The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-03-08
Rom A SOLDIER IN FRANCE.

ROM A SOLDIER IN FRANCE.
e of the traits of the American
acter Is to be impatient If pro-
in any undertaking seems to
of if those in governmental auth
appear slow in speeding up the
rtments over which they preside.
paper has been rather hasty in
cising the post office officials in
matter of forwarding mail to the
ers across the ocean, but there
he'd to be ground for that criticism
letters have been received from
boys stating they had had no news
home since their arrival in
hce, when it was known that scores
etters had been written to those
complained of not receiving word
the writer's. No doubt there was
IN congestion of mail at the ship
point after the troops at Camp
S sailed, and hence much delay,
letter received from member
he EDITORS family during the week
prts that at least some of the let
were coming through, and it was
ed that now that the mail had
nd its way to the division there
bid be no more long and unpleas-
waits. This news Is great relief
Relatives of the members of the
st Infantry living in this county,
the fact of receiving mail from
he is a great JOY to the boys at the
MT We publish below a few extracts
m the last letter received from
bnk M. Dallam, Jr.:
Speaking of the people at home hav-
the hardest part to play in the war
says:
EWhen l think of the hard, hard part
at you at home have to bear, / am
pressed with the fact that the med
of honor should go to the mothers,
thers, wives and those loyal ones at
me who gave their loved ones to the
rvice of their country and then stay
J behind, where there is no excite
ent, no changing experience, no in
Bring action, take up the burden and
e labor of carrying forward the pro-
(ss of life, and the greatly increased
|sponsibility of providing not alone
b themselves, but the unproductive
lmies also. Those who take up this
prden, and this labor, and this tre-
endous responsibility with higl
)urage and devoted self-denial and
iii have the brave hearts to send
leering messages to us over here,
ley are the real Spartans, the real
arriors. and to them the world must
ok for the effort, the constancy and
e final implse that will give victory
the cause of civilization and hu-
anity, or failure-but there can be
Id will not be such a thing as fail
re because that word was erased
ON the lexicon of Americans when
le Pilgrims first planted their little
,lony ct Plymouth, and with it pant
| in the virgin soil of America the
love of liberty and the in
will to defeat the rights
freemen as the most precious bift
God"
Here is a human interest sto'y
lowing how the soldier takes to gen.
e companionship, and what love
lie nature exists among the French
,ildren. 1t was not written for publi-
ltion, but is really too good not to be
ven to the public:
When mail does not come it is al
ost impossible to write, because my
ind is filled with the things that it
forbidden to put upon paper. and l
IN only employ the vague generali-
es.
when mail does not come 1t is all
es in attempting to relate expert
ices that we have to tell. or the
lings that we see.
The great beauty CT this country
as taken possession Of me and can
ot see enough of it. At every oppor-
unity l walk out of the place where
e are located and revcl in the pic
Tres that unfold at every turn y! the
,ad. l have tried in my other letters
convey something OF the impress
ons that / have received. and YOU
IN at least realize from those letters
lat France, or what litt.. ] have
zen of France, is charming 10 a de-
rec.
To-day l had an experience that
,uched me deeply, and I can relate it
ithout violating rules or regulations,
r giving valuable military secrets
ossible access to the enemy.
AT dusk, l had occasion to take
ome letters from our office to divis-
n headquarters, a dl3rance OF ab'.t
alf a mile. One of the boys accom-
anied me. On our way there we met
little French maid on crutches. She
reeted us with brigh smile, and law
shed practically all her English on
S in a CHEEKY Good evening" We had
let her a few times before and she
ppeared to remember us. So we walk
d slowly along with her and tried to
vercome the difficult obstacle of
TRANCE tongues. BY supplementing
ur small and uncertain French with
if not eloquent. signs, we
lade out to converse in a manner like
lutes afflicted with an impediment OF
xpression. But we made little pro-
ress. We learned that a house, a
'atch, a scarf, hair and hat are not a
ouse, watch, scarf, hair or hat in
rance, while an automobile is an
wherever you can buy gas
line. Finally our ways parted and we
aid goodby, or rather 'bonswa, or
because We were most GER
ain that it was the right word, and
he little girl understood that much
Amerique.' Our destination was a
hort way beyond, and we returned
hortly. At the place where We parted
rom her, we again found her absorbed
n watching a bunch OF autos whirline