Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-18
Somewhere in France,
March 80. 1918.


bibed inspiration through some jam
and toast. I'll see whether can't
drive the "cafard" away-in other
raining steadily for two days, work.
men are fixing our Zings, job
which will take a week at least,
which means some more time to kill.
But laying aside such woes, we will
start where 1 left off-the subject of
inspiration. My way of acquiring it
may surprise you, but being a man
explains it. as most of his ideas
come from that source. Having
made the toast myself, Iscan vouch
for its taste, for one cannot hand
the bread any credit. In fact, get
ting it from the pantry. nearly put
me in the hospital list, for as
opened the door, loaf dropped out,
fortunately missing my foot
No, the cook didn't catch me, for
l hacked a slab off and closed the
door before he came back-but
was at a loss to explain the dent
In the floor, and I fear he suspects.
And with all the hurry 1 only put
two hicks in my knife, which says a
lot for the steel. You would see the
grim humor of this If you tried to
cut loaf of this bread-or eat it.
It's fairly good eating after one
gets 1t masticated and thawed out
with saliva, but the process is rather
hard on the soldier when dentists
are so few-and dear. The French
put the date on every loaf, and yes-
terday cut into loaf stamped "12"
which from its weight and lack of
tenderness must have meant the
year and not the day of this month.
No Kick Coming
one should not kick, though, for
we should be thankful that we are
not in the trenches, up to our necks
IN mud and water-probably with
no bread at all. Even though my
monthly bath has been long overdue
| would not want it that way. Yes,
l know l am near a big city, but
everything is closed up there now on
account of the Boche bombing it
four nights in a row. One cannot
even buy postage stamp, ,slet alone
q bath and shave. I know, because
L was in yesterday and 1 sure was
one interested spectator. To my
mind every one seemed to be moving
out, trundling their belongings in
every type and kind of conceivable
vehicle. Maybe they did not know
where they were going, but they sure
were in hurry.
My sense of humor was tickled
once by seeing two girls come along
the road, borne down by the weight
o two mattresses on their backs
When they came opposite us they
threw the loads on the ground with
tired and frank disgust and sat on
them. Save your sympathy, mother,
for these We're not the innocent,
fragile, shy things you have in mind
but strong muscle, bold-eyed women.
My French comrade started to kid
them about being afraid and run
ming away. I don't know what they
answered, my French not equal to
1t, but they didn't like it.
Time to Be Moving
AS far as damage went, I could
not see much, only four bombs
taking effect, but they sure did
rock things-simply ruined things
nearby, and speaking about windows
not one remains whole in the town
Far be 1t from me to criticise people
for leaving "toute de suite" after
such bombardment, for I have
never had a bomb blow UP near me
fortunately. OF course, shrapnel
has burst rather close to me several
times, and although it didn't make
me wish for home and mother, /
sure moved out of that vicinity. That
is the nearest to a bomb l have ever
come and ] don't mind stating the
closest l care to come.
Passing through a park noticed
all the trees were cut and gashed
by machine gun bullets. One bomb
had dropped in a damp section of
the park and aside from spreading
mud and roots all over the place had
made a hole that soon filled with
ffNt. lTA ,fpf. ..,I,
is about the only beautiful thing the
Boche left behind.
Another bomb dropped in a sup
ply warehouse for hospitals, setting
fire to everything after it exploded.
They were still squirting water on it
when we came q day later. The hole
made by the bomb was plenty big
enough for a miniature swimming
pool and bandages and cotton bat
ing was scattered all over the place,
hanging from the trees and tele-
graph wires. In fact the trees were
so we'll hung that it reminded me of
a Christmas tree-and to think the
Kaiser was Santa.
Retire to Cares
AS we walked home along the road
slowly, so the truck would catch us,
another interesting sight presented
itself, for all along the route were
people carrying blankets, both male
and female carried them, and when
walked on q little further I saw
why, for down in a deep quarry
they went and into caves some even
slept outside on straw. l pitied them
later for if I was any judge of wealth
er the rain was due that night-it
did rain too, but they had one con-
ISOLATION, for Fritz did not come
over and drop any more explosive
messages, for he only comes on clear
nights.
It's a significant fact that table
knives in France are always sharp.
They have to be with that bread l
told you of. Indeed grindstone should
be served to sharpen our teeth also.
You can imagine my misgivings this
morning see the cook cutting the
meat up with the aX-actually! The