| Show Kathleen Norris orris Says What A Vet Veteran era 11 Wants Bell Bill Syndicate Features Feature S J J J Jl l 7 f I Iv r v J r L J Jh h r I o u 1 F 4 r 2 f 1 When Wilen she tho met ui us I 1 began to toy oar what felat Id I'd planned Im sorry torry Pre always been sorry orry Then we fee were crying on each other others shoulder By KATHLEEN NORRIS ERE is a letter from a HERE G. G I. I Joe who finds himself himself himself him him- self stationed in to northern north north- ern Germany He comes from froma a small American town and he wants to get back to it German German German Ger Ger- man dont don't interest him nor Germanys Germany's devastated cities he doesn't like the language language language lan lan- guage and he is tired after three years of army food Im 22 and Im I'm going to take an engineering course after after after af af- af- af ter the war he be writes Boy I cant can't wait to get going All that has kept me sane through these years is the thought of home and the family I have some family I have three sisters sisters sisters sis sis- sis sis- one married with three kids and one brother who has two little boys My grandma is living and she and one of my aunts live with us and help Mom with the housekeeping My youngest sister is going to marry her captain at Christmas Christ Christ- mas the middle one was married married married mar mar- ried last July never look twice at our house though It stands back under big trees and has a lot of space around It for tor barns and fences and Pops Pop's chickens and the windmill But the dont don't look any better betterto to me What Food What Fun Saturdays Saturdays yum yum yum yum does yum-does does cooking go on In that house r Fried chicken and strawberry shortcake shortcake- and Mom with a big apron on and the grandchildren falling around under under under un un- der everyone's feet and maybe Pete that's my older law in bringing In a sugar-cured sugar ham ham he he raises hogs out In the country The kids put on a a. play or we have games at nt the table table table-my my girl comes over with her brother and we play tennis tennison on the municipal courts courts we we all go swimming after dinner and when we come home something good to eat ison Is Ison Ison on the table with a message from Mom dont make any noise and wake Dad The fellows out here the letter goes on who come from homes like that homes with lots of laughing and cooking and good times In them cousins coming and going sisters trying to get Moms Mom's attention attention- they're the ones that are coming back sane Every little custom custom ev ev every ery association with home Is dear to tous tous tous us now we compare snapshots we read sections of letters to each other Some nights three fellows and I get pencils and tablets and draw diagrams diagrams diagrams dia dia- grams of Main Street or the farm farm farm- the way the trees and the houses stand Nothing else counts these counts these girls over here dont don't mean anything to us nothing us-nothing nothing means anything ex except except ex- ex that if we stick this out and see It through well we'll get back baek and the folks wont won't be ashamed of us There Is a letter to put heart Into any woman whose Job of running the house and somehow providing meals to for the tho family sometimes seems routine routine routine rou rou- tine and dull to her The fellows who come from real homes are coming coming com com- ing back bark sane says say Joe Lots of others arent aren't Lots of others others others oth oth- ers are never going to find that cure of love and home life ute Just to find Mom cooking the remembered doughnuts to hear Dad mildly cussing cussIng cussing cuss- cuss Ing as he washes the car to have a pretty cousin turn up with tennis rackets or to sit elt with a small appreciative appreciative ap ap- ap- ap nephew in his lap lIstening listening listening listen lIsten- ing wide-eyed wide U to war stories stories stories-in in these things there is u healing Healing for your boy and end healing for or the world Home is u the unit of us Ca A. A Fried chicken and strawberry shortcake BACK TO DEAR OLD WAYS Most soldiers dont don't go cra crazy y or develop de strange desires while they are abroad They just want nant to get back to the life they used rued to know It wasn't perfect but it satisfied them pretty well Jell Nothing they have seen in Europe or the Orient has really changed their tastes j jor or longings The soldier whose letter appear appears ap ap- ap- ap I pears pear in this issue just wants lants to get back to his farm home I to his family and friends and sweetheart s' The memory of the simple pleasures the hearty and delectable food the many joyous associations are all that kept him sane in faraway Jay Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- I many he writes The German girls dont don't appeal to him him nordo nor nordo nordo do the foreign language and customs In short tort he just wants Jants to get back home and pick up I where he left off He is 22 i which is still young enough to start afresh so he intends o to study engineering I This young man is no doubt a typical serviceman Although I I saddened and weary after his harsh experiences he is not bitter bitter bit bit- ter or disgruntled He is ready to slip back into the old i grooves as soon as he is dis dis- charged Most Wi wives Yes sWeethearts sweethearts sweethearts sweet sweet- hearts and mothers who Jho have hae been worrying about the impact o of f war Jar on the men they love will be pleasantly surprised to find them little changed after all which the tile whole worlds world's safety rests In Just so much as you can make it- it 1 normal happy affectionate free I from quarreling debt worry you help to cure your son of the effects of i these years yeu-s of insanity A Splendid Gift Thinking of what to send Yeats Yea for his birthday writes a young wio from Memphis I made up my mind that better than any tangible thing would be the news S that his mother and I were friendly With his father Ive I've always been on good terms but in all the five years of our marriage Id I'd never spoken to his Ills mother because because because be be- cause of a message she sent me by Yeats when we were engaged I took our three small boys all clean and fresh and went boldly tomy tomy to tomy my laws in house When she met us I began to say what Id I'd planned planned planned plan plan- ned Im sorry Ive I've always s 's been sorry Then we were crying on each others other's shoulders and after that we sent Yeats what he called the finest present anyone ever received received just Just the news that we were friends Im happier than Ive I've ever been In my life Ure and so is she And when Yeats comes home Ill I'll feel fecI ashamed at his happiness So its it's a gain all all' round It Some other woman reading this might think up a similar gift for husband or son The controls on building are being beIng be be- ing Ins lifted fast and It may soon bo be possible to locate a carpenter who isn't making a n livIng In some come lino Una that has nothing to do with hama hammers ham hami mers and nails Three and a half million radio sets lets are promised by January 1 We sincerely hope that all nil brakes on the ear plugs Industry will be lifted also |
