The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-07-06

| BOMBARDED TOWNS.
Rev. w. Harrington, former as.
sistant pastor of st. Luke's Church
in st. Paul, is now in France, and is
chaplain to the 151st Field Artillery
Father Harrington writes entertain
ingly to his former associates at St
Luke's rectory of conditions in the
war zone. He says:
Spirit of Soldiers.
"The arrival of mail is a very i'm
portant event with us; as the boys
| say, it is more welcome than pay
day. 1t is a hard day for the Boche
when our mail comes. Our letters
from home always bring with them
tirmer determination to win, so the
Boche feels the effects-the boys go
over the top with blood in their eyes.
1--WE were all very much pleased to
learn of the great success of the
Third Liberty Loan. You cannot
imagine the effect such reports have
on the tired, worn out fighting forces;
| they say: Did you hear about the
Third Liberty Loan? Gee! 1t is great.
| tell you the people at home are be-
hind u.s. Immediately they forget
their troubles and what they have
gone through and begin all over again.
| Really, their courage and bravery are
wonderful, and the cheerfulness while
| they display even in the most trying
| clrcumstances-and there are many
| Such-Would make us feel that we had
little to grumble about. Of course,
| they speak to me of many things that
| they would not tell to others, and
often wonder how they can carry on, >
as the British say,-meaning, tend to
| business-but with it all they go on
with their work and always in the
| best of spirits. The people at home
have no idea what they owe to these
| boys, because to them falls the brunt
of the task, and as the boys themselves
say, it is some task, a 1han-size job.
But with the work and prayers of the
| people at home we have every con-
| fidence, and the trust which all mani
fest in prayer is most inspiring; all
| firmly believe that prayer will be the
deciding factor in this great struggle
Il was very much pleased to learn
that President Wilson had set aside
Memorial Day as day of prayer and
Precipitation as we'll as day of COM
memoration for the departed Speak
| ing of prayers for the departed | am
reminded of little scene which l
witnessed a short time ago:
eve happened along in a small
French village where we were to
remain for time. About $50,
on the evening Of our arrival,
the church bell rang and l made
my way to the church to attend
whatever service was to be held. The
church, quite large, had entirely
escaped the devastation which fell to
so many of its neighbors, although it
is exceedingly close to the front line
and within easy reach of enemy guns.
Only few people were present for
devotions, most of them having left
the village; two Sisters were kneeling
in the front of the church and with
them all the children of the village.
AS it happened, a French infantry
regiment, on their way somewhere,
were resting in the village for few
hours, so number of soldiers found
their way to the church.
"At the appointed time a very
sanctuary, recited the rosary and
the litany of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in which all took part;
then came Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament, the congregation
singing the o Salutaris' and Tan
tum Ergo At the close of Benedic
tion the priest intoned the De Pro
funds which was Immediately taken
up by the children with the soldiers
singing every alternate verse. These
French soldiers plainly showed the
strain of four years of war, they were
tired and weary, and as they looked a
the little children one could almos
read their thoughts, one could fee
that they were thinking of their owr
homes and children and longing fol
the end; but with it all there wa!
plainly visible that grim determine
ton to continue on till the end. The!
put their whole soul into the singing
of the DE Profundis,' and especial,
at the end, Requiem Aeternam,' on
could almost see the great battl
fields where so many of their brav,
/ comrades had fallen on the field 0
I honor, the Marne, Ypres, Arras
: Cambria, Verdun and all the others
/ am sure Almighty God must hav
| looked with pleasure on the prayer
: of these brave men, and as a con
/ sequence bestowed mercy upon th
/. souls of their heroic dead. 1t wa
t really one OF the most impressiv
scenes | had ever witnessed. TIL
| more one sees the more forcibly doe
: he realize that this whole fearful affai
: is but the natural outcome of tn
3 attempt of men and nations to ge
along without God, irrespective of Hi
t laws and the rights of felloWmal
AID until all the warring nations ar