Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-08-22
Carving On" in France.

given in recent letter from France by
the author OF Letters from an Amer
lean Soldier to His Father")
Before turn over for good this one
of many other pages. must draw for
you two little pictures.
The first | saw one sunny afternoon
when the shadows were beginning to
lengthen out. Three OF US, Americans
all, were walking down a country road
that bordered a rolling field. In the
distance, at the end Of one long straight
black furrow, a figure was toiling at a
two-horse plow. AS it turned and start
ed back, after considerable confusion,
we could make out two horses, steady
old white one, and frisky bay. The
old white horse plodded steadily along
in the furrow just made, using what
little strength he had cleverly asan aged
expressman. But the bay, being little
than a colt, bounded up into draught
and back again, to left and right, like
a green wheel-horse on a caisson. AS
the team came closer, we looked with
amazement at the figure guiding it. II
was boy OF ten.
The French two-horse plow is hung
different from ours, and does not re-
ouire as much weight on the handles
but even so, he had practically to ride
it all the way. 1t was plain that guid-
ing il when it threatened to twist Of
or up required every ounce Of strength
the kiddy had. Yet each moment he
applied it at just the right place, so the
furrow remained deep and true.
AS the team came just below us in
the field and started to turn for the
next furrow something went wrong
The boy was busy swinging his plow
around and didn't see it in time. When
he looked at the horses they were all
tangled up, the bay lunging desperately
into her old team-mate He had only
a single rein to the nigh horse and or
this he yanked and shrilled at then
valianty enough. They quieted ooe'
diently at the sound of his voice, but
seemed unable to move. He flashed
forward cracking his whip, but nothing
happened.
Then | saw where the bay had hel
hind foot snarled up in the trace, and
hoped off down the road. 1t was only
a seconds work to lift her foot out and
straiehten the trace. AS stood uF
the youngster came to me, thanked me
and looked at me squarely with his cleal
blue ewes. have never felt so ashamed
in all my life.
There he stood, the sweat of Ions
davis work beaded on his brow, II
ridiculous big looped-up trousers ane
huge wooden shoes-his fathers. Anc
there we stood, three great hulking
broad -.houldered figures against th'
sun, who had done no mans work al
that day. There might be other days
to be sure, but this day was gone, ane
here was this boy, blowing for France.
There was an awkward silence ane
one of the men, moved curiously by
know not what, offered the youngstei
package of cigarettes. He smiled ant
shook his head, saying, obviouslyenougf
"ne fume pas" "For your father" in
sisted the man, and wished the WORD:
unsaid: cor your brother" The DO!
said nothing for a minute, his eyes
clouding a little, and in the interva
he had grown much larger than we. W.
stood before him like truants. FINAL!
he took the cigarettes, wadded then
down into his bagging trousers, CHR
ruped cheerfully enough to histeam, an(
plodded sturdily on across the field
Behind us, on the hilltop, three crosses
stood black against the sun.