in a
while. I've not seen Chester
Hire since we landed in France
and we've been Kept on the move
just enough that we have never
felt settled down enough to feel
at home. You remember that |
wrote home from Camp Dodge
that we might go over inside of
two months from my arrival at
camp and did not miss it but 6
days. We American boys often
mention the time when we can go
home to our loved ones and eat at
the family table. But we are not
Sinking the responsibilities
placed upon us, and my work is
to be one made up of details that
are quite important--but which
| can't explain to you now. 1t
was reported this morning that
Metz, a most important city of
Lorraine German territory was
about to be taken and was. taken
but we have heard so many false
reports that I shall not believe it
unless | see the account in some
paper. W. can buy milk, in very
small quantities. nuts, grapes,
apples, cheese and wine, especi.
ally wine if we want it; but as /
don't like wine and those other
things are very scarce, so it is
not often we can buy some of
those other articles named.
Write as often as you have time
ana address me as follows, Low.
inEly You brother--Pvt. Charles
W. Beach, Hq. Co 350th Inf. A
F. r, APO 705, France.
France, 9 %, 1918.
Dear Mother: Your letter of
Aug. 90 just arrived and the
newspapers telling olC.P F. church
dedicatory exercises to be given
for service flag and of Grains
sad accident, also including let.
ters from boys / know in France
all made much more news than
I've had sinceT've been in France
Today was quite eventful: | got
a post card from Mrs. Matte
Robson telling me that she was
sending me a compass. got
letter from Sears, Roebuck Il co,
thanking me for an order that
did not send them and inclosine
an order sheet signed by Mrs
Robson for one ".jeweled com
pass" The letter from Sears
r r & Co.explained that they were
9 out of said compasses and tina
s | would find their check forSl.1:
J enclosed. and | did. Now here j!
n the strange part of it ALL Dough
o a compass today and before
r knew of the post card and lette
concerning this other compass
. and | paid Counting loss in ex
> change) Just 81 20 for IA jewele'
= compass probably very mucI
h like the one ordered This is tn
. first triple coincident of my life
y Can you remember. one in you
. own? also found a jeweler j