The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-25

HE BIRMINGHAM ALE
 tains with snow on top. But it Is warm and we don't even have to wear coats.'
 After telling of the comfort in which
 he lives another doughboy writes from
 Anncy: "Ain't it a grand and glorious
 feeling when you have no bugle to listen
 to and no sergeant bawling you out every
 few minutes, and no loot grumbling. To
 be honest about this thing, I feel lost
 I am too much at ease. The people here
 are bound we are to have a good time
 and we are accommodating them"
 Another wrote: Ut sure feels good to
 lay in a real bed and sleep as long as
 you want to without the bugle waking
 you up so early. It sure is some place.
 We are in a big hotel and have white
 sheets which sure look good to the
 doughboy. and get waited on for your
 meals, so that is sitting on the world,
 don't you think? Here we have all the
 winter sports, skating. sleghing and to-
 bogganning on the mountains, and the
 mineral baths down here"
 An outburst from another lad: This
 life sure is hard on us birds after sleep
 ing in barns and tents. We have beds
 with sheets and some one to keep them
 cleaned up. The best part of it is Uncle
 Sam is paying the railroad fare and
 hotel bill'
 SINKS LOW IN BED
 From gneres-de-Lunchon: Well, got my seven days leave at last and am
 now down in southern France at place
 called Bagneres- -de-Luchon, and it's only
 about 15 kilometers from Spain. We are
 surrounded on all sides by the Pyrenees
 mountains and it's beautiful place for
 scenery. I am sleeping in one of the best
 hotels here and the first night when l
 struck the soft white bed I had to throw
 my hands out I thought I was never
 gong to stop sinking. it was so soft.
 Quite change from our hunks in camp.
 We don't have breakfast until g a. m.,
 so we get plenty of sleep and our break
 fast is very good"
 The censors who handle the mail from
 Cannes copied some snappy sentences
 "I have been having the time of my
 young life, dancing my fool head off with
 Red Cros nurses of the American. Eng
 fish and French armies and the Y. M.
 c. A. girls
 This is the life alright, touring along
 the Riviera just when the season is at
 it's height People spend lots of money to do just what we are doing. "One thing is certain. The Lord de- serves a lot of credit for putting such wealth of splendor and beauty in the corner of Frog territory. The creation is complete It lacks nothing. This is some town, I'll tell the cock eyed world. Right on the Mediterranean sea Palm trees, rubber trees, and all kinds of flowers, and what's more, all kinds of pretty girls
 Arrived here a few days ago to enjoy the marvellous scenery and all the beau- | ties and joys of life which seem to be gathered on this privileged spot of the l earth. Seems strange co be quartered in a real hotel, with everything from bell hops to baths, and re~f plates, knives, forks and table linen to eat with-of from"
 | It seems that sulphur bath makes one feel belligerent: They have hot sulphur baths here with the natural hot water coming out of the mountain. Yak | ing one of these surely makes you feel | like the real thing. I ready to pick another war with the Kaser now. We are staying at beautiful hotel, big summer resort. When I hit that regular bed last night for the first time I sunk in so far that you couldn't even see my ears When we went to breakfast this morning we were waited on by real walters just like in New York last sum- mer It is fine, I'm telling the world" LETTER TO MARY To Mary from Eaux-Bonnes in the Pyrenees Arriving at Faux Bonnes we piled on trucks and began our journey up the mountain until we are now many hundred feet above sea level. The sur prising feature of it is that there are real towns up here and real hotels and many interesting places of amusement. We are putting up at the Continental hotel and living in real comfort. Imagine l it. Mary, Mary, breakfast in bed. I just got lost in the sheets and mattresses and | it almost seems like home, only it ain't ! The meals are great and all you can put l away served by mademoiselles. got so excited I eat my peas with knife. Mary, this has anything I've seen in the armyS knocked all to he-.'' A letter from Grenoble: T am spend | ing a furlough here in this famous city in the beauty spot of France. The finest and most polite French people prevail here and are very stylish and dressy. l The city is about the size of Chatta., only the architecture is more wonderful and rare as well. I tell you, mother, dear, I have never seen such wonderful things that only millionaires can afford to enjoy in ordinary times. There's art galleries, museums, famous university, high class theatres, and many, yes, nu | merous things of interest found in Grenoble. This is a treat I never will forget as long as I liNe.
 And a pithy bit in another letter from the same resort: Ut is like rare drea-h I to find ones self in place like this after being on the bloody battlefields in 1 the worst of hardships. To compare rnis with what I experienced in the Verdun- Argonne- Mouse sector is like the contrast of heaven and hell, more less thinking | Seer"
 , And this one sports a cane while vaca- tioning: Enclosed is a picture of my pal and I. We are at beautiful place in the Alps and sure are having good time, as the picture indicates. Notice the canes. Not style or habit with
 "mudlark or doughboy. but for climbing
 mountains. About all the mountains this guy and I climbed you could put in the hollow of your teeth. But we're having a great, grand and glorious time all the same"
 WORTH $1O,O0O A DAY This boy spent his leave at Lamalou- les Rains:
 The letters that I have wrote you. have told you that I didn't see what | the French were fighting for but sure see it now, Sis, to stand up on one of these mountains and look around is worth Sl0,000 any day. Some are beautiful, snow capped, and some are covered with grapevines. To tell you how we had to
 come down the mountain we would walk | ten feet and then jump into another grapevine and so on down. Up on the mountain I seen the date on the old castle and want you to figure it out. Here it l is, MDCCXCIV. I know it is older than I am. Sis, I am not paying a cent for my trip or my board bill. The only thing I pay for is what I want extra to eat or drink and the government pays for l the rest Sis, it sure is the life of Riley. From Monte Carlo: T never in my 1 life believed there was spot on earth