The north Mississippi herald., 1919-06-20

wives.
There was plenty Of excuse for the
soldiers OF any regiment marrying In
France for the French girls are by no
means behind their American sisters
in beauty, vivacity or charm, but the
fact remains that none Of the Missis-
sippi boys preferred them to the girl
he left behind, and . few days after
this is read the boys will all be at
home and in Jackson, the boys Of B
and E batteries will be sitting on the
same old porches, talking to the same
old girls they did in 1917; that is
they will II the girls have been as
true to the boys in France as they
have been to you.
Glad 20 Be at Home
France has not been without its
charms. The men Of this regiment
have been given numerous leaves Of
| absence and on these the expenses of
the enlisted men have quite often
been borne by the government. this
was true when leaves were taken In
regular leave areas but not when Wis
itlng IN Italy or England. Men and
officers have visited Nice with its
thousand charms, Monte Carlo.
princeliest gambling hall of the
world, and where soldier couldn't
amuse himself at his favorite pas-
time, have viewed the Dodges palace
at Venice, looked on the ruins os
I'ompei, fearfully peeped into the
crater of Vesuvius, visited the I'm
rerial city and looked upon its an
cient civilization. They have ex-
plored Alsace, have wandered over
the battlefields Of France. They have
niarvelled at Gibralter and sworn A.
ITS nendicants. In short they have
travelled far and wide and seen much.
but after all home is best and this
morning as the ship sailed past the
statue of liberty and New York
came in view, q spontaneous cheer
broke from every lip and every heart
was glad that at last it was all over
and we were again at home.
In a few days the regiment win
nave been demobilized, those who
nave been comrades in arms for near
~ two Years will have parted. "The
moving hnger writes and having
writ moves on; Nor all our piety nor
all our wit; Can lure it back to can
Gel haH line." The history of this
regiment as written in America and
IN France is one of which each men,
per can be proud and one of which
the State from which we came and
which we love need not be ashamed.
Leaving France
And before I close let me tell Won
OF our leaving France and an Incl
dent that. typifies the character of
the French.
For an entire day before we sail
ed | had been on the docks loading
supplies and had been attracted by
the girls and women who sold oranges
from baskets. These were evidently
or the peasant class, depending en-
tirely upon the proceeds of their
wares for their livelihood.
As the big steamer got under way
our band played. for the first time In
France, the best tune of all "Homa
Sweet Home" Down to the edge of
the water swarmed the orange girls.
cheering and waving their hands.
and then as their farewell Gift TO
pay Americas debt to France. thev
threw their oranges to the men who
swarmed the rails Regardless of
the fact they were giving their all
they threw until their baskets were
exhausted and the gap between the
home going Americans and the
French girls they had borne hard
ships for widened too far.
And as the band played "My Coun-
try 'Tis of Thee" we turned. with
joyful hearts, our faces to the set
ting sun and the best country of
them all.