MAKING THE FIR FLY " 



269 



used it before. For any of the above in large or small doses I 

 can find a most appreciative recipient. 



"Tuesday night I was in another camp and so it would have 

 been through the week, but on my return home I found a tele- 

 gram awaiting me calling me to 

 regimental headquarters for a 

 conference with the new chap- 

 lain of a similar regiment of 

 engineers. He had been en- 

 trusted with a check of 3,970 

 francs ($665) as our regi- 

 ment's share of a welfare fund 

 for forestry engineers in war 

 service. Surely you folks at 

 home are backing us up to the 

 limit and such generosity will 

 mean much to our men in mak 

 ing their hard work here more 

 enjoyable, and thereby adding 

 to their contentment. They 

 are a splendid group and from 

 their hearts appreciative of 

 such kindness. From head- 

 quarters we went up to Paris 

 for consultation with the Y. M. 

 C. A. on work among our 

 camps. It was my first actual 

 experience of being under fire 

 for the great gun was bombard- 

 ing the city. The big shells 

 are doing very little damage 

 and cause scarcely any anxiety 

 on the part of the Parisians. 

 As for myself 1 did not recog- 

 nize the fact that there was any 

 added noise although a shell 

 fell during lunch time on a 

 street two blocks away. The 

 city is filled now with refugees 

 from the Amiens district and 

 some wounded from the great 

 offensive, while regiments are 

 moving through to the front. I 

 certainly wished that our regi- 

 ment was going with them, as 

 do most of our fellows. How- 

 ever, for the present we push 

 the service of supplies and 

 food for days to come. Every- 

 one is confident that the Allies 

 are going to rush 

 the Huns back, 

 and then we shall 

 see the beginning 

 of the end. 



"Sunday I at- 

 tended two church 

 services ; one, the 

 American Church 

 and in the eve- 

 ning the British 

 Embassy Church. 

 It was my first 

 Sunday off for 

 seven months and 

 how good it 

 seemef to enter a 

 real church and 

 hear someone else 

 speak, and yet I 

 think we have 

 worshipped quite 

 as acceptably on 

 a ship's deck, in 

 the open air un- 

 der the great blue 

 sky, in barns, 

 tents, half-finish- 

 ed barracks, and 

 recreation halls. 

 But the church 

 and its atmos- 

 phere brought 

 back memories of 

 the Home land 

 that made the day very precious. In the afternoon I went for 

 a walk with a Red Cross officer, passing the Arc of Triumph and 

 out the Boulevard de Boulogne to the Wood of the same name. 

 Amid the passing throngs it hardly seemed possible that just fifty 



miles away the greatest battle of history was then being en- 

 acted. The lake, the budding trees, the well-dressed pedes- 



trians 

 heavy 



made a beautiful 

 black mourning 



sight, 

 which 



LIEUT. HOWARD Y. WILLIAMS 



Chaplain of the 



Tenth Engineers (Forest) 

 God and country in 



and doing 

 France. 



yeoman work for 



Underwood and Underwood 



JUST ONE OF THE MANIFOLD USES FOR WOOD IN THE WAR 

 These are wooden trench mats on which the soldiers stand in the trenches and which are used for making 

 paths over muddy ground. As may well be imagined, they are very popular articles during the rainy 

 season in France. They are here being removed from railway trucks. 



crisis and especially bless those who just 

 for Him and Democracy on the plains of 

 wishes. Faithfully yours, 



"Howard Y. Williams 



but it was all sombered by the 



never leaves our sight in the 



land that has fought so nobly 



for freedom and given so 



largely of its life. . . . 



"The leaders of our army have 

 shown great wisdom in keep- 

 ing our men out of the great 

 cities, especially Paris, on their 

 leaves and thus away from the 

 terrific temptations there and 

 the resulting consequences. The 

 army has done everything 

 possible to make attractive cer- 

 tain leave places where condi- 

 tions are guarded and the men 

 come back after a week's rest 

 just crazy over the good times 

 that they have had. The Y. M. 

 C. A. arranges tramps, tours, 

 stag-dances, movies, shows and 

 best of all has a large number 

 of real American girls present 

 and their company means more 

 than I can express and more 

 than you will know unless you 

 have been away from their 

 good fellowship and inspira- 

 tion for many months. 



"By Monday night I had 

 finished my work and left 

 Paris. My seat had been re- 

 served previously and strange 

 to say I was the one man pres- 

 ent in a compartment with five 

 English nurses going back af- 

 ter leave to Italy. Well say, 

 if.it didn't seem like home. We 

 chatted and laughed until late. 

 I was proud of them and their 

 unselfish spirit and bade them 

 good-night with real regret. 

 An American Major looked in 

 our party and openly express- 

 ed his jealousy of the young 

 Lieutenant. Surely he might 

 well have for if I needed a 

 tonic they certainly served 

 that purpose. Ar- 

 rived back at 

 camp the next 

 day and next 

 week start out 

 on my second 

 tour of my par- 

 ish which covers 

 most of France. 

 My opportunity 

 is enormous 

 and the responsi- 

 bility is great. 

 The latter some- 

 times staggers 

 me but when I 

 see the apprecia- 

 tion and respon- 

 siveness of the 

 men and when I 

 stop to remember 

 that it is 'not by 

 might nor by 

 strength, but by 

 His Spirit' that 

 my work is to be 

 done I go on re- 

 joicing. 



"May He who 

 cares for each 

 one of us help 

 us individually to 

 find our place in 

 this the world's 

 now are fighting 

 Picardy. My best 



Chaplain.' 



