Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-08
vERITABLE DELUcE
AND UNUSUALLY COLD

~ has become a reritablc dclugc
and Is unusually cold. The first win
ter chill falls on your shouidp-s as
tho day grows dark before tho usual
hour under the thick clouds. /! run
ROW between two showers Of mud.
which makes splotchcs on III. ruins and
AZ tho same time splash the poor SOL
diers. grouped in the embraaurcs. look
ing for want of anything better to do.
al inc cnNoy going BY. When ii is
not necessary that / should hurry i
go a littl" slower that they might be
!cSa SpatteTcd, even though l must star,
on my return journey before ni-ht
closed down. because. TO avoid %eoIIis.
ions. ! ought then TO DC out of ,bo
Hanger zone where ii is forbidden to
ligh your lamps.
But what is tho use o, slowing down
when those camions. always ruSh;nc
by IN heavy Numbering lines. throw n,
thicker and higher As FOR
me inud, II counts for nothing now.
:, was only an affair OF the first few
moments. for they had become accus-
toned 10 il during a whole season
But. after all, ono soon becomes used
10 II. What does ii matter. a l,tic
more or less. One is warmer when
they are we'll coated" said one of them
TO me with a jolly laugh.
Since they have gained experience
with II III our French trenches thev arc
prepared tor IL better and better. No
49,, mere me terrible suffering Of
the hrsi winter. Now there are WAYS
70 warm themselves down there. 10
nave light, even 10 have childish fun
and forget their troubles. When one
looks hack on those days OF Yesterday
with their beautiful sunshine and calm
aash's II seems that war then was
only compared with what it is to-day.
with its long. dark nights. its cold
and frost.
On. poor. brave fellows, whose cour-
age never fails, how do those behind
your lines dare for an instant 10 for
get you. to complain for lack o; heat.
10Y lack Of luxury. or comforts, 49,.
The twilight aud the rain SHOW nc
that night is soon 10 envelope me. the
one hasteniDG the other. Yes. i; seems
10 me that ! have never seen 50 clearly
before these deso!ated places that 7
cross and which ought 10 be SO fami!ia.
10 me now. They pass by continually
as though marching 10 music, the
great orchestra of the evcr-incrcaSing
sound OF the firing or cannon on both
sides OF the road. In every direction
II is the same. and IL is the same in a
hundred or two hundred piaces-citie..
villages destroyed. their stones sown in
chaos on the ground, trees cut down and
strc"n over the orchards. their
branches dying.
RMS is what has happened TO our
dear France. done by the rage Of Ear
barians: 1t is a horrible reality. one
must tell of il, and repeat II. and keen
on repeating it. to drive 1t into tho
heads OF those who have not seen II.
VINO refuse to believe it, OF who soon
forgot! -
And still the punishment is delayed,
y race who could carry on such de-
struction should 10 longer have the
risht 10 life and liberty under tho sky
OF the twentieth century. They de-
serve not the least protection of mercy.
ihc world condemns them by common
justice. Against such being is il nos
Sibie that the revol. OF human con-
science is not unanimous? Aftecr three
years of tho most horrible crimes.
hurllng defiance at the foundations Of
honor, to think that there arc still
G~crmanophilcs! And cvcn near ne. in .
n~eiGhboring country, so friendly and
chivalrous-to think that they do
nothing, it is a thought before which
common sense is confouDded