The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-10-02


was two stories high and very long.
One enters from the side and ut the
other end is a most beautiful garden
Al the north end the ground declines
in terraces, straight to the Marne,
flowing down the valley as far as one
can see.
The huge billiard and dining room,
In which we afterward sang, Is panel
led in different soft shades Of grey
The north end of the room has. IN the
center, an enormous fireplace, with
doors al either side leading into a
sun parlour beyond. All the pictures
have been taken out Of the frames
which hang forlornly empty, but the
most beautiful Of them all, which ev-
en the Huns could not destroy, is the
one which seemed to be wonderful,
misty painting Of the Marine and the
valley and is, in reality the country IT.
self. which one secs through an enor-
nous sheet Of plate glass placed d.
rectly over the fireplace, and framed
as one frames ones most valuable pic
lures. We dined with General Ed
wards and seventeen officers, charming
men, and an straight back from the
Chateau Thierry fight. We sat at
either side Of the General, the only
women there, and near US the official
photographer Of tie Division. He had
just started to take a moving picture
Of the battle, few days before, when
eight Boches appeared and surrender
ed to him, they thought his camera
was a machine gun!
The owners Of the Chateau are still
living in the house comfortably quar-
tered in upper rooms, leaving the rest
of the house to the Americans to
whom they owe SO much"
After dinner we all sat in the draw
ing room, expecting to see hundreds
of soldiers come trooping in at any
moment. Our host told us, however,
that he and his officers were to const-
tute the audience, SO an orderly light
ed three candles, drew down the heavy
iron shutters at each window and door
so that not even glimmer of escap-
ing light could invite an AFRAID, and
we gave our first performance at the
''front."
At the end of our program, the Of
lficers, all standing, sang their divi-
sional song, "The Battle Hymn of the
Republic. Among the impressive
tni..gs which crowded our eyes, ears
and souls, this was one of tie most Az
fecting, for the picture that they made,
those wonderful specimens of our fin
est American manhood, who had pust
come through the inferno Of battle,
gave majesty and dignity to the
song, never to be forgotten.
Later in the evening somone asked
if they might dance, the General con-
sented, providing he might have the
first, so they turned an the phono-
graph. One can imagine how busy we
were, being the only girls. 1t was the
) first time in almost year that any OF
: the officers had had anything APP
preaching in frivolity dance, and
they certainly enjoyed it: we didn't
even sit down until half past twelve.
1t began to rain while before we
, left the Chateau and the ride back 70
our billet was exciting. OF course at
the front, one is allowed no lights on
the automobiles, and the towns
through which we rushed and skidded
were absolutely pitch black. Every
few kilometres sentry would point
!, his gun, perfectly willing to blow US
. into bits if it were his duty. The
streets were so dark, SO crooked, and
so slippery and silent, that it will al
ways be marvel to US, the driving OF
that young soldier who was our pilot
The only light in our house was a
tiny petrol lamp, which Madame n
card had left on the stairs for us.
When one has sung about thirty
numbers. danced for hours, and had a
wild ride, one is naturally thirsty, but
, we were not so lucky a3 to have any
drinking water in our room. The
, Marne was so full Of dead Germans
that even when the water was boiled
, il had thick sediment: consequently
we drank red wine, out Of our tiny
| folding cups and tried to be thankful
! for it.
The next morning We counted sixty
. aeropIanes, we didn't count any more
not because they were not there, bul
we were overpowcged by their mum
, bers.
Down by the Marne we met one Of
our boys who was trying to have
, lesson in French from very inter
esting businessmen by whom he hac
been annexed. The boy was only just