Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-08-07
ANOTHER LETTER ! | !
FROM OVER THERE
Ward Cummings Writes Interesting
Letter to His Mother From
Somewhere IN France !


y
Masonery and Architecture Of the
Charches He Says is Wondesful
Many Of Them Hundreds
E Years Old
Somewhere In France
July 8, 1918
Dear Mother;
Your letter Of May 14th at hand
and q week ago, / got letter from
you dated June Srd so that shows
how the mail comes to us. They are
all very acceptable for all that.
The wake Of the cyclone that you
people had through that section must
look something like the wake Of
some 6f these Hun retreats or drives
only not near 80 bad. i've seen
whole towns. and no small ones
either. that had scarcely one brick
|on another 90 that you could recog-
|uise that It had once been house,
and the churches, that's his long
suit The churches first, for they
are the taliest and AFFORD the best
|observation for the allies. The M
teriors Of these churches and CO.
thederals are the sr4ndest sights
I've ever seen. Many Of them several
hundred years old and the majority
|of them have either been bombed or
shot UP from long range guns. es-
|pecially those that are near the
front ct all.
went through one up in the
north on q Sunday evening and It
was All 1t up BY candles. ], can't say
how many. but never had seen
|so many candles ia one bunch in my
life. The masonery and architecture
IA thee churches 4 simply wonder-
||eq1 fh4 most-Uf ti(s Interior WORK
being al inlaid: the 0aA picture that
took my eye a should say painting)
was the LaFd's supper and 4 should
Judge It to be ten feet by about six.
|tsen and done right on the vaii. no
canvas work at all. Everywhere you
would look there were cruciaxes.
some large, some small hnt ell gold
|or what looked like gold or gold
plate. In different places people
were praying and one place seemed
Ito be reserved for the children and
,theey were counting their rosaries
Ias devouteiy as any Of their seniors.
Another thing that In ALI my let
tiers I've never mentioned is the
|cruciilxes along the highways in
'conspicuous places, quite often at
|cross roads. with little iron fence
around them They are all weather
beaten and from all appearances
have been there for years.
Today ! was one Of detail to put
into respectable condition French
Chateau that Is going to be q head
quarters. and sure was surprised
lat the furnishings Of the place. They
we're all quarter sawed oak and ma
;hogony. with mirrors and more mir
irors. on every cabinet. desk and
over every fireplace was mirror.
The drepiaces were simply grand
with marbel top mantle pieces and
lall tiled up with brass trimmings.
The whole place took up guess
Iifte6n acres and was all laid out In
ito GARDENS. drives. arbors and flower
beds and looked Tor all the world
like . small park.
The site looks out over apretty val
Icy and : pretty river that had some
mice bridges over it in peace times,
but now are no bridges. blown up
Iafthr tho retreat. Big bridges like
1.-THE one on the West Side With moth
ling left but the two ends on either
lbAnk and no work being done on
them whatevers
Well mother guess I'll> have TO
|stop, it's getting pretty dark ana the
mosquitoes are rather. bothersome,
lthsy aren't nearly bad Is theywsre
q couple Of weeks ago though.
The days are sure long. its' day
Hight at three and still light q ten
|in the evening. 4;
Give my love to Dad and the Kids.
regards to my friends and the Nc
|vettiss,
Love to mother.
WARD cVslMztsos.
le s--,Sss n. y
ss,.a l.ss.s Is. e.. =. I.