Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-03-15
Grafton for the lack of coal to run the

machinery.
Coal is another item that is scarce.
We are now limited also to certain
amount every month. We are four in
family and get $50 pounds for each
month. That is not enough to cook
with, but fortunately we laid in lit
tie store of coal and we are not suf-
fering for the lack of it, though we
spare it nightly. Coal is worth at
the rate of $50 ton. The poor are
suffering for the lack of it. There is
not far from me a priest, "a years
old, who is now sick, and his servant
was telling me the other night that
they get only a hundred pounds of
coal month, and that though sick he
is now without a fire. Bread is worth
cents a pound; eggs z to 8 cents
apiece, butter SO cents pound, soap
46 cents a pound, ETC., etc. So you
may we'll imagine that little money
does not go very far by these trying
times. Chickens are worth $500 a
piece.
I need not tell you that when l
was getting short of money, and
your fine present came to hand, how
rejoiced I was, and how / thanked
the divine Providence that had you
to relieve a friend in distress.
We are suffering and suffering
very much, but do not imagine that
because we are suffering we are a
bout to give up the ship and conclude
any kind Of a peace with the Ger
mans. No! A thousand times no!
We are determined to carry on the
fight until we win, and that cannot be
very far, for if we get -four sugar,
meat and other things from America
we may well suppose that they are
suffering q great deal more than we
are. We can stand certainly longer
than they can, especially since the
American troops are here now, and
will be ready to help us in the spring.
think there are now between400,-
900 and 100000 troops in France,
and they are working hard learning
to fight the German fashion that is
in the trenches. In France, every man
between the ages of 10 and 48 is
under arms. Even the priests of that
age are at the front. In consequence,
there are many parishes that are with
out priests. In the town in which ]
live there used to be a parish priest
and seven assistants, and now the
parish priest, who is of my age, is
left with two assistants, one who is
SO years, and the other who is not
able to 60 to war because he is sick
OF coursee offered my services, and
since am here I do as much work as
do in Alexandria. There are 1000
Catholics in the parish. Besides, l am
frequently called upon by the neigh
boring priests to help them, and
never refuse. I preach quite often
and even give retreats to the sisters
work which have never done before
My health is good, though have
gotten to be even thinner than die
in Providence. l attribute it to tn:
bread that il very bad. It is bette,
now than it has been but while bac,
one could scarcely eat it.
Fortunately, we live on the sea
shore, and we get the benefit of the
sea. We have oysters, fish of all kind.
but like other things, they are soar
ing high. In many instances, womer
have taken the place Of men. We noa
have motor-women and conductor!
on the street cars, women postmen
women to load the ships etc.
I went out to see the American
soldiers at st. Nazaire and saw sever
al hundred Of them. They were fine
set Of boys, and they seemed de-
lighted with the country. Their great
trouble is the French language, but
they will learn. I saw a few darkie.
from New Orleans, but no white sol
diers from Louisiana. They all enjoy
immensely the fine fruit that we hat
this year. The French pepole are yer!
nice to them for they appreciate what
they have done in coming to their re
lief
I forgot to tell you that sugar il
"a cents a pound, and We are limited
to one pound per person per month
I hope I have not tired you will
this long letter, but l want to give
you some little idea Of the suffering
thinking it will interest you.
I know by this time that you arr
back in st. Louis, where you have &
plenty to eat and to wear, and plenty
of coal to warm you up. In these
long evenings, when you are near {
good fire, think Of your friend across
the ocean, more or less shiverinl
from coal. Think especially of oul
poor soldiers in the trenches, without
fire in this very cold weather-with
out anything hot to warm them up
and say little prayer on your beads
for me and for them, and ask thu
good Lord to bring this terrible wal
to an end and give rs peace, a dur
able honorable peace, that will bring
back our soldiers to their homes ane