Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-23
lome To be so far away -


little. ,,o,r
April II. Today Edna dearssI , ss
sweet letter came to warm ~ 80 "a
The tears just wouldn't s.as o.hars
7 felt your love and all the o'".
thank Won both so mucn ior
6raft ! don't need anything pu.
nov vet so am extremely gra'e,u,
~ ,o,, for YOUR thoughtfulness ana l
nro,oise to use it carefully. ! IKE 10
faal have q little extra so II nho
bow who is hard up or heeo
thing l can give it to hi"i'
week ago | had such an eAoi'.ne .
bare when a whole new regiment VI
lads came in from Portland. ne
bows were wildly excited "hel Az ''
ou,ated around that there was
Hajne woman here and they coming
into the canteen and asking for her.
Quite a number were iioni N'
MANY more from Portland, one CHAP
Percy Compton, worked IN the gas
office with Charles. Two laos were
from Kent's Hill, one is named Col
Inns. They are all so boylsh anu
lika ble-more than half or them are
only around twenty, mostly younger.
am so proud of them. and they give
me such nice smiles as though l be-
ionged to them just little more
than anybody else. To make 1t ratn-
err nice a box of apples came IN ana
the girl in charge asked me to make
some pies. Well, you can guess what
that meant to those youngsters.
One of the Kent's Hill boys came
around very politely one evening
dav or two later and asked me If I'd
make a turnover for Don and me-"
OF course l couldn't refuse 'em.
Then there's mess sergeant from
Bangor, has eight children, six OF
them boys, the oldest twelve, who is a
fine fellow. The boys all call him
Father" because he is so good to
them He brought me- down some hot
doughnuts the other night. He says.
You know our boys like that kind
OF stuff and make all | can for EN-"
There's one girl over here who says
she's so tired of talking to these boys
and looking at the pictures they al
ways carry-but l can't say that my
interest lags at all. These new boys
are such nice chaps-so full of pep,
so frank and lacking in swagger.
The hut here has been all fixed up
since last winter when | left. They've
put in a floor and arranged things
more conyeniently-haVe yellow cur
tains at the windows and blue hang
ings around the counter yellow
shades over the electric light, so it
looks very pretty and the boys say
lots of nice things about it. Another
instigation is that we have our noon
and night meal brought in from one
of the meSses nearby so we are get
ting much better food than we had at
the French hotel. ! go without my
breakfast usually and get along
finely. At the little home which I've
had to give up for the time being at
was better still as it cost less and we
sot what we wanted, more green
things and less meat We had some
good beans Monday. really tasted like
home. They have them here Mon
days and Fridays-instead of Satur-
DAYS.
Tell dear Thomas that Aunt Mary
and her boys are getting enough to
eat, so his being careful helps just as
much as though he were bigger and
carried a gun.
A lot of the boys who've been here
all winter went off 10 the front
short time ago and it about killed
me. | feel some Of the pull of all the
others. They are much too fine to be
food for cannon, and ! shall feel
worse about these youngsters. The
others are older and have been in
the Army sometime. But they are
all cheerful and eager to do there bit.
Whats the use, ii man has TO die
sometime" You don't wonder | am
willing to bake pies all day and go TO
bed with an aching back for such a
dear crowd. When they try to tell
me how fine they think it is that l
should come too, | can only say it is
little enough when you are doing 50
much.
| hope Edna dear YOU are FEELING
much stronger and that you'll take
time to get well. Poor dearic, know
Mary is your dear little comfort.
She will he interested to know that
Vincent after almost eleven years is
daddie to John Vincent Osmun. born
Feb. 30. A heart full of love and
gratitude for all you are to me,
| am your little sister.
MARY OSMUN.