The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-17
SENTIMENT IN THE TRENCHES.
By Francis Rogers of The vigilantes.

Our boys in France are maturing fast.
The conditions amid which they live tend
to clarity and to deepen their thoughts
They bear no responsibility for their own
physical needs; food, shelter and clothing
are all provided for them. Many II not
most Of them, have assigned the greater
part of their pay to their families and
no efforts of their can increase their
income. During the day. and often at
night they are almost constantly under
orders; in doing only what they are told
they are doing their full duty. Their
only real responsibility is for the con
duct Of their own thoughts
In intercourse with our soldiers in
France one soon discovers that many of
them are living an active, often an ex-
allied, inner life The gossip that used to
satisfy their hours of leisure no longer
meets their need for mental refreshments
and their minds seem to crave the solid
nonrishment to be found in poetry and
religion. A member of the foreign legion,
who was by no means an educated man
in the usual sense of the phrase, told us
that he always carried in his pocket a
copy of "The Golden Treasury" which
weary vigil in shell-hole and trench.
Robert w. Services Rhymes of a Red
Cross Man" is the familiar friend of
thousands of our boys. Kipling, too,
they know well, and host OF other
poets less celebrated. Many boy has
his pocket crammed fun of verses that
he or his correspondents at home have
culled from the newspapers
Not only do they read poetry they
write it. We met one boy who had com.
posed reams of "yers libre' and whose
letters home, his official censor told us,
were written in the same medium.
That delightful mirror of army life,
''The Stars and Stripes" is trimming
with the poetic illusions of its readers,
The Partisan New York Herald" held
competition in verse last spring, open to
men in the A. E. F. The response was
overwhelming in quantity and the prize
winners, especially the sonnet that won
the first prize, were worthy Of really
serious consideration.
Confronted with the most serious of
all problems, that of death and what
comes after it, the boys thoughts turn
often towards religion-not so often to
the traditional creeds in which they were
brought up as to the significance to them
personally of the sacrifice they hold
themselves prepared TO make. The Y. NJ.
G. A. secretaries and the chaplains find
them willing to lay bare and discuss the
most intimate problems Of their lives
The trend Of their religious thought Is
away from the Journalism of dogma and
doctrine and towards simple code of
service and self sacrifice. The many
tales of gallantry and self-forgetfulness
that come to us from the battle line
show how this code expresses itself in
deeds. Two incidents that have been re-
ported to me show how it expresses it
self in words.
In the course OF hot battle de.
tachment of American soldiers was cut
off and surrounded by the enemy. Some
one must cut his way through to where
relief could be obtained A private,
generally known as a trough neck" vol.
unteered and performed this dangerous
service. Afterwards he confded to
Salvation Army worker that, although
he never before had prayed, this time he
had offered a prayer before he left his
lines.
"But what did you say q"
"Oh," ! said, God don't give a
damn what happens to me, but please
keep me safe till ! can bring back help
for these boys here"
Another boy confessed that he always
prayed before he went over'the top. He
did not pray to be saved from all harm,
for that would seem al If he were taking
an unfair advantage Of the fellows who
forgot or did not know how to pray; he
prayed only that no matter what hap
pened he might be given the strength to