The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-21
BY MAMMALIAN FOSTER.

LdShiVhCN hAhd WohAo NC q pAt RhL
zled, no doubt, If he were to see the
way the American army in France
observes the Sabbath day. Sundays
over here are not the same sort one
is accustomed to at home. Even the
most religious among our fighting men
have wideped their views regarding
the Sabbath.
Understand now, this does not
mean that our boys have grown I'M
godly. 1t is the very opposite, rath-
er. The first thing that impresses
the newcomer, In spite of what he
may have heard at home, is the strik-
ing decency and wholesomeness of
this host of young Americans. France,
In fact, has marveled at our soldiers
self-restraint for no matter what his
tory has to say of other great bod
les of armed men, u boys have con-
Quoted themselves in a way to make
their mothers proud. So, even
though 1t be said that their attitude
toward Sunday has altered, this does
not mean-far from Ii, indeed-that
1t has altered for the worse. 1t
means merely that among them Sun
day Is not devoted entirely to re-
ligious observances. Here, If you
like, is a picture of one Sabbath in
France.
The place is up In the Luneville
sector. That Sunday the sun was
shining, glowing down with a dazzling
nal3nnno IN xhn Anuyarinn AaIdS and
hills behind the lines. Out In front,
a bare three kilometers away, was
the ugly, SCARED zigzag of the front
line trenches, the one blemish on the
landscape as far as the eye could
see.
Insurance Man Leads.
Near by, the little town, hardly
more than a village, and now bat
tered by the Huns bombs and shells,
lay ~peaceable and quiet In the morn
ing air. Presently one heard a
burst of song, that good old hymn,
"Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me-" 1t
rose on the quiet air. propelled from a
hundred or more sturdy lungs. The
source of IL was a Y. M. G. A. field
hut, now tenanting what once had
been a blowsy drinking place. In
side morning services were going on.
The leader. of the services was a
former Buffalo IN. ~ real estate
and insurance man. He was not a
preacher, he never had been one, but
the wal had imposed on him this
new duty. The services were brief,
but they were earnest.
After they had finished 1t the ex.
tempore pastor gave them a little talk,
There was nothing SNUG about ii
nothing mealy-mouthed. 1t was just
a bing-bang sort of an allocution such
as might have been heard in an ath.
letic field dressing room between the
two halves Of a varsity football
match.
Afterward the amateur pastor gave
them his benediction, a sort OF
Heres luck, fellows" valedictory. A
moment later one saw the insurance
man, relieved from his spiritual du
ties, dispensing chocolate, chewing
gum and cigarettes at the other ent
of the hut.
These were the mornings religion!
services. At one o'clock the insur
ance man was at 1t again.
His chapel now had moved from
the former buvette to a bigger. more
commodious temple-nature's worlt
of out-of-doors. The insurance mans
talk was a homely bit about thu
Holy Writ. But the boys-ther,
were SO Of them now-listened will
silent interest. "Get itf inquired
the insurance man. Yes; they got 1t
The at" was something about an
other preacher who went upon /,
mountain, and what he said to a mul
titude.
Just Innocent Fun.
At two o'clock the "Y" man wa
back In his hut. The hut, by then
had begun to ali. Presently the "Y'
man, with a grin, called the place t
order.
"The first event on the program,
he announced, twill be q fOur-roun'
bout, Spike Anderson versus Bat
Ting Bill Roberts. Shake hands
First roundl Time"
A trio of buck and wing dancer
followed, after which there was
song, a very topical one. Then
recitation, sOld Ironsides at Ancho
Lay" The hit Of the occasion
though, was "a real. simon-pure glass
eater, a young private from a neigh
boring unit.
So, for three hours passed the Sun
day afternoon. A queer Sabbatl
some will say: yet what OF 1t? On
was certain OF Its innocence.
That night, when the writer wa
on his way back through the towr
there rose from within q ~" hut
rousing chorus Of voices. The
were young, fresh, hearty voices. an
what they sang was ''The Son Q
God Goes Forth to War"
So finished : Sunday in FrancAl