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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Committee on Public Information 

 WHAT BUGHT Y MEANS TO OUR BOYS 



The sailors on leave from their ships and the soldiers from the trenches bring to the city 

 their high-hearted, indomitable youth and the motto, "This is Paris, and we're lucky to be 

 alive." 



They say 'Poor dear' so sweetly that you 

 forget to tell them the one good thing 

 about it, which is that it keeps you warm. 

 I never had a cold till I got here and 

 cleaned it off. And look what a 'beaut' 

 I've got now. I tell you, Missus, the 

 mud's never hurt me. Neither has the 

 war. Why, I used to have asthma some- 

 thin' fierce; but now it's all 'partee.' If 

 we get home with all our arms and legs 



and eyes — or just enough to get on 

 with — this here war's goin' to be a good 

 thing for a lot of us. 



"Of course, I ain't sayin' it's pleasant ; 

 far from it. There's the route marches 

 and the everlastin' salutin' and the bully 

 beef and the bumps on the ground at 

 night. But there's compensations. Take 

 my case. I had three sisters all learning 

 the piano at once, and all of 'em dubs 



