Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-11-21

come back from a hike" rush 10 the
river and take a quick bath-a custom
which troubled ones soul a few weeks
ago: for. Il you will let me whisper 1t to
you softly. the people OF my country
village are not wholly persuaded that
a bath does not make them sick.
Likewise, the village no longer jumps
when the auto trucks pass with vast
uproar. And God knows they pass
II appears that these troops are restins
up Blu, at the same time. must We con-
Guide, that the American rest re-
semblcs, feature for feature. what we
call work. Without relaxation. the
trucks furrow the road, whose trees,
powdered with dust, have all turned
white. Day and night, they roll by.
And at the same time, the side cars, the
motorcycles, and plain bicycles. roll by.
Only Yesterday the country carts, drawn
by the homely work horse. were going
leisurely along the way. and the Tour
ing Club and the Automobile Club had
vainly tried to teach the farmers TO
turn" SO to speak. Ito the right. The
farmers figured that the middle of the
road belonged 10 their horses and
wagons. But they have had to re-
nouncc this theory. In less than forty
eight hours they resigned themselves
to the inevitable. Cocotte. joyful and
Old Dapple now trot leisurely on the
slope. to leave the right Of way free 10
these terrifying vehicles which come
here and go there. one never knows
where. without ceasing.
They Can't Understand "Husk'tns.
As a matter Of fact. where DO they
go? I have tried to find out. Recause'
If I must admit 1t. during the first
DAYS of their stay allowed myself TO
| think that this constant going and
coming were not indispensable. and
that without any doubt the America MS
were victims OF that malady which the
people Of my country call irreverently
"fuss-and fidSets." How can one
imagine that 500 men quartered IN
tiny village could have need Of keep
ing so many motors rushing around
the country" can hear my neiShbor,
marooned on her doorsill, demand OF
tall. shining soldier as he leaps from
his truck:
But do YOU really have to go roll
ing along all the time like that
Always on the go. Always! No
arret, Plus. plus"
Nevertheless. at the rear. resting up
far from the front, could not these men
stop. calm themselves, lose their
time" while they await the terrible
and approaching travail OF war? NO
they can not do it, Their very nature
forbids them. 1t is necessary to come
to this opinion. unacceptable as II
seems to our French souls, so willinSl!
inclined toward relaxation and con-
siderinG inaCtion n blessing. IheSe
Americans whom have seen do NOT
know how TO reposc, and they feel no
envy of those who do. They arrive
and utter their shouts. AS soon as icy
have broken ranks they go hurting
themselves into the river. Then they
ask themselves. What's doing? TO
sleep after a march under blisterlns
sun is out of the question. 1t is not the
hour for sleeping. You see them.
washed and fresh. wandering around
the village and taking the country AIR
Good. II IS something to do. TheF
have seen what they have wanted 10
see. They know where the post Office
is. the church. and the location of the
Y. NJ. c. A. At 9 O'Clock the bugie
sounds to remind them that 1t Is
getting time for them TO go to bed
under their little tents pitched in the
open fields. They start back. But until
then? Something to eat? Yes. some
thing to eat They eat with rapidltE
and precision And then? All. then
what has the colonel on his mind"
A Popular American Colonel.
The colonel had something on his