Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1919-01-10

~ men, women and children.
A warm. soothing. natural" odor OF
oxen and stable came thinly and not
unpleasantly into the feast chamber.
which had that dignity of proportion
and fine simplicity Of lines which
speaks OF Tuscan taste, even In these
humble quarters A light hung from
the center of the ceiling threw rath-
or dim Illumination over the festive
board, but amply sufficient for US to
see all the good things which awaited
our Impending attack. First soup was
served from huge bowls into deep en-.
pacious dishes next came n rich and
satisfying fritto misto, and then large
platters burdened with pasta redo
lent With mn herb savored sauce.
There was plenty of honest wine to
wash down the huge slashes of war
bread served out generously to oil
of us.
No Bitterness In War Talk.
After the pleasant business of eatinr
was over the men started talklngstbout
the war. II was a simple. rather OBJ.
jectlve discussion, without bitterness
or hatred, OF something unpleasant
which had to be done, but all must
wish that II should be ended and laid
aside rs soon as possible. Then the
conversation waXnd warm In the more
direct and personal realities of the
years corps, and the promise for the
coming seasons. One by one the
little children snuggled closer to their
mothers sides and childish heads
bent sleepily over the table or fell,
relaxed and safe, on arms soft and
Sollcitous with maternal care. The
drowsIness Of Il hard days labor crept
rreslStlbly upon the men.
We said good night and start
ed homeward; the little oil lamp by
the door had flckered out. but faint
moonlight was bathing the landscape
In a soft. mystical lndlstlnctness; fai
away the domes and towers Of Flor
ence rose skyward like dream sym
bols of hopes and darlngs, Of love ant
faith.
sat In contemplation, watching thu
moonlight wax stronger and brighter
making more real and definite the pic
ture Of peace on earth spread so won
drously before me, till my thought,
wandered away to another harvest
scene, far removed among sterner but
no less peace loving mountains, a har.
vest scene Of battle wherein men like
those with whom | had gathered
grapes today were the protagonists.
Look A once flourishlng little
town, with not a single one Of Its
houses unscathed, and most OF them
horribly rent asunder, showing the
debris of what had once been the
privacy and the sanctlty of peaceful
hearths In the partial shelter OF
these shells Of homes along the main
streets of the town, countless men are
sitting or crouchng, In full fighting
equipment, waiting for orders to pro.
coed to the front trenches, where a
battle has just been fought and won.
Let us walk to the battlefield; 1t Is
reached through pine wood still
smoking resin0usly from the fires
which the bursting shells have started.
The road Is wholly exposed to the
range Of the enemy's artillery, but
thousands of men have CALAMITY
crossed 1t In order TO reach their com.
rades In the trenches beyond. You
can see what the harvest has been
here! There are fragments of shrap.
mel and unexploded shells along every
foot of the line; by the whir of the
projectiles still passing over our
heads we can reconstruct the scene of
fire Of some hours ago; the shells whlzz
by us with that horrible suggestive
rotatory sound which seems to say
Coming, Coming, Bang-and you die /!