Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-06-28
N.wsy French Letter

and she has very kindly allowed us to
publish il. 1t was only a few years
that, as a boy. Richard was q student
in the Macon High school.
Somewhere in France,
About May 81, 1918.
Dearest Mother:
| am leading the original prim-
tive life these days. Twelve of
us are on detached service with
some ''Britishers" studying the
workings of the M. G. 1t is
great. We sleep out under the
stars on good clean grass. About
the only thing in France that is
not d~ilapidated is the grass. 1t
is absolutely the greenest and
freshest | ever saw. The hand
of the boche is positively un-
known there. If | was a horse
l would Say this country is
heaven. Besides the grass there
are wild flowers galore. France
is a land of poetry until you
meet some one. The people are
so poverty stricken that it is dis
trassing. They live on a coarse
bread-crown bread, milk and
eggs, and of course, wine.
The first two days we were
here, we were rather out Of luck.
We left the company with one
meal for the twelve of us, and
upon arrival found that we were
supposed to have two days
rations, so that one meal lasted
for that length of time. We
took up a collection though and
borrowed a couple of pounds
from the officers and bought
eggs and milk to help out. Do
you remember how we COM
planned about the price of eggs
last summer? Well, we give a
half franc for one egg here and
are glad to get them at that
price. Milk is cheaper. 1t is
the French equivalent of eight
cents a quart. | drink it fresh
from the cow and drink it to the
great amusement of the natives.
They think all Americans are
more or less mad though, so it is
overlooked. We have never Teen
able to get on friendly terms
with the people. They are very
peculiar. The only time they
smile at us. is when we show
them money. | hope to get back
to England. Even the Germans
could not be any more indiffer.
ent than these folks.
We get along pretty we'll with
the English-I borrowed paper
and pencil from one of them to
write this letter. They aren't SC
bad when you know them and ]
believe | prefer them to the
French, judging from what ]
have seen of them.
When you write me take the
daily paper and tell me all the
current news. | haven't seen q
line of American news since ]
got on the ship. | see the Paris
papers every day or so, but there
IS no news from the states. 81
write me everything in the way
of news, general as we'll as per.
sonal. | have not received
line from home yet but we are
expecting mail daily. Ditto pay
AS is reasonable to suppose the
company is very near bankrupt
But you can't keep a goo(
man down. sold some Amer
can cigarettes yesterday to some
Regulars who have beeen there
some time, at a hundred pc,
cent profit. When | rejoin tn,
company, | am going to get
permit and have you send W,
some cigarettes. These Frencl
and English specimens arc vile
! we are now many miles from
Y. M. c. A. and depend entirely
upon what we get from tn,
British Q. NJ, and the natives
, Don't send me anything. though
without a permit. 1t is neces
sary to get a written licens
t signed by the censor or som
= person in authority over here, be
fore we can get even a sack 0
"Bull' from home. And n
newspapers, so just write me tn
e news. You will note that | hav
Y been putting my return address
Inf. U. S. A." but that i
camouflage. My address is tn
same, subject to change @
course. Orders come out so fas
$ | doubt if half my letters an
cards have reached you.
If the censor was not on tn
+ job | could write you a boo
j.. about this country. But we can
{ describe any of these village
e we billet in and can't tell the