The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-07-31
OFF HOMESckNESS IS !,
IMPORTANT JOB WlTH THE ARMY
Work Of the Y. 4. CA Is Not So Much With the Morals Of the Men
as With the Morae-How the Bishop Broke Up Case Of
Blues-Soh Of Idle Rich Finds His Job
Pershings Men a Fine, Clean Bunch.
D. cLARENcE 3. HOLLAND.

~ CLARENCE q. HOLLAND.
Bill Jones and Jack Stevens, late
Of the United States but now Of "some-
where in France" sat on a bench.
They just sat- They didn't talk, they
didn't smoke, they didn't cuss. You
could reach out your finger and touch
the gloom that exuded from them.
They weren't. bunkies or DOMINATES or
intimates Of any sort, but they had
both gotten up with . gloom and had
Inevitably sought each other out. It
was just before mess call.
A little nan with a wrinkled face
and a can and a uniform and eyes
that twinkled, watched John and Bill
at their occupation Of being homesick.
and he sided up to them. Pretty soon
he was sitting on an end of their
bench-and they didn't notice him any
more than If he had been an extra
cootie. -
'.The til have got the best ball
team In France" he said positively,
apropos Of nothing.
"Huh," said Bill Jones.
'They can clean up anything In
France. I've been down there a week,
and that outfit. is class"
Huh" said Jack Stevens.
|"Of1cers keep 'em busy. Say, where
you from9"
Michigan" said Bill.
"New York." said Jack.
"Met some New York and Michigan
men with the -th,," said the little man
casually.
*who7" said Bill and Jack at once.
The little man named half a dozen,
With their towns. Bill knew some and
Jack knew some, and before they re-
allied it they were In the middle Of a
conversation about Detroit and Utica
and Lansing : and Long Island, and
politics and the til regiment.
'l&ess CALI said the little man.
Saint hungry" said Bill.
'Don't want to eat" said Jack.
oispellInoT the Gloom.
Reminds me Of Tom Judklns Of
Pontiac" said the little man. always
getting of his feed. Know Pontiac9'
he asked Of the Michigan man.
sPlayed football there"
"Judkins used to play"
"What year,
.About fourteen"
'Bet I played against him."
And so on, and so on talking about
the home localities and the home folks
and giving the boys q chance to men.
Etionf towns and streets that lay close
to their hearts. You could see them
straighten up - you could see their
eyes brighten ; you could feel a differ.
tence in the air that surrounded them
Bill stood up.
"Guess I'll 20 feed" he said, and
banged Jack OF the back.
"Pretty hungry myself" said Jack
"Gimme a light before you 60" said
the little man, without enthusiasm.
Once Of the boys held a match over his
pipe and then both strolled of to the
mess tent with a bad case Of home.
sickness operated on skillfully and re-
moved without pain-removed by q
man they had never seen before, but
who would always find q welcome n
their locality thereafter just why,
they would never be able to tell you
L. And they didn't know, nor would
ilt have mattered If they had, that the
little man in uniform, wearing q Red
triangle, was that imposing and awe
inspiring dignitary known as Bishop
lof the Church Of England, back In
America.
That's his Job in France, Just talking
to the fellows. He has put Ia months
at It. Sometimes Of a, Sunday. or In
the evening he breaches. but mostly he
1ust wanders around looking for cases
Of gloom and homesickness and talk.
ing them back to the cheerfulness and
enthusiasm which Is the quality that
Is almost the outstanding characteris'
tic Of the A. p. F. in France.
Important Job With Army.
Curing or heading of inconsistencies
Is an important job In an army three
thousand miles from home. Officers,
from the new second lieutenant up,
will tell us that an army which sits
on benches and bottles up gloom is
not an army that will fight. They say
any man is liable to an, attack, but
they say, too, that the number and VIC.
lence Of attacks Is amazingly few
when one considers the circumstances.
Judge Galloway Of New York said
the other night, 1.-THE job Of the r. NJ.
G. A. here is not so much with the
morals Of the army 40 with the mo
rale."