| Show C i N CHRISTMAS DAY WITH OUR SOLDIER BOYS AWAY Ht t They vill Have Ilave Plenty to Eat gat an Abundance of and Laces ale Will VIII Provi e n a Tree for the Presents A soldiers Christmas lIS is not at all What the civilian pictures It I think moat people feel Ceel n a sorry r for tor soldiers and sn sailors lors and wanderers w In general when comes around They Thoy insA Im them us havinG II a fit dt ot of doleful dumps and being very because thoy ha have n nb fire fireside side of at theIr owls It Ii Id well Weil meaning mennIng no doubt this sympathy but dreadfully tho roving heart thore Is nothing like a L on the tho At least live fio days before the night when the tho was horn born each po poet t on Is full tull ota of a excitement as though charged with electricity so that oven the tho would know that something new on the tho tapis The beauty ot of the soldiers Christmas Is that hr hi does everything himself lie He gathers all the greens that decorate the table and ond the He scours the tho I hills around the tho post If It happens to tobe tobe I be I a country whore the red berries I gleam for tor bushes crimson with holly A soldier cook prepares prepare the dinner aol diem servo It and garnish time tho table No wonder they enJoy the tho spread prell In reality Uncle Sam stands sponsor for tor the tho feast lie Is the fairy godfather who Indirectly supplies the and this Is the wa way ho does It There Is In each company n a mysterious savings bank called the company fund I say mysterious but It Is only enly a mye te to the tho outsider to 10 the soldier It ItIs itis Is all as clear as daylight Th ThO company fund le Is composed of the tho savings ot of tho year car The Government furnishes to toi i each soldier I a dally ration and ond thIs rn ra ration lion tion Is s planned on huge proportions The Tho man on whose appetite the ration was waR based must have hao been n a giant for tor torso forso so far no hungry enlisted man has ever been lIeen able to 10 consumo In one day all the supplies that h ho was as entitled to tofIle fIle rho cr cry ot of Give us this day our dally daily bread does dONI not apply to the lime army The daily broad brend Is surer than manna and more plentiful The Tho ration comprises tn meat tl salt Bait and fresh freely tresh vegetables flour Ilour coffee corte tobacco rice hominy and benn beans and such v uan tildes or of them No soldier can enn eAt all these things so lime Iho Government very uty steps In and buys back the rem flouts ot of its gift Itt This Is the lowly nom co ot of the tho company fund which hRs has such II a ring ot of hospitality In Its name Th The fund must bo be ua used d for tor the benefit ot of time tho company and usually It goes oes for tor table delicacies or for tor the barracks Most Io t ot of It goes oes on the table In time tho shape ot of jellies fruit and amI milk From this source como come all the tho extra dainties for tOl lima tho dinner A HAPPY DAY Fortunately enough most soldiers soldIer have the tho samo namo ideas of Christmas IJ and there thoro Is III little to distingUIsh the tho great greot Christian festival In the from that In Arizona The big quad ot of the parade may bo be erect ered or Is I a memo melo question ot of inside the tall beetling barracks time the scene on Christmas day dllY dayis Is much the same whether the moss moS room mom Is warmed by lingo huge roaring pines or by slanting ot of Oriental sun To fo b begin with the day Is ono one ot of the tho bl big annual holidays ll t a 0 military post and soldiers dearly love holidays hn Ing never rea really II outgrown their schoolboy school Ill boy da days Everything except necessary guard duty duly Is suspended on that day Usually two or three dAys preceding are declared to be holidays or halt half holidays to facilitate preparations At the tho posts on what whal used to be called the tho frontier a 11 hunting party from each ench company Is organized n a week Christmas They go on the principle 1 I that a Christmas dinner Is so much better worth the eating enUng If yoU captured I It yourself and I guess Its Is tru true The rhe I I hunting parties artles SO go off 1110 the moun at et distance of two i da days ride from the post and make a I Usually come back laden buck antelope fetid lId 3 wild geese quill Quail and sometimes a bear benr It ItI I ia I I a a I great sight eight to see sen the return of at I Ithe the There Is 1 a blowing ot of bugles and a clattering or of hoofs on the tho ground Of course fortune hila hies smiled and frowned with the partiality we are aro all used to The successful hunters hunter are N very proud b but t does not mesa being Kent to tb bed tier dues does a 0 meal tit lit for tor a v vegetarian follow as a 11 matter ot of course courso The army Is III communistic and time the fruits ot of the Aro Impartially divided It If there thore chance to be but one bear the steaks chops and haunches are divided after actor Solomons good plan that has yet yetto yetto to lie be Improved upon The wild game Is always supplement supplemented ed cd lI by other meats Roasted crab hiss hissIng Ins Ing In the tho howl bowl Is 1 a favorite und and there is III always allas lurk without which Christ Christmas Christman man mas would be n a fraud The Ille turkey la Is smothered In cranberry sauce and the array anny soldier ma may dine entire entirely on time tho bird that shares honors with the tho eagle If he likes host or of the army cooks are pushed In their art The They know the tauter S ot of their comrades and often otten the lake nn an early arly breakfast with time tho men m This ThIll always moons meane a L plate ot of hash In which onions are the chief component n a pint cup ot of coffee and good bread breall for tor thO th soldier r cook coole Is a prime baker TIIE DINNER DINNEn But Dut to return to the tho Christmas dIn nor nel which le Is served at high noon at atan atan an hour when an aristocratic Is satisfied with a cracker nut But when yO breakfasted In the tho darkness ot of 6 On Christmas morning appetite ii 18 not lucking lacking at t H 12 and the true sol aol Bier II n a valiant trencher man The Tho tables are tong Jons and broad and Ind n dial on which the Christmas dinner Is spread It Is covered with a white cloth not particularly shining nor ot of fine quality but clean to the touch fresh to the the smell and immaculately white The trouble IS that the entire dinner with the exception of at the des dessort sort Is put upon tho table lable at once Your ordinary server cares ares little for tor style and amI lees for tor nl niceties ot of servIce lie waists to see hIs dinner In the ensemble from the tho good tilling vegetable soup to time the turkey and cranberry sauce In the place of at honor One hears much of groaning tables but In this case It Is literati literally true tables fairly sag ROS with the tho weight that Is put upon them Soldiers want plenty plent of at meat and the turkey Is In invariably variably backed by at least two varl ot of meat meal There are arc vegetables ga galore a alore lore and ond the feast Is closed by a 11 trio of oC mince pIe plum IlIum pull pud pudding ding and fruit cake tako sn any one of oC which Is to bring down dOln an ordinary mar man but not Jack th the soldier who has the digestion that exercise and plain rare fare alone can an give Ibis Is III the make makeup up ot of the Christmas feast The changes ot of detail from year to year are aro The Tho officers and their lies Inspect the tho Informally after atter th they are spread and time tho soldier eats un ho cnn can cat no more moreIn moreIn In tM the morning they usually have games and races For obvIous reasons these are aro held In the tho morning for tor who wOUld feet teel hike Indulging In them af ter gorging on that overabundant POllY races are aro particularly popular eo o also le Is a 0 greased 1101 pelt chasIng a greased pig and playing nn an exaggerated snap liMp the whip when whon some small email end man files Into spare The greased pig gradually sheds his hlA grease grelle on the tho hands and ond clothes of oC oChi hi his pursuers until at lat last someone om pone rev reo a hold on him Thc There re are aro always prizes for tor winners Football and base baseball ball are arc also Riso ta favorite pastimes for tor the morning hours And so 80 the great festival has some features of oC home even Ien when It Is kept In ht barracks The long lone white while do flora decorated with greens Me are loss monotonous on that dl day There Thero Is a spicy smell In the air amid time tho men enjoying a holiday hullda write letters letter to their old homes until tae mall the day after Christmas carries away tour four times limes as many letters as at al ordinary ry times limos Christmas at nn an array army post with several hundred jolly follows that you know and like nt at nil ull a lonesome thing 1 doubt very Of much It ft time the en enlisted listed man would exchange his Christ maim night with fifty men aroUnd a glowing lire and stories ot of all shades hodes and complexions for tor the most ideal ot of ChrIstmases b beside his own fireside Uncle Sams young men are aro a ga gay lot There are arc few tew dull days and no gloom On The slight fumes or of homesickness are soon Ion dispelled They The always seem to be singing In their hearts And let me the clink clink And let me the clink A soldiers a man manA manA A lifes but a span Why then let a soldier drink C SI S RUSSELL r 1 t l lm m 1 t t 1 i 1 I r j r 2 i e ti tie y y J k Sit Siti i I r v I e e eai I r rr rl r ai j i h r fir 1 Y l l t i I J 4 1 r r I i r r L I j jj jI t r I illy 4 L t 1 j tL m I I I I I j t 11 i I i i t 1 I r I C I t k tH J 1 I I f J Santa Claus Glaus Makes ills His i Annual JOUrney Around the World |
