The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-10-24

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them in the sense that both are
reading material-and this ex-
ception is books and magazines.
Once while in the states I read
an advertisement of some book
concern which stated that the
boys had everything they want
ed save books, books, books:
that this was their big cry. I
was somewhat skeptical, believ-
ing it to be another advertising
ruse-but / have changed my
mind most decidedly since sew
eral months residence over
here. How I envy myself, or
rather the opportunity Of book
consumption once had. / don't
know whether / have mentioned
this before in my former letters,
but if you have any old books
lying loose around the house,
that are more in the way than
being of value, send them to me,
please, and at once they'll be-
come of immense value. Topics ?
you inquire? Anything, by any
author deep, shallow, senti-
mental, serious-it matters not,
just so it's something to read
that is semi-worth-while. I'll
tell you what you can do. You'll
probably send me some sort Of
a Christmas present and already,
perhaps, you are wondering
what might be acceptable and at
the same time useful. Well, it
is books and I'd appreciate it
all the more if you decided not
to await the Holiday season be-
fore dispatching them. Thanks,
awfully much, dear, in advance.
We are now situated in a very
quiet sector, altho in past years
the immediate battling ground
has been bloody and fiercely con-
tested-in fact, one of the most
famous on the western front
and are about A miles back of
the line, in a somewhat sequest-
cred valley, with two rather
steep slopes on either side Of us.
Our company is q%uartered in the
three-year old ruins of what was
once a pretentious French farm.
the buildings built around a hol-
low square in the conventional
old-country style. Parts Of the
buildings have been shattered by
shell fire while those that escap-
ed the blast give us ample and
convenient shelter. I look out
from the door of my combina-
ton office-living room upon the
ruins Of what once was the living
room of the French family who
were forced to other vicinities by
the viccissitudes of war; the sky
in white and opaque thru the
shattered roof while the black
ened timbers that once support
ed the roof stand black and girls
ly like lone sentinels to tell the
tale Of once former grandeur. In
my little office, upon establish
ing my freehold" I discovered a
bed with honest-to-goodness
springs which | promptly ap-
p~ropriated for my own. Then
my orderly found a small sheet
iron stove which, on days of
chill, provides abundant and
comforting heat. I am remind
ed of the fact that winter, in a
small way, has set in already
over here-for the last two
weeks we have rain every day in
more or less quantities, while the
thermometer has hit some low
places. These factors, accom-
panied by a chilling northwest
wind, have rendered weather
conditions less agreeable by far
than they might be. I am re-
minded Of Whittier
"And now the melancholy
days have come" yet I have
not let myself reach this frame
of mind simply by exertion Of
will power, for it would bode no
good-and we must live for the
day when the black clouds Of war
have been shattered and we re-
turn to those ones and those
scenes. we love and hold dear in
the precious storehouse Of mem
DRY.
But I must tell you Of the
spectacular sight it was my good