Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-05-15


pect you are anxious to hear what [
have to say. Sent you a cablegram on
arrival in England and several cards
since-trust you have received them
o. K. Yesterday l got Mays letter
and one from Geo. Kindschi. We get
some mail nearly every day-some
days a lot and some days a little
We left the U. S. a. on Monday a.
m. and arrived in England (censored)
Had a fine boat and a very fast one.
1t could have come across in half the
time but didn't for several reasons.
Had calm weather but two or three
wet and foggy days. Had movies ev-
cry night, good grub and good COM
Portable bunk after we got into it.
The first few days l was very dizzy
but not sick From then on every
thing was Jake. Had good canteen
on board and sure filled up on candy
etc. Can't say that I'm in love with
the sea though-there's too much of
it-some 400 miles from the U. S.
TO England . = g
Sat. a. m.-Raining today and no
duty so will see if 1 can finish this
Fran $50 a. m. to p m. we are busy
most of the time at something or 9TH
er. At $3.50 we play Tattoo and at
9:15 have to start for bed and taps
at $50. About the only time we get
free to amount to anything is from 6
to $3.50 and have to feed beside Sew
eral Of us go down to a village nearly
every evening at and get a couple
of homemade rye bread egg sand
wiches, jam and bottle of red wine
Tastes mighty good after our soWbel-
1I1 hams oD6 0OpY1 VNi11io (honfl apd
the bread tastes just like American
bread and the eggs are fresh and so
nicely cooked Don't know what the
jam tastes like only it is good, and the
wine is pure grape and mild. We have
them put in citrOn (see trOng) brandy
to sWeeten it.
The place we go is only one of many
but suits us fine as the people are
clean and honest and good and we
have lots Of fun with them and they
with us trying to make each other un-
derstand. Women or girls do all the
serving. The men sometimes draw the
wine from the casks but more often
there are no men around. In this
place there is the bOss-a regular buX-
ON red checked woman of some 40
years Of age-a young girl about 20
eyes and hair and walks with the awk-
ward roll of a man who follows a
pillow. She is trying so hard to learn
English and teaches us French in re
turn She's bright and sharp as can
be She examines our coins, stamps
and everything closely, names them in
French and then in English. Then the
third girl is about 25, a little roIy poly
lady with tiny fat hands, a mass Of
black hair piled high on her head,
light blue eyes, rosy cheeks and the
brightest smile We love to tell her
she OVercharged US cent and then
see her cock her head on one side and
chatter away in French-talks with
her tongue and her eyes and smile and
hands-she tries so hard to tell us
and then ends up by looking straight
at one and "Oui"-(wee wee"-in
questiOn-dOn't you understand She's
honest and sincere as can be and ev-
en- if she were not the explaining
performance" is we'll worth a Franc.
To us she has very unusual person
ality.
Night before last we took a pamph-
let of New York City views down and
such fuss as those three made They
counted the floors OF the buildings and
threw up their hands-''nO good, no
good, meaning that it couldn't he
true-like the farmer and the giraffe
There aint no such animal" They
would count up to "sees" co stories
so far they had seen and knew ex-
listed but the rest of the way up was
mo good"-also it wasn't possible to
shoot water UP or stories in fire
picture"-nor could trains run un-
der the river and ground We gave
the book to the girl and she was more
than delighted to own such a wonder
full set OF pictures.
Last night | took some kodak prints
down of Lucian, you sisters and Mol
ly and Alexis autO-eXplained that
you were my brothers and sisters
you were all very wonderful people
and they wanted to hug Lucian.
These people are good honest
country folk and it's a pleasure to be
around them and eat their cooking.
Not many of the wine rooms are like
this One-in most of them it's a case
of wine, women, song and Dance"
where a woman is not a think of
beauty to be respected and protected.
They are not immoral, but immoral
should term it-their custom for ages
past and know no reason for trying
to improve themselves-just plain
happy GO lucky.
This country is full of villages and
hamlets. We are not so very far from
a good sized city but can't go there
without good reasons and a pass.
Our camp is on high ground, sort
,Of plateau, and we can see some II or
Is miles in all directions and it is
beautiful beyond my telling. Lots of
woods, green fields and masses of yell
low lowered bush with thorns Q
know and here and there a village
of old stone buildings grouped closely
\ together and always the church in the
center At evening one can hear the
bells-Angelus, isn't it? All so calm
and peaceful-in strange contrast to
our business" and the guns which are
now shaking my cot at their practice.
I've always thought that pictures of
foreign lands and peoples seemed so
strange and unnatural, but here we