The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-22


1t is sort of golden Iarn and is Won
derful work. She sure has treated me
fine. The other package was from Sam
X. Fowler. fine jack knife, trench
mirror with my name ana -. -. u;
No. 225 engraved on the back of it and
khaki handkerchief. Then there were
a fine bunch of magazines sent by you
dear folks at home. They sure are APP
preciated and all the boys want to read
them when l get through with them.
over here and are in great demand by
the boys. Twit Williams is now in
headouarters and seems to like it fine;
I wish 1 were not il quarantine so
could be with him. You might cali
his folks and tell them so they can adj
dress his mail that, way, but | suppose
he has already written them. Much love
to all, your son and brother George.
| February 20, 191s.-My Darling Moth
| er: Now that everything is quiet and it
is getting dark, i will write to my best
girl. This has been a fine day, sun was
out all day and just like May weather
back home. The children upstairs are
saying their prayers or the rosary, l
don't know which, every evening I hear
| them. We are all what we call in the
army billeted, that is distributed among
the inhabitants of the town; Before we
go into a town arrangements are made
and an officer finds out just how many
soldiers each family can house, in rooms,
barns, etc, and the same with the
=
gether, but Don, poor fellow has humps
but will be back soon. l am still quar-
antined and will be until February 26. l
will tell You about the family 1 stay
with The woman who owns the humble.
small building, is about seventy years
old and her two small grandchildren live
with her Her husband is dead and the
daughter, the mother of the two children,
died in November. The father is at the
/ front with the fighting forces. Two of
her. sons are also at the front-that is in
1 certainly feel sorry for her. She gen
orally comes in my room every evening
and starts the fire in a small stove.
Several evenings ago ] told her I was
and sat down and talked to me- 1 can
understand quite bit of French now,
but get tangled up when l try to talk.
She told me how comfortably they were
fixed before the war when the sons
were home. They had four cows and
five horses and some land close to town.
Then the war came and all the s.
WerN taken from her and her SON in-law.
Tie daughter was taken sick with ty-
phoid and died in two weeks so she had
the two children on her hands. Marie
tears came to her eyes and her old
Wrinkled chin quivered as she told me.
She says it is almost too much for her
if the father of the two children was kill
ed she would have then. to raise. She says
it's just like starting over again. She is
a fine old lady and is always busy. She
bad to sell the cows and the army took
tie horses Don and l always give her
a little money for she has fixed things
nice and comfortable for u.s. l gave the
little girl some stockings I bought UP
town the other day and the boy a cap.
She always calls me Monsuier George,
showed her your picture and she says
you are large just like she is. She re-
minds me a good deal of grandmother
always jolly and wanting to do some
thing for you. 1 guess she will hate tc
see us leave. Just to show you how nice
and c0nsderate she is. she got an oil
cloth covered table and put it in on,
to eat our meals and do our writing
The French Deople place much confidence
in the American soldiers and seem very
much interested in us. But they seem
to think we are .nillionaires. The French
private only gets twenty-five centimens
day or five cents where our private
some of the stores have nearly doubled
their prices on different articles. But
that is the way the world over always
after the dollar. I got another bunch OF
mail today.
Promotions are very slow in coming
now, but 1 am sure / will be showed III
notch soon. / sure am working hare
and, studying enough and find pleasure
in dong so. You know it is every man
for himself in the war zone you have tt
work to get things. Everyone seemed
to get mail today and the boys are al
happy: This would he a, good time te
them hell. The letter from Mrs. Pal.
mer was very nice. If l could tell o.
some of the things that the 'Huns'
have done, it would make any true
American want to fight. To see five
hundred Belgian children between the
ages of four and twelve with their righ
hand cut off and young girls with {
cross branded on them to show they
are or were forced the mistresses of {
German officer or soldier. They call tina
''kutur." l hope that old rifle of mine
shoots straighter than it ever shot be
fore when 1 peep over mo Mans Land.
l underctand we are to have new
postal service over here, l hope it il
for the better. I see '"Twit" every day
He seems to like it fine in the headquar
tiers department, and l am glad to hav
him with me. "Doog' is also well ant
hapnv. l saw him last evening TO
awhile He is working hard but look
fine. In fact, we all have come through
fine so far. You can't beat the Mime
sofa boys for we have it on the fellow
who came from the south. We cal
. stand the cold much better and it ha
been quite cold for about a week unit
today, and this is a spring day. | sa
in the sun and real my letters nearly al
. morning. 1t won't be long until we will
get more action, but we are ready t
go. Your son, George.
A.