Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-07-04
By WALTER

My dear sis,-
don't want you to think that I've
gone crazy about working on the land
but to tell you the truth there is so
much destruction going on here in
Europe, you can't go anywhere with
out seeing either the making Of in
struments of destruction Or the results
Of war, torn and damaged men or
miles Of salvage dumps, that to rest
your eyes by looking at acres Of wav-
ing grain, or rest your mind by talking
with people who are putting their
whole lives into producing food, is not
only a relaxation but il keeps alive
the faith in one.
1t vas with this selfish motive that
| asked two of my farm army friends
to spend the weekend with us and we
tried to give them a good time.
Theaters are of course the first thing
that comes to mind. For the Saturday
evening we chose Belinda" a brilliant
little play by a funny mar on punch.
From the very first word those two
girls sat way forward in their seats
laughing and almost answering back
when the screaming parts came along.
They just about took part themselves,
they were so keen. They liked the clev-
err wit and humor Of it so much better
than musical comedy; they had been
terribly bored with songs and dances
which they said seemed only half
hearted. They said that they could do
that sort of thing better themselves
on the village green. And upon my
word / believe them if an exhibition
we had in our own upper hall next
morning was a sample.
As we had not had time for any
thing to eat before the show l had a
little supper ready for the girls when
we got home. Everything begins early
you know and we were in the house by
10 o'clock and it was still quite light
enough to see without lamps.
Then we talked and read aloud
from William Allen Whites book,
"The Martial Adventures Of Henry
and Me-" and the two girls laughed
and cried by turns. Well, with one
thing and another, We didn't get to
bed until after 2 a. m. 1t gets light at
4:30, when the boy usually wakes up
and begins his day with a whoop.
The first thing he did was TO dig
these poor girls out Of their beds.
There was a pillow fight and then a
general rough-and-tumble in pajamas
all over the place. Blankets and bed
room slippers and any odd furniture
that wasn't fixed to the walls Joined
in the fray and | do wish you could
have seen the calves foster mother.
She is just nineteen, has her mop Of
glinting brown curls bodied like Irene
Castles and in her little white paiam.
as with blue collar and cuffs she made
the prettiest picture | ever saw. She
wa what pretty girls on the stage are
always trying TO look like when they
do the boudoir scene. Her cheeks
were, like peaches and her little brown
hands 50 strong and quick that sh,
floored the rest in short order.
Then for sheer joy, because II was
such a glorious Sunday morning the,
danced and capered round and shouted
until | almost tainted for fear a DO.
liceman would come pounding at oui
door.
After that we had breakfast and
tell you | didn't ration those farme,
girls, not IL we have to skimp for ,
month. And then, just as the cook,
along our street were beginning TO ar
rive and housemaids were sleepil,
drawing up the blinds, the calves
foster-mother scampered of 10 catcI
an early train so that she would be n
the farm in time to give her charge.
their morning milk.
This girl never gets hut seven hours