The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-12-20
SERGT. RUNNELLS
WRITES OF FRANCE
STATIONED AT HISTORIC CITY
IN THE ALPS
Was in Paris During the Last Hun
Air Raid and During Bombard-
ment by Big Berthas."

The following letter which was
written by Sergt. d. Leslie Runnells
to his father, will, we are sure, prove
very interesting to the many friends
of the writer in this vicinity. We are
also appending letter which Leslie
wrote to the editor on the backs of
an interesting series of post cards
showing views of the Alpine city of
Besancon, where Leslie is at present
stationed. Inasmuch as our letter is
of few days later date than the one
be wrote to his father, it supplements
the latter very nicely:
November %, 1918.
Dear Father
In all probability this letter will
reach you sometime around Christ
mas Day and as you read it, you can
just bet that l am longing for the day
when can again stick my feet under
the family table and enjoy the Christ
mas dinners that / have until last
year always enjoyed.
Christmas Day was none too happy
for me last year; cannot say that
it will be this year. | am not where
l want to be, but there is this much
to be thankful for, the time is rapid
ly approaching when we shall leave
this country for our native land.
Christmas Day will mean whole lot
more to me this year than it did last.
Last year the prospect Of coming to
France, the prospect Of the hardships
of war were staring me in the face.
This year l am over here with the
prospect of soon returning. The
fighting has stopped; your anxieties
should now cease as the dangers have
been minimized. You have no cause
whatever to worry about me; you
have every reason to be thankful as
this horrible conflict Of four years
has been brought to- close and we
will all soon be able to return to our
homes where peace and happiness
reign.
On this Christmas Day you can rest
assured that l am longing TO be with
you. You know this without my tell
ing you But under the circumstan-
ces, while / will probably be terribly
homesick, I am going to be just as
happy as can and want you to be
the same. When left you two /
didn't know whether / would ever
see you again. I was going off to
war. Now that the war has ended /
have such bright prospects of seeing
you both soon that it makes this sep
aration much easier.
In all probability / shall be spend
ing Christmas Day right here in the
mountains. 1t is wonderful place
to be if l have got to be over here,
so here's hoping that this will be the
place. ! have always wanted to get
up in the mountains, to climb them,
to find my way through their forest
clad covering, to look down into the
valleys upon the cities and villages
below, to- watch the wild animals
crash through the under brush at the,
sight of a stranger, to breath the pure
mountain air and feel strong. The
sky is clear most of the time; the sun
shines during the day and the stars
at night. This is wonderful place
to be and ! am going to be just as
content this Christmas asH possible,
but you can just bet my thoughts will
be Of you folks back home and I
shall try my darndest to imagine N.Y.
self with my feet showed under the
family table and all the rest
We are already beginning to plan
on our Christmas dinner: II is go