New-York tribune., 1918-01-13

I have been scribbling on the
top Of mine. Beside me Durand
smokes bis pipe. Ny pen runs over
the paper. Durand asks me:
"V;ell, old man. what are you writ
irg to your little lambkin? You are
certainly stringing it out"
pretend not to understand him.
Durand. my dear friend, although you
question me. I am not going to make
you my coniidant.
But you, monsieur, who do me the
honor to read me, and you, madame,
and especially you. mademoiselle-you
will listen to me without laughing at
me, ] am sure.
Since 7 am going to confde in you,
must irst make little explanation for
your benefit. Perhaps you already kno"
what | am going to tell you. You at the
rear know everything that happens at
the front. You are sometimes better
informed than we are who arc at the
front Excuse, then. my presumption
if believe that am telling you some
thing new when say that my comrades
and all Of US, even those who used
to be the most skcptcal- have become
sentimental in the extreme. Yes. de-
spite his hirsutc. weather beaten. mud
stained appearance, the poilu is an af-
ing and being loved. The poilu wishes
to have a woman in his life, wife or
a fiancee, on whom he can centre his
THOUGHTS The soldier. who knows that
at every moment death is lying In wait
for him, likes to cherish hopes and
dreams.
All my comrades who have been on
leave have come back married or en-
gagged to be married. For several
weeks | was the only one in my class.
| had become sort of phenomenon.
One day. not Icing able to stand it
any longer. | wrote to Nine. Mouriez.
/ She used to be my mothers best
friend said to her:
Dear Madame am going to have
furlough very soon. | shall visit
| you. From among the young girls you
| know, pick out one for me. on can
then present me and I shall try to
please"
Some days passed. Nine. Mouriez
wrote me an answer My request had
fattered and enchanted her. When
women are TOO old to have love af-
fairs of their own they find a pleas
ure which is still delicious in occupy
ing themselves with the love affairs
of others.
81 have the very girl for YOU" Nine.
tots. You remember her. don't you?'
Mon Dcu. Did I remember her?
took out my stylograph and replied:
"Madame, besecch you. what have
done that you should wish to inf'ict
Nile ,Bontois on me? She IS not
woman. She is a crocodile. She de
YOURS everything. She has already de-
voured everything physics, logic. me-
chanics, ballistics. languages, philoso-
,,I OF bor
madame. Don't offer me AS proven
der for her rcdoubtable jaws
Two days later | got my leave. My
captain and my lieutenant left the can
tonment the same day that did. They
sraciously brought me with them to
the railroad station in the company
"coach.' The "coach" of the officers
Of my company is an ancient family
omnibus. All its glass windows are
smashed; all its springs are broken:
its shafts are patched together with
bits Of twine; it's superb steeds are
two broken down horses, which they
tried to paint green last summer, and
which. after some weeks of a dirty
gray. have now turned az white again
as they were originally.
At the station Of V my captain
and my lieutenant got into a first class
car |. humble private, had a right
only to third class passage. But
let no one pity me. l am so glad that
| travelled third class. AS a compan-
ion | had at first only an old priest
with countenance battered by time.
with gray hair. as light as the plu-
mage of a tiny bird. Seated opposite
me, he read his brcviary. The train
was an accommodation train. stopping
at every little station. At one of them
the door of my compartment opened.
young girl cast quick glance in
side. regarded me, and then noticed
the priest. His presence decided
her She put the. tip of her
little shoe on the running board. and
with single movement. bounded
hghtly into our compartment O.
The train started again. For while
the countryside Then, opening her
bag. she drew out some knitting
needles and began to knit. Sne was
"ns"rb"d IN her work: j: alone seemed
to exist for her. I had chance, there
fore. to study her | did so dis
creetly. over the top of my newspaper
She was as pretty as one could wish
a brow we'll modelled brown ewes
; brilliant and tender; a rounded mouth
lresh as strawberry; an air OF
fin"ltness. graclousness and candor-
'"N AK oI very genuine young
woman. A dark straw ha. set or he,
blend hair. Her tailor-made SUI. WAS
cut IN faultIess style. Obviously he,
type VAS different from that Of the
cnstema1y thrd-c!ass passenger.
was deeply Interested
At the next stop we took on :
peasant woman. She was returning
from market. She opened The door
pushed IN two big empty marke,
baskets. knocking them against m,
knees. and called out:
Excuse me, Mr. Soldier; take thi,
little package for me; i: contains eggs
handle it carefully. And take this: i
, IS butter. And then take .his; II !.
cheese
: pungent odo- filed the comp,-t
e Ment The peasant woman got ahonr.
, .ast. She found place for her ranieys
The little packages were really b;,
e packages. We put them on the seats
| The woman took one Of them on he,
y lap. could now see my pretty com
panion with the knitting needles onl,
t across the clearway Of the wicse
hampers.
y In her corner the young girl squeezed
= herself up so as to make more room
y for the new arrival. At this momen
y heard her voice for the first time
y The peasant woman said to herr