Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-01-08
A Ned Ivey Letter
Dec. srd, 1918.


while waiting will get busy and write
We are being re-equipped and cloth
ed i have nearly everything new,
four good blankets, Overcoat, both
wool and leather gloves, (tWo pair5
warm cap, plenty of clothes: to keep
me warm. They all look good but
how l am going to carry them is an
other question. In the past clothes
lost in action" were not charged to
us, but now it's carry them or pay
for them" Naturally one can't af-
ford to pay for much expensive equip
ment out Of army pay so we carry it
Till we drop. Just received and read
a couple of the home papers aud yes
aerday received eight letters, one
from Mr.. Brockert OF the Normal
school, also one from Marie at Guy
outlay and one from Jeanne Collot at
Wassy (Vassy) They speak very
highly Of America and give us credit
for having furnished the wherewithal
to win the war. They ask me to Wis
it them before returning home-ali
very nice but my horizon has narrow
ed down to just one little spot in the
universe and that's home, my own
people and my civilian clothes and
London, New York, Washington or
any other place, just give me a ride
back of Bill Smiths mules and I'll
be content and happy. AS one of our
chaps put it, 81 want my Ma and Pa
and l don't care who knows it, and
there was a chorus of me too, broth
err" There was a day when we were
SOLDIERS brave" in our new uniforms
that we feared to mention home in
that our pals would think us Molly
eoddles and babes, but we have come
10 reimbursement and revelation Of
things in general and I for one am
coming home very much the Prodigal
Son only don't kill a calf-make it
roast pork for mine.
Thanksgiving three Of US got a
pass to the next village and purchas-
ed a grain sack of groceries for a
family, or rather what is left of one
a mother of so years whose husband
was wounded and taken prisoner.
then starved and worked to death.
Her oldest son is also prisoner, her
other son 90 years. is at home, her
daughter (25 years. lives with her
and has four months old babe, Su-
Zanne, whose father fell at SalOniki
sOOIutuOW VI OIuGi Luey IeCSiF6 no
government aid They lived in Bar
LIE Due and l take it were very com
fOrtably situated, but their home was
bombed to bits so they moved to this
little crossroads village and are MAX
ing the best of what the war has left
them in couple of tiny rooms that
would not keep horse in,
Micky discovered them, got ac-
Quainted and invited me to join in, so
we won a real home Micky left for
Nice a couple of days ago on day
permission sc I'm left all alone with
our family as we call them. The
mother Sr is very jolly, the mother
Jr. is quiet, good natured but sad
eyed and pale but seems to be a won
derfully good mother as little SUI
same is so fat, good natured and at
tractive. Mick and l took turns walk
Ing the floor putting her to sleep. We
had circus with that kid and the
two mothers had q lot Of fun at our
expense. The little boy is a bright
and clever chap with great dark eyes.
long lashes and olive skin. He'll
worry the ladies when he grows up.
He is very polite and takes a great
delight in beating his mother and me
at game of dominos, which seems
to be their only game We play near
ly every evening until $50 then l go
TO our billet.
Thursday Well, last evening | re-
ceived letter from an uncle Of Mar
rus Bouchet who seems to be Gen
darme. I haven't had the letter trans
hated as yet so cannot tell its con-
tents but l let these people read it
and they seemed to find a great deal
of interest in same They will write
this man and get the name and adj
dress of the orphan society and APP
ply for assistance. The mother Sr.'s
name is Madame Rondeaux and the
mother Jr Madame Bourdauhui
cannot give the name Of the town as
I understand that is still restricted.
We have had many meals with them.
We do it regular family fashion
hand the Madame money each day to
make her purchases and she sets the
table to suit herself. It's a great
pleasure to provide and share in the
good things which she cooks as well
as the satisfaction Of watching them
eat it, and I might add, hear them en-
10Y their soup the characteristic
French fashion. Ia! Ha!
Mick and ate our Thanksgiving
supper with them; first beef bouillon.
then caulif1ower and potatoes stewed
together French fried potatoes, roast
rabbit, lettuce salad (oil and vinegar)
then coffee made with milk instead of
water and little French pastry tarts
with real white sugar which we pro-
Vided They have sugar tickets but
cannot afford to purchase their tiny
allotment, so a few spoonfulls OF
white sugar was a real luxury for
them. Another meal brought forth
both beefsteak, fried in lots of but
teri butter at about Ok per lb.) and
roast pork at 3tft per Id. Each was
a course and eaten with dry bread
We paid all the bills French butter
has no salt and is very good except
for a cheesy taste. 1t is quite plenti-
E-gV