Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-09-04
FRENCH WOMAN
WRITES LETTER
Hands Across the Sea Spirit Animates
French Girls Letters, Written DO
Sister of United States
Soldier
FOR FRANCE, AMERICA AND
ALLIES PEACE BY VICTORY
Husband Sick From Poisonous Gas
and Pleurisy, Now Living i'm Murat
a Mountain Town Over
There

The following letter, taken from
a Portage, Wis. paper, was written
to Miss Laura Maltby, a sister of a
United States soldier, who is over
in France, and who met the author
of the letter:
Paris, July %, 191S-Dear Miss
Laura ought to call my friend, as
do my sister Lucienne, and I'll do so
in future if you will allow me to take
such a liberty
! You ask Lucienne about France,
our poor, dear, and great France. 1t
will be great pleasure for me to do
So and in return speak me about
America. our sister.
First. will tell you of myself and
! my husband. ] am %, tall thin, and
| ] look an American girl every one
says. ! am first clerk (secretary) of
THE firm where Lucienne is typist.
For the moment our director Is in
New York, where would be also
with him, If / was not married. But
| | cannot be in America and my hus-
band in France. Perhaps after the
war we shall go to New York to-
gether
| My husband, Marcel, is 20. taller
than 1, with dark hair and beard. He
was to the army since August 2, 1914
until April 1, 1918. Before the war
he was strong and handsome man.
Now, on account of poisonous gas,
and after plurisy he is poor,
always i'll man. In France, when a
man has left the army because of in.
jury or illness we say he is re
forme." Well, my husband is Ere
forme" since April 1, 1918, and since
that moment he lives in Murat.
Murat is town in the mountains, so
he has good air. and he is not an
,noyed by bombing. Now l am the
man, or rather, the chief of the fam
lily, until my husband is better Later
III speak you of French woman
during the war, of true mothers and
wives.
For the moment / ought to thank
you and America together for the
help your boys bring US. So every
one here loves them, and so different
of us they are. | remarked yester-
day afternoon a young khaki boy,
iabout g or 20, with blue eyes, sat on
the front door OF house with about.
five or six children. He learnt them
ito pronounce This is" The chill
Idren did not understand, and I ex-
iplained the what it meant. The boy
Happy to hear his mothers language,
asked me TO stand moment with
him Could l refuse? No. | suppose
he was glad, but ! am sure I was
when left him one hour later.
will join my husband on the first
|of August, and am very glad. He
is also anxious about his ''Adri'lwho
stands in Paris under bombing, and
sometimes the long range gun shells
we call Bertha This is the name
of Bertha Krupp. You read in the
papers how o-Americans" have
repulsed the German in the sector OF
the Marine. 1t is splendid victory,
and how brilliant your khaki were.
Our brave poilus say they are worth
u.s. 1T is the best compliment they
can give them. Please say to every
one you know how proud you may be
of your boys, how brave and unpre-
tending they are. 1t is what we love
in them.
Thank you also for the Red Cross
relief, and thank you for everything
you make for us / can't tell you
everything as we'll as think, but the
few words I write come from my
heart. Thank you again for my
France and myself.
The next time Birnis comes in
Paris / wonder he comes at home. If
my husband Is there we shall have
"a pleasant time. NJ
I should be very glad to see Birnis
with Fred, and how good comrads
they are. Fred is very funny. / also
sometimes, when my husbond is not
too i'll. But for the khaki boy, no
doubt my husband will be we'll the
day Birnis comes.
I am afraid you think our English
is bad. If the words are wrong, our
feelings are very much better. They
are not only mine, but those OF 'eyery
French people. Be sure your boys
have already friends. and they VIII
have again more and more.
Since a long time We cannot buy
candies here in France, but know
a place where can buy few ones.
II will be very pleased to send them
to Birnis, as you say to Lusienne he
did not smoke. But for tobacco 1t is
the same for candies in France. 1t is
better to receive troops and food
stunts rather than sugar and tobacco.
/ have just got letter from my
husband. He says he is quite well.
Crops are also beautiful in France,
and we shall have good bread this
winter.
Next time I'll write you longer up
on our life in France, and I'll speak
of the French women and their chill
dren.
/ forgot to tell you, this morning
lat eight Gotha dropped 8 bombs
near Paris. We don't know again II
there were victims. And these Huns
say "Gott NIT u.s." God cannot be
with such savages.
NV dear friend, or rather, my FAR
away sister, wish you, and your
family always a. good Health. For
France, America, and the allies,
peace by victory. Another peace can
not be, For yours and our soldiers,
Il