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Show H PATHOS AND HUMOR HOPELESSLY MINGLED B IN THESE LETTERS H Pathos and a touch of the humor H which made Josh Billings mid Mrs. M Mnlnprop famous arc revealed in tho B correspondence between dependent H relatives of the fighting Americans H and the department wnlch handles the H war risk insurance allotments. H . W. M. Keller, court reporter, has H now in tho government service in H Brooklyn, extracts from letters writ- H ten by anxious dependents seeking H information of one sort or another B or making various complaints. Hero V they arc, as they might havo been H taken from tho pages of some comic H weekly: H . I nin't got no learning and I hope V I nm writing for inflamation. H Just a line to let you know I am n j widow and four children. M - Previous to his departure wo were H married to a justice of tho peace. H Ho was iductcd into the service. J I have a four months baby and he J is my only support. J A lone woman and parsely depend- J I was discharged from tho army J for goitre which I was sent home on. J I didn't know that my husband had J a middle name and if he don't know J it was none. J As i needed his assistance to keep PJPJPJ me enclosed. tM Owing to my condition which I HH haven't walked in three months for J a broken leg which NO. 75. J Your relationship to him? An- swer: I am still his believed wife. PH Kind She or Sir: jpi I enclose lovingly yours. I nm left with a child seven months old nnd she is a baby and can't work. I received Gl dollars and I nm cer- tninly provoked tonight. PH Your relationship to him? Ans: PH Just a mcro aunt and a few cousins. In the service with tho U. S. Ar- mory. PH And he was my best supporter. Please correct my name as I can- not and will not go under a consumed name. PH Edtract from n letter from a boy to his1 mother: I nm writing in the I Y. M. C. A. with a piano playing in PPJ my uniform. I am pleating for a little more J PPJj Please return my marriage ccrtifi- cate, baby hasn't eaten any in three Both sides of our parents are old PH and poor. Pleaso send me a wife's form. H I have been in bed with one doctor fl for thirteen years and I intend to try another. H I am a poor widow nnd all I have is in the front. H Wo havo your letter, I nm his H grandfather and grandmother and he flrv was brought up in our house accord T ing to your instructions. H I aint received no pay since my Pftpfl husband has gone from nowhere. H You have changed my little boy to PftpB a girl. Will you make any differ- H Please let me know if John has put PPJ in an application for u wife and child. M You huvc taken my man away to liaH fight and he was the best thing I ever 1 H My boy has been put in charge of PPJ a spitoon (platoon:) Will I get more PPj PtpB Dear Mr. Secretary: .As per your ilal instructions, I have twins. Tribune. H w.s.s. |