The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-12-20
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II wAs Christmas eve. and cold not
tbs kind og cold whieh sends Eha red
hlaed singing through your veins and
makes yoa want III be cup and al
efa but that miserable damp Kind
that eafa lnte tbs maFrcw Of your
lsanes attacking yoa from the regr aud
ssadlng cold ehtvera % and down ysur
aplnal cesaHn. II gives yog feeling
~ dread and loneliness
Tho shrre III na. eCnriy. Happy, "
ma myself. we're standing AZ tho cor.
asf - Yankee avenue and nYIddlNh
street waiting Cor the word sstnna
tps nfsan which VIE were 20 mount oar
na#shlne gun ~ fhe parapet and 20 on
wafeh f8F two baars with car beads
slsehing user the top,
%fnnkee avenue vas the maine II
the fire trench. while syidalsh street,
was fhe accommodation trench leading
- slia rear. Me were occupying '.Y'
sector af tiae frggt Has og onr brigade,
1hp trench WINS muddy. and h some
piaees thin crust 81 lee WAS begin.
uiaa u form around shg edges ~ the
padairs
Vie haa wrapped our feet nsa legs
with empty saad haas, end looked llke
sHpa shagtlers af@Flfth HYenlse Ally
ssss sssss ;ssssfi-ss..sss ss!ssss tise ca!a
fiapps WIS slappiag hls hands Oh hl8
falEsls. while Curly hna pnhuttGned
aHe of the butlons ga hla oyereoat.
RnA with NH leff hand ssas desperately
trying 70 reach under his right arfnpit
so doah, seootle" had gone mar
kesiag for lts Christmas alnner.
Then eanie the unweleome ~stand
r. and Il Was up On the firestep for
us, 10 gst our san mounted This took
about Ase niinatea.
Curly. whsie working away, was
wasseEsags sfsiiEne ne. Christmas eve
and ere | am somewhere Ia France
aff starved with slas e0sd.s
EEAuny MA hnmmiaK keep the
Home Fires burning Right then. "a
mr. any kind 81 home ore would
have bpen very welcome.
II was black as Pitch Ia No Mans
land Curly stopped mnttsrlng h him
self aud tIappy's hammtng ceased,
There NAs serious work Ia front Of us.
Fog two hours We had 10 try aad Pcne,
traf. that hlackness with our stFaining
eyes g see that Fritz aia nol surprise
ns With seaae Christmas stunt Of his.
suddenly. Harry. who was standing
20 lhr HFesiep next q re grippea my
arm and n a low. excited whisper
astetls
Enid sou ses that out III front. Yauki
. lltsl0 70 the riEht II thar black patch
ID the bnfbed wifeY
Turning my eyes Ia the direction ln-
dleated With my heart pounding
Hgainsg nAy ribs I waited for some
fhing % develop.
sure enough I could make out q
slight movement, Ikqppy must heye
seea Il ~ the same time. because he
eaFwfgiiy eAset bis rifle eyes tho tor
really for iusiani usr NY rife whs al
reaay 10 posisian Curly was fnmbllng
with ihe aate pistol. suddenly. epi9p Z
IS Dr. rtlllsa she trigger. and a red
sireak si.nt va into the DIR as the star
siasi described al arc ont III 'front.' Il
bit the ground and burst throwing
oct whlte shostly light A fright
eggA nseouw ana eat, with speed
r,aieh 0pen. dartsd from tho wire n
freat ~ Is, jumped over eur sun aud
u peaFed intp the blaekness Of ths
tn Heh Curly aueked his heed aud
Bappy ies out weak, saneaky laugh
] was ff0xen stir with fear rretty
sDeH the pump action q my heart was
rsufaed snd once more l looked onl
lnto Nu NRnR sana.
Per TIE remainder ~ our swa hours
an guard nothing happeaed. Then We
etnrnei eYyfs h the secaRd geiief aud
hast tsazsn. wsnaed our way through
uae icy maa 70 The snranee ~ oai
dnguut
Prom the depths ~ he earth cams
ths notes - haFtnonira playins
Pack 70 Your Troubles IN Your Dlt
Kit Bag. ara SMlie. Smsle Smile,
stWmhilng down The tsRaay steps VI,
snterpd The aaEoei. Al,ent eighs boy
81 oar Sestina. sitting on their packs
haa formed circle arqnnd @a9aei
box. 10 an ga auaaunifioa ito a,
candles we're burning. lnNnnily shud
sefed at his extrayaEaslcc. but sud
denly remembered that Il was Christ
nlas eve. @sailor Bllle was makia
eoeua over the fairies o. 8 Tommy
cootSr.+ while key" HgnaeY wa
toastinE bread ID frost % a trench Or
bucket. the fumes from which neHrs
clicked as.
A. s0pu a. VIE made cur appearing
ID the dRsoat IKE circle stood 40. an,
~ Is usual with tho Engllsh. mad
room for as TO set around the fir
buekss 70 thaw out our stinened joint
u about twenty minutes or 50 n
cold Ok the trench was forgotten an
we Joined Ia the merrimsnA The mi
stefan put bis harmonlca away. nn'
burs ing with importance. Sailor nj
81 iressec Us:
40entiemen. II Ia now time for III