Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-19


teered some months ago for service
Y. NJ c. A. hut secretary In France. He
had had no previous experience In such
work and was doubtful of his success. but
they would not accept. him In the army
and he wanted TO do his bit. He sue
ceeded so well in managing his hut near
Toul that at the request of the officers,
when the soldiers whom he had been
serving were moved to the trenches he
went with them He suffered severely
from shell shock and was compelled to go
to Paris to recover He was accompanied
from Toul TO Paris by Howard Butcher.
Jr.. of Philadelphia, to whom he has
written the following account Of his work
with the soldiers
Tn WORKING with the United States
Army Y. M. C. A. in France there is
| one great thing that stands out above all
| others-opportunity. 1t is always there.
| whether ones work is a success, mediocre
or failure. The Y M. c. A. gives us just
| that-this wonderful opportunity--and we
must do the rest. 1t gives 1t to us with
| both hands; virtually unhampered $50
many people seem to think otherwisel and
| we must work out our own salvation by
| help of our reason, our common sense and,
| best of ALL our hearts. There can be no
| frills shams with the American soldier
| in France; 1t Is the real stun that counts.
| and it is just plain man to man always,
| so II he makes good and you make good
| you both succeed and IL you don't you fail.
7 KNEW little about the Y NJ. G.. A. in
L America and imagined its viewpoint Of
| life differed radically from my own, so I
! scarcely dared hope to be accepted as
| secretary for war work in France when
| offered my services in New York. 7 told
| the committee smoked, took drink when
| wanted one, and am not sure, but be-
| lieve l said | occasionally swore However,
| they gave me my opportunity, for which
shall ever be grateful.
| I KNEW as little about opening a hut as
l did about opening hotel, but after
| two days of being general utility man In a
| well-run hut in 70 large town I was told
was to have one OF my own, all my own to
sink or swim by. Late one October after
noon was set down from motortruck in
small village in northern France with
load Of canteen supplies and a piano, and
| told to go to it," In a moment was
surrounded by mob of excited boys, and
| the piano was being played before 1t
! touched the ground. 1t was bedlam! was
| ueluBeu Wltn VucStlOns.
will you help with a minstrel show?"
did you bring football?'
| , do you think we will be out of this
damned place by Christmas?" etc, etc.
| I won't dwell on my struggles and dis
| comforts those first few weeks. I hate
sweeping a floor and tobacco chewing,
with the usual accompaniment, makes it
| filthy job. Also ! still consider trimming
| and filling oil lamps an undignifed pro-
| ceedng for man of more than forty. The
| boys soon thought so, too, and came to my
| rescue. My hut was in the loft of a ruined
| mill with the millracc running beneath
| a wonderful room with great beams and
deep shadows, full of charm and sugges.
| ton, and it was the happiest Of homes to
| us all for the four months we were there.
| My boys were not born with silver spoon
| in their mouths nor with a golden tongue.
Their language was dreadful, lurid. |
| thought the matter over carefully and
reasoned something like this: 1t was as
| natural for them to swear as to breathe.
| My job was to make them happy as pos.
| sible, and they could not be happy unless
| they breathed, so / let them swear away,
| but drew the line If they swore in anger
at each other. l made my greatest bid for
| their respect and affection and I won out,
though 1t took me weeks to find the key to
some of their hearts. They are all my
| boys" now In every sense, and love them
| all. the good ones and the bad ones--only
there are no bad ones-and I am prouder
| of their affection than of anything that
has ever come TO me. They call me Larry
and Kid which is pleasant to hear when
one is more than forty, and since l have
been with them in the trenches am known
less elegantly as Larry, the Louser," be-
cause of the affection the cooties have
for me.
T WANT to put down one or two mex
pressibly touching incidents among many
that have come to me. One day young
| ster, a mere lad in whom had taken an
interest, said:
| Look here, Larry, you, don't know it,
but l have always been a crook, thief
but somehow guess won't be any more"
Then again just before Christmas. was
working on the tree when 1 was grabbed
from behind and a voice said, "You do
| everything for us and we love you" and he
kissed me on the back of my neck and was
gone.
LNARLY in February the long-expected
~ order for active service at the front
arrived, and with it my permission from
the Y. NJ. c. A. to go with the men.
have been on two battlefronts always with
them, whether front-line trenches sup
port or reserve. My officers have been
goodness itself and have given me every
| opportunity. They agree with me that the
| moral effect is very strong in having some
one with those boys some one who does
not have to be there, but who goes as a
friend to live their life and to share their
dangers. When possible carried in sup
plies, sometimes even into the front-line
trenches but more often it is just for a
chat of mother sweetheart and home and