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Show FRENCH BOY ADOPTED BY U. S. SOLDIERS Corporal Holden Writes i Sidelights of Life Behind Be-hind Trenches. . . - i A letter teeming 'w itli human interest, and touching - upon the side lights of a rest camp juH far enough behind the firms' lines for small comforts, yet near chougrh to - make watchful sentry work the price of safety, has reached Mr. and Mrs. K. H. Holden of 1?A IZast First South from their sun, Corporal John V). Holden of B battery, Seventeenth field artillery, formerly with the 145th field artillery, and a member of the contingent which went overseas in advance of tha . Utah regiment. Corporal Holden, who has " been up to the firing line once, j writes as follows: j "Just finished making a bunk here in , the beautiful wood. For material T used, sacks and limbs, two to four Inches in i diameter. My bunk for once is off the I ground and above the flow of the 'gentle' water after-a-storm. 'Am 1 happy? You bet I am. "Tou ma y picture Tne now with a corncpb pipe, in one corner of my jaw, puffing away like an old timer, when in reality I just started the other day and then because a private made me a present pres-ent of the pipe with two .cans of to- baeeo, 'shaking hands.' the boys say. "While at the front a Fr ench boy ; about fifteen years of age came over to 1 where irry squad was working and with ; my 'petit' knowledge of the French lan- ! guage we learned that his father, mother and sister had just been killed the day 1 before by a bomb exploding during dinner din-ner time and while he was in the field working. "He sure is a brave little fellow and at the time begged to stay with my squad. Wei!, we all. chipped in and dressed hint like ourselves, Then for a couple of nights he slept with me, and later the comma nding officer gave me full charge of him. Since then while on the move T let him. ride in one of my 'park' wagons, and now at this rest camp lie lias a 'petit' tent of his own near mine. He has become a very popular little 'duck,' and, although he cannot speak a word of English, he makes even the 'dead -headed mule' understa nd. Some of the nonconis are jealous of mo on his account, as he runs to me for nearlv everything. At present he is workiner in the kitchen and enjoys helping the boys brenk hardtack and peel potatoes. "We will be unable to take him along when we return to the front, but he will perhaps be allowed to stay with the bor-pey In the rear until at least the French mission gets a hold of him. "Well, I have walked-, slept and have eaten in nearly every part of France and by ve lived in nearly every kind of a hou.e from a village house, which, by the wav includes barn.- hen. rat. cat and cootie house combined, to that of a rich squire. A nd of all 1 believe my tent with its bed of limbs from the trees has tht-m n' I cheated. " While on guard tbese cloudy nights with no lights, hecause even a cigaret lisht may mean our lives. T amuse my-yelf my-yelf by thinking how little I appreciated the 'hearth.' how little I appreciated life." Hut, wait. T'm coming home, and my feet, will never aenin be so restless, nor rrrv bead so big to t;et away from the grate fh and you. when there is 'genttl' peace afloat." j |