The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-03-15
FROM A SOLDIER IN FRANCE.

We publish below extracts from let
Is recently received from Sergeant
ank M. Dallam, Jr., somewhere in
|ance." Under the restrictions of
rrespondence the soldier is held to
limited number of subjects, indeed
hist everything is taboo except seem
\, If one is careful not to even hint
what part of France the scenery is
kated. The extracts are published as
bwing the impression the old-new
kropean country has upon the Ameri-
n soldier:
Since last writing l have had two
ternoons off, one of them yesterday,
|unday), and in company with three
| four of the "boys" from the office,
ent the day tramping over the near
country. And such JOY it was to
q out and see bit of rural France.
ke first day we did not walk far, but
)mbed a hill and had from there n
3e panoramic view Of the surround
country. Words that l can COM
Ind are all too feeble to convey my
Apressions. The land is beautiful be-
md anything that l have heretofore
en- 1t is, of course, entirely differ
Il from western America. 1t has the
Spearance of age and freshness both.
be coloring is soft, and varigated,
ID altogether exquisite. The sunrises
ID sunsets being of such soft glow
colors in sky and over hills and
5lleys that the beauty Of it fairly
&rts. The land is most carefully cult
&ted. Each plot of ground is marked
the kind of product grown. There
e very few fences, but stone walls
tOund, and the wood lots are kept as
ian as we'll kept lawns. But the most
kractive and most interesting feature
/ this country is the buildings. They
e practically all built of stone, with
ther slate or thatched roofs. In one
Ace | saw church Catholic, of
|nrse) and across the narrow, crook
street barn, both 200 years old.
tsterday we walked to little village
Insisting of a dozen houses and a
birch. 1t is built along the winding
blntry road. Each house is picture,
HI l never wished before so keenly
BIT l could sketch. Little children,
men, old men and young boys came
to look at us, most of them wear
wooden shoes. We examined the
hrch, climbed the belfrey and found
ht the bells had been cast and placed
1872. Then we had lunch in the
taurant, and nearly every house is
trestaurant. And such cosy, quaint
lifting little cubby holes many OF
em are. This, typical of many | have
IN, was the living room of the home
low ceiling. festoOned with summer
psages, and. crowning glory of the
ice, a great chimney fire place al
e end of the little room-a chimney
th seats at the sides, small fire
tween big dogs" in the center and
boks and chains for hanging cook
tg utensils over the fire. An old
tand mother, fat and minus many
)eth, greeted us and provided for oul
fants, while two pretty. shy, children
n brother and sister about 10 or II
BARS old, sat together in a dark recess
\ the chimney We had bread, cheese
Aimmer sausages and wine, which Is
bore like cider than liquor. On oul
|eturn we stopped at another little
|illage almost identical with that W.
eft, and had another lunch in another
ittle restaurant, where more peopl,
yathered, a number of men rather
'oung, one wore a uniform. 1t was ;
most delightful afternoon in every re
'pect
I wish l could picture for you tn,
winding country road, lead
ng over and around rolling hills
through rich meadows, bounded will
rees. lacey and trim in their winte
nudeness, walled up for long stretches
BY stone fences; thickly covered will
lead leaves full Of rich color; the SIX,