Putnam patriot., 1918-07-19
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
 UNDER FIRE
Fr. Mayotte Wasn't Sleepy When Big Guns Doomed
 the First Night
Woman Calmly Reads Paper While
 Shells Burst In Air

The following is an interesting let ter from Fr. Mayotte. formerly a eurate of St Mary's parish, now a lieutenant in France;
 T must say that my work here diff fers great deal from what was doing back in Putnam. began my military career by drilling few hours day in an officers school. liked it at first, but it soon grew mon otonous at times and I began to long for something different. l was more than pleased one day to receive or ders to proceed to the front My trip Co the Amercan sector was interest ing but uaeventful. 1 finally reached headquarters and was assigned to the | 103rd Regiment of Infantry. As 1 neared the front l must confess l felt a certain nervousness, as the roar of the cannon became more dis tinet and more insistent But being assured that my tin hat was on straight and that my gas mask fitted my face went ahead resolutely.
 Directly behind the lines | was bil- leted in an old farm house The lady of the house, an old peasant woman over 80 years of age. had refused to leave her home, and was staying there all alone That first night l didn't sleep very much for every time the cannon roared the windows in my room rattled so much and the house shook that well, l made up my mind that 1 wasn't sleepy anyway. i thought of Sherman and what a great man he was. 1 thought of the man who wrote. Where Do We Go From 1 Here Boys2" 1t also dawned upon me suddenly and with great force that the house four or five doors from mine had been blown to Kingdom 1 Come by Boche she'll But it is strange how man becomes accustomed to everything. After a couple of days I didu't mind these little details and slept the sleep of the just in spite of 1 bombardments.
 My first visit to the trenches was very interesting Our sector was in forest and the boys had arranged everything as comfortably as possible We could go out as far as the first line and look out beyond the barbed wire entangelments into No Man s l Land.
 The scenery here is most beauti- 1 ful, and when the bombarding ceases for a while everything IS so quiet and peaceful that you would think we were a thousand miles away from the theatre of war
 "This war is filled with contrasts could not help thinking of this one evening as I was going through the village l was going to the outskirts of the town to watch an artillery duel. The guns were banging away like mad and the shells could be seen bursting overhead. A woman was sitting in i her doorway quietly reading the news paper-reading about the war, no ] doubt.
 "One day we got orders to go to l the rear for rest. which my regi- ment greatly needed. We went back at first to very pretty village where the cannon could no longer be heard, 1 but we didn't stay here long and soon moved to another village much near CT the front. Here we are quietly resting and I am taking and I am talk ing the opportunity to answer few l letters
 Our boys are a fine and manly crowd and are doing excellent work. i am proud If them. and YOU all back in America may feel proud of them. i Tbe dominant nete over aere is one i of optimism and We all think it is on ] ly a question of time when Fritz will have enough of it and will 20 back home to his beer and pretzels. In the meantime we are all doing our bit and with the help of God We will do it as well as possible. If l don't get in the way of a German shell 1 promise to pay you a visit ''apres la guerres.
 RIDES TEN MILES AND BACK TO
 TARGET PRACTICE