The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-07

Ill FfduCe.
You know in the French army n
a captain is some pumpkins" more
like captain used to be in our old
army-and these French peasants
make regular idols of their army and
especially the officers, anyway.
Well, the second night 1 was bill
leted with this old couple, the old man
came in about 1880, after a long, hard
days work in his vineyard, and I was
standing in the doorway Of my room
| talking to the old lady, who was feed
ing their two cows (the cows, by the
way, occupied the chamber right next
to mine). The old man and 1 talked
for a minute and then he started to
bend over and undo the button leg
gings he had around his legs for work
ing in the field. 1 beat him to it and
got down on both knees and ,unbut-
toned them for him and took them
i off, also took off his wooden shoes
and shook the dirt out of them and
| replaced the straw mats in them and
held. them while he replaced his bare
feet in them. At first he wouldn't
hear to my even unbuttoning his leg
Gings for him, but went right ahead,
despite his protests. Well, he Just
couldn't get over ia ca plain getting
down on his knees to help him off
with his 1eggings and shoes. His lit
| tle,. wizened, wrinkled face beafned
with smile I'll never forget. Then,
| to make the whole thing natural and
complete, heard the old lady, later
| that night, just giving him fits for let
| ting the captain do such a thing. I
sure have to laugh every time 1 think
| of it, but when I go to laughing about
| it I get a funny little stick in my
| throat"
| Captain Carney has been overseas
| since Christmas, and at the front since
March. He says in another of his
| letters:
| 1--WE are right now engaged in the
| biggest show that the Americans
have yet tried to pull off. Long be-
| fore you receive this letter you will
have read the results in the newspa-
| pers. Everyone in our division has
| months, but regular leaves have all
Fbeen discontinued in the American
| army until further orders. To-
| day the weather is beautiful and very
| clear and we have witnessed some
very interesting air battles. At one
| time there were thirty planes in view
| Saw balloon brought down and two
| observers came down in parachutes
| Yesterday morning I went UP to the
| foremost point of the infantry lines to
| an observation post, in order to ad-
| just the battery and fire on some
| trenches, boche kitchens, observation
posts, ETC., that the 'doughboys' want
| ed us to fire on. Today is my day to
| spend all day at the battalion obser-
walton post, which is up in the dough-
boys front lines, but not so far from
| the battery by three kilometers as the
one I fired from yesterday. Am so
| happy to know you had a nice trip
and that you are back safely. How
| I'd like to be there also, l mean if
| the war were won and over. 1t would
| certainly break my heart and spirit
completely if I should have to return
| before that time"
Miss Jennie Clarkson entertained a
i few friends yesterday at the Country
club at O'Clock luncheon. Covers
were laid for four.
4 X
/ The women of the Rota club will
| give their regular Saturday night
dance this evening at the Chamber
Commerce and also their Sunday aft
ernoon party tomorrow. Last week,
there was an unusually large number
| of soldiers at the parties and this week
there will probably be a still larger
attendance. All soldiers in town a. e
invited to be present.
x X
The woman's committee of the Ma
tional Council of Defense, which has
recommended the wearing of a bras
i sard as a substitute for mourning by
relatives of soldiers and sailors who
lose their lives in the war, is now ar
ranging with the Red Cross to fur
nish the brassards to those who have
the right to wear them. They 5. re
to be made of black broadcloth or OF
thin elastic silk, according to the gar
ments with which they will be worn
To this band, the regulation military
star should be EN- broidered in gold
thread. The woman's committee de-
sires that the badge should not be
comm ercialized, and that it Nigh be
prepared by the relatives of the men
who have made the supreme sacrifice