Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-01-18

Below we publish an extract from a
letter sent by Arthur u, King ~ TO
the College,
Somewhere in France"
December o, 1917
After a tedious and somewhat rest
less trip across 10 Liverpool, | spent
about five days in England experience
ing the thrills OF an air raid in London,
having passed through Piccadilly Cir
Gus but little more than half hour
before an aerial bomb crashed through
one Of the streets leading out from the
circus As usual the death toll was
some seven women and q child,
censor My heart was
touched at the sight OF some
fifteen TO twenty French orphans be-
ing taken 10 Paris having been sent
through Holland and England, Chill
dren OF northern France whose homes
and parents were gone, My first real
service was rendered to them for they
ere chlised ." lie stretched ont an the
boat deck Tor 9hsir nights deep and
with scanty covering so | gathered to-
gether a number Of blankets from our
party and was thus able to help keep
the poor Riddles warm, And they
surely did appreciate it. They told
me so and though did not understand
by their words ! did by their faces,
had a pleasant time in Paris My
stay there lasted six days, ! saw a
great deal in that short time but still
there -- censor il must be in
peace times
And from Paris went to my first
assignment. ] should like very much
to tell you where, but that is not per-
missible as you know. Three weeks
there and then ! was removed 10 a
smaller town about three miles
away where / have been since. In
both places, / have been, with infantry
first and now with machine gun com
panies, OF the Regular Army We are
located some miles from the front and
so | have nothing in the way OF excit-
ing events to relate, Yet il is often
we hear the rumbling Of the big guns
on the front and realize we are in a
war. | have had one free day since
leaving Paris and that | spent in
Christmas shopping My trip took me
to within some dozen miles OF the lines
and a place where should not care to
live at night, judging by the appear
ance OF the town.
| presume you are anxious to know
about my work and how am spend
ing my time andI can say truthful
ly-my energy. Outside OF the day of
! mentioned | have been in my
hut every morning, had my canteen
opened at four in the afternoon and
been at work there every evening UNI
til $50 My first assignment took me
TO a hut to relieve a man who was
taken sick Then after breaking in a
new man there was transferred to a
place to start a new building | UNI
derstand am to be here per
manently, that is until the companies
go up to the front and then | go with
them A canteen worker is to come
here and my work will be somewhat
easier And what a blessing to have
one American woman in town.
The one big task Of all is to hand out
all day long a good natured smile and
a kindly word to all believe that is
the biggest thing | do. Sometimes it
is hard and things don't go just right
but to have a pleasant word for every
man who comes into the hut for writ
ing material or tobacco or what-not, -
il is the trump-card. And that is my
aim and ambition each day. ! have
come to realize it does a great deal of
good. | have a program during the
week of this nature Monday a NOV
ing picture entertainment; Tuesday,
speaker or other entertainer as may be
furnished by the Division Secretary;
Wednesday, a French class conducted
by Canteen worker we. serve .choCo-
late before class; Thursday, games or
the Regiment Band concert Friday,
boxing and wrestling; Saturday,
quiet evening for reading and writing
Sunday, 4 conduct, Bible studypclass
ifi.the morning we have a football
game in the afternoon and a service in
the evening. One afternoon in the,
week visit the'local hospital and take
the men somethingato read andsa few
smokes, | have written to the War
Service Committee for tobacco and it
is in the hospital wish to use it,.
There is no free tobacco available from
the Y M. CA and so this that i hand
to the sick men l furnish myself The
climate of this part Of France, Keeps
a bunch of men on sick report and |
need more tobacco than l feel l can
supply, = Lb0JIG-.y vital
think I have written you that I
was greeted with an1"Is Chippy King
in the crowd" when landed in Paris
late in the evening Of October "a It
was Don" Salisbury 'l6, who is, in Y,
M. c. A. work here IN France He was
the first man l had met in France
whom | knew in the States. The
-.-.Gs