Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-08
THE FRENCH GIRL DOES HER
SHARE CT THE LOVE MAKING
SAYS Boone MAN.
THOUGHTS OF MARRIAGE
FIND EXPRESSION THERE
Women Of France Are Making Matri-
roniai Drive For American Soldiers
Whom They Put on Pedestal ana
Take az Husband. Lord, Master,
Lover or All in One.

Boone. May s.-"F'rench women.
maids and widows are making matri-
monial drive on the American soldier
almost as pretentious as the drive the
Americans made on the Germans. They
want him as much-yes, more-thah
the allied generals want him, and they
tell him So" declares Sergeant Harry,
l.. Morgan, son of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry
Morgan. 1922 Eighth street.
Sergeant Morgan returned from
France in February after being ove'-
seas FIVE months. since last SEPTEMBER.
He was in the active lighting during
the Argonne forest drive. and was
gassed and wounded by shrapnel From
Nov. 3 to Dec. 3 he was in hosIitni
recovering from his wound. and was
then placed in casual company ana
sent home in February He was
member of the 10th infantry of the
Rainbow division.
There is an other casualty list with
which the American women must
reckon-loss in prospective husbands,
he continued.
"One who has lived and fought IN
France for a few months and then re-
turned to the United States can easily
understand the growing tendency OF
our boys over there to marry French
girls. with memories of the advanced
American girl fresh in his mind. Back
of it all there is the big change in the
man, the glamor of war has thrown
him about the obedience Of natural in
stincts so long dormant or thrust aside
while he fought for existence in
peace times the unafraid. the un-
aoashed wooing of man by woman. He
has found land where he has been
put upon pedestal. is kissed as
hero. taken as n husband. lord, master,
lover, or all in one.
Thoughts Of Marriage.
Like thousands of other Ameri-
cans. thoughts of marriage to me were
always associated with the idea of a
tremendous increase of expenses. II
nothing else. The modern girl espec-
tally in the cities. spoke rapturously OF
love in a fiat with the cook and per-
haps with maids Theaters and
PARTIES were necessary to her existence.
Discussion Of helping one another. OF
fighting the battle of life together
seemed to be more or less posse. Girls
who kissed men before marriage were
considered foolish and warned of their
great danger. Were a man to discuss
children he invited reproach at least. Ii
simply wasn't done in nice families.
l believe and always have believed with
IT.. fN1I tn,, ~f
preston Of all natural instincts. feel
ings and most of the emotions.
Il left America with that feeling.
The idea stuck with me in England
and in France. 1t slapped me in the
face when came back home. didn't
wonder why Americans were marry
ing French girls. knew. What I saw
over there, found over there. thou
sands of other Americans are seeing
and finding.
Women in Majority.
Then in France. women were in the
majority there before the war started
and that condition was even worse
there when we arrived. Their best lin
manhood was gone. too, and many Of
them forever. The few who came
back were limping around the streets.
being wheeled around in chairs. led
around by children and the aged or
their wives and sweethearts. AS soon
as the boys reached their maturity
they were called into the army. In
those stricken and manless villages.
towns and cities came Americans first.
most of them tall. broad -sh0uldered.
erect and always smiling. They would
have died for Frace-that romantic.
enthusiastic. tempermental nation.
We were camped in q village outside
Lyons.
Saturday night and Sunday we were
permitted to visit the city. There
were thousands of girls who had lost
their boys. When we entered cafe
theaters or walked along the streets.
dark eyes flashing everywhere, smiles
coming from every direction If he
halted a few moments to gaze into a
store window he was surrounded by a
half a dozen. Arms would slide thru
his. the dark eyes spoke the language
Of the world. Evil women you would
say. They were not they were the
girls from the factories, from the
stores, from the cafes where they
worked as mattresses. from the hun
dred and one positions they took to
replace men.
Hero were the Americans. saviors
of France. and France would bid them
welcome You would sit with them
In cafes, in the ttheaters. Soon soft
little hand would creep into your own.
And il you held mighty still. soon a
shoulder. You would look at that little
piquant face. now the lips were NOV
ing. you would bend over to hear a
whisper. coming like prayer Je vous
aimo Il love your. The lips would
purse. quicker up at you invitingly.
The eyes would entreat you. Then
your earlyy training would come back
to yoI with rush. That thing was
not countenanced in America. You
were afraid that you would BE ar
rested. but If you did accept that
which the gods offered. she'd hug you
right there in the theater: old French
men and their wives fear you would
look on, you kindly and smile benighly.
Most paid no attention to It.
Would Buy Ring.
Then when you went away a
change OF station. she would buy you
q ring and put 1t on your finger. Shed
press a rose and give 1t to you after
kissing IT, sha'd> follow you to the
train. stand on the littf6 step outside
the carriage IS they call them over
there. weeping her eyes out. And
above the weird screech Of the train
whistle, you'd hear that old phrase
'Je vous Anne
Eve talked toll dong know how