Omaha daily bee., 1918-07-21

and takes his turn and in French with an
American accent says would you be so
kind, please, as to give me coffee.
year on the front and he bids fair to rival
the poilus. If an American addresses me
in French, | always reply in French, TOR
the practice is good for him. Oh, nell
learn, but he'll learn hard. American oftl-
GERS are strong for the dignity OF their
stripes and rather expect to be served be-
fore the men. Perhaps he'll be more hui
man too when he comes back from the
front
'T am trying to be patient, but really
this place is too de luxe too much the
easy job for me. l am lonesome for the
roar Of Big Bertha every Is minutes. Go
ing to bed the other night absent mind
edly laid out my coat and put my fash
light under the pillow and hunted for my
mask and helmet before realized that
there were no alarms here, no bomb cellars
to glide into half awake. Another day IN
the cantine / was sewing. A workman let
fall ladder. Immediately threw myself
clatter. so like Big Bertha was the noise
Everybody roared.
IT am glad OF the experience of evacua-
ton. 1t was the last night realized how
courteous are the French. as we tumbled
down the stairs into the cellar Of the Lion
Rouge, and to which we had been
evacuated when our barracks began falling.
Their politeness, French poiteness, is the
real thing. 1t comes from their hearts. But
/ believe the experience has affected my
nerves.
"We served over 1000 yesterday, all
men on their way back to the 'front.' and no
one passed the counter from the COM
mandant with four gold gallons to the
humblest poius with no stripes, but said
something gay or something charming. 1t
would not be well-bred to alarm lady. A
poilu may not know how to read or write,
but he is born polite, and he is born mod
est. You can never get one of them to tell
you how he won medal or Croix de
Guerre. had a one-legged man patient
the Legion d'Honneur. 1t was like this,
Miss, a type of a general came out to the
front Gil venait Sc ballader au 'front.'. He
was in hurry. He had box of medals
under his arm and he said my little ones
help yourselves and so we did, 1t was on
ly in arranging his things, after death I
found his Citation He had performed
miracles, almost. I can't but believe that
this week we will begin pushing them
back. We can do it. 1t is the boches' last
big push. They are all worn down. 1t is
their last spasm."
One of the picturesques figures always
pointed out to visitors to the United State:
senate was removed by the death of Senator
Tillman. Aside from his personal peculiari-
ties, and his ptchfork notoriety, however, he
was strong character with decided traits oi
leadership. The one picture of him that is
most deeply stamped on my memory goes
to his appearance in the Kansas City con.
vention that nominated William Jennings
Bryan for the second time in 1900, at which
Senator Tilman was the chairman of the
resolutions committee who brought in the
report of the platform and read it to the
assembled delegates. Never in any presi
dental nominating convention that | have
attended were the stage effects and spectacuu
lar accompanments so carefully prepared il
advance. The climax of the platform draf
was reached in the pronouncement agains
imperialism which Mr.. Tillman declaimet
with dramatic voice and gesture. For som,
reason the signal failed the first time and HI
read the sentences over again whereupon th'
band struck up the national air, huge Amer
ican flag concealed in the rafters Of the roo
Immediately above the rostrum was unlooset
and fell disclosing an inscription painted OF
the white stripes epitonizing the platform
plank while thousands of small cambria flag
imprinted with similar motto were passet
around by ushers and doorkeepers among tn,
delegates and spectators to fan the fam,
of enthusiasm and stir the applause. 1t wa
indeed great display, in which Senator Till
man was the central figure. 1t was an in
spring show, but it was not successful poll
tics.