The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1919-06-05
"SUNNY FRANCE NOT ALL
SUNNY, SAYS COLUMBIAN

George F. Nardin of Columbia, who
is now in Saint Afghan, France, with
the American Expeditionary Forces,
has written the following letter to
Miss Jane Cline about his experiences
| in France since the armistice was
signed.
saint Afghan, or as the boys call
ley of the Cher River, in the only
available space between the water
table of the Cher and the rain clouds
above. The space is pretty small. and
for the most of the time we have lived
in both the water table below and the
reservoir above, either one of which
is ample guarantee against draugh
This is not the country that gave the
name of sunny France" to the coun-
try as a whole. l think l found that
out on a recent trip l made through
the southern section. There we had
plenty of sunshine, and | am inclined
to believe it is reflected in the attitude
of the people down there.
Three Y NJ. c. A. men and went
on a tour to Biarritz for the vacation
we had earned some three months be-
fore We managed to gad around a
little and see much more of France
We started out by going to Tour We
went through and climbed to the top
Of the great cathedral there. 1t is
beautiful place of the old type The
windows are very beautiful. But /
don't care for the chill and mustiness
of the interior.
I'm Bordeaux we had just time to
visit one thing. That was a frieze of
mummies in the vault of an old tow
er These bodies had been mummified
by the action of the water in the cem-
eteries of Bordeaux. They had at one
tine been live citizens of Bordeaux,
our English-speaking guide assured
us. We were in no shape to contra
dict her. so we allowed the matter to
rest. Some few of the bodies had
failed to get under the water and had
certain parts missing.
"Biarritz is very pretty, sea on one
side, mountains in the distance for
background. We went down to the
Spanish border but we were not al
lowed to cross the bridge that spans
the border river. Miss Rita Gould had
been there few days ahead of us and
had abused the privileges of crossing
into Spain by taking two officers and
staying all day at st. Sebastia. When
we arrived. the place was closed to
every body. / suggested to my friends
that we get a Frenchman to take
shovel and bring us bit of Spanish
soil upon which we might set our foot
But they only looked at me pitt!ngly
Some people are queer.
'At Lourdes we watched the faith
full come to the shrine that had been
erected in honor of a maid of the town
who had had a vision in 1858. She
was told in this vision that the spring
of certain grOtto had healing powers
We saw many crutches there which
had been left, they said by those who
had been healed But / noticed that
all the crutches, except one conspicu-
Gus pair, were old ones. At any rate
people flocked there by thousands.
"Cauterets is pretty just because it
is in the heart of the Pyrenees. Like
all the other places in France. it has
its memories. Queen Wilhelmina was
there, and got caught in a storm. slept !
in a hay NOV, and, said the guide, |
Monsieur you can see the barn where |
she stayed. How much? Oh, just a
mere trifie, one franc. All, Monsieur, !
you couldn't leave Cauterets without !
seeing it. Thank you. monsieur. Mer-
ci. Merci.' Then you tip all of them
in sight and see an old stone building |
I don't blame them.
I'VE went to Toulouse. Got in there !
1t night and had one high time to find I
a bed. We finally got one. or rather
two, in little shack of hotel. One |
of our crowd slept in an attic room |