Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-16
IN War.stricken France.

/ In Stricken France.
The following letter was written som.
weeks since to Mrs. @. A. Stephens o.
Norway Lake, known to the artistic
world ~ Mile. Scalar, by Mildred Aid
rich. The writer has become well knowr
a. the author Of "A Hilltop on tn:
Aarne," and other writings connected
with the great war. As indicating
something Of what the war means tc
France, the letter 10 Illuminating and In
teresting.
LA CREsTE, HURRY
CoU1LLY Is. EFT NJ
CoUILLY ST. GERMAN,
APRIL 10, 1918.
Dear Mime Scalsr:
For that is the way always think OF
you-and I was glad to see your hand
writing again. recognized 1t at once.
I had to laugh ut the idea that would
no longer be interested in you be cause
''vous n'etiz plus artistic" (You were nc
more an srtist.) You see, to my way OF
thinking, the artists life is almost sterile.
At the best 1t Is short, and It is such q
bitter struggle. never envied any one,
not even the greatest, and I never saw
any one liked quit It without drawing
long breath of relief, and when the
moment came that could turn my back
on all that world, In which had seen go
much suffering, 90 many broken hearts.
| 90 many fine natures disillusioned, can
assure you that I did not hesitate. Per.
haps could not have done 1t while l
was younger, don't know. But this is
sure-ln spite of all have lived through
siuce-I never, for one moment, have re.
gretted It. Only think OF i'll have not
heard an opera nor been inside theatre
for nearly seven years.
Tell DR.. Stephens that never did at
tend medical school. The nearest
ever came to that was to take scientific
laboratory course at the Institute OF
Technology-the Lowell Institute Course
in 1878, under If remember Profess.
or Nichols. I doubt very much II your
doctor is old enough to have seen me
there, and also 1t is twenty years since l
left the States.
I loved the picture of the Laboratory,
and tried to look up Norway Lake, but
could not find 1t In any atlas / possess,
and the only book on New England
which 1 possessis Osgood's, dated 1873.
Isn't that ridiculous? I really felt
humiliated that could In some way, To-
cate any old, place In Siberia or Central
Africa and can't find the home OF q
friend living In the state In which my
dear mother was born and in which 1
used to spend my summers. So you
must tell me all about it and feel that
you are enlightening the heathenish
ignorance of q countrywoman, acting as
missionary, in fact.
should have answered your letter
instantly under ordinary circumstances
But In these days letters from the States
always take month to reach here, and
yours arrived In February, when the
German efforts of "frightfulness",
which preceded the opening OF the
terrible battle which has been raging for
month, were in full force, In their vain
hope of lowering the morale of all OF rs
civilians behind the line. So for the
past three months have felt In little
mood to write letters. On the 30th OF
January stood four hours In the night
listening to an invisible battle in the air
over Paris, and from that time until last
Friday, I went through three air raids IN
Paris, and three here In one of which 30
bombs fell In our department. In ad.
dition to that We hear every report OF
that cannon de longee portee, (long range)
which has been bombarding Paris since
March "a. Twice In that time / have
had to 90 through the zone lombard
ed-once to take three little orphan
boys to an asile, and once to carry sick
woman to q hospital south of Paris.
You who know Paris and the French. do
not need to be told what II is like there
today. The city looks different, OF
course. The streets are no longer
crowded, though they are not empty.
Children are still playing on the Champs
Elysees, cabs still rush along. In fact
life is absolutely normal. Yet-that long
distance cannon has, first and last reach
ed almost every quarter of the city from
the street where my favorite newspaper
comes out to the street where You used
to come to see me, and from the church
where used always to 20 In Holy Week
to hear Gregorisn chants to streets
where used to 60 shopping. But It
will take more than that, although the
number killed is often numerous-and
I own one is too many-to break the
morale of the French at this stage of the
game. It is not pleasant, own that.
When / went through the tirst time !!
confess to have drawn long breath OF
relief. Isuppose every one does. But
that prevents no one, so far as ! can see,
from risking 1t. We are all fatalists to-
day.
The last month has been the hardest
Of all. History never saw such Q battle
as the one we are living through now:
But though the suspense OF each "A
hours is terrible, the normal work OF
life goes on here calmly, 90 far % the
ewes can see. One only guesses what Is
| in the minds of others By what is In
ones own.
The fields are plowed. The grain
is growing. My peas are we'll up and
my potatoes planted, and the ground
ready for corn, tomatoes, beets and
carrots, etc. The skylsrks are singing,
fthe tulips and vlolets and pansies IN
flower. What do they care for the war?
No one doubts what the result Ia to be,
and no one even hints to me that the
States are two years too late to shorten
the war. In fact they are 90 full OF
gratitude to us for having come In at all
that possibly they don't ever think OF 1t,
but do.
Yes, the old apartment 10 already
nearly forgotten. am 90 used to the
| life here and tho years have been such
wonderful a. well as such terrible years
that there are times when 1t 10 hard for
me to believe I ever lived ct ell before l
came here. At my age, strange to say,
one remembers more distinctly ones
early than ones middle life. Besides /
am far from we'll. A hereditary
taint, high blood pressure, OF which ]
never took notice, became too insistent.
and life of calm became necessary.
sought It here. was forbidden excite
ment, strong emotions and put on q
starvation diet. The latter has been
easy and just suits the situation. Fol
the excitement and the emotions
it is to laugh, "et voils".
Icannot tell you how often have
thought of you and hoped you were
happy, and remembering how ardent
your ambitions were, feared to ask you.
lam glad you enjoyed the books. They
are my contribution to the propaganda,
and my one satisfaction IL they served
their purpose. There 10 another one
due when this aot of the awful drama
closes, II I live TO finish It.
Greet your doctor for me- and think oil
me always % your affectionate friend.
Nrvnurn AYnRr0H