The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1918-05-03

Letter From Cullen Carter
Mrs. J. r. Greer, formerly of this
city, now residing at MARVEL, has
sent the Courier-Index a letter she
recently received from her brother,
Cullen Carter, who is in France.
The letter follows:
| would like very much indeed to
tell you about my trip, location and
the army, but strict censorship for
bids, and you must be content With
the less interesting.
think when God made this sec
tion of the earth he smiled, for it Is
very, very beautiful. Words are in
adequate to describe it. You must
draw upon your imagination. Have
not seen worn out or discarded
piece of land yet, and it has been in
cultivation for hundreds and hun
dreds of years. The soil is constant
ly being replenished and not allowed
to waste Something, it seems, is
kept growing all the time. Intensive
instead of extensive farming Is the
rule.
Everyone lives in town-no country
people. Small villages are found
every few kilometers. About six or
eight towns in a radius of five miles
from this place. The people live
this way for two reasons ! suppose
have more land to cultivate, and for
mutual protection.
The homes are more like forts
than houses. Made of heavy stone,
very thick walls, not over one win
dow to a room and very poorly VEN
tilated. in fact fresh air is an un-
known quantity and sanitation-weil.
it is not in their dictionary. No won
der the death rate is high and tu-
berculosis seems to be the prevailing
disease. This is the way | am find
ing 1t in country towns.
Everything is antique. and am be-
ginning to feel little aged myself.
The town in which am billeted
must be fifteen hundred years old
1T cannot rot or burn down and no
doubt will stand for centuries, un-
less destroyed by a German bomb
Not far from here. about three kilo-
meters, is the remains OF an old
fort-cannot give name-which was
built in 5s7 and destroyed in 1885
during the reign of Louis f3. visited
the remains and brought away a
souvenir.
Too much cannot be said in favor
of the French women. The French
soldier could not stay in the trench
es we're II not for these more noble
soldiers in the rear. II pains me to
see them work so hard at all kinds
OF labor. The other day | went on
business to a steel plant, and saw
young girls about sixteen and eign-
teen years old handling heavy bars
OF iron. all kinds of heavy hauling,
farming. clear down the line, tney
are doing It all. They are fighting
giving their lives for their country.
and while many will not>-cannot sur
yive. yet God will certainly give
them victory.
am not in the trenches, but near
enough 10 near lut buuo anu oSo 49,
aeroplanes, and at times things are
very interesting.
We closed a meeting the other day
with the boys and in addition to a
very large number who took a stand
for the more Christ like life. sixty
came forward and made public con
fession of faith In Christ. OF their
number. fifteen we're immersed In a
tributary OF the river Marne. They
did not stand back on account of icy
water am a Methodist. but we
do not quibble over the mode or
baptism In the army. Leave that Tor
those who have nothing else to do.
| am having a great experience
seeing things never expected to see
and coming in contact with humanity
in the concrete. But II is costing an
awful price. Have shed more tears
the last seven weeks than In all my
life before.