The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-10-16

head WAS the continual whirr Of really
countless aeroplancS,
When you hear that We have bat few
planes in France, don't believe Il, in
fact, il is a waste Of time 10 eritieise
anything that our Government has
done in the matter OF war in France.
Wait until you can talk TO some one
who has come from there, everything
is 50 perfect, so systematized 80 eff.
cicnt. that il is almost unbelievable,
In the evening we sa, in the side
car Of motorcycle, In layers, and
went to sing for western and southern
boys. Here. as always we allowed al
most an hour in which the men could
crowd around w after the perform
ance. They love to shake hands as
often as possible, and how they do en-
joy talkingl They told US what they
used to do in the States At one avi-
alton camp, young music publisher
asked us about the latest songs, a
dancing teacher, "Slim". from the
Grand Central Palace asked US TO re-
member him to all the boys when we
got back, and a young man named
Westcott from the VERY Good Eddie"
company introduced himself to US TO
learn the bits Of stage gossip we could
tell him.
The pianos were almost always so
bad that they were funny. Some had
only one pedal and some had none.
There was often but one candle, but
the keys were billowy with grease ev-
en- from that one sometimes theywere
pitched too high, and once or twice
they were quite three tones too low,
which made staging the lower parts
in our duets almost an acrobatc feat.
At ChatilIon Grace got the Iniiuen-
"a, but into the little base hospital
she went, all alone, the doctor gave
her a prescription which was so won
derfuI that, even though she had the
very high temperature which always
comes with that illness, she never mis-
sed performance. There were times
when she wobbled a bit, and was
afraid TO use her voice too strenuously
SO she borrowed a violin from a
charming French woman who is a
teacher of the instrument, and who
goes into Paris several days a week
with her husband, ''un aveugle", who
teaches the piano there. They are such
interesting people. Though the out
side of the house, in which they had
the entire second floor, seemed as
simple and unpretentious as that of
the cobbler, in which we were billeted,
the taste in the furnishing and gener-
al equipment Of their rooms was real
ly remarkable.
One afternoon we started about
four for a twelve mile drive to Mon
tigny. The driver insisted that we
were to dine at Courbor. az 4 sweet
little country house Of the officers,
where they and "Y' man we're liv-
ing. He dumped us, our music and
our wraps out at their door yard and
they seemed to be glad to see us but
not exactly entranced Their dining
table, kitchen one, was already laid,
but they carried it out into the gar
den, through the window, we had a
very jolly time, with frequent visits
from some hoppy nondescript puppies.
From there we drove TO Montgny,
meeting endless camions trains load
ed with yankee" Division (the 26th) |
boys, coming back from the front for
a ten days rest, the first they had had
from the trenches since February. The |
'Y" hut was packed, and the officers |
were waiting anxiously for our arriv-
Fl, as it was with them that we should |
have dined. They were billeted in a |
wonderful chateau, were dressed in /
their very best and were going to give
us real pie for dessert. tThe man who
had driven us out there, we never saw
again after that night). The beans
and potatoes stewed with bread was
really good, in Courbon, but the
thought of the pie which we missed
At Montigny will remain with US long.
When we left, the boys were sitting
along the wall Of the chateau, cheer
ing Us a goodbye +
Returning 10 Courbon, We had a
surprise, for we found the audience
all Brtishcrs, Of the Royal Flying
Corps, ready for US in fully equipped
theatre There were wires stretched 4
from the stage to the back OF the
the Lighting was perfect, and
here were several sets OF scenery and ;
back drops 1t was one Of the most
Interested and enthusiastic audiences {
Re had in France A number Of ae- {
ors and vaudeville men came up TO in
roduce themselves to US, and they |