Norwich bulletin., 1918-06-25

treasurer, be instructed to prepare |. plans for the work of the association during the coming season.
 in one of which he speaks of a visit | to the regiment by General Pershing. | Real man and a soldier" says the | doctor of General Pershing, with i whom he had the pleasure of shaking | hands when the regiment was in- | spected
 The following are extracts from Dr. | Elackmars letters:
 Sunday, April 28.
 The sun shone this forenoon and we officers took advantage of the op- portunity to climb the hill at the end of the village street and attend ser vice in the only church in town. Beautiful in architecture CGothie), built in 1907 of a sort of light colored clay, the high arches stretch up and reach over to each other. and the al- tar and windows add to the beauty.
 Inside the place was packed. Wo- men in black dresses q have seen no others in F'rance), French and Amer ican soldiers in uniform olive drab. blue and red and children and old men. A large choir of twenty or more sang with indescribable sweetness, eIIlu Ol0 SII1 IldQ a very sweet nlSu voice for the Sanctus. The priest was a wonder. both in his French pronun- i ciation and his earnestness. The ser- | vice was punctuated by the boom, boom of the guns fifteen or twenty 1 miles away and once we heard an air | nlane go over. It was a service and an experience that 1 shall never for get
 This village had a population of | about 750 before the war The people here are absolutely guileless and our men have thus far behaved themselves in a perfect manner. We are the first American troops to go through here, and the inhabitants have not vet learned to fit their prices to the Amer ican pockethook
 The nights are long and lonesome 1 Darkness settles down soon after eight, and we have to be off the street and no lights It would hardly do to make ourselves a target for plane on. a Il hombing experition, so no lights are allowed in the houses except candles and those carefully guarded, and shut ters drawn. 1 tried to read and study the first few nights. but it is too dark
 We are being instructed by French officers and soldiers, apparently se- lected for their knowledge of English as well as other qualifications One acts as interpreter when call on my landlady. who has pneumonia. I have quite a practice here; have heen asked to come in and look the people over in several instances
 l admire the French for their po- liteness and patience One would think himself their best friend or patron
 until he sees them do the same thine With the next. They are past masters in the art of intensive farming. Suct
 pretty and well kept gardens! Peas
 and salad are aourishing.
 May 2 Peculiar custom here for May Day l Every house that contains a mar riaSeable girl has a large green branch 3 of tree sticking out of the leader l pipe from the caves suppose the g young swain (there are none here now) climbs up and retrieves the
 branch. and then goes in and claims
 the girl. The sun shone all day yes.
 terday, and bids fair to do the same
 today-to our great satisfaction, as : 1t has rained at some time every dal we have been here.
 Six weeks since we landed and ". r have received no mail from the states . Am getting more and more anxious
 to hear from home
 l wish I could write you of condi
 
 o too nearly approach military infornna. . ton. which of course is absoluter i. forbidden. But I can assure you tha n preparation has, and is being made ol e an enormous scale. 1 am oEly a sma1 f atom in this great game, and shal e rlay it 10 the end, and do my smal e share. All my love to both of you. e JOHN.
 Th1rSdau May 0 e My dearest Ones: da, $ and holiday here I Inspected :, 't company this morning, and then W = went to church. The music appea Q very strongly to me as well as tn q eloquence of the padre The voice d are very sweet indeed, and during tn Q offertory the organist played Men 't delssohn's Spring Song with fine ef U feet. l suppose it is the general at 0 rnospl1ere of the place that make l. ones thoughts take a serious turr s Our men and officers are probably n . more religious today than hefore: bu a, think all realize how near or hoy
 far they are from their Maker i IS the present time.
 y Some of the officers and non-c com le go Saturday to the front for five days e; instruction. but Di~on just told me was not among them Don't kno1
 
 struction in our lire too however 1T we. are under the French. and do a at we are told. Il. We were issued our gas masks yes t. terdaY. and beein tn drill tomorrow L. D. put them on quickly. When tn gas comes one must not take breat Ill until the mask is adjusted It look " no more like war here today than g I'd Camp Stuart but on q drill day ther Il: are constant explosions because ( l training in the use of hand grenade " machine guns and automatic rifles. e' Tell Edward and Harold if they al ". still there. that American camps al nt a heaven for a soldier. When I retur
 I can give many surprising account
 but at present cannot speak of any
 thing of a military nature. I haven
 the least doubt that the Boches kno
 all about us who we are, where W al rame from, and all the rest; but or tn ders are orders. and no informatio