Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21
PRIVATE JENNINGS TELLS
OF HIS LIFE IN FRANCE
appreciates Efforts Of Army y. NJ.
Q. A. in Providing Tobacco
for Men ut Front.
DESCRIBES FRENCH FARMERS
Cultivate Ground Intcnsivcly in
Small Patches Like Our Gardeners.
Thinks War Is Nearing Its End,
and That Kaiser VIII BE Licked.

Mrs. a. w Jennings. OF Toano. has
received the following letter from her
son. Nathaniel! II. Jennings. serving
with the Virginia Infantry in France:
Somewhere in France.
June Is. 1918.
Dearest Mo'har---To- day is sunday. !
II is beautiful here. Down In inc val
ieys below. one see beau.cous
stream winding like dark and lus-
tEous path OF bronze, whose metallic
substance seems to have emenatcd
from a thunderbolt OF Jove.
Tho French are good farmers-they
farm like our best gardeners. Women
may be seen cutting away weeds and
grass In the fields
The people live in towns. mostly. and |
farm all around them--a result OF past |
ages, when they crowded together In
walled towns for safety and protec-
ZION. You may recall the powerful |
Italian City States which doomed great |
some i've or six centuries ago-and the |
danseatic League as examples OF this. |
most buildings are constructed OF stone !
or brick. owing TO the scarcity Of other
building material in most parts ut
France.
There are very beautiful churches
and Chateaux here. Sunday IL not oh.
served in exactly the same way that
we do-the people attend worship. or
work. JUS, an the inclination seems to
strike them.
There Is wine here In abundance. but
ntle or no drunkenness--as II is used
by the people to take the place Of tea
and coffee. Tn. roads over mere arc
very good-madc Of stone mostly We
were billcted in little villages for
awhile. and ~ have seen our boys
roaming around, buying esss. etc
even chickens. would have reminded
you of camping party-save the fact
that a far different esprit de corps
permeated the air.
Camp life over here is much the
eams az in the States-only In many
cases We march at night. and sleep
curing the day, which is really pre-
serable. AS formerly, mail call ana
chow" (meaD call. arc those 10 which
most attention is paid. When At leisure. !
one sleeps. reads or play games
Dreaming OF home. and planning for
the happy days when home
bound" constitute that branch or
pleasure, which appeal 10 Us most l. F!
too. wish for that day when wc can
See each other again. when the fa;tci I
calves will lie slain for the prodisal
sons in the old United states OF
have been attending school for the I
past four weeks. and am now in bat
TALON headGuarters--in the obscrva.
ton department. | cannot go into de-
tails. like the work, and think I
When come back. Will be proud
10 know / enlisted in the infantry
that no work has been 100 hard for
me. and that have done my best
Sometimes We feel inclined 10 Erurble
at n forced march. or irregular meals
but on after thought IL cannot bs help
ed We arc doing our bit, and Happy
in so doing.
Thank Roscoe FOR his kind offer OF
cigarettes. He is not allowed to send
them. and even IL he was. / would not
have him do H. apprecia;ivc i, though
very much. We have a Y. u -. n man
with US all the time. He has candy. |
tobacco. etc. for sale about once a |
week. when We arc on the move. and I
you should Us scramble FOR H. |
have seen men lined up .or a quarter
OF mile. just 10 get mcaSre supply (
OF these "!uNuries" In truth though /
this organization does much good
Now. dearest mother. don't worry
about me. am happy in my work. /
feel that this old war is nearly over
even though lcasued with all the pow
eTs OF the internal regions. don't |
think the Kaiser can keep lead:a. his |
armies on against the really enliEhteu-
ed powers OF the world. The Iiohcn- /
zollerHs Will soon be driven from their
proud perch. and Germany will have u
free people and Il popular government. |
II was not intended that one man
should rule Acknowledgements on account ,
OF his hereditary station-ridiculouslyl
styled divine right" Remember me
to all OF my friends.
Your loving boy.
NAT.