Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-10-09
Dear NJ. B. Friends:

! Doubtless there was never a time in the
lives es any OF US when there was so great
| a strain on the entire human family as at
present. The poem expresses that condi-
| ton in the first stanza-''this day OF sore
Distress" and in the second 1t refers to
the tired, trou bled sisters and brothers"
Now, if good cheer is to be given to all
such, it must be done individually. 1t
means the personal touch as we meet one
{ nther. II does not mean a careless way
OF greeting those in especially hard places.
Some OF the Red Cross work may be sug-
gestive of PAIN and suffering, but II does
not follow that one must keep that in
m,nd to the exclusion of cheerfuily help
ing in that line. Think, rather, that the
help given is going TO ease some soldiers
condition, or, perhaps, to save his life.
One OF the blessings OF this conflict is
the facl tuat sill classes have worked to-
get her with the mutual object OF relieving
distress. Glass distinctions are. Tor the
most part, done away with, and the busy
workers, side by side, can help each other
in the various duties they are asked to
perform, so cnHlD OF mutual nSipiuiheos
can encircie, as it were, the world.
Anna St-ese Richardson, who has re-
turned from a trip to France, in the
''Soloiers Alp page OF October Womdn's
Home Companion, writes many things
which are lnfoI ming and interesting. /
CO ~ few OF them:
Home folks eau give their best and most
effective support through letters There is
nothing so important in your war JOB as the
letters you write-and this is true, whether
the man TO whom you write is your son,
your husband, your sweetheart your most
distant young relative. or your neighbours
boy. Let must be frequent, for some are
lost. Do not wait until you receive a letter
stating yours of the - reserved" did
not receive a single letter during my stay in
France. They never caught up with me.
And. oh, how l u, ed to wonder what had
happened in my own family circle.
Il your Sighting man asks about business
affairs, answer clearly and lucidly. II he
asks you TO perform any business service
for him, DO it promptly and let him know 1t
has been done. Don't dodge his questions
simply because you think things are not
going right. IL they going wrong for you,
~
them right. wheu you have uuraveled the
snarI, write him q letter which bfeathes, not
the trouble you have had, but the efficiency
you have shown. Keep your petty troubles,
your family quarrels, your aches and pains,
to yourself; but straighten out and report on
the big things over which the man of your
house might worry.
emphasize these points, because the
boys emphasized them to me. Your lighting
man wants news, home news particularly.
Clip the inter esting items, personals, we'd
dipgs, births, marriages, ETC., from your
local papers and slip them in your letters.
Thirty expert postal clerks were on the
steamer with me going overseas 10 serve
the A. e. F. The postal clerks urge you TO
enclose clippings in letters if yon want your
boy TO get news while it is fresh.
Until the army order forbidding the ship
ment of presents to soldiers is rescinded
send your gifts in the form of postofice
money orders. He eau have them cashed any,
where in France and, exee pit at the very front,
can buy almost anything he wants through
the Y. NJ. c. A, or the army eommIss.Iy.
This includes list of some four hundred
articles. Every man in a cantonnent should
have full complement of knitted garments,
then he viii be prepared TO sail for France
at any time.
small article that any A, E. F. will
find comforting is khAki'coyered air
cushion which folds into a fat envelop-
shaped case. These can be bought almost
anywhere and cost from $3.50 to ~. small
hashlight with few extra batteries and
bulbs is a good farewell gift for your soldier
man. Don't forget the extra bulbs. Mine
gave OUT twice.
For time American tobacco was scarce
over there, but to-day it is shipped over by
the government and sold TO the men at cost,
cheaper thaE you IAN buy it and ship it from
heie.
There are ,aaLy other su1 sestl.e things
in the articie, Tat have oe4sctea some OF
the most practical and most easy of ac-
compiIsbment ana hope they may be help
iui 10 some of our readers.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Cal. Sept. /, 1918.
Dear aunt 4alad0e:
If for no other reason-and there are many
other reasons-I feel amply paid for my COM
ing here ia the fun and pleasure / have had
feeding my chickens. call them all chick