Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-02

dope to do it with. fresh beef willie.
beans, spuds, tomatoes, bacon, onions,
and the like. How's the coffee. sir?
Fine. Perry. fine. And thank you.
See you later"
As disappeared down the road. Perry
was still giving orders. and working
Perry feeds $50 men thrice daily; that's
$50 In all. He does IT without turning
hair despite his banter No one COM
pany In the regiment had better cook
and that's saying something. No Won
der. Perry had cooked for ten years
four In the navy, four in field artillery
and two with his present infantry outfit
iad-for his cooking days are over
For II when this story is released I am
permitted to say 1t. l ask the reader to
stop moment and bow head to his
memory The - day In, a boche II
struck his rolling kitchen full on, de-
molished 1t, and killed Perry. who. de.
spite his greasy sweater. died a soldier
In the cause OF right.
a little later still ] drove TO a village
directly behind the lines from where |
witnessed the departure for fighting area
by certain other unit after spending
the afternoon among officers and men.
As we approached the ruined hamlet
we passed point where for two
miles We were In full view of the encmy's
observers upon a certain dominating eIc-
, walton. We were then running through
rich red mud. Upon one side of tho
road ! read a sign: "Eteignez vos lam
ternes' (put out your lanterns) upon
the other at three different points, one
reads: ACCOMPLISHMENTS vous
volt" tHeed-the enemy sees you).
A MIRACLE OF THE WAR
| Just within the village borders I saw
one of the miracles of the war. one of
| the many that have come under nv oh.
| servation during the last two years-a
rooted shrine over whose pedimented
entrance figure of the Virgin rested
within niche. A German shell had
struck the little building and made a
wreck or 1t, but the portion that sup.
ported the Virgin In the niche STOOD
bravely alone, uprising among the mas.
OF crumbled stone.
The village itself was over half 2
wreck. occupied still by perhaps half IL.
original Inhabitants, these being as al
ways but women, old men and children
Upon It's walls and at divers placei
throughout the haihlet were signs read
ing: The alerte for gas is three min
utes ringing of the tocsn-the sigma
for its passing fifteen strokes upon tn,
church hell"
The three streets were full Of Sam
mees. Their gear lay here and Their
among stacked arms. Rolling Kitchen
were belching smoke and groups Of mel
we're walking about or engaged in con
versation. A few with keener ipstihot
of observation than their fellows wer
! noting centuries-old dates upon some O
| ka hnt, t,,a
; the church that dates back to early 14O(
Mingllng with the khaki-clad Amer
leans were khali-clad, brown-skinne
men from Arabia and Tunis and Mo
rocco, members of French Colonial unit
I Here and there ! noted a Zouave and
} few of the Foreign Legion with thel
) fourgeure of red about one shoulder
! Khaki was 10 relieve khaki. and abou
me the ends Of the earth were meeting
/ brothers In common cause.
During the wait for night wandere
. all over the village. stopping here an
+ There to talk With different Sammees c
Q different companies. Each In his il
dividual way said he was glad to go II
Z "get a chanst at 'em. stead of thu
. trainin' stun that I'm full up on" as OF
Z put II.
h stopped for q quarter of an hour
I chat with Sergeant ----, who ha
/ seen twenty years service in the rel
I ular army. always in the same reg
Z ment. and now, as well as for six yea
. past, top sergeant Of his company. b
3 birth Sergeant is South Germal
= naturalixed American these last eigt
I. cen years. He came over In the stee
are with his father thirty years ag
= when he was fourteen. he told me, speal
4 tng In something OF German brogt
: which can't attempt 10 transcribe:
y ~We South Germans have no use 4
; " zee 4 NY ny 2 s.s: z,