The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-31
QEF(,HAH,S
ID PILLS

and eggs are scarce and very high.
| paid 40 cents for good sized loaf
of bread, 20 cents Tor a quart OF milk.
20 cents for a cup of iell and 80 cents
for two eggs and couple of slices
OF bread. But il was great treat.
Sometimes we can buy a little hon
ey
The country is quaint looking. with
hedges, stone walls, stone or brick
houses and barns, and tiny fields laid
out and cultivated like flower beds.
The very hill-sides are cultivated al
most TO their tops. The degree of
the intensiyeness of cultivation is
simply remarkable. The high tower
ing German hills are literally uphol-
stored with the most meticulousy
kept vineyards. where each stalk is
supported by a separate upright stick
so that the hills look like colossal pin
cushions on porcupines In many cas-
es ''terracing has been rescrted to in
order TO gain ground, and the vine.
yards are laid out IN steps or benches.
The holds look like flower beds and
run right up to the roads Low
meadow. land is all ingeniously
drained and Tie Overflow made : to
turn saving or -four mills
The very scenery Naturally is midst
attractive and picturesque our last
march was all along narrow valley
with towering, yine.clad hills on eth
en- side The fields and grass are
still damp green" and The fir.
spruce and pine trees furnish green
10 the color scheme. Qther trees
have shed their leaves. so the entire
effect is that of q most beautiful and
pleasing mosaic OF alternate brown.
: purple. green and mauva TO which is
added the scenic touch Of nesting
villages and hamels. waysideshrines
and lie glimpse Of winding streams
and pohds -4jn .HiI
Horses seem rather scarce. and one
frequently sees oxen ind cows har.
messed 20 wagon or plow II is not
80 cold here as IL was up front" in
France The ground is MOI yet froz-
Cd and ii has ben cloudy or rainy
the past ten days II is drizzlhg
now as ! write this letter in a quaint
hotel in Alf, whilst enjoying u fair
ly good German cigar suppose il
I will snow about Christmas time. but
now 1t Is simply damp md muddy ms
II often is at home in late September
Everything is very nigh at The
shops cigarettes soc for 90 cigars
l2c apiece for small size matches
&c for a small box. beer about 12c a
glass. while candy Is out of sight
i1nd reach OF all but the rich or the
extrayagant sweet-craving Soldier
\ fair sized loaf Of hot German breat
just out OF the oven cost me two
marks about 40 cents The German
mark has deprecated from its form
er value OF about 24c TO zoe or less
being at about par or less Than pal
with the French franc which ha'
appreciated with thte success Of th'
allies. Tho shops show small bu
, attractive displays OF the character
: istic German toys and gew-gaws, AZ
. tlcles OF dress. etc. all of which ar
! pretty steep in price A fair meal o
/, soup. potatoes, a little meat brea'
= and salad costs from 10 S marks
a variation in diet which the soldie
, can afford TO indulge In very often
! Potatoes seem to be the most plent
: full staple in Germany. Milk is yer
scarce, and naturally butter a
: though "smearcasin' is occasional
4 seem
Soap and oil are in great deman,
.. Last evening I enjoyed a rare trea
II by exchanging some soap ! had ca
- ried with me from France for
n couple OF eggs a lady fried thel
Il for me and threw in some excellei
y German barley soup for good mea
- IRE She was at one time in Amer
q ca and spoke English quite wei
=, She said the people suffered consit
|, erably during the war for lack 4
:, sufficient food, and that the foe
n was not distributed to the soldiers {
-. it should have been intimating TIL
49,.