The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-01-31

lN h&itNE INTO tt4e OAAb as p3EEilNk
with the other ships Of the convey we
sailed into the track cf the glow of
the coming sun All the ships speed
cut and the watchfu cruiser leading
apa keeping careful watch over The
whole feet Then when the sun pop
ped up sending It's golden rays dane
INK and rippli2g over tie waters and
shining upon the sides Of the many
vessels. Altogether this has been a
9nc day and can 90 to my berth
| have a room 70 myself--with q very
comfortable feeling despite the separ-
alton. neglected TO record that we
organized this A. M.--the "Orissa
Normal Colcge"-with Doctor Craw-
ford, president Of the Allegheny Col
lege in Pennsylvania, one of our mum
ber as our president, and several Of
the big men Of the country as honor
airy trustees-Mr. Roosevelt among
them. Our curriculum of study to be
Historical Background of the War"
History Of the Y. NJ. C. A." "Work
and Method Of the Army Y. M. C. A.,
French Conversation and "Music," +"
and we began the studies today.
Christmas Day
A Christmas Day on the ocean wide
and without the home folks to make it
seem like Christmas, and yet not so
bad a Christmas at all; indeed very
good Christmas with mild beautiful
weather and a fairly calm sea and the
wonderful panorama Of dancing, glis-
tening waves, and cloud and sky and
the continuous procession of ship NOV
ing, first one and then another chang
ing position, zig tagging, passing and
re-passing. This is a wonderful trip
with all the consort ships and the
stately cruiser at our head always on
guard Then inside there was good
cheer, too-Christmas tree and plenty
Of holly made the dining room very
Christmassy and the mesls corre-
spondcd Last night we had roast
goose for dinner and tonight we had
English roast beef-the English mince
pies, ard the English plum pudding
with roast turkey Of course and fruit
cake. After lunch there was the
hanging Of gifts on the tree for the
eight boys Of the ships crew. We
had, too, ship Christmas service this
A. NJ. with the captain leading; fine
service, and then to crown the day
was that splendid bundle Of Christmas
cards and letters. However did you
get so many together? II was a
beautiful thought and very happy
time had reading ard thinking them
all over.
! mean to make a list Of those who
contributed cards and letters to the
packet and will try TO express my
thanks to them in some way. VIII
YOU thank them for me until / do
please. So many Of them were from
unexpected people and all cf them
were so genuinely sincere and cordial
and some Of them were quite surpris-
ing
The sea has rolled us around today
quite roughly and occasionally has
stopped US and flower over US, but no
harm done and none Of our men have
ocen sick so far as | know.
Wednesday
A rough, rainy dey with plenty Of
vacant seats at meal time. | have had
no feeling as yet, but | am still elig-
lble, but an hoping and really seem
10 be fixed and have no fear. Have
been reading and re-reading your let
ters. How good they all are. There
are some particularly fine ones and |
as so glad 10 have them. Not much to
tell today. It's wonderful to be sail
ing along this way but, | cannot write
much about it.
Thursday
This has been d rough, stormy day,
at least it has been stormy for the
rain Of yesterday turned into snow
somewhere and sometime in the night
and at breakfast it was showing furi-
ously and blowing hard. The men Of I
the ship say this is just an ordinary
weather and passage--or at least they
pretend TO think although think
there is some prctenso about it, for
one cf them said to me that ii was a
rough passage ! went 10 bed last
night rocked in the cradle Of the deep
indeed and TO the accompaniment Of
the bowling Of the wind and the slap
ping of the great waves on the side Of
The ship ! have an outside room and
the waves would roll
,omplet ~ over the deck over my
lcad and could hear the waters
rushing over me in very decd. One cf
-hc men said today that he was certain
during the night that we were tor
oeipcd at least six times and he could