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

a bedroom and a dressing room, per
fecily clean, in contrast to the fooi
below. especially, but of course witt
no running water. II there had beer
any, it would have been, probably NJ
much Of delusion and = snare as il
was all over the country, ii never ran
The boys, always happy. laughed
played rag-tme in the drawing room
and sang, shaved. bathed and worked
in the court below our windows,
On our way TO Aignay-le Duo tn,
boys swarmed 10 the doors OF the
barns, where they were billeted, Ia
wave q noisy greeting to us as we
passed. 1t was just dusk. and the
garden of the hotel was like a de-
serted one in a fairy tale. The hedge
surrounding il was clipped into bottle
shapes, and beyond this and the barn
yard was another and larger one,
built on two terraces. Apple, plum
and peach trees were trained against
the walls; the grapes were just ripen-
ing, and lettuce and parsley, phlox,
onions, roses and cultivated goldenrod
were growing in the beds outlined by
moss-green tiles. Three steps led to
the upper terrace, on either side of a
grotto, from which there was q shrine
missing. The second garden must
have been especially beautiful before
the war, for there was a pool which
even now is lovely, but the parsley
and onions surrounding II have gone
to seed and are now waist-high. The
keeper told US, almost with tears in
his eyes of the former glories Of his
flowers, but, he said, this is no time
for fantasies" ;"
The performance was in huge tent
and the crowd so big that all the
flaps were turned up, so that those on
tie outside could see and hear The
French Of the town were most enthus-
iastic over some of their old songs
winch we did for them, sang all the
ehoruses Justify, and at the end of the
evening, note was handed to us say
ing that a bottle of champagne was
waiting for US ct the hotel: there were
a number Of French officers there
when we dined, and it was from them.
We suppose the bottle is still waiting.
One Of the American boys came up on
the platform and did song and dance
for US. They asked "how does Broad
My lock-" Have they stopped max
zig beer in the States" and "How
about Churchil's ?" and they escorted
as out to the automobile cheering and
asking US to ''come back soon"
Each drive home was as distinctive
ly beautiful as though it were in
different country from the one pre-
ceding it. Our road back to Racey
climbed over the hills through dense
forests and many little towns, the
dwellings and stables all closely hud-
died together, and boys were climbing
up ladders into the second floors of
the stable lighting their way with
matches. Others were doing police
duty and miles of camions passed us,
the boys were always so pleased to
hear US call to them in English that
they nearly fell Off The little stone
huts, at frequent intervals along the
roadside were the only buildings we
seldom sees an isolated
farm house-They are about five by
seven feet inside, and are used by the
farmers as a shelter when they are
working their crops, so far away from
their dwellings as they are Each one
tiny fireplace and heap
Of straw, which they probably use rs
a bed if necessary. The stretches of
road are long and lonely: when we had
passed the camions, we met no other
motors of any kind, the only sign of
life was wild boar which darted
across the white path of whittier moon
light just ahead Of us.
Nothing had gone to sleep in the
MOTEL but, perhaps, the flies when we
Madame was sitting at the
head Of the long kitchen table, and in
he candle light our boys were play
ng checkers and having an all round
rood time.
ITO be Continued.)