The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-08-01
NOT ANXIOUS FOR
AMERICAN RO0MER
Capt. H. Lawrence Putnam Writes to
Little Sister Concerning Experience
with French Family.

That there is an amusing side to a /
soldier Is experiences in France is shown
by letter from Capt. Fl. Lawrence
Putnam, son of Mr.. and Mrs. Fred W.
Putnam of Brattlcboro. TO his little
sister. Mary, he sends the following
well-written account of an interesting
incident:
What would you think if, after q
long, tedious trip over French rail-
road you arrived in a small French
town, were assigned to a certain billet
Ga place where you are supposed TO
make your home) and told. the people
do not speak English, but they viii be
very cordial and make you eomforta-
BILE, and upon going to said billet You
found the doors locked and windows
barred and heard an ugly dog barking,
growing and scratching at the inside
of the doorsstrying. TO getsout to see
how the calfsof your leg tasted2 You
probably would think as [ did, that the
owners of the house were not over
anxious to have an American roomer
About 10 O'Clock in the evening | was
| able to gain m entrance. The dog
snapped at my LEGS The woman glared
liC int HitliA ,itiLt'NANit u ttIiCii 81
| the rate of about 1000 words a minute.
At the end of about five minutes he
hpaused for breath and | mauaged to in
| form him / did not understand French.
He then told me by gestures and a few
French words l did understand that he
had no room and did not want anyone
there anyway.
/ backed out, keeping one eye on the
dog, the other on the old lady, and slept
with the general that night, The next
day an interpreter took me to the same
house with an order from the mayor oi
the town and after copious spicls BY
the old lady, old man and interpreter
interspersed with many black looks il
my direction and lot Of things said
at me and about me which ! venture t,
say would not bear repeating, the,
said / could have a room.
About 1890 that night ! raped q
the door. There were grokls from tn
dog, the man and the woman. Smiling
my best and calling them u few name
in English, in real pleasant voice,
, walked in There was no light IN tn
room, but a little shone in from anotf
: cr room. | finally made them, under
/ ! St0Iu NlSHEu W ItitAt anu was 9llONh
to my room, which looked very mic,
as it was very clean and contained
lovely bed
? l asked for light and was given
r towel All this time / had been {
, pleasant as could be, but not gettin
/, results / tried talking Just little lou
, or and faster than she could talk an
! we had a great argument, she speaklr
: French and l English, though half Il
things ] said had no bearing on am
: thing she had ever heard Of. Next,
walked into the other room and seell
a lamp on the mantle l pointed to
T. and then to my room and smiled E
: best. She shrieked !. No, 80, No, ga
| howled back = Yes, Yes, Yes, t'l'
: walked to the mantle; stock the lam
: lighted it and took il to my njoin ~
II closed tiAp door. 1pTs ~ vaet faHt ,
= | thought bedlam rhady broken lo0s
! She and her hubby. ccrtaiRly were goll
to it on the other side of the dos
: Then it all struck ne as being so fun
y / sat down and laughed till | me
e cried. My laughter was 50 loud O.
q heard ii above their chatter and Oh
4. suddenly stopped talking,
II went to bed, and the next day
al left. There were no heartrending fa
wells and | didn even say goodl
y The people in my new billet arc just
m nice as can be, and / shall be sorry
lie leave them tomorrow.