Putnam patriot., 1919-04-04

horrors of the great war. lonely lit tie woman in France is meeting the problems of life as courageously as her hero husband faced the hellish tortures of the battlefield and is ready to carry on. Her hopes, her disceur- agements. her joys, her sadness, are calmly told in a letter received this week by Miss Ellen Wheelock, who has been in correspondence with her for some time Mother love runs strongly through the letter With relatives gone. the woman lives only for the welfare and future good of her two children. It is a sad little family she writes about-herself working as a secretary to support the two children, Pierre and Lucie, and their aged grandmother, and she is worrying lest the position she holds will soon be closed. But how she loves America!
 The letter is indicative of the trag- edies that have come upon brave France and the spirit the woman shows in meeting the future is one which people of that war-torn coun- try have long since adopted. A trans laton of the letter reads:
 Versailles, March 6, 1919 Dear Mademoiselle:
 Your charming letter touched me deeply. and 1 am not able to find the words capable of telling you how much joy I have experienced in read ing it. or rather, in having it read, be- cause, unfortunately, l do not know the English language, and nave had to resort to a friend more favored than myself, to have it translated to me.
 I want to thank you, Mademoiselle, for all the details that you have giv- en me; 1t seems to me now that 1 know you a little. Thank you also for the deep sympathy that you evi- dence for France. Believe me, dear Mademoiselle, that my sentiments to- ward America are recoprocal.
 No, 1 have not had the opportunity to see your great President Wilson, although I went that day to Paris with my children, in the hope that l might see him. The crowd was so
 zz.-.J +La4 ,,-a ,,9ara ttnabIo with out taking the risk of being crushed. to get places favorable enough to see him. But our feelings have not been any the less great. Everywhere there was wild enthusiasm, and certainly your dear president will have an ever lasting memory of this day. Even though we were not able to see his courtenance, our emotion was no less diminished. Hearts at the time were both happy and sad-at least that is my own impression.
 You can well understand that all these emotions that come to me be- cause of the war make me suffer al ways. However, am glad to experi- ence them. l find therein sort of happiness, and it seems to me l am nearer to those who are gone. think how happy and proud they would be had they been able to take part in these triumphs-for which they have fought and died. These thoughts of sadness and glory conflict.
 1 love America because she aided us to conquer the Boches. And with out her where would we be now-and what ghastly misfortune it would be, after giving that which we have giv- en. if we had been conquered. It seems to me that our dead would have suffered.
 Think, Mademoiselle, that l have given everything in this horrible war. have lost my husband, two brothers, two nephews, and three cou- sins. The oldest was my dear hus- band. and he was only 34.
 All of my kindred lived in the north of France, where there has been so much fighting. And more, on returning, they will not find their homes; all have been destroyed, de- molished and nothing remains except recollections. And they are refugees in all the corners of France, more or less unhappy.
 What a frightful dream these past five years have been. What horrible nightmare! And now, what is more sad for me, I see returning every day the comrades of my poor husband.
 Happily my children take up my mind considerably. In order to live l must work a great deal. Every day from eight in the morning until half past five at night am busy as sec retary in a military office where l earn eight francs a day. In the evening l busy myself with personal affairs.
 The children are at school, and like myself, return home toward six O. clock. At no6n I have two hours, which permits me to prepare suita- ble lunch Sundays I am free, and profit by my freedom to put my home