D 640 S439J 1919

01120420R



NLfl  D5D07302  5
   NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
"g^GEON GENERAL'S OFFICE
     LIBRARY.
AMEXj
Section -
No. asff^i
NLM050073025 
•/     '  ' 
 
       JOURNAL
OF A CANTEEN WORKER 
 
       JOURNAL

OF  A CANTEEN WORKER
A RECORD OF SERVICE WITH THE
AMERICAN RED CROSS IN FLANDERS
            BT
    Herbert Mason Sears
    BOSTON
privately print
1919   C-%  nUtfrtty civd
'brflij 
Copyright, 1919, by Herbert Mason Sears
 ID
64-0

 m0!
The Merrymount Press, Boston 
TO my grandchildren 
 
           ILLUSTRATIONS

Herbert Mason Sears            Facing page   3
H. M. Sears and J. de la Jousseliniere      16
The Little Old Farm-House at Oostvleteren  32
Our Second Domicile at Oostvleteren         38
Canteen Sign                            44
My Friend the Priest, M. Fardet           48
"Juicy"                                 64
Crater made by Bomb dropped from Ger-
   man plane at Oostvleteren               72
The Deserted Hotel at Coxyde Bains       92
Deserted Houses at  Coxyde Bains        126
Our "Poilu" Helpers at Coxyde Bains   142
My  Three Friends,  Vitou, Fardet,  and
   "Juicy"                              1/6
Map of Localities mentioned      Following 213 
 
                NOTE
A few words of explanation are neces-
sary in connection with this journal, writ-
ten to  my children and printed for  my
grandchildren, which describes my ser-
vice as a Canteen worker for the American
Red Cross at the battle front in Flanders.
   Early in June, 1917, I decided that I
might  be of use in some work  for the
American Red Cross in  Europe, and I
went to Washington to volunteer my ser-
vices.  At that time the work of the Red
Cross  abroad was not in definite shape
and headquarters in Paris had just been
opened with Major Grayson M. P. Mur-
phy at its head. It was necessary for the
Red Cross  authorities in Washington to
communicate with the headquarters in
Paris to find out just what work could be
usefully undertaken by volunteers  from
America. Consequently there was a delay
of several months before  I received any
request for  my  services.  On August 9, 
x               NOTE
however, a cable from Major Murphy was
received in Washington which gave me a
very definite idea of what was wanted of
me. Transmitted to me it read: *' Murphy
cables from Paris  to inquire whether you
would undertake  interesting position in-
volving  hard work  and some risk. You
would be  in close touch with officers of
French troops and under military author-
ity. Work would consist in managing
Canteens serving troops near front. Please
wire answer." It did not take me long to
decide to accept this service, as I  felt that
the work would be really useful and I con-
sidered my knowledge of French suffi-
ciently good for such an undertaking. I felt
that in addition to the actual work of the
Canteen I could be of use also in spreading
the information among the French soldiers
that America was in earnest in entering
the war, and that American troops would
soon be coming over the sea in large num-
bers. This, it seemed to me, was quite as 
                NOTE              xi
important as any other part of the work,
as we had entered the war only a few
months before and such a possibility of en-
couragement to the French soldiers might
be well worth while. This proved  to be
the case, and I was able to give welcome
assurance to  many poor, tired  French
poilus who needed just such  help. I was
the only American in the part of Flanders
where my work took me.
   The Canteen distribution  also proved
increasingly popular at the  front,  as is
shown by the fact that whereas at first
5600 cups of hot chocolate, tea, and  coffee
were given out each week, toward the end
of my service, when the work had become
well known and sought for by the officers
and men  of the French troops, we were
able to serve  15,000 cups each week.
   It was indeed a privilege for me to have
had this chance to serve for the American
Red Cross in  their splendid and generous
work, and the part that I took, however 
xii              NOTE
small, gave me an opportunity, which I
shall never forget, of representing Ameri-
can sympathy with the French soldiers, so
wonderfully conveyed by the Red Cross.
                              H. M. s.
Christmas
  1918 
       JOURNAL
OF A CANTEEN WORKER 
 
 
 
             JOURNAL

                   1917
                              zsfugust 28
  \ FTER waiting from Saturday until Tues-
xl day, passengers on the "Chicago" were
told to be aboard by three o'clock this afternoon,
only to be told upon their arrival that the ship
would not start before midnight.  However, as
it was very hot ashore, I decided to stay aboard
until she started.

                              ^/fugust 29
Left the dock at 6.45 this morning and down
the harbor, passing a great many tank steamers,
several transports waiting for our troops, and
two English cruisers. The weather was overcast
when we  started, but turned out fine early in
the day. My state-room is perfectly good and
I have it  to myself, except for one rat and sev-
eral cockroaches. I chanced to see  the rat walk-
ing over my berth, and then saw him drop into
my uniform, which was hanging on a hook be-
neath him. I  shook the uniform  as  soon as  I
could get  out of my berth, but somehow the rat 
4               JOURNAL
got away from me, and as the state-room door
was closed I fear that he is still my room-mate.
At sundown all the windows and ports on the
ship were closed  and covered with wood on the
inside, and to say that the rooms are hot is put-
ting it very  mildly; so that in  spite of the fact
that my room-mate the rat has been caught in a
trap, I am afraid that the night will be unpleas-
ant from the heat.

                             <tsfugust jo
Followingthe example of many, I passed the first
part of last night sleeping in my steamer chair
on deck to avoid the heat below, and not until
3 o'clock did  I come below to my state-room.
As soon as  day  broke I opened my  port-hole
and cooled the room off. This morning at nine
o'clock we passed a large steamer bound into
New York. At 3.30 p.m. passed a four-masted
schooner bound  east. A  boat drill was ordered
at  4  o'clock, each  passenger to put on a life-
preserver and report at his designated  life-boat.
The passengers that reported  at  the  boat that
I should be  in were the poorest-looking crowd
of any on our side of the ship, while the next life- 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER      5
boat to mine took in most of my friends. The run
from noon yesterday to noon to-day was 300
miles.

                              z^August j i
Beautiful, but warm and muggy, as we are in the
Gulf Stream. Either they are not expert in steer-
ing this ship on a straight course, or else they are
purposely steering a zigzag course, which last
would seem strange as both the forward and
after guns are still covered, and that would seem
to indicate that  no submarine trouble is looked
for at present. There is considerable drilling on
deck by a company of young men  bound to
France as ambulance  drivers. Run from  noon
yesterday to noon to-day was 306 miles.


                               September I
 Wind has shifted to the northeast and it is now
 cool, although we are  still in the Gulf Stream.
 It is at present cool enough to sleep in my state-
 room even  though everything is closed up after
 dark. Passed a  steamer a mile off bound west.
 Little old sea toward night. Run from yester- 
6               JOURNAL
day 301 miles. No latitude or longitude given at
any time.

                              September 2
Beautiful bright day. I think we must still be
in the Gulf Stream from the appearance of the
water. A little rougher than it has been and quite
a number of people seasick. Speaking of the pas-
sengers, there  are quite a good many pleasant
people: Winston Churchill, Dr. E. A. Crockett,
Ralph  Preston,  and Arthur D.  Hill are  old
friends,  and I have met about a dozen  more
attractive passengers. Pretty unexpected in these
times. Toward sundown there was quite a rough
confused sea, which the ship took remarkably
well. Run for past 24 hours to noon to-day 307
miles.

                              September J
Still quite a confused sea, but wind more west-
erly. Passed a small schooner bound east, not as
large as the "Constellation," with square-sail set,
which reminded me of my West Indian cruise.
Still in the Gulf Stream, I think. Run to noon
to-day 300 miles. 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER       7
                              September 4.
Sea much calmer and weather cloudy and colder.
Seem to be out of the Gulf Stream. Run to noon
to-day was 303 miles, so by to-morrow noon we
should be more than two-thirds of the way across
and near the submarine danger zone. Another
rat has been caught. I had  suspected  him, as I
found a lot of small pieces of paper chewed up
on my floor. So  much the better.


                              September 5
Dull and gray, not much wind, but considerable
following sea. In the morning passed a freight
steamer  going west, apparently safe from the
danger  zone. This afternoon they are taking the
covers off the life-boats, which looks  more like
business. Run to-day to noon was 306 miles. In
the middle of the afternoon passed what prob-
ably was a Navy cruiser going west, but so far
to the south of us that it was uncertain what
she was. 
8               JOURNAL
                              September 6
Cloudy, westerly wind. About eleven o'clock
this morning the life-boats were swung out and
life-lines hung over the side of the ship. Run to
noon to-day 325 miles. To-night all the passen-
gers are instructed to sleep with their clothes on
and to have their life-preserver near them. Many
will sleep on deck, but I have decided to  sleep
all dressed in my state-room. I have my trench
coat ready and my passport, letter of credit, etc.,
in my pocket, and as I know exactly where my
life-boat is, I feel very secure. It is a very dark
night and raining. To-morrow night I think there
will be more danger and I may sleep  on deck,
and then again I may not. After all I do not
feel in the least disturbed.


                               September y
 Fine clear day and smooth  sea. Feel sure now
 that, when the ship was zigzagging the  other
 day, it was on account of a bad helmsman,  as
 she has held a straight course ever since. Passed
 a bark this morning bound southwest. The cap-
 tain of the " Chicago" has now ordered that no 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER       9
uniforms are to be worn on deck, but this does
not trouble me as  I have not worn mine since
coming aboard. He is afraid that we would be
more liable to be sunk without warning if a sub-
marine should see troops on board the steamer.
Just before noon passed a full-rigged ship, with
all  sail  set,  about  half a mile away. She was
bound west, and it augurs well for us that a sub-
marine did not get her, as she has passed through
the very water that we are headed for. At sun-
down a French  boat (about  the size of a tor-
pedo boat) came alongside, signaled something,
and then departed. At the same time we passed
a steamer on our  other side bound west. Run
to noon to-day 323 miles. The same precautions
are  required for to-night  as last night, and  of
course they should be as we are further into the
danger zone than before. However, I think the
passengers are  more accustomed to the whole
business than they were last night.  It is an in-
fernal nuisance just the same.  I have decided  to
sleep in my state-room with  all my clothes on
and everything handy in case of trouble. 
10               JOURNAL
                              September 8
Beautiful bright clear day. Due to arrive in Bor-
deaux late to-night, but too late to catch night
train to Paris I am afraid. Met out about 40
miles from shore by several patrol boats and
French torpedo boat and an airplane. Arrived
in the port of Le Verdon (which is connected
with Bordeaux by the River Gironde) and the
customs officials boarded us, while we waited for
the tide to let us up the river. Everything went
through the officials  easily with me. We started
up the river  at  8 o'clock in the evening and
arrived at the dock at Bordeaux  at 2  in the
morning. I decided to take  the 2.30 a.m. train
for Paris, so that I might look about for a room
Sunday afternoon.

                               September 0
After a perfectly good night in the train I ar-
rived in Paris at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon and
went at once to the  Hotel Crillon on the Place
de la Concorde.  I got a temporary room and
bath there and lunched at once, as I had eaten
nothing since 7 p.m. the evening before. After
lunch went to Red Cross headquarters, but being 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      11
Sunday, Major Murphy was not there. Walked
up in the Champs Elyse*es and found it just as
crowded and merry as it was  before the war.
It was impossible to imagine the fighting really
going on not many miles away. Just as I had
started to eat my dinner at the hotel, Hugh Scott,
Billy Patten, and Gerry Chadwick walked in
and  sat down with me. After dinner went to a
very poor show at the Folies Marigny.


                             September io
Went this morning to meet Major Murphy, and
was also introduced to Mr. Fithian, who assigns
the  Canteen  work from the Paris office. He
explained the work in a general way.  It seems
that I go with one  French officer to some place
practically at the very front, or very near it, and
work there for three months; then eight days
off, and again back for three months. After those
six months I am not obliged or expected to do
that particular work any more and could even
come home, for a while or for good, if I chose
to; but I feel sure that things will shape up after
then by themselves, and I cannot yet say what 
12              JOURNAL
will turn up to do. My goodness, how interest-
ing it is going to be! I shall be obliged to have
a gas mask with me all the time and a metal
helmet. ...  I shall, of course, be lonely at times,
but so busy that it will be counterbalanced. I
do not yet know what  French officer I shall go
with, nor where I shall be sent, nor exactly how
soon, but I understand that it won't be a very
long wait. I shall know much more definitely
soon. Dined with Hugh Scott, Billy Patten, and
a man named Hale, who starts to-morrow on
just  the same work that I am to do. He has
been waiting in Paris  for  three weeks, so per-
haps I shall be more delayed than I think. After
dinner Billy Patten and I went down to the
Gare de l'Est, where a  Canteen had been opened
for soldiers just returned from the front. It was
most interesting  and gave me a taste of what
I shall  be  doing at much closer range. Each
man was given hot soup "or coffee and bread,
and  afterward we gave each one a cigar and a
small American  flag.  They were all the most
simple and  good-mannered men you could wish
to see. Some  were more or less dazed, and one
poor fellow, after three years away at the war, 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      13
was told at this Canteen that his wife had dis-
appeared and his household  broken up while
he was away. He went about telling every one
of his misfortune. It was most pathetic. We did
not get back  from this work until  1 o'clock. At
present there  is no hot water in Paris except Sat-
urday and Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday
are meatless days, yet every one seems perfectly
satisfied.

                             September II
Went  by invitation to the  daily meeting ol
the heads of departments held at the Red Cross
office at 9 a.m. Nothing of particular importance
brought up.  Went shopping  during the morn-
ing and bought  the few  remaining necessary
things that I  may need. Immediately after lunch
I was called up by telephone from the Red Cross
office.  I went right  over, and find that  I am
wanted to go to London to buy a large num-
ber of splints. This is expected of me during the
time that I am waiting for the opening for my
Canteen service. I consulted  with Mr.  Fithian
of the  Canteen  Department, who advised me
surely to go to London and that he would  keep 
14               JOURNAL
the Canteen work open for me. The proposed
work in London may take three or four weeks,
but he said that that would make no difference, so
to-morrow morning I am to hear definitely about
the London trip. I should like to go over there
under the circumstances. Dined with Hugh Scott.


                             September 12
On thinking the London trip carefully over I
have come to the conclusion that once in  Eng-
land  I might  get sidetracked as a purchasing
agent, and as I came over here to do Canteen ser-
vice at the front, I should not like to be in Eng-
land for three or four weeks and possibly lose a
good opportunity in  the Canteen work by  not
being on the spot. I have therefore arranged  not
to go to London, but wait my chance for Can-
teen service and stay in Paris until the oppor-
tunity comes.

                             September ij
It was just as well that I decided against the trip
to England, as, instead of waiting three weeks to
get off to the Canteen service, I expect to get off 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      15
on Sunday. I was taken to-day to meet my co-
worker, a French officer in their Red Cross, who
goes out with me. He is very much younger than
I, and seems a first-rate fellow. His name is de la
Jousseliniere. We go out to a small town called
Oostvleteren, not more  than  twenty-five miles
from Dunkirk, right in the midst of everything.
I have  been given my helmet and  mask, and
what with a few extra purchases  I think I must
have everything that will be necessary.


                             September 14.
Went and got  my necessary papers from  the
French Red Cross this morning  and then some
more shopping. Bought a pair of field glasses
(which can be used later on the " Constellation"
as an addition to my collection). Made arrange-
ments at Brentano's to have papers and picture
papers sent out to me regularly, and I hope they
will come. I had thought that all my shopping
was finished, but something is  always turning up
that I may need. Dined at Foyot's, on the other
side of the river, with Billy Patten, Gerry Chad-
wick, and Dan Sargent. 
16              JOURNAL
                            September l"J"
Went to the banker's this morning and drew
money. Lunched with Mr. Pomeroy at his apart-
ment  (the second in command of the " Can-
teens at the Front" Department at the Red
Cross office), and in the afternoon had a call from
M. Jaud de la Jousseliniere, my fellow Canteen
worker, or convoyeur, as it is called. He is a very
pleasant young man, twenty-three years old, has
lost all his  money, which was in a business at
Rheims. He speaks a little English and wants to
learn more, but he seems also to understand my
French. We went out and got our transporta-
tion to Dunkirk for to-morrow night, and we
shall leave there Monday morning for our Can-
teen, at a small town called Oostvleteren. He is
to dine with  me to-morrow evening before we
start.  All the rest of the afternoon I have been
packing, and it is no easy job to pack all that
one may want for the next six months in com-
paratively small space. Dined  with Billy Patten
and Dan Sargent. 
H. M. Sears and J. de la JousselinTere 
 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     17
                             September 16
Nothing much to  do to-day but wait for  the
train, which starts at about 7 o 'clock this even-
ing. My fellow-worker, M. de la Jousseliniere,
met me at my hotel  at five and dined with me
before we took the train.

                             September IJ
Sat up in the regular compartment all night, but
slept all right enough. We went to Dunkirk via
Boulogne and Calais, reaching Dunkirk about
half-past nine this morning. Did some errands
and took lunch at the Hotel Chapeau Rouge in
Dunkirk, and then at about noon took another
train  in the  direction of our Canteen and made
the final stage in our journey to Oostvleteren in
a motor-truck with our baggage. Nothing about
but French, English, and a few Belgian soldiers.
Our quarters are not what you would call elab-
orate, and every one that my friend knew (he
has done Canteen work at Oostvleteren before)
has gone, as they have changed the Division here
at the front. Dunkirk had been bombarded from
the air last week and there was considerable evi-
dence of it there. This place is much nearer the 
18               JOURNAL
front and you can hear the cannon, but here we
are in no danger. My friend, de la Jousseliniere,
is rather discouraged to-night, with his friends all
gone, but he will probably cheer up to-morrow.
He says that with the new  Division here, the
Canteen arrangements will have to be all started
again. The worst feature from my point of view
is that the address for my mail, which I left at the
Red Cross office in  Paris, is no longer correct,
and I shall have to arrange  about that the first
thing. I have not  had a word from home, very
naturally,  as the boats are slow and irregular;
but as it is almost four weeks since I left, I could
stand a little news. I  think a mail should arrive
in Paris to-morrow, and I  hope I can get the
correct address in time to let them know in Paris
before they forward anything. We dined with the
local doctor, who lives near. The fourth diner
was a Catholic priest  (now a military chaplain),
whose name is Monsieur Fardet, and who lives
in the same little shanty that we do. After dinner
we took a short walk, and the front line looked
like flashes of lightning in summer. It was very
pretty, but there was very little noise except once,
when something burst rather nearer than usual. 
        OF A  CANTEEN WORKER     19
                             September 18
Passed a perfectly good night in my sleeping-bag
and had two cups of coffee for my breakfast. As
the Army Division that was here before left yes-
terday, everything is changed and for a few days
we can do no real Canteen work, but only make
our arrangements. As a result of the shifting of
the Division, we had to walk to a neighboring
town to make the first of our plans. My friend
seems very well satisfied with our morning's
work and tells me that having me along (the first
American that has been seen hereabouts) makes
it  much easier  for him  to get a good hearing
from the superior officers. I hope this will con-
tinue. We saw  a great many French  airplanes
being fired at by the Germans, but  fortunately
none were brought down. We have unpacked
nothing that  is not absolutely necessary, as we
are not sure that we shall not have to move in a
few days to meet the  change of Army Divisions.
We lunched  at a house near our quarters and
went into the nearest town to see General Bas-
serres in regard to our work. The General was
not at home, so we did some other work that we
had to do, and back to the old farm by six o'clock. 
20              JOURNAL
                            September ig
Went into town this morning early to see the
General that we missed seeing yesterday, but as
luck would have it he was not in his office at all
this morning. My friend saw several officers that
he had known before and our morning was not
wasted. I had one disappointment, however, as
while we were in town a German airplane (one
of their best kind) was brought down very near
the farm where we are living. The  Germans in
the machine were uninjured and taken prisoners,
and the airplane was almost intact. Only a pro-
peller blade slightly broken.  While I  am writ-
ing there are seven in the air (French) almost
overhead. This evening there was quite a fight
near our farm with seven  German  airplanes
which were dropping bombs not far from here.
I was playing Bridge with some English soldiers
who occupy the part of the farm that we do not
use, so I do not know what  damage was done.
It sounds very gay, doesn't it? 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     21
                             September 20
Showery weather to-day. Lots of French planes
over us in the early morning. My co-worker,
de la Jousseliniere  (whom I shall call "Juicy"
for short), had a bad headache last night, but
is much better this morning and eager as I am to
get to work; but until we have horses  and men
to move our supplies each day to the different
points at the line, we are bound hand and foot.
To secure these means of carrying out our work
has been our reason for visiting the different of-
ficers during the past three days. While I write
the windows in this little farmhouse are rattling
just as they do  at home when they are firing
big guns in summer at target practice. This after-
noon there were  about a dozen observation bal-
loons overhead (called saucisses by the French).
One of them was attacked by a German plane,
which was fired upon by the French anti-aircraft
guns,  but got away. The balloon  began to de-
scend, but quickly eight or  ten French planes
appeared  and the  balloon was again sent up.
These balloons are fastened by a long wire rope
to a heavy automobile (with a telephone also
connecting with the automobile),  and they are 
22               JOURNAL
really led about in this way. The balloon which
had just been attacked half an hour before was
led by its automobile into a field not fifty yards
from our farm and hauled down there, and its
two occupants got out with the charts that they
had drawn. It would have made a splendid pho-
tograph, but was all done and over so quickly
that I did not have time to get a snap-shot at
it. We have waited near the farm all day to-
day, as we were told that two officers, whom
we need to see in our business, would be here,
but the day has  been wasted as they never ap-
peared. Really we have had bad luck in getting
started in our Canteen work so far, but we hope
soon to be at it.  If only that first  Division had
remained here with their  equipment, we should
have been really at work before this.


                             September 21
The booming of the cannon in the distance is
very impressive and awful all night long, but in
my mind I find it something almost like a very
wicked child who is doing something naughty
without any  real idea of why it started such 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER      23
a tantrum. All so unnecessary and  avoidable.
"Juicy" and I visited our General (whom we
had missed so many times) this morning. He
has just assumed command of the Medical De-
partment and, although very polite, did not seem
to have the initiative to give us any direct or-
ders, which would allow us to go ahead and do
Canteen work, but told us to come back in two
days.  That will make just a week wasted for
us, and only because the first Division happened
to be  relieved just the day we  arrived.  At any
rate we  have been working hard, during the
time we have been here, trying to get through
with the "red tape" that should be unnecessary
in our voluntary and unpaid Red Cross work;
but our hard work has consisted in  long walks
where we should have  had  an automobile,
and we trying all the time only to get means of
conveying, to the different points, the supplies
that we have on hand with us.  However,  we
propose to deliver what supplies we can on foot,
while waiting forthe proper and necessary means.
This change of Army Division has just been hard
luck for us. This afternoon we walked about five
miles and delivered quite a lot of tea, chocolate, 
24              JOURNAL
and sugar. It took almost all the afternoon, and
if we had had the proper conveniences, we could
have more than doubled our work. On our way
we saw a German  observation balloon in the
distance, also a German airplane being unsuc-
cessfully fired upon by French anti-aircraft guns.
No letters from home yet, although I have been
gone four weeks. Not even my newspapers which
I ordered from Paris  before I left there. To-
night there were some German airplanes about,
and while we  were at dinner we were suddenly
called out to see an Allies' observation balloon
falling in flames, evidently hit by a German
plane. The German appeared to have escaped in
the darkness. All the rest of the evening the sky
was lighted  with searchlights in every direction
and real fireworks to help light the sky. French
airplanes can  be  heard everywhere  now as  I
write.

                             September  22
This  morning we had nothing in  the Canteen
line that we could do, as we are not to see the
General again until to-morrow morning, so I
took  the spare time to build a little table, to go 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      25
by the head of my bed. "Juicy" took  a snap-
shot at me while I was at my carpentering work.
This afternoon, as  there was no work to do, I
took a five mile tramp to have some  laundry
work done, only to  find  that the laundry had
been moved. However, I think I can find some
woman hereabouts who can do it, otherwise I
will do it myself. To-night may be  the last
night that we are to dine with some very pleas-
ant friends with whom we  have been for the past
week, really most gentlemenlymen (with two ex-
ceptions of the chauffeur class, but being French
they were really charming) and, as there were
to be two extra French poilus guests, I  thought
it might be pleasant for them if I brought my flask
of Cognac, and gave them a toast to the French,
assuring them that the American Army was col-
lecting and America was really with them. They
seemed much  pleased with the toast and drank
to the Americans.  It all went off very well, and
I was glad to have had the chance to say a  few
very badly expressed French words. 
26              JOURNAL
                             September 23
Went to the neighboring town  this morning,
most of the way on foot, to see the General (who
two days ago told  us to come back this morn-
ing), but he found  difficulties for us. We are to
telephone him this evening, but I doubt if any-
thing real happens  which will allow us to pro-
ceed at once with  our work. As matters now
stand, we really have nowhere where we  are
entitled to eat until the General allows us to go
ahead, but the nearby doctor and the priest (with
whom we took our dinner the first night)  are
taking us in for to-day, and we bring canned
food with us to help out their table. On our way
back from our visit to the General this morning
we happened to be in a position to see a big fight
in the air between ten German and ten French
airplanes. The Germans were fired on from sev-
eral different points by French anti-aircraft guns.
We  could see nobody seriously disabled. It was
most interesting, and was an unusually big fight
from the point of view of numbers of planes.
We  have just been telephoning to the General,
who tells  us that in  order to  get  to  work we
must have what is called a  carnet rouge. This 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     27
we can only get in Paris, so we are off for that
city to-morrow, and when we return with the
blooming thing we are promised  that we  can
begin our work.

                             September 24.
My friend "Juicy"  and I left the  farm for
Paris early this morning. We got up at four
a.m., and were on the road in the dark walking
towards Dunkirk at five o'clock. Our train from
Dunkirk for Paris started at ten o'clock in the
morning. The first "free ride" we got was in
a little four-wheeled, horse-driven wagon with
four poilus inside and two outside. We drove
in this for one and a half hours and then trans-
ferred to an English automobile transport, which
got us into Dunkirk in time for our train. After
 a perfectly good all day trip in the train we ar-
 rived in Paris at half-past eight p.m. I went to
 the Hotel Crillon, dined, and to bed. "Juicy"
 went to his home at Neuilly.

                              September 2'J
 This morning we visited together both the Amer-
 ican and the French Red Cross offices and told 
28               JOURNAL
them our needs in the matter of additional pa-
pers. In the evening I dined with  Billy Patten
and Gerry Chadwick in their newly furnished
apartment on the other  side of the river.


                             September 26
This morning we went back to the French Red
Cross and got what they thought were the final
necessary papers, and that night started back for
Dunkirk by train at seven p.m. A large  French
family were in the same railroad carriage with
us, and as  they left  the train at half-past  two
a.m. there was very little sleep for us before  that
hour.

                             September 2J
We arrived back at Dunkirk at half-past nine
a.m. We worked  hard  all  day seeing different
officers without much success. Spent the night at
Dunkirk. Just after dinner, and  as we were
going  to bed, the siren announcing an air  raid
began  to blow, and soon the city, which is not at
all large, was being bombarded from the air. The
explosions were fairly near us, and one  in par- 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     29
ticular shook  our hotel, but in less than half an
hour the bombardment was over and no damage
to us.

                             September 28
In the morning our endeavors to get started in
our  work took  us  into the country. We had
only a little more luck and were obliged to re-
turn to Dunkirk to await notice from the French
General Headquarters as to our papers. Another
bombardment from the air, but nothing quite so
close to  us as the night before. Here we are to-day
waiting for word to get to work. They say that
one  of the raiding German planes was brought
down last night, but it is only gossip. When we
finally are settled, and it should be soon now, I
shall be delighted.

                             September 2Q
Waited all day at Dunkirk  for word from
French Headquarters, but nothing came. How-
ever, the entire day was not without excitement.
Just after dinner I decided to  go to  bed, and
as I was undressing, the siren began to whistle
again. I got into bed, but  this time the noise of 
30              JOURNAL
the dropping bombs was tremendous. Finally I
went to the window and saw that a building
within two hundred yards of us was on fire.
   "Juicy " called from his room, next door, to
say that he thought we had better dress and go
downstairs. This we did, and found everything
in great excitement. Women were screaming in
the streets and being shoved under cover. Pres-
ently a dead boy was brought by on a stretcher,
and a few minutes later a man who, they said,
was dying.
   The bombardment was quite long—perhaps
one and a half hours—and  when it was finally
over, we went round the corner, where the fire
was, and found a whole block in flames. Here we
heard that several  people had been killed, also
a large number in an open square not two min-
utes' walk from our hotel.


                             September jo
This morning, after breakfast, went to look at
the damage by daylight. We met a doctor friend
of " Juicy's,"  who was going to the Military
Hospital  to look for a man that he had seen 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     31
wounded the night before, and he asked us along.
There we saw—stretched out in rows—twenty-
seven terribly mangled  bodies,  including two
small boys between ten and twelve years old.
Almost at the  same time that we  arrived the
father of one of the boys came in and recognized
his son. It was too pathetic for words. We after-
wards went to see the damage done in the square,
and  found that there had been  a  tremendous
amount. A little store, where I had bought some
English papers just before dinner last evening,
was  entirely gutted and out of commission. A
handsome church was very badly damaged.
   We have not yet heard from  French Head-
quarters, so we shall have to spend another night
at Dunkirk. As the moon is actually full to-night
and  not a cloud in the sky, I imagine the old
siren will pipe up again for another raid.


                                 October I
The unexpected happened and there was no air
raid last night. We hear that they went over to
Calais instead.
   As there was still no word from French Head- 
32              JOURNAL
quarters, I asked "Juicy" to go there, as I was
obliged to stay at Dunkirk and not allowed to
go further into the war zone until I had the cor-
rect papers. He returned as quickly as possible to
report that at last everything was correct, and
that all that was needed now was a few details
about myself (age, etc.), to be written into a
carnet rouge, which was the only paper that I
had lacked all this time and which we had so re-
ported to the French Red Cross in Paris, only to
be told by them that it was not necessary. Hence
all this delay. We were then able to return to the
little old farm, which seemed almost like home
when we arrived there in time for dinner. Now
we can go ahead with our work, although it will
probably take several days to get men and horses
which are essential.
   In the evening there were plenty of German
planes about, being hunted for by  searchlights,
and, when seen, fired upon from  the ground.
Very pretty sight!

                                 October 2
Rather noisy night from the airplanes dropping
things, but perfectly all right. Delivered on foot 
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■*hd						•t>	IHmBSMH^&'wB
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\ jK				mWd	|)y4<		^B fis •^r^< ^^B
Tie  Little Old Farm-House at Oostvleteren 
 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      33
quite a lot of coffee, chocolate, etc., just to show
that, after our absence, we were still alive;  also
looked about for places to establish two or three
"annexes," or places where we can furnish the
soldiers, just in from  the trenches, with writing-
paper, plaving-cards, etc. This afternoon " Juicy "
and Monsieur Fardet, the priest next door, made
a table out in the grass back of the farm, as there
was nothing that we could do this afternoon  in
our work.
   Usual firework and searchlight effect in  try-
ing for German planes just overhead, and  sev-
eral bombs dropped  in our neighborhood.


                                October  J
To-day is cloudy and threatening (the first since
I left America) and we have some  walking  to
do. Luckily no  rain during the time we were
away—from eight a.m. until four p.m. We ac-
complished our mission and now we shall have
three men, two horses, and a wagon, and can
begin to do some good distributing of our  sup-
plies. Thank goodness, after all our  work!
   There has been a great movement of troops 
34              JOURNAL
and cannon here the past two days and they look
for a new offensive soon on our part at the front.
However, it was very quiet all the evening, due
principally to the fact that it was cloudy, which
prevented the usual airplane diversion.


                                October 4.
To-day it is raining, but it does not matter very
much, as we do not expect our first supply of
charcoal out at the farm until to-night, so we
could not heat our tea,  chocolate, and  coffee.
However, comparatively little now remains be-
tween us and our work. Our horses and a wagon
have already arrived  and are stabled nearby.
"Juicy" has just gone into a neighboring town
to try and get a thick overcoat, as he came away
without one.
   Yesterday evening we felt the first cold breath
of autumn. While he was away, I  took a walk
with my friend the priest. After lunch "Juicy"
went to a neighboring town to make  definite
arrangements for having his and my share of
the food provided at thepopote  or small dining
club where we eat, and the priest and I went to 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     35
look at some poor, miserable, bombarded houses
near our farm, where our Canteen might distrib-
ute writing-paper, playing-cards, cigarettes,etc.,
to the soldiers just coming from or going to the
trenches.
   Heavy rainfalls to-night and very heavy firing
all along the line.

                                 October 5
Weather all cleared and beautiful, but rather cold
morning.
   This  morning we secured  a  deserted house,
in fairly good condition, where we are going to
set up an "annex" to our work, where we shall
have hot tea, coffee, and chocolate, also playing-
cards and  writing-paper, which we shall give
away to the soldiers. The house is right on the
main  road leading to the front. We are going
to nail up a sign, notifying the passing soldiers
 that it is a French-American place, with crossed
 American  and French flags, and  saying  that
 there  is no charge for anything. Most useful, I
 think. Our daily supplies of hot tea, coffee, and
 chocolate have now begun to go out regularly to
 three different points along another main road, 
36              JOURNAL
and these we replenish twice each day. All this
is in addition to what we shall find it possible
to do ourselves.
  "Juicy" went to Dunkirk after lunch.  He
expected to go to-morrow, but got a good chance
in an automobile this afternoon. He may be back
to-night and he may not. The few errands I have
to do at Dunkirk he can do  for me.


                                October 6
Quiet night. Cold, damp, and cloudy morning.
"Juicy"  did not get back from Dunkirk last
night, so I have run the establishment alone.
Took a walk with the priest this morning before
lunch. "Juicy" not back from  Dunkirk; sent
out supplies for the night. Raining all day. This
afternoon, before "Juicy" got  back, I had a
visit from Mr. Pomeroy (second in command
of the " Canteens at the Front" Department in
the  American Red Cross office at Paris).
  "Juicy" arrived back while he was here and
had bought for me two bicycles, which I hope
we shall find useful. 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     37
                                October J
A great deal of noise during last night from the
big guns, which really kept the windows rattling
most of the night, but I am quite used to it now
and it does n't really bother my sleep.
  To-day began fine, with loads of  mud left
over after yesterday's rain. Just before lunch the
rain began again and continued steadily all the
afternoon, making the mud  deeper than ever.
  There is surely to be an attack by the French
this week, as our dining club, or popote as it is
called, is to be increased by  the chief doctor of
the Division and his adjutant. They are coming
here to  be nearer the seat of action and to look
after the  general question of first aid  to the
wounded.
   Big guns are going by to the front, also sol-
diers in motor-buses. These poor wretches have
no knapsacks with them and are provided with six
days' rations. They are an unhappy looking lot.
  My young friend "Juicy" evidently wrote
home to his mother that I was taking good care
of him (he is only just twenty-four last week),
as I received a very sweet letter from her this
afternoon, which I shall answer to-morrow. 
38              JOURNAL
                                October 8
We have decided to use part of the house, where
we are to have our " annex," as our future dom-
icile, and are moving to-day. The little farm is
fine in warm, dry weather, but in our last few
days of rain and mud, it has become apparent
that it would be very damp and cold in winter,
and I am also afraid that "Juicy"  would get
sick if he were to remain, so we are off. I really
shall miss the little farmhouse, but am sure the
move is wise.
  So far to-day the weather is fine for our mov-
ing day, but changes are sudden  here. We got
right at work with our moving and before lunch
we were over at the new establishment, although
not yet unpacked. It is really very much drier, al-
though the other place would be much better and
more  attractive  in the warm weather. "Juicy"
and I each have an attic room (only two sto-
ries in the house),  and the floors are wood in-
stead of tiles, which is much warmer. When we
get fixed up here, we shall be all right. Down-
stairs  we  shall run an "annex," as originally
planned.
  This afternoon it began to rain hard, and at 
Our Second Domicile at Oostvleteren 
 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      39
about six p.m.  the two Canteen workers who
are to look after the section to the south of us
arrived. The American of this outfit is a young
man named Tyng. No arrangements had been
made for them  for the night, and, as their sta-
tion is about six miles off, we put Tyng up for
the night and  his French fellow-worker slept at
the infirmary. They dined at our place.


                                October 0
Dull and gray this morning, and the French at-
tack is about to begin, we are told. " Juicy" and
I were all loaded with supplies to take nearer the
front, when we were told that the French Red
Cross Supervisors from Paris  (the same ones
that made so much delay for us by not giving us
the necessary papers) were due here this morn-
ing, so it was out of the question for "Juicy"
to be away when they arrived. We  had to give
up our plan, whereby we should have taken up
the ingredients to give twelve hundred men each
a cup of tea or chocolate, and wait for these two
Frenchmen.
   The French attack, it now seems, started this 
40               JOURNAL
morning, and there is quite a feeling of excite-
ment hereabouts. I saw an English ambulance,
which stopped on the road, and inside were three
badly wounded Germans. Two of them were
lying on stretchers,  and  one was  sitting up,
wounded in the head and simply covered with
blood. The French troops just out of the trenches
are covered with mud, as are the horses from the
front.

                                October 10
Dull and threatening this morning. Rode on our
bicycles to two of our posts of distribution this
morning. Now that the French  attack is on, it is
very hard  to get even one man to help us, but
we now have one (instead of three, as we are
supposed to have), and he may be with us only
temporarily. However, after the attack is over,
it will probably be much easier to get help.
   In spite of the lack of men, we have to-day
given hot  chocolate  and tea to  a  great many
passing soldiers, besides distributing at  our reg-
ular posts.  Naturally, with the French attack
on,  more than the usual number of soldiers are
passing our new  "annex" and residence, and, 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      41
as the weather has been cold to-day—and rain-
ing at times—these hot drinks have been very
much appreciated.

                                October II
To-day starts in cold but fine—we shall see what
changes come in the weather during the day.
There is enough wind to dry up the mud quickly,
and, unless more rain comes, conditions should
be much more easy for the poor, miserable men
in the trenches, who yesterday were almost up
to their waists in the mud. In spite of all their
hardships, these soldiers—at this part of  the
front, at  any rate—are  a very cheerful lot.
This day remained sunny and the sun is drying
the mud nicely.  Our distribution of tea, choco-
late,  etc., downstairs has not been as large as
yesterday, as the troops  are  not relieving each
other as much.

                                October 12
Started in raining hard and fairly cold. We now
have two men working for us, but we need three
to keep the hot  drinks going all the time, and
then we shall  have more chance ourselves to do 
42               JOURNAL
useful work outside. However, matters are be-
ginning to shape themselves better after our long
delay with the officials and the lack of men. I am
sure we can do very good  work if we are given
a chance.
   We now have the use of a Ford car jointly
with the other two Canteen workers  who are
now looking after the district to the south of us,
but it has only shown up one evening late.
   I should like to get into Dunkirk to buy a
few things, among them a pillow to go under my
head at night.  I had one when I started, but I
lent it to a fellow-passenger on the " Chicago "
and it was lost.  I have been sleeping so far with
the lining of my trench coat rolled  up as a pil-
low, but  it is not too comfortable, although I
have got almost accustomed to it now.
  The weather has now begun to clear, but I
fear that  enough rain has fallen to make  every-
thing in the trenches muddy again after yester-
day's drying.
  A great  number of soldiers have passed our
"annex" to-day, on their way to the trenches,
where the attack, I understand, is to be resumed
very forcibly to-morrow,  and  that  has kept 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     43
us very busy seeing that they had enough hot
chocolate, tea, etc., and we are making the best
distribution to-day that we  have so far  been
able to.
   Raining hard all the afternoon, but still do-
ing a thriving business.

                                October ij
Day starts in fine, and let's hope it will stay so,
for the soldiers who are to make an attack this
morning.
   Am starting  for Dunkirk in  the motor at
seven a.m. to do a little shopping. As usual the
day gradually clouded, and by the time I arrived
at Dunkirk it had settled down into a steady, all-
day rain. I did my own shopping and some  com-
missions for every one at our dining club, and
got back just in time for dinner. Unfortunately,
our little club of four has been increased by one
in the person of a French Jew priest, who had
taken  an  occasional meal with us before, and
who does  not add at  all. Our  other French
priest at table is fine, and we like him very much.
My new pillow works finely. The priests about
here are all connected with the army, to  look 
44              JOURNAL
after the dying and help the sick and wounded
in any way that they can.

                               October i/j.
Again the weather starts in fine. Just after lunch
five German planes flew over and were fired at
from the ground, but with no hits. They were
evidently taking account of stock and may be
around again later.
  Great many scraps in the air all the afternoon,
and one observation balloon brought down.
  Good weather all day!

                               October 1$
Started in partly cloudy and cold. Very noisy all
night, with many planes about. Each of the ob-
servation balloons  has two parachutes, and the
men in the balloon that was brought down last
evening escaped in these parachutes.
  We are having two painted signs put up out-
side our Canteen, with the American and French
flags crossed on them, which will look well and
serve to advertise the fact that America is on
board.
   I have been superintending a soldier-carpen- 
 
 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     45
ter, who is making the wooden frames for these
signs, and he has been quite interesting to talk
with, although his French is very hard to under-
stand.
   Strange to say, there was no rain to-day!


                               October 16
Still beautiful, cold weather. No kick coming on
the weather the past two days.
   Last night bid fair to be noisy from the planes,
but they gave it up after about one-half hour.
The sky  was crossed in  every direction with
searchlights. I counted fifteen big lights search-
ing around at one time.  It was really very beau-
tiful.
   We are now giving out over one thousand hot
drinks (of course no alcohol) per day, and have
not  yet been  able to do anything  outside our
Canteen by ourselves, as we are getting every-
thing in shape and still lack one man. Fairly good
work, when you think that it would give about
one drink to  each man of the Harvard Regi-
ment. Of course  most of the troops passing
our Canteen are in formation and do not stop, 
46               JOURNAL
and so it is only to those off duty that we can
give.
   One poor soldier came in late this afternoon,
covered with mud and just from the trenches,
with his feet in such condition that he had to be
helped by another soldier.
   My young friend "Juicy" has such a cold
that  I have ordered him to stay in bed to-mor-
row  morning.  All three  of our fellow-diners
(thank goodness the Jew priest has gone) have
very bad colds and are coughing all the time.
I am lucky not to have one yet.


                               October IJ
Another day opens with fine weather. It is really
wicked that the conditions were not like  this
when they had the attack on. Then the weather
was so bad that they were very seriously handi-
capped, after all their preparations were made.
   "Juicy" is obeying orders and is still in bed,
but says he is better.  I hope so. After taking
a little coffee he has just "rendered" it,  but I
think it will be the very best thing for him. I've
been over to ask the Doctor to look in, but I am 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     47
quite confident that everything is all right; still, I
have a little fatherly anxiety about the young man,
way out here in the country, and want every-
thing  to go well with him. The  Doctor came
before lunch and said he would be all right soon,
and that he might get up and take things easily.
   While  waiting  for the Doctor before going
to lunch, I saw a small battle in the air and one
of the German planes was brought down. Very
interesting and satisfactory so long as  it was a
German—one less to drop bombs on  defence-
less places.
   The  proprietress of our house came in to-day
to look  things over, and I only hope she does not
want to come back. I don't know just what our
rights would be in such a case.
    Rather expected letters this afternoon, but no
such luck.
    On my way back from the little shanty where
they deliver the mail, I saw four miserable French
soldiers lying in great pain at the side of the
street. Their feet had been frozen in the trenches
and they had been sent back on foot. They were
very pitiable, covered with  mud, and very likely
will have  to have their feet amputated. They had 
48             JOURNAL
been given a lift in a passing automobile for a
short part of the distance, and then left to be
taken to the hospital by whatever authority  saw
them first. When I got there, a motor had  just
been ordered.
   In the small crowd around them was a soldier,
who, after looking me carefully over, asked me
if I was an American. When I told him that I
was, he seemed much pleased, and said that I was
the first American he had ever seen and that he
always would remember me. Rather amusing, I
thought.

                               October 18
Although it rained during the night, the weather
is fine this morning. I begin  to think that we
had a touch of winter before its time. "Juicy"
says that he has recovered his health, but he still
has rather  a bad cough.
   This morning we bicycled over to see  our
neighboring Canteen  workers to  the south of
us and found them not so well fixed  as we are
and not doing so good a business.  The Ameri-
can, Tyng, does not care much about his French
companion, who he says is very lazy. 
&\

My Friend the Priest, M. Fardet 
 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     49
  Just after lunch, the French priest and I were
throwing stones at a tin can in the field opposite
our dining-place. There was an observation bal-
loon exactly overhead.
  Suddenly we heard a whirr in the air and saw
two German planes coming at a tremendous pace
right for the  balloon. There was immediately
a great to-do—lots of shots from the ground
at the planes, also from the balloon. They kept
right on, and one of them dropped an incendiary
bomb on to the  balloon. At once the two men
in the balloon jumped out, hitched to their para-
chutes, and in a twinkling  their balloon was
in flames. Some pieces of the balloon actually
dropped onto my coat, but they were so burnt
up that they crumpled in my hand. The two men
from the balloon in  their  parachutes  landed
safely, and so near us that we went and heard
their comments. One of them had never  had
to  use a parachute before—the other one only
once. It was a real sight, at close hand, of mod-
ern methods of war, and I was very lucky to be
 on the spot.  The men in the parachutes were
 fired upon by the German planes, as they de-
 scended, but luckily were not hit. 
50               JOURNAL
                               October 10
Day starts in cloudy, but there are possibilities
of clearing. " Juicy " has gone to Dunkirk to do
some shopping.
  After several days' work by the carpenter and
then by the  painter, we finally have one of our
signs up  over the front door, with its crossed
American and French flags, and I have noticed
hundreds of soldiers look at it as they marched
by to-day.
  " Juicy"  got back from Dunkirk in time for
dinner, having finished all his shopping success-
fully.
  Nothing of interest happened to-day.


                               October 20
Very unusually noisy, it seemed to me,  on  the
line between three o'clock and five o'clock this
morning.
  Day starts fine. This morning "Juicy" and
I went in search of an officer who we thought
would like us to send him some of our hot stuff.
It was at the front, and " Juicy"  lost his way,
with the result that we were under shell fire. 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     51
   One shell burst near us and pieces of it came
altogether too near for comfort. We have now
learnt the correct way to  find this  officer, and
this chance will not be taken  again, as it is  en-
tirely unnecessary. In fact, two shells burst near
us, and a third not  too far away.
   When a shell is heard whizzing in  your direc-
tion it is the correct thing to get flat on the ground
and wait for the shell to burst. This we  did at
once, you may be sure. You need not worry, as
I do not mean to take foolish chances.
   At the front you see nobody, as  they are all
concealed most of the time.
   This afternoon we walked about seven miles
to meet an officer who wants us to send his troops
chocolate, and we shall eventually try to do it,
but I am not sure whether our goods will arrive
sufficiently hot.
   I, too, now have a  cold.
   The airplanes have  been about to-night  and
dropped a few bombs, but now seem gone. 
52              JOURNAL
                               October 21
The weather  has  certainly treated us well the
past few days and there is no complaint to make
about it.
   Last night they made  a tremendous racket at
the front, and I almost  think there must have
been an attack.
   A  regiment  stopped  right in front  of our
Canteen this morning and we doled out the hot
stuff in great  shape, although we were not pre-
pared for them and may be delayed for a  few
hours in our work in consequence. It  almost
seemed as if they  halted purposely at  our front
door, as I hope they did; but if they had given
us a little warning, we should have been better
able to give good service.
   They say about  here this  evening that the
French are going to attack to-morrow morning.


                               October 22
Cloudy and showery this morning, the first time
for a good many days. Cleared up at noon, and
the rest  of the day was fine. 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      53
   No letters from home yet! I am beginning to
get angry with the mail system.
   Poor "Juicy" had to go to bed before din-
ner with a bilious headache.
   Am learning chess, taught by my friend the
priest, and play with him when we are both free.
   Rather think from what I hear that the lines
were satisfactorily straightened out  to-day, but
I believe no general attack.
   Some German aviators about to-night, but
nothing much doing up to  now.


                               October 2J
Mean, cold, rainy day.  If they have any idea
of making an attack to-day, they are up against
terribly hard luck, with all the mud there is.
   "Juicy" was feeling  very poorly this morn-
ing, but came to quite  quickly when two offi-
cers of a marine regiment came to us to announce
that a lot of their troops would pass by and be
halted in front of our Canteen for hot drinks.
We immediately got busy and  prepared the
stuff.
   The attack seems to be arranged  for to-mor- 
54              JOURNAL
row, and the streets are now filled with  troops
and guns on their way.
   We find that our water supply (which is abso-
lutely necessary in the making of our drinks)  in
this house came from a cistern and not a well,
and it gave out to-day, but we have made ar-
rangements to have it refilled  at once, and we
ought to be able to keep on with our work with-
out any delay.
   The  proprietress of this house  came again
to-day,  and wanted a room to sleep in, as she
could do her cooking outside. So we have ar-
ranged for her to use a room which  we did not
really need, and I am glad of it, she seemed so
pleased. We rent the house, so probably need not
have let her in, but it is all to the good, I think.
   The  weather seems  to  have cleared for the
time  being, but the rain that  fell will make it
very  nasty for the troops.

                               October 24.
After showers during the night, the day  opened
clear and cold.
   This morning there was a  real mob  in, and
in front of, our Canteen, all eager for a cup of 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER      55
hot chocolate, and we gave out a  great many
cups.
   I have just had my hair cut by a French sol-
dier, whose civilian trade is that of a hair-dresser,
and so far as I know he made a  perfectly good
job of it.
   As  usual the  advance news of an attack is
generally wrong, and apparently the attack was
not planned  for to-day, as we had thought, and
it may not be for a day or two yet.
   To-day we were up against a shortage of coal,
so necessary to make our hot drinks. We should
have received it yesterday, but  the  officer in
charge has been temporarily changed and every-
thing in that line has gone wrong, but I think
we shall make out somehow. We shall receive
our coal to-morrow evening, but will have to
look around for enough for the day, and the
demand for hot  drinks will be considerable to-
morrow.
   To-day we made our record—fifteen hundred
and sixty drinks—and we are naturally anxious
to continue the good work.
   To-night it is raining hard again. 
56              JOURNAL
                               October 25
After a very stormy and windy night the day
starts in fine overhead—but such mud! The
wind fortunately has continued strong and the
mud is drying very fast.
   Our coal should have arrived this evening, in
the same motor with the  mail, but for the first
time since I have been here the mail has not ar-
rived, and it may be that we shall not receive our
coal to-night, much as we need it.
   I have now been so long  without  any news
from home that the coal question seems very
unimportant as compared to the non-arrival of
the mail.
   The coal has just arrived, but no letters from
home.
   Very clear moonlight night, and, consequently,
a great many German aviators out. Firing on
them from all sides.

                               October 26
After that beautiful moonlight night, to-day starts
in rainy.
   " Juicy" went to see a friend in a neighbor-
ing town to arrange about taking  his leave for 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      57
eight or ten days, beginning next week. It will
be a good time for him to be away, if things
go as they are going at present.
   They are attacking on the line to-day, and
I saw  quite a lot of German prisoners being
marched to their internment camp, which is not
far from here. They were mostly very young
and small, and seemed well satisfied to have been
captured.
   Weather cleared up beautifully at night, when
it was too late for the miserable men  fighting in
the trenches.

                               October 2 J
Day starts in bright and sunny. The big cannon
are certainly roaring this morning—louder, it
seems to me, than I have yet heard them. Nobody
could sleep very late even if he wanted to.
   I went with my friend the priest and "Juicy"
to visit a hospital very near here, where wounded
are sent in  from the trenches  for examination
and then sent further off from the line. The head
officer of the hospital was very polite and took
me everywhere and  explained everything.
   There was one ward for wounded German 
58              JOURNAL
prisoners, and among these was a boy not yet
nineteen  years old. They  are treated wonder-
fully kindly.
   Another  prisoner was  a little fat man, all
dressed up cleanly with a French cap, and fairly
grinning for glee as they were just being served
with their luncheon. He was really laughable.
   We practically  have run out of chocolate,
which is the favorite beverage  at our Canteen,
and we had asked  a man1 (who has charge of
the stuff of which our drinks are made and who
lives at a place about one hour away from here)
to bring us a case this morning. This he failed to
do and I must go over to have a fight with him
after lunch. We got a free ride in a motor truck
part of the way over, on our trip for the choco-
late, and when I finally saw our man, I was just
in condition to give him "Hail Columbia" —
and I did.
   This same man  has supervision over a Ford
truck, which very inefficiently tries to serve two
or three different Canteens—including our own.
   My verbal attack on him was successful, and
I also found out two things :
1 Bonnier, who will be mentioned again. 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     59
   First: that he could have delivered the choco-
late if he had been earnest in his work; and,
   Second: that he was taking out  officers who
had no rights in the motor, on joy rides.
   On the whole, he was very much embarrassed
and tried to persuade  me to look upon him as a
real person, which I failed to do.
   After a long wait of four hours we got the
chocolate back to the Canteen.

                               October 28
Day starts in clear and very cold, with hoar frost
on the ground. Rather chilly dressing in my room,
but perfectly all right.
   Our Canteen has been very busy to-day serv-
ing soldiers just out of the trenches. One com-
pany just  opposite, being  served with tea, and
seeing the crossed American and French flags
on our sign, shouted,  "Vive l'Amerique!"
   A  poor, miserable, mud-covered soldier, no-
ticing the  U. S. on my shoulder-straps, to my
great  surprise asked  me whether I came from
Boston. When I answered him that I did, he
said that he also came from Boston, having mar-
ried a girl there. He  had been in  the trenches 
60              JOURNAL
(sometimes up to his shoulders in mud) for five
days. He told me that he used to work as stoker
on the "Bunker Hill," running between Bos-
ton and New York. He said that he wrote to
his wife each week,  and I told him to come in
whenever he passed, and that I hoped we should
soon have writing material at the  Canteen for
him to use. We are still waiting for such com-
modities from Paris.

                              October  20
Slightly cloudy, but tending to  clear. "Juicy"
and I took turns in sitting up all last night, keep-
ing the Canteen open, as we were told before-
hand that there would be quite a lot of troops
passing on their way back from the trenches. We
did a good business and served out a lot of hot
tea, where it was a godsend to the poor men.
   I am off for Dunkirk this morning to do some
shopping, among other  things, to get a  small
stove to warm ourselves at as the weather gets
colder.
  Found Dunkirk considerably injured by the
frequent air-raids—quite a good deal more than
when  I was  last there. The town is bombed by 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      61
airplanes every night when the weather per-
mits. Did all I had to do there and arrived back
here at five p.m.
   We are going to open up our new sitting-
room in the attic with our stove to-morrow.


                               October jo
Day starts in very windy and cold, but not rain-
ing. We expect Mr. Pomeroy (second in com-
mand of the " Canteens at the Front" Depart-
ment in the Red Cross office in Paris)  to come
to spend to-night or to-morrow night with us.
   A  military  funeral of six French  officers
passed our Canteen this morning—with all six of
their horses led behind. I have often, at home,
seen the funeral of one officer with his  horse
led behind, but six  at a time was an unusual
sight.
   My friend the priest told me that he heard
two soldiers making arrangements for meeting,
and one said to the other: " Oh, we will meet
au boissons chauds."  Two others arranged to
meet chez les Americains. Rather good! We are
certainly becoming well known! 
62               JOURNAL
  This afternoon we fitted up our sitting-room
in the  attic with the new stove and a steamer
chair minus one leg, which we quickly restored,
and the whole room now is installed and looks
to me a little like the cabin of a sailing vessel,
and really pleases me a  whole lot.
  Mr. Pomeroy and his chauffeur (a young col-
lege graduate who was in the ambulance ser-
vice) arrived just before dinner and are sleeping
in our  new sitting-room.

                               October JI
Beautiful day and rather warmer. This morning
I have been taking care of Mr.  Pomeroy and
introducing him to some officers that he wanted
to meet. We have been  asked to open a branch
in the  shape  of an Afternoon Club for officers
passing through this village, and we have got a
room almost opposite our Canteen for the pur-
pose. We are trying to open it this  afternoon,
but it won't be too attractive at first.
  "Juicy " is going off to-morrow on his vaca-
tion of eight or ten  days, and he is  all excite-
ment.
  This afternoon there  was a ceremony of giv- 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     63
ing out decorations by General Nollet, in com-
mand of this entire corps. After the ceremony
the General came over to where " Juicy" and
I were standing in  the crowd and very politely
thanked the Americans for what they were doing,
not only in their  Canteen work  and  all their
kindness to the soldiers in this district, but also
for their joining forces with the Allies on the
fighting line. Rather fine, I thought!
   After that ceremony we went to our new Club
for Officers and received the Colonel of the regi-
ment now  passing  through our town, and he
asked us to dinner  for to-night. We had a very
pleasant dinner with the Colonel, who  was very
attractive, as were  his fellow-officers at table.
   They drank to the health of America!


                              November I
The month starts in gray and  cold and cloudy,
just as I like it at home in the autumn.  " Juicy"
left on  his vacation at five o'clock this  morn-
ing with Mr. Pomeroy, but not without coming
into my room to  shake hands and express his
friendship, as a Frenchman does so well. I shall 
64             JOURNAL
miss him a good deal, but he will be back in
nine days, I hope.
   I have to arrange for several details at our
Officers' Club Room, and shall have to show up
there alone this afternoon, which I do not relish
much, although there will be very few there, I
am sure. Went to see  the Major of this Can-
tonment, or district, about a few things to make
the club room more comfortable, and he is at-
tending to this matter now.
   There were lots of officers at the " Club" this
afternoon, and it was really a  success. I  was
asked to lunch with some officers to-morrow and
I shall have to go, although I really much pre-
fer my own little crowd at meals.


                              November 2
Day opens cloudy and warm.
   This morning I have been very busy making
ready (to surprise "Juicy" when he returns)
a room in our house where the soldiers  may
warm themselves, write letters, and read some
illustrated papers which I have ordered sent reg-
ularly from Paris. 
 
 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      65
   It has been some job, as  it is not easy to find
stoves, benches, tables, etc.,  in this town. How-
ever, I have all the most important matters ar-
ranged for and I shall open it up right away.
   It takes the place, for the  soldiers, of our
newly established Officers' Club.
   I have also written  to Paris  for  games  of
checkers and chess for the Club.
   I had a very pleasant luncheon party with the
French officers,  and  as  usual  they were more
than polite and appreciative.
   I went around to the Officers' Club this after-
noon for a while, and found quite a lot of men
there.

                              November j
Day starts in cloudy and quite warm and moist,
but with every sign of clearing.
   Expect to open the reading-room for the sol-
diers this afternoon, but as yet with nothing to
read. I walked over to a neighboring town to
try to buy some illustrated papers, but there were
none. I expect some to-morrow. They will have
writing-paper and ink for this afternoon.
   Went  first to the Officers' Club, where I 
66              JOURNAL
played a little Bridge, and then came back to see
how the poilus were getting  along in their new
reading-room. I found it almost wholly occu-
pied, and just looked in and gave them cigarettes
all round.
   I was quite pleased at the good beginning.


                              November 4
Good weather  again after yesterday's  dull,
foggy weather.
   Last night was one of the noisiest nights from
the big guns that there has been for a long while,
owing, very likely, to the  fog, which  always
seems to increase the racket. It woke me up sev-
eral times from a very sound sleep. A thunder-
storm frequently, at home, fails to  do that!
   Find that the water in the cistern has again
almost given out, so have arranged for eight
soldiers to come to-morrow morning at seven
o'clock to fill it up. This cistern is rather a nui-
sance, as it lasts but a short while. However, we
are lucky to have even that.
   The Officers'  Club continues to be very pop-
ular, and our reading-room downstairs is really 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      67
a great success. I hope "Juicy" will be pleased
with it when  he returns.
   The two men who work at the Canteen may
be called off to go to the trenches, and that would
be a catastrophe.  I shall see what can be done
to keep them with me, as they  are stretcher-
bearers at the front and may be spared.


                              November 5
 Day opens rather cloudy and hazy, but it looks
 like clearing. Thank  goodness, the men have
 been sent to fill the cistern, otherwise we should
 have had to quit work until the water supply
 was replenished. I hope everything will go well
 until " Juicy's" return. The priest now calls him
 "Juicy"  without any sign of a smile.
   We were  just getting nicely to work filling
 our cistern, when the soldiers that were doing
 the work said something  to  the woman  who
 owns the well which made her very angry and
 she took the handle  off her  pump. I  went to
 see her, with a Belgian  policeman, and she said
 that to-morrow we could fill our cistern, so, as
 we already have enough for to-day, I decided 
68              JOURNAL
to wait. I think we have a right to tap her well
all we want to, but I want to make as little
trouble as possible.
  I could go to see the "Major of the Canton-
ment," whom  I know, and he would force her
to allow us to go ahead, but I think it is not
worth while. I will get some more men to work
for us to-morrow.
  At lunch to-day, besides my friend the priest,
there were two other  priests, also very pleasant
men. It made  at table: three priests, my young
doctor friend, and myself. This afternoon I suc-
ceeded in having  eight men again promised to
me  for to-morrow morning early, to fill our
cistern.

                              November 6
Slightly cloudy, very calm, and not cold. My
eight men arrived very promptly at seven o'clock,
and did their work very quickly, with the result
that we now have a full cistern again.
  The day has settled down for rain, I am afraid.
  One regiment that has been here quite a while,
and which was commanded by very pleasant
officers, left our town  to-day and was replaced 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     69
by another which is very inferior both as to offi-
cers and men. Two of the men  got into a fight
just in front of our Canteen this afternoon, and
the whole outfit  has been noisy  all the evening.
   The officers seem to know already about the
Officers' Club, and there were several there this
afternoon. Our Soldiers' Reading-Room down-
stairs was also quite full of men, so our work
seems to be popular.

                              November J
Day starts partly cloudy and cool, but not un-
pleasant. The changing of regiments here  has
made  quite a perceptible difference  in our dis-
tribution of the hot stuff. Rather a light day yes-
terday, but better  to-day, as they get to know
where the Canteen is located. Day has turned
out badly, with rain and hail and  the accom-
panying mud.
   The Officers' Club was well patronized this
afternoon, but the  newly arrived officers are not
up to the standard of those just gone. The Sol-
diers'  Room is, as usual, full.
   My young doctor friend, who takes meals
with us, has been away all day, so my friend 
70              JOURNAL
the priest and I have lunched and dined alone
together. He certainly is a very pleasant and
interesting man.

                              November 8
Partly cloudy and fairly cold. My young doc-
tor friend, who passed the night visiting a hospi-
tal in a neighboring town, came to call upon me
very early this morning, even before I had fin-
ished dressing, bringing with him another older
doctor, whom I had not met before. They were
very polite, and the stranger  seemed much in-
terested in  the Canteen and  thought  we were
really doing very useful work.
   Had a long and very pleasant visit this after-
noon from young Tyng (the American Can-
teen manager in the section next to us to  the
south), who said that he wanted to talk a little
English for a change. This was also most agree-
able to me.

                              November g
To-day the weather is fine to start in with. I
have asked my friend the priest, who  is a very
level-headed fellow, to find out some really good 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      71
objects for charity, as I feel that right here on
the spot there are many poor, wretched fami-
lies who would be grateful for help. The priest
will give the money for me and merely say that
it came from an American. I  am in hopes that
he will be able to decide on some worthy cases
by  November twelfth,  my fiftieth birthday, as
I should like to part with a little gold in a good
cause on that day.
   Enough showers during the day to keep the
mud in good, thick  condition. Cleared during
the afternoon, and during the  evening the Ger-
man planes were about again.
   At about nine o'clock, while my friend the
priest, Dr. Vitou, and  I were playing Bridge,
there was  a very  loud crash from  a bomb
dropped from one of the planes, which appar-
ently fell very near to us. The doctor's telephone
almost immediately afterwards began to ring,
and he was asked to come to attend to some
wounded that had just been hit  by the bomb. He
went there with the priest, and found one man
dying and two men very badly wounded.  The
small shanty that they were living in had been
partly shot away. 
72              JOURNAL
  As I walked home from our popote there was
quite a fight—in the distance—between some
planes, which made a very pretty sight for me,
but not so pleasant for them.

                            November io
Weather cloudy and  showery, and for some
reason our stove will not draw.  Result rather
cold.
   Have not heard a word from "Juicy" for the
past ten days, but rather expect him back in
a day or two now. His leave should be just
about up.
   "Juicy" unexpectedly returned this evening,
bringing me as a present a little gold chain with
my name  attached. The French army are all
numbered in that way, their chains not being of
gold, however.

                             November 11
Starts in rainy, but not  cold.
    Rumor has it that the particular French Army
 Corps with which our Canteen is connected will
not long remain just  in this place, and, if the
 Corps moves, we move with it. We, of course, 
* ■    *


Crater made by Bomb dropped from
   German plane at Oostvleteren 
 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      73
would take all of our  Canteen belongings with
us to  the new place and would have to set up
shop all over again;  but, as I understand it,
among  the same officers and soldiers that we
have had here. In other words, the whole as-
semblage would  move en masse. I hope we may
even have the same two men to work for us at
the Canteen when moved.
   Tremendous  noise  on  the front last  night
again, which is still going on at intervals, but
not incessantly as it was during the night.


                             November 12
 Day  starts fine, clear, and cold on my fiftieth
 birthday. I got up early to start for Dunkirk at
 seven-thirty. I have a list of twenty families and
 individuals to give my birthday presents to, and
 the list  will be increased.
   Had a long but successful trip into Dunkirk.
 Drew out my money and sent a  cable to my
 twin brother Phil. Back at the old stand at six-
 thirty p.m.  Such trips take a long time in this
 part  of the country.
   Our town is  now almost emptied of French 
74              JOURNAL
and filled with Belgians, so the Canteen work is
practically at a standstill, and we are beginning
to pack up for our move.
  I shall take my flask of brandy to our dining
club to-night and drink to the health of Phil with
my kind friends.
  I told my friend the priest that I was half a
century old to-day, and he said  that I was just
at my top notch in this world. I hope I can hold
that notch for a year or two.
  We regular four dined together as usual, and
I proposed the health of Phil, which they drank
with a few kind remarks, and then they drank
to me. So ended my half century mark.
   I hope that I shall have made a good many
poor French families happy.


                            November  ij
Fine  day, cool but not cold.  Last night  or
rather this morning for an hour, just before day-
break, there was more continual cannonading
than I have yet heard. It sounded just like a
whole bunch of cannon crackers set off at one
time,  and kept up, as I say, for a whole  hour. 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER      75
  Trade very  slack to-day with hardly any
French soldiers in sight. We shall probably move
away to some other town toward the end of this
week, and we may hear now about this any
day.
  I have received  no letters from  home since
one dated October 7. I am sure you  are  all
writing, but the mails are certainly miserable.
  Lots of cannonading continues all day on the
front. Very thick fog close to  the ground as
we walked home from dinner, but stars plainly
visible.

                            November I/J.
Some fog left, but it looks as if it would all burn
off soon.
   Perfectly quiet now on  the front.
  The order has come out that all the Division
is to be ready to leave here to-morrow morn-
ing at eight o'clock, but we personally have as
yet received no definite orders.  However,  we
shall pack up the Canteen and our own belong-
ings at once, to be ready.
   We now have definite  orders to leave,  and
we go in a bunch to a neighboring city, where we 
76              JOURNAL
pass the night. The next day we probably leave
there for Zuydschoote, and near there we shall
eventually establish our Canteen. At any rate,
the change will take us  out of this  incessant
mud, but we may not have even as good living
quarters.

                             November  IJ
Beautiful day for our start. Up and dressing by
yellow candle-light.
   We all started off in the middle of the morn-
ing and arrived at our destination for the  night
in time to take lunch.
   Our dining club are all sleeping to-night in a
ward in a nearby hospital, and we start off again
on the second stage of our journey to-morrow
morning  at seven.To-morrow, in time for lunch,
we should arrive at the second stage of our jour-
ney, and  we may remain there for several  days.
The whole matter is arranged by the Army
Corps.
   As per schedule, we  lunched with a  large
dining club and dined at the same place. I found
myself the only English-speaking person at the
meal where we sat down thirteen at table. 
OF A  CANTEEN WORKER      77
  After dinner, by request, I played (on a piano
that sounded more like a very badly tuned harp
than anything else) the" Star-Spangled Banner "
and the " Marseillaise."

                             November 16
After spending the night  in a nice, clean hospi-
tal ward, we woke up early to find another fine
day for our travels.
   I am the only American in the whole outfit,
but by now I know a great many of the officers
of this Corps, so I really  get along all right.
   We arrived at Zuydschoote about noon and
had a picnic lunch.
   I was very lucky in the living quarters that I
was given. I  am in a perfectly good room with
"Juicy" and my young doctor friend, Vitou,
whereas I  might have been stuck in with people
that I did  not know. Luckily there is no mud
in this part of the country, which is a great re-
lief after our other place.
   I am afraid that we may have to loaf about
here  for a week  or so before we are told just
 where to set up our Canteen; however, there is
 nothing to do  about it, but simply wait. 
 78               JOURNAL
   We dined twelve at table last night, which
 seems a large crowd as compared with our past
 dining club of four.
   A whole bunch of letters to-day!


                             November IJ
 Foggy, but not rainy, and rather raw.
   I was not finished dressing when I was sent
 for to  act as interpreter between some of the
 French and English officers in the matter of tak-
 ing over a place where the English officers (who
 are leaving) had been taking their meals.
  The arrangement for housing and feeding our
 French section of more than one thousand men
 was not well made before our  arrival, and  the
 result is considerable confusion.
  No  Canteen work until  we are  instructed
 where  to establish ourselves, so nothing to do
 but pass the time meanwhile.
  Took a long walk on the beach (thank good-
 ness we are on the North Sea for the moment)
 and really enjoyed seeing the  good old ocean
again. The walking is so clean in the sand after
all the  mud we have had. 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     79
                            November 18
Cloudy and cold, but not raining. Every one
has now got established except the men—that
is, the soldiers.
   I imagine that they are very poorly quartered,
and certainly better preparations  should have
been made for them. It would not surprise me
at all if the whole outfit were obliged to move,
at a moment's notice, on that account.
   At lunch something was said which brought
up the subject  of America,  and  I was asked
very many questions about our country. In my
bad French I talked to all the officers about the
U. S. A., very vehemently and at  some length.
 I was much pleased when, after lunch, the  offi-
cers thanked me for the encouragement that I
had been  able to give them.
    Again took a long walk on the beach, as there
 was no work for me to do.


                             November ig
 Cloudy again, but without rain, and not cold.
    Nothing to do but pass  the time, so took a
 long walk before lunch. It now looks as if we 
80               JOURNAL
should have no change or chance for work for
at least several days. I am very sorry, as I want
to get the old Canteen well reestablished before
my "leave," which comes in four weeks. How-
ever, I am perfectly helpless, but am writing to
our Red Cross in Paris reporting the condition of
affairs. I find that I am the  second oldest at our
dining club, which has again assumed the size of
thirteen. My daily bulletins will be very uninter-
esting these days, I fear.

                             November 20
Good day, although slightly cloudy.
   For lack of anything to do, went into Dun-
kirk, which is much easier from here than from
Oostvleteren,  although not much nearer.
   Left my watch to be fixed, as it has stopped
working,  bought two pipes — one each for
"Juicy" and the young Doctor Vitou—bought
a new pocket electric lamp, and back here in
time for  dinner.

                             November 21
Rained hard during the  night; threatening but
not raining this morning. 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     81
  Nothing much to do to-day and absolutely
nothing of interest as yet to write about. Took
a walk on the beach before lunch, with " Juicy,"
who tried to give me an exhibition one-hundred-
yard dash. It was against the  slight wind, but
it took him  sixteen seconds. He says  he  has a
record of twelve and a half seconds, which is not
so bad.
   Nothing  doing in the afternoon; rumor  at
dinner time  that we may all be moved, bag and
baggage, to a less clean town, not twenty min-
utes' walk from here. Such rumors do not ne-
cessarily mean anything, and already many have
started which did not materialize.
   My main interest is as to when we shall be
settled anywhere, so  that we can again establish
our Canteen. There is absolutely nothing that I
can do except await developments.


                             November 22
 Gray day, with no wind  or rain. As  yet noth-
 ing further  as  to our possible change of quar-
 ters.
    Took a good walk on the beach before lunch- 
82              JOURNAL
eon  and received  at luncheon a  letter  from
home,  dated  October fourteenth. It took well
over five weeks to  reach me.
  Hearing nothing from the Frenchman, Mr.
Bonnier (with whom I had  the struggle to get
our chocolate several weeks ago), about our pros-
pects of reestablishing our Canteen, I telephoned
him this p.m., and expect to have a meeting with
the French Medical General, who  controls us,
on Sunday, the twenty-fifth.
  Hard work, this enforced idleness, and I do
not like it at all.

                            November 23
Dull and gray, but not raining. Seems now that
the general quarters will remain here, at least for
the present. That, however, does not concern us
as soon as  we get a place  for our  Canteen, as
then  we quit this particular spot anyway, but I
am glad that we can probably stay put here until
that time.
  The pipes that I gave my two young friends
have not thus far been a great success. "Juicy"
last evening was rendered sick with  his, and my
young  Doctor Vitou has not yet dared to at- 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     83
tack his. He says that he means to to-day, but
I doubt it.
   Took a long walk on the beach before lunch,
and an  airplane came down from very high to
within a few yards of the hard beach, and then,
when really I could have made the aviator hear
me if I  called loud (except for the noise of his
propellers), he began looping  the loop and do-
ing other risky fancies, which high up in the air
would have been all right, but very  dangerous
down as low as he was.
   Received at lunch time letters from  Phyllis
and Whillie, which were as usual most welcome.
They had  taken about five weeks to reach me.
   To-night was  the first moonlight night we
have had  since we  have been here at Zuyd-
schoote, and the airplanes were out for Dunkirk
as usual. One of them, passing over here on its
beastly job, was clearly found by one of the many
searchlights and looked just like a little silver
plane in the midst of the glare. Immediately the
anti-aircraft guns, in every direction, let out at
the plane, but, unfortunately, he managed to get
out of the light in time to save himself. 
84              JOURNAL
                             November 24.
Beautiful, clear, windy day. Not very cold.
   Must  go into  Dunkirk to get my  watch,
which is being repaired, and also have my hair
cut, while we are still idle.
   Did my commissions in Dunkirk and walked
half the way back on the beach, with a tremen-
dously high wind at my back, which drove the
surface sand like spray under my feet and ahead
of me.
   Looked in at a "Movie" show at the  hos-
pital when I arrived back, and in coming out
after the entertainment, felt a slight pat  on my
shoulder, and was asked by one of the wounded
soldiers if our Canteen was still going at the old
stand at  Oostvleteren. He remembered  it, but
naturally I did not remember him. However,
I was pleased.

                             November 25
Still a hurricane  blowing, so hard  that  it is
difficult to walk against it, and the sand flies
about in clouds. Automobile goggles are  very
useful.
   Went to see our  Medical General  with 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     85
"Juicy" this afternoon, and he is to telephone
us in a day or so about our work and where it
will be established.
   Just  received a birthday cable,  which was
sent to the man Bonnier (the  one that I have
mentioned before as no good), and  he had
never delivered it to  me until he saw me at the
General's office this afternoon ! I was very glad
to get it just the same ! Bonnier says he is get-
ting out of his  present position (which is sup-
posed to be one of helping us), and  I think the
sooner he gets out, the better for all concerned.
   Still very windy and we had an  uncomfort-
able half hour's walk to see the General, I  can
tell you!

                             November 26
Wind  much less violent,  still blowing hard,
however, and the coldest day we have had yet.
   Wind almost gone and I took a long walk on
the beach this afternoon. I certainly shall appre-
ciate getting to work again.
   I broke off half of one of my back teeth  last
night eating hard chocolate, just before turning
in. It cramps my style a little bit at meals to-day, 
86              JOURNAL
but it will be all right in a day or two.  Rather
far from Dr. Briggs out here!
   First snow falling  to-night  as we returned
from dinner.


                             November 2 J
Day starts in much warmer, but raining.
   After lunch to-day two of the poilus con-
nected with the Corps gave a little concert at
our popote and one of them recited two French
pieces. It was very nicely done and I enjoyed
it very much. Quite a change after some of the
attempts at music that are made by members of
our "mess."
   We have just heard that " Juicy " and I are
to report to-morrow to a medical officer in re-
gard to the reestablishment of our Canteen, so
we may be  doing  something again soon, thank
goodness!
   Took a  long walk on the  beach this after-
noon, as  there is absolutely nothing else to do
here. 
        OF A  CANTEEN WORKER     87
                             November 28
Day opens dull, but  calm and not cold.  Up
early in order  to see the  officer about starting
our Canteen again. Foot-work again, it seems,
but this time I do not anticipate any long delay.
We got free rides in several automobiles on our
way to see our medical officer, and, during  one
wait, the  King of the Belgians passed  by, and
we exchanged salutes.  He is a very nice looking
young man and rode  his horse very well.
   We spent all day looking for possible places
for our Canteen, as suggested by the  medical
officer, and finally arrived home in time for din-
ner. We shall have to start out again early to-
morrow morning, as  we have to report to him
on our possible location.
   We had a muddy day of it, but made some
progress, I think. We shall  know better after
our second interview to-morrow morning.


                             November 2g
Fine day at this early observation, as we are off
rather on time to-day  to see our medical officer.
  To-day is Thanksgiving Day at home. 
88              JOURNAL
   Walking many miles all the morning and not
back for lunch until three o'clock. Looked over
all the suggested locations and still think one we
saw yesterday is the best. Very hard work to
get started again, but hope that all will turn out
satisfactorily.
   On our way back from  our search, saw a
German airplane  being fired  upon from the
ground.  It was very high up  and apparently
was not damaged, although some of the shots
came  pretty close to it.

                             November jo
Not cold, and slightly cloudy, with no rain.
   Walked to the next town to see the General
who has the last say as to our new installation
of the Canteen, but found him not in his office.
We are to pay him another visit this afternoon,
and I think everything should go all  right. I
hope  so, at any rate, as getting started all over
again — after the trouble we had the first time
— is  rather an undertaking, under the circum-
stances.
   The automobile, which we with several others
are supposed to have at our disposal, has been 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      89
out of commission for nearly three weeks, be-
cause of some easily  remedied trouble. It is in
the hands of the man Bonnier. We should have
had it for our work  during the past few days.
   We saw our General this afternoon, and it
seems now as if almost all the "red tape" had
been cut, but it will still take a few days to get
started. We have decided on  a small summer
resort, Coxyde Bains, as the place in which to
reestablish our Canteen. It is four miles  from
the German first-line trenches.


                              December  I
Cold and wintry.  Nothing possible to do for our
work to-day, as we must have some means of
transporting our  Canteen affairs, also our  own,
to the proposed new place. This should be ar-
ranged for us within a few days.  If the auto-
mobile were in commission, it would be easier;
as it is, we must wait.
   As  I feared, the day has now turned out
badly, with cold  rain. I thought it might snow.
   "Juicy"  went into Dunkirk to-day to do
some shopping, and finds it may not take long to 
90              JOURNAL
get tires for the automobile,which Bonnier might
have found out if he had wanted to and saved
us a lot of trouble. However, the automobile, not
being for us alone, may not be available when
we need it most, so we shall have to rely on an
army motor when we can get one to transport
our Canteen outfit. We have, therefore, decided
to visit the Medical General again to-morrow.
   High wind to-night.

                              December 2
Hurricane  blowing again,  and very cold but
clear. Very much like last Sunday, when we had
to visit the General, and our walk this afternoon
to make the same visit is nothing to look for-
ward to. We found the General in his office, and
everything is now arranged and we hope to sleep
in the new Canteen Tuesday night (day after to-
morrow) . The necessary conveyance for all our
stuff has been provided. On our way back from
the General's, whom  should  we meet  but the
Franco-American team who had the Canteen all
the autumn in the section to the south of us. They
are here to look for  a location for their Can-
teen, which was also moved, but I think it very 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      91
doubtful whether they can find any place. In my
opinion there is not a  possibility of two Can-
teens hereabouts, but they  will have  to find out
for themselves.  They had  an army  motor and
brought all our Canteen stuff with them, which
we had been obliged to leave behind for lack of
conveyance. Very convenient for us  just at this
time.

                               December j
Heavy wind still, but clear. Up early to go to
Dunkirk. Did several commissions in Dunkirk
and tried to find some supplies, which have  been
sent to us by the American Red Cross in Paris,
but as far as  I  can make out they have not yet
arrived. I was fairly busy in that city until late
afternoon, and  took the train back  in time for
dinner. "Juicy" came  back late from a visit to
Dunkirk, and says that we  may be obliged to put
off our move for  a day on account of the  non-
arrival of some  expected supplies. My friend the
priest, in view of our move (I hope he may join
us later), presented me with a book and a signed
photograph of himself. I was really very much
pleased. 
92              JOURNAL
                             December 4
Fine cold day, but the wind, thank goodness,
has left us in peace. The lining of my overcoat
became unsewed at a small spot at the lower part
and I have just tried to stitch it myself, but with
absolutely no success. The needle broke at the
very start off, so I have fixed it up temporarily
with a safety pin. Women are needed here. I can
have it neatly fixed when I go  on my "leave"
to Paris. Took a long walk (eight to nine miles)
this afternoon, and now all our arrangements are
made to move to-morrow early for our new es-
tablishment, which is about ten miles away.


                             December 5
Very cold, but clear and no wind. Splendid bright
night for airplanes, which made a good  deal of
noise between here and Dunkirk. Only the sec-
ond good night for them since we arrived here,
three  weeks ago, the other nights all being too
windy or too dark. Up before daylight to finish
packing for our move. Taken over in a  private
motor-car! to our new establishment at Coxyde
Bains, while our goods and chattels were moved 
£
^
£

 
 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      93
over in an army truck and arrived before lunch
time. We think that we can establish ourselves
very well here and  each have a room to  sleep
in. There is a large  room on the ground floor,
where we can set up our reading and writing
room for the soldiers. It seems to me at present
as if we were better off for our own comfort
than we have been  at  either of the other two
homes, and certainly we can set up the Canteen
equally well. In a day or so we shall be distribut-
ing our wares again, and I hope that, when the
place becomes known, we may swing into the old
trade once more. The floors in the attic are a little
soft and" Juicy" promptly put his foot through
one, but  this construction does not run through
the entire house. There was only one pane of
glass missing in my sleeping-room and I  have
already fixed that.  Our "mess"  is absolutely
strange  to us at present, but the cooking is fine.
There are two chaplains and  two officers with
us there now, but four other officers are now
off on "leave" and will return soon. We shall
eventually have the  same two men to help us in
our Canteen that we had before, we hope. One
of them  is expected to-night. On the  whole  we 
94               JOURNAL
are very well off, I consider, and now only trust
we are in a  place to do good work.


                              December 6
Very cold with ice frozen in the streets. " Juicy"
had  to sleep in a "vacant" house next  door,
where he found a bedstead  in which he  could
make up his sleeping-bag. He has not a good
compact folding-bed like mine. It was some cold
dressing this morning, as there is as yet not a stick
of fire burning in the whole house. One of our
faithful men, who was  with  us at the old Can-
teen, is with us now and the other is at present
on " leave," but will join us when he gets back.
   We have turned one of the bedrooms in our
house into a "bureau,"  and are now having our
little old stove set up in it.  It will serve as a
dressing-room as well,  where one will be able
to shave, etc. Our "mess" food is really won-
derful considering that  the cook has not a great
chance to make a selection. It beats the others,
in that respect, all to pieces. This afternoon we
went to the nearest town (La Panne) and bought
some dark cloth to put across the windows at 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER      95
night to keep the lights inside from showing.
The French  authorities require  that near the
front. We walked back over the beach, which is
a continuation of the beach which we had dur-
ing our enforced wait at Zuydschoote. Both Cox-
yde Bains and Zuydschoote are summer water-
ing resorts. By night-time we had a large stove
installed in the room that is to be used as a read-
ing-room by the soldiers downstairs and  a little
one in the "bureau," and our cooking place  in
the basement  (where the chocolate, tea, etc., are
prepared) was well under way. "Juicy" found
some nice linen bags to put inside the blankets
of one's sleeping-bag, and last night, for the first
time since I have been out at this Canteen work,
I slept with something between me and my woolen
blankets. Pretty comfortable, I think.


                               December  J
Dull  and cloudy to-day with a  little rain, but
much warmer. Loud firing out at sea, which I
think is gun practice.  The little stove  in the
"bureau" smokes like fury at present, but it can
probably be fixed. The " bureau " makes a good 
96               JOURNAL
room to shave in during the winter months. If
we don't look out, we shall be mighty comfort-
able  here. We have to go into Dunkirk to try
and get the little motor which is meant for our
use,  but  which has been practically seized by
that man Bonnier. We hear that he is passing a
few days in Paris, and is due back at Dunkirk
to-morrow morning at 9.30, and has ordered
the car to meet him at the station there. We
shall try to be there at the same time and see
what can be done to get the motor for ourselves
(it was originally meant for the joint  use  of
three or four, but we think all the others except
ourselves have left these parts). The man Bon-
nier is not to be trusted, as I have said before.
We  feared that we might have to take chance
" lifts" to get into Dunkirk, but luckily we
have found a friend with a car who promises a
ride  from here right into the city, which will
save lots of time. While we were at dinner we
were informed by telephone that our friend's car
has broken down, which means getting up very
early and catching  a special  train for permis-
sionnaires (those about to have "leave"), which
should make a  close connection at a neighbor- 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER      97
ing town with the regular  train for Dunkirk.
All this to meet Bonnier in  order to get our
automobile as soon as possible.


                              December 8
Up long before daylight; even breakfast at our
mess before it is light. Luckily it is a good day,
not cold and  no wind. Have a three-mile walk
on the road, railroad track, and ploughed fields,
where we  certainly  find some mud and just
catch the permissionnaires'  train as  it is start-
ing. This train misses our connection with  the
regular Dunkirk train by ten minutes, so  we
looked for a " lift" in any passing car. We soon
found one  and arrived at  Dunkirk just after
Bonnier's train from Paris should arrive.  But
here our good luck began. Our automobile, with
Bonnier in it, passed us on his way from  the
station and we stopped him. He said  that he
was very busy with the car  all day, but  that
we might have it all day Monday (day after
to-morrow). That seemed to be all there was to
it, so we went to see, at the station, what there
was for us to take to our Canteen (sent from 
98               JOURNAL
Paris).  Quite a lot we  found and then did
some necessary shopping.  Unluckily for Bon-
nier, he turned up with two friends at the same
hotel that we did  for lunch, which showed us
that his "busy" day was another fake. After
lunch I, for the  second time in the past three
months, was obliged to lose my temper (it was
with him before), and  the result was that we
came back in our automobile to our Canteen and
left him at  Dunkirk, to be picked up when we
were through with it. We find everything pro-
gressing well and our cooking oven for our hot
water finished, so to-morrow we should be able
to begin to  serve hot drinks. It will take several
days for the news to spread among the soldiers
hereabouts  that we are opened for business, so
our distributions will be probably small in the
beginning,  as it was when we  opened the first
time.

                              December g
Rainy, but not cold or windy. Gave out the first
hot drinks this morning, and mean to open the
Reading-Room for the soldiers this afternoon.
Some slight block in the water pipe at the pump 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     99
downstairs, which does not interfere  with the
making of our drinks, but which ought to be
fixed. One of the members of our " mess " who
was away on " leave" has returned to-day, and
we are therefore seven at meals.  Another great
big haul of letters! How welcome, but  how I
should like it if they could only come regularly in
order, when they are due. Still it cannot be helped
in these times. We have made a good start in our
Reading-Room downstairs to-day, with fifteen
or twenty soldiers using it. I did not expect so
many at the start and it is therefore all the more
encouraging.

                             December 10
 Fine clear, cold day.  " Juicy" has  gone in the
 motor (which we have for to-day!)  to Dunkirk
 to get a lot of stuff that is waiting for us at the
 station there, but, as the car is small, I thought
 my room was better than my company,  and so
 I did not go with him.  We shall have to make
 a second trip this afternoon, and  I shall go with
 him then, as I want to see my friend the priest,
 who is at present living in that direction. We
 find that our cooking oven downstairs is  leaking 
100             JOURNAL
a little this morning, and it will have to be fixed.
Nothing very difficult, I think. There  is some
noise on the front both last night and this morn-
ing, but nothing much. A little excitement just
now. An observation balloon was  approached
(right  near this place) by a German plane. A
great many shots were fired  at the plane, which
made away, and the balloon was ordered (by
the telephone arrangement)  to be hauled down,
as they always try to do under those circum-
stances. All over now and the balloon is up again.
The best of the two men that we had at our
former Canteen arrived here from his " leave "
at lunch time, and we accordingly  allowed the
other man (whom we had  also had before) to
go immediately on his " leave." We went into
Dunkirk to bring back all that remained  there
consigned to the Canteen, and upon our return
our best man told us that, although he had been
with us but three hours, he had been ordered to
another job. It was most unfortunate,  as it left
us with only one make-believe man. We opened
the Reading-Room just the same,  at the  usual
hour, although nothing was  prepared.  We hope
our make-believe man can light the fire to make 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    101
our chocolate, etc., early in the morning, but we
are so uncertain about it that we shall be on hand
to help. Later to-morrow we are to be sent an-
other man,  and let's hope he will be of some
use. Perhaps in two weeks we may get our two
old stand-bys back again. I hope so, as it makes
a great difference in our usefulness, as it leaves us
time to do something better than  hired man's
work.

                             December 11
Dull and cold, but not raining. Up very early to
help our man downstairs to make the hot stuff
for the early distribution, which was successfully
accomplished, and as the day keeps cold, the hot
drinks are very popular. At the same time, it is
evident that we need two good men at least to
help in this  work, if we are to get the best re-
sults. It is not in the least  difficult to  make up
the hot drinks, but it takes a lot of time, which we
ourselves could use more profitably. Lots of cus-
tomers for our drinks all day, but no man as
yet to replace the good one they took from us
yesterday. Took  a walk on the beach this after-
noon, but had to return fairly early to help get 
102            JOURNAL
ready for the poilus who come at five o'clock to
read and write. In spite of all the hired man's
work that we had to do ourselves to-day, we have
had good success. There were almost fifty sol-
diers in the Reading-Room this afternoon, and
they regaled themselves with a phonograph that
the American Red Cross sent from Paris. It was
a most successful afternoon. A second man has
been sent to us this evening, so perhaps to-mor-
row we can have our time to look about for new
work. Very heavy firing on the front to-night.


                             December 12
Clear and cold. Up very early to catch an Eng-
lish ambulance motor to visit the chief medical
officer of a neighboring town (Nieuport Bains),
with a view to sending our hot stuff from here
right into the  front line. This motor  took us
within eight hundred yards of the Germans, and
there we found our officer in an underground re-
ceiving hospital. We made arrangements, which
seemed to please him, to send our stuff to him for
distribution each day. This in addition to what
we do  here at our Canteen. Most satisfactory 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     103
to us also, as it materially and very usefully in-
creases our output each day. Now that we have
things so well arranged, let us hope we are al-
lowed to remain  here and  not make another
move. This evening our Reading-Room (better
called a Club Room now) was really entirely full,
and I handed around sixty  cigarettes and may
have missed some men at that. I try to show
myself each evening  in this  way, and I find it
quite embarrassing,  I don't  know why, as the
soldiers are always most polite. Before the men
came this evening "Juicy"  and I made  a fes-
toon of American and French flags on the wall.
He bought them for me when he was on " leave "
in Paris. "Juicy," at my suggestion, has taken
a sleeping-room in another  house, where he is
much more comfortable.  I did not like his sleep-
ing-room in this house, and he is  now with sev-
eral of our messmates. They reserved a very nice
room  there for me, but my little room here is
perfectly good and  I can get away  from the
crowd when I want  to; also one of us should,
if possible, live in the Canteen to be handy  in
case the men want advice. 
104              JOURNAL
                             December ij
A little cloudy and foggy, but not cold. "Juicy"
has been saying that, according to  French eti-
quette, we should visit the General command-
ing the Military (medical) Division to which we
are now attached. Accordingly, we started off
this morning on foot for a  town not very far
off, where we understood the  General  had his
headquarters. In an hour and  a half, with the
aid of "lifts" from passing automobiles, we ar-
rived at his office, only to find  that he had yes-
terday left there to establish himself in a new
location, right in our town and not ten minutes'
walk from our  Canteen, so we made our way
back to  the old  stand. This afternoon we visited
his new office here, and found that he had to-day
gone on "leave," but we saw the officer  who
is temporarily replacing him, and the formality
passed off very pleasantly and politely. To-day we
began sending our hot stuff up to the front line,
as arranged for yesterday, and to-morrow we
expect to go up with the stuff and  have a  look
around for  still another place to  send to. As
last night, we had over sixty men in the soldiers'
Reading- Room. 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER    105
                             December 14
Cloudy, but not cold. Asked one of our men
to call me at six, as we were going up into the
lines on our Canteen business. He called me at
five o'clock. We went up to the lines with our
hot stuff and were met, by arrangement, by the
chief medical officer, who had agreed to pilot us.
Right at the start  off, we were about to cross
an open space, when we found that the Germans
were firing right across there, so we went into
a long underground passage, which avoided that
spot, and soon came out into the second trench,
not five hundred yards from the Germans. The
first trench naturally was in front of us, and what
they call a reserve trench was back of us. Shells
were whizzing overhead all the  time, and we
had to walk in the trench bending over so as
to keep out of sight. This we kept up for perhaps
a quarter of an hour and then came out of the
trench back of a hill. In an underground shel-
ter we here met one of the officers commanding
the first lot of men among whom our hot stuff
had been distributed, and he was very polite and
grateful. Near there we met, in another under-
ground room, an officer commanding a battalion 
106              JOURNAL
who also had received of our stuff. He too was
most polite, and we sat with him half an hour,
with very loud  cannonading going on  all  the
time. From there we left on foot for home, some
walk of about eight miles, with  directions from
our medical officer guide (who left us here) as to
avoiding certain places which were being shelled.
All this was done in the course of our business,
and I do not propose to take any useless chances
just for the excitement. The soldiers hereabouts,
I hear, take me  for an American Colonel, and
have spread the  report among  themselves that
I am the first of an American  force that is to
take over this section. Rather amusing. There
is  a  piano in the house where  "Juicy" lives,
which for some reason is not  at all bad, and
he asked me in to play to  him this evening. He
is very much taken with "Fair  Harvard," and
liked me to play it over several times.


                              December 15
Heavy gale, cold and clear. The motor truck
which was promised us to call each day for our
hot stuff, for the lines,  failed to  come to-day, 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     107
although its regular route takes it from here to
the very place where we deliver our goods. Most
annoying and entirely unnecessary error on the
part of the truck, and must be looked into. This
afternoon " Juicy" and I attended a theatrical
entertainment given entirely by French poilus
in a portable  house or barrack in one of the
camps at the edge of this town. It was  very
well done, as naturally, among all the soldiers,
there are singers, violinists, etc. The orchestra
was all right, the scenery well painted, the va-
riety  part good, and the one act play excellent.
It was all a little bit sad to me, however, to think
how near some of these men were to death and
still trying to amuse themselves in such a nice
way. The whole thing was only a very short way
behind the lines. You could easily hear the guns
during the entertainment. There was one poilu
who took a woman's part, and he was really ex-
cellent. After the show we went to see to it that,
whenever it was possible for the motor-car to get
through, our hot drinks should be taken up to
the lines, and not left behind as they were this
morning. 
108             JOURNAL
                            December 16
Cloudy, but the wind has gone.
   Our automobile should have come here yes-
terday, now to be for our own use, as that man
Bonnier said he was quitting his job yesterday,
but there are no signs of it here as yet.
   I take the morning train from Dunkirk to-
morrow for Paris, on my eight days' "leave,"
and if the motor is not here by lunch time, I shall
beg my way into Dunkirk  and spend the night
there, as it would mean too much of a job if I
started from here in the small hours to-morrow
morning with my bag to delay me.
   I have now finished three months of my ser-
vice, and what with my "leave," and getting to
Paris and back, there remain only a little over
ten weeks more of this service.
   It has been, I  think, most useful work, and,
except for our enforced delay in the beginning
and then our enforced change in the middle of
this first period, " Juicy " and I have done good,
hard work.
   The automobile did not arrive, so " Juicy "
started off with me in  a two-wheeled,  horse-
driven wagon for the first part of my journey. 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     109
We  had trouble in getting a  passing car into
Dunkirk, so " Juicy " (who is excellent in beg-
ging rides) decided to come into Dunkirk with
me, pass the night here, look  after a shipment
to our Canteen, which may be here, and return
to-morrow to the Canteen. We finally just at
dusk were lucky enough to get a lift and reached
Dunkirk in time for dinner.
   My train for Paris leaves to-morrow  morn-
ing at ten o'clock.

                             December iy
Clear and cold. So quiet in Dunkirk last night
that  you could have heard a  bomb drop, but
luckily none  dropped, as  there was too much
wind all night for  the German aviators.
   A  little Canteen business here in Dunkirk
with " Juicy" before my train starts for Paris
at ten a.m.
   Met my good friend the priest at the station,
who  knew that I was going on that train (he,
too, was going on " leave"), and found that he
had kept a seat for me in his carriage. I was very
glad  to see him, and during  the  trip he sub-
mitted a  further list  of  French unfortunates 
110             JOURNAL
which will just use up my birthday fund, mak-
ing over one hundred families that I have really
been able to help.
   As we travelled toward Paris we found that
fully two inches of snow had fallen, which made
things look very much like Christmas. When I
arrived at the Hotel Crillon I asked for an out-
side room, and they said that they only had a
very small room left facing outside. When they
showed it to me, it looked like a palace com-
pared to what I have been used to during the
past three months, and I took it at once.
   How comfortable I shall be during the next
eight days!
   And now I have taken a really hot bath, the
first in three months !

                             December 18
Snowy  and very wintry.  Went very  early to
the American Red Cross and got such a fine big
package of letters! Saw a lot of my "pals" at
that office who were more than cordial, and I
am booked up for many meals  already  during
my " leave" here.
   I lunched with  Frank Blake and then came 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     111
back to the Red Cross, where I met Guy Lowell
and Doctor Collins, on their way to-night  to
Rome.
   Find that  I am expected to  take another
"leave" before I get through  this service, which
makes  my  second  period of work look very
easy. I can take it whenever " Juicy" and I find
it mutually convenient, which I think  will be
about the first of February. That will split my
second period of work in halves. "Juicy" is  to
have an extra "leave" immediately upon my
return.
   I understand that Charlie Curtis (Senior) and
Richmond  Fearing are both in Paris, and shall
look them up.
   Dined with Billy Patten,  at his  apartment,
with Rufus Thomas and Gerry Chadwick.


                             December ig
Fine day, rather cool. Wentupto the office where
Richmond  Fearing is working, but did not find
him there.  Shall try it again.
   Find that  Charlie Curtis lives in this hotel,
on the same floor that I do and only a few doors 
112             JOURNAL
away. Called at his room, but he was also out.
   Lunched with the Paris chiefs of my Canteen
Department. After lunch walked up to the In-
valides and looked at a rather uninteresting ex-
hibition of war relics.
   Just before dinner Richmond Fearing and his
son called on me and they waited until George
Rice turned up by arrangement, and we all dined
together.

                            December 20
Cloudy and cold. Met Alfred Dabney in the
street. He looks very well and expects soon  to
go to England and study to be in  the ground
department in  an Aviation camp.
   Lunched with George Rice and a Mr. Brown
of New York.  After lunch went to a very good
"Movie."
   It really seems  still unnatural to be able to
do whatever I want, but not unpleasant.
   Late this afternoon I found Charlie Curtis in
his room, at the same hotel that I  am in, and
arranged to dine together to-morrow night.
   Dined with Phil Lydig and a friend of his,
whose name I did not catch, and to bed early, as 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     113

my engagements here in Paris are very frequent,
during my short stay.

                               December 21

Cloudy and cold. Went to the Olympia (variety
show) in the afternoon, and found it a very poor
show. Dined with Charles Curtis, and went to a
fair show afterwards. Saw, at dinner, the Mor-
ton Henrys and Edgar Scott, who issued invita-
tions to me, which I shall be able to accept, for
dinner and lunch. Received the following letter
in English from " Juicy" reporting all well at the
Canteen:
                               Secteur Postal 129,
                                  19-12-17
Dear Mr. Sears:
   Excuse the English of this letter, but it is a try,
and I will not use any grammar or dictionary to help it.
   When I came back  the day of your departure, I
found the camionette waiting us at home, so I took
care of it, and now everything is all right, about es-
sence, tyres and so. We keep it (the camionette) at
Coxyde too.
   Our job has not been interrupted by the change of
regiments and our sending has continue (four per day).
Am just coming back now, from the trenches, to see
our new correspondant at Nieuport and Beacon.
   Every one is very glad of this service, but asked
me some cigarettes. 
114
JOURNAL
  We have a wonderful work to do here but it is too
long to  explain in a letter. (It is an "Annexe" in
Nieuport Bains.) What want to  be seen but I thing
the purpose easily realizable.
  By the order of the Colonel of the troops now in
lines the drinks will be take to the first line, every
night at twelve or about, by two stretcher-bearers,
the distribution will be made by this men, et they
will take the Norv6giennes back  immediately  to the
Chief Medical Officiers. I hope therefore be very quiet
about the sort of our material. I could bring back here
from  Zuydcoot one box of Cocoa more.
  We have plainty enough to wait  my return, and I
will look, passing Paris, at the sort of the three boxes,
send several days ago, and about what, I d'nt get any
news.
  Our distribution are  going still all right, and I will
send at the end of the week a nice score to Mr. Fithian.
  Please present him and Mr. Pomeroy my very kind
regards, et believe me,
           Very respectfully yours,
                        Jaud de la Jousseliniere.
Excuse writing too, but my fingers are very cold.
                                December 22
Clear and cold. Did some  necessary shopping
this morning, and, among other things, I bought
a Christmas present for "Juicy" — a scarf pin
of little rubies in the shape of a red cross, which 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER    115
I think he will  like. This afternoon went  to
another good "Movie" show. I am becoming
a regular city man again.
  Dined at a "poker" dinner at Billy Patten's
to-night. Had a very good time and won all the
money. Present: George Rice, Richmond Fear-
ing, Gerry Chadwick, Dan Sargent, Billy Pat-
ten, and two  strangers.

                            December 23
Clear and cold. Very welcome letters received.
  Lunched with Charles Curtis and went with
him to a very poor play at the Theatre Michel.
Dined with Edgar Scott.

                            December 24
Overcast and cold. Boulevards very  crowded
with Christmas shoppers. Received a Christmas
card from my friend the priest.
  Dined with Billy Patten and Gerry  Chad-
wick at their  apartment. Also there  Jim Per-
kins, Phil Carroll,  and  a man called Fosburg.
A very pleasant party. Later we went to several
churches, thinking that there might be Christmas
Eve singing, but  found  none. 
116             JOURNAL
                            December 25
Rainy Christmas Day. Cleared off about eleven
o'clock into a beautiful spring-like day. Lunched
with the Morton Henrys.
   The boulevards in the afternoon were very
crowded with men, women, and children, and
Allies in their various uniforms.
   Dined with Walter  Abbott, his wife and
mother-in-law and a young lady, Edgar Scott,
Billy Patten, Gerry Chadwick, Frank  Blake,
Tom Plummer, and his nephew. Quite a Christ-
mas  dinner with plum pudding and all. Snow-
ing hard on way home.


                            December  26
Clearing off and not very cold. I leave to-night
at seven-twenty for Dunkirk after a very pleas-
ant "leave " in Paris. Said good-by to some of
my friends at the American Red Cross; dined at
five-thirty and took  the evening train for Dun-
kirk. Very cold to-night and the compartment,
in which I sat, was  all filled up, so none of us
slept very comfortably. 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     117
                             December 2 J
Very cold and snowing. Changed cars early at
Calais and arrived at Dunkirk shortly after nine.
Expected to find " Juicy"  at the station in the
little Ford car, which we have to ourselves now,
but the conditions of the road had delayed him.
   I  had heard a French Captain in our rail-
way carriage say that he lived in the next village
to us and was expecting an  automobile to meet
him, so seeing that his car  had not arrived for
him either, I approached him and asked him to
join me in ours when it came. We arranged that
we should both use the car that first appeared,
and as his came, we both started off in it. We
passed " Juicy " in ours on his way to meet me,
so I transferred and we arrived  in time for lunch
at our popote,where every one  greeted me very
politely.
   It seems that our little automobile was in very
bad  shape when it came to us from that man
Bonnier, and the front springs  broke two days
after "Juicy" got possession; so it will have to
go out of commission at once to  be repaired, and
goodness knows how long it will be left with us.
   New Year's Day is much  observed by the 
118             JOURNAL
French, so  " Juicy"  has  been  given a second
" leave" and left this afternoon  for the home of
his grandfather in Champagne, which will take
him two days to reach, and this means that he
probably will be gone until January tenth or
eleventh.
   On our way from Dunkirk we met out walk-
ing my young doctor friend Vitou, who now is
living at Zuydschoote, and I asked him, and a
French friend of his,  who  was with him, to
lunch here with me on  Saturday.
   It seems funny to hear the guns again, after
my stay in  Paris. At the station this morning
at Dunkirk  a young poilu—whom I  did not
really recognize at first but pretended to —came
up to me and asked me whether I had enjoyed
my "leave," and then said he and I had talked
about America two or three weeks ago inside a
motor  truck. I then remembered him and told
him to look me up if he was passing the Canteen
some day. He does not belong in our town.
   The usual crowd  downstairs this evening,
and as the poilu who plays the phonograph to
them was away, I had to officiate at the machine. 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    119
                             December 28
Very cold, but clear.  All arrangements have
been made to have the little Ford car repaired,
and  it goes away for  that  purpose  to-day.  I
have offered the little French poilu, who is the
chauffeur, a bonus of five francs if he can get  it
back in a week by personal supervision of the
repairing. It probably will not be finished in  a
much longer time, but I knew that was my best
chance.
   We have only a two days' supply of coal on
hand to boil our hot water for our hot stuff, and
I must look into  that question at once. Saw the
proper officer (Officier Gestionnaire) about the
coal and it is supplied now; also the hinges on
the frontdoor were broken off, making that door
inefficient, and this also he has had  repaired for
me. He came and paid me a visit this afternoon,
and I think is very ready to do his best.
   It has begun again  to blow hard, and  my
afternoon walk was  accordingly half bad and
half good, as I walked the first half of it against
the wind.
   Our distributions to-day have been wonder-
fully good and, of course, that is satisfactory to 
120             JOURNAL
me when "Juicy" is not with me. In the even-
ing, the Corporal, who until lately had been work-
ing the phonograph for us, turned up again and
was good enough to undertake the job.
   Very cold evening, and the high wind has un-
fastened some of the cloth coverings to the broken
window-panes in the entry, which lets in the cold
air. Will try to have it arranged again as soon
as possible.
   I heard at dinner to-night that a Colonel was
moving into the house where " Juicy" has his
bedroom, so he will have to move back here.


                            December 2g
Very cold, but clear and no wind left.  Am ex-
pecting my young doctor friend Vitou and the
French  co-worker of Tyng's Canteen  (they
worked to the south of us all autumn and this
Frenchman is awaiting orders near here) to lunch
with me at our " mess" hereto-day. My friends
arrived just before lunch, and I enjoyed having
them very much.
   It now  seems that all the members of the
popote that I am with leave in a day or two, so 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     121
I shall have to make the acquaintance of a new
gang, and with "Juicy" not here to introduce
me — as he is sure to know some of the new
men — slightly embarrassing, but it can't  be
helped.

                             December jo
Much warmer, no wind, and heavy fog off  the
sea. Quite noisy on the front late yesterday after-
noon  and during the night. Weather to-day  not
conducive to much fighting. Very large distri-
bution of hot stuff and the room downstairs  lit-
erally packed when I went  down to distribute
cigarettes this evening, so thick a crowd that I
had to ask some one to pass  them around in one
corner. Phonograph going full tilt, operated by
a new man, who  I am afraid will not be here
as a steady operator. During " Juicy's" absence
many problems seem to come up for me to solve.
In the first place the officers at each end of the
front, where we  are supplying hot drinks,  are
to be changed in three days, and I naturally do
not know the new replacing officers. Then there
is to  be a new  system of getting coal, which
system has been  written to me in complicated 
122             JOURNAL
technical French. However, I hope to find a way
out of these troubles, but I  wish just  the same
that I had " Juicy's" assistance.


                             December JI
Fair, cool day, with occasional sun. The chauf-
feur came back to-day and reports that the little
automobile has been taken somewhere near Paris
to be repaired, and now goodness knows whether
we shall ever  see it again. Too bad, just as we
had got our hands on it at last. It seems that we
are to have a special dinner to-night in honor of
New Year's Eve, and I  have just left a  box of
my best cigars at our popote to be used  on the
occasion. The usual crowd downstairs to-night,
and, after I had passed the cigarettes around,
I wished them all a Happy New Year, to which
they all  said, at one time, " Merci! " and one
said, " We look to America." Heavy guns firing
at the  front late to-night. It seems so terrible to
bring in  the New Year in that way, but of course
it must be. Our New Year's dinner was not much
different from usual,  but they seemed to enjoy
my cigars, for which I was  pleased. 
OF A  CANTEEN WORKER    123
                    1918
                               ^January I
    CLEAR and very cold. Just before lunch
     I was in our "bureau," when they began
firing on a German airplane just overhead. The
shells  bursting way  up in the  air (powerful
enough to rattle the windows of the "bureau")
failed to get the aviator, I fear; he was so high in
the air, and among clouds, that I could not even
see him. It seems that they had their special New
Year's meal at lunch time to-day, which was very
nice, with plum pudding and a little champagne
(nearly champagne) which is furnished through-
out the French army to-day. I accordingly had
the honor  of drinking a  toast  to the  French
army, which was enthusiastically responded to
by a  toast to the American army. The new
popote comes to-morrow, and their table perqui-
sites were used by us this evening. One tin plate
and tin mug for the entire meal, to which in itself
I do not object, provided their food is not equally
inferior to the very good food of our departing
popote. However,  I  should not be surprised if
there were a change back again in a few  weeks. 
124             JOURNAL
                               "January 2
Partly cloudy and warmer. Our new popote has
lunch at 11.30 and dinner at 6.30, instead of
at 12 and 7 p.m., as is usual. I like the dinner
hour  rather better in these short days. There
are eight of us at  the new popote, and of this
number three are priests. (When I say priests I
really mean army chaplains, usually Catholic, of
course.) My popote is always made up of doctors
and chaplains, as the medical department of the
French army is the one I am connected with.
The meal was not so well served as at the last
popote, but the food was all right, which is the main
thing. They were all very polite to me and made
it as easy as possible for a stranger, still I wish
"Juicy" did not by chance happen  to be on
"leave" during all these changes. One thing that
might easily be improved in the service of this
popote would be to have regular glasses to drink
out of, rather than tin mugs, which does not seem
to me a very clean or healthy method.  To-night
down in the  soldiers' meeting room there are a
new set of poilus, and before the phonograph
concert one of them sang very well and, as an
encore, gave a recitation. There was to-night the 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     125
largest crowd of men that we have yet had—
nearly a case of "standing room only."


                               January J
Light snow  during the night, clearing in  the
morning and colder. No letters for the past ten
days, but the cables which I received last week
make waiting for the mail much easier. We had
just finished  lunch to-day and were having our
coffee, when there was cause for  considerable
excitement. The Germans decided to bombard,
from their lines, the little miserable piece of a
village where we live. They fired every minute
 large shells,  which kept falling anywhere from
 one hundred to two  hundred yards away. A
 piece of one  struck the steps of the house where
 we have our popote. Several shells fell in a large
 vacant hotel, used as a temporary hospital (not
 two hundred yards  away),  killing a few  and
 wounding many. One poilu was in the street and
 a piece of a  shell wounded him in the stomach,
 our men tell me. He came into our kitchen (rather
 boiling room) and although a good deal fright-
 ened, he talked all right,  and then decided to 
126             JOURNAL
walk by himself to this hospital, of which I speak,
to have his wound attended to. He was killed as
he was going into the hospital. I should not write
you about this, except that when you receive this
part of my diary, I should be just about in Paris
on the second part of my "leave" and away from
this sort of thing, and then after that, for the few
weeks I have left of my service, we may not be
here in this locality. Needless to say, our distribu-
tions were interfered with temporarily. However,
at the usual time our poilus' room downstairs
was filled and  the phonograph playing, just as
if there had been no bombardment a few hours
earlier.

                               January 4
Cold and clear. Went to look over the tempo-
rary hospital (or rather what was the temporary
hospital)  that  was struck  twice during yester-
day's bombardment, and found great wreckage.
Some sized shells to do that amount of damage!
I also found that the house next to us was hit.
Two other wounded died last night, I hear. To-
night, we had, apparently, a half-witted poilu
downstairs during the phonograph session. When 
^
c>
 
 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER    127
I went downstairs to pass the cigarettes I thought
that he might be drunk  and did not relish hav-
ing a contretemps with  him,  but when I went
into  the  room I was told that he was always
eccentric, which was a relief to me. I should not
like having trouble thrust upon me by a drunken
soldier. Everything very quiet to-night.


                               January 5
Cloudy and not very cold. Very damp and raw.
Am having some trouble  about the receptacles
(marmites norvegiennes)  which hold the hot
drinks that we send up into the lines. Instead of
returning the good ones we send up, we occasion-
ally get back an old  one. I must look into this
at once,but until " Juicy" returns it may be hard
to entirely straighten the matter out, because the
chief medical officer up at the lines has changed
since I went up there, before my "leave," and I
neither know the new officer nor does he know
me. "Juicy" should  be back now in a few days,
and he seems to know almost all the medical offi-
cers. Thank goodness our new supply of coal has
arrived promptly. I ordered it yesterday and we 
128              JOURNAL
need it badly. I find at lunch time that I am the
oldest at the popote. I have now decided to go
up to the lines myself to-morrow morning and
see what I  can do to  straighten out the matter
of the  marmites  and their proper return to the
Canteen.

                                January 6
Clear and cold. Up early and started off without
breakfast in the motor truck that takes our hot
stuff up to  the lines, to try and straighten out
the trouble  about the proper return of our mar-
mites. Luckily I  was joined  in the motor truck
a little later by a French officer whom I knew,
and who could introduce me to the chief medical
officer at the lines. Had a satisfactory talk with
this last mentioned officer and think that all will
now be right.  Nothing much doing up at the
lines, except that the Germans  were firing at
four Allies' airplanes, that were just returning
from their observations back of the German lines.
No one damaged. Very heavy firing at sea this
afternoon.  Probably only practice. 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     129
                               January J
Cloudy and very damp. Such a lot of good things
to eat arrived to-day from my dear children!
I took the good stuff right over to the popote,
and part of it was used at once for  lunch  and
was put on the menu  card as  trans-atlantique.
Every one was much pleased to hear that it came
from my children.  I expected that the surprise
Christmas present might come at the same time,
but no  such luck.  Perhaps  that will  come to-
morrow, as I have now received no letters from
home for fifteen days.  Probably Christmas mail
has delayed all letters from America. Everything
very quiet to-day.

                               January 8
Quite windy and started in with a regular drift-
ing snowstorm, but seems to be trying to clear
now. Such a splendid Christmas present from Lily
arrived by parcel post this morning! (phonograph
records of her own voice). I am sending the pho-
nograph to-night to the popote at their request,
and only wish the big glass needle fitted Lily's
records. Then  they would have a real concert.
Unfortunately I must write to Paris for  regular 
130             JOURNAL
steel needles  to  use  with the new Christmas
records. I received a postal  from "Juicy" to-
day saying that  he expected to take the night
train from Paris for Dunkirk on the 10th, which
would bring  him to the  Canteen on the 11th,
and I shall certainly be glad to see  him again.
Very high wind this afternoon, but the snow-
storm has stopped, and although I  started out
on  my  usual walk, I gave  it up after a short
while because the wind made it too unpleasant.


                                January g
Very windy  and cold all night,  still cold this
morning,  but less wind. Still no letters from
home. Day gradually developed  into a wintry
snowstorm, so I decided to cut  out my after-
noon walk and stay in the " bureau "  reading
" The Last Days of Pompeii," which happens
to be among " Juicy's" books. The "bureau" is
rather difficult to keep at anything like an even
temperature, as it is so small that the little stove
overheats it in a short time, and then I have to
let the fire die out, so as to cool off. In this way I
have my overcoat on one hour, and the next am 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     131
almost obliged to sit in my shirt-sleeves. How-
ever, the little stove is a very good friend. Dur-
ing winter weather like this one would hardly
realize that the war was still on, everything is so
quiet, except, of course, nothing but soldiers and
army wagons, etc., to be seen in the streets. We
have to-day used up the last of our oil for our
lamps and I have seen about a new supply. This
should straighten out everything so far as I now
know  in  anticipation of " Juicy's "  return the
day after  to-morrow.

                              January 10
 Fine  day, rather windy still, but not cold. Still
 no letters, and it will be three weeks  on Janu-
 ary 13 since I have  had any. " Juicy" should
 arrive back at the old Canteen to-morrow, after
 an absence of fifteen days (really half a month),
 and I shall be certainly very glad to see him
 again. At this time of the year the days are very
 short and it is dark at about four o'clock, so
 I don't mind saying that it has been somewhat
 lonely without him.  However, from now to the
 end of the service he presumably will  be here
 and I shall, during that time,  have my second 
132              JOURNAL
"leave," so all is well. The little stove has taken
to smoking so badly this afternoon that I have
actually been obliged to quit the "bureau" and
do  my reading  in  my  bedroom. It is its first
offence since I returned from my " leave," and
that is lucky enough.

                              January II
Day starts  in showery and  very windy  and
damp. At last  most welcome letters, dated  De-
cember 5! Nearly six weeks in reaching me. It
must have been on account of the large Christ-
mas  mail. Our popote is still eating the good
things that my children sent, and part of the
supply has been kept so  that "Juicy" may en-
ioy the benefit. Very happy thought on the part
of the chef de popote. I have been waiting around
the Canteen all day expecting my good young
friend to return at any moment, and now the day
is over and no "Juicy." He must have missed
his train in Paris yesterday. Perhaps, however,
he may have some excellent reason for his delay,
and at all events it would be impossible for  him
to communicate with me here at short notice. I
shall have to look for him to-morrow. 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     133
                              January 12
Fine day, not too cold and not too much wind.
Received letters from home. It makes  a great
deal of  difference to  one's peace of mind to
receive these  letters, and I hope, now that the
Christmas mail  is about settled, that my mail
will reach me more promptly. " Juicy" returned
just as we were finishing luncheon to-day, and I
was more than glad to see him. I did not realize
how lonely I had been without him until now
that he is back. They fixed up a lunch  for him
and gave him a whole box of Guava jelly that
my children sent, and he ate it all with avidity.
In the afternoon we visited a new officer (a chief
of staff, who has just arrived), and he was most
polite and ready to help us in any way in our
work, which he had heard was considered use-
ful and for which he  thanked us. I have had
"Juicy's" bed, etc., brought into the "bureau,"
where he can sleep comfortably, as the bedroom
 (that he had in another house before he left on
his "permission," or " leave ") has been taken,
with  the rest of that house, by a Colonel, dur-
ing " Juicy's "  absence. It is more like old times
to have him live in the same house that I live in. 
134              JOURNAL
I think our staff officer friend can be very use-
ful to us in case of need.

                              January ij
Clear and cold. " Juicy" and I have to try to
get into Dunkirk to-morrow to  buy several
necessary things for the Canteen, and we have
just been to see an officer, whose duty it is to
go into Dunkirk every now and then in an  au-
tomobile, and we hoped he might be going
in to-morrow. No such luck; so  "Juicy" and
I will have to  make the best of our way in as
we can. We have received a very complimentary
letter from the staff officer whom we saw yes-
terday  afternoon,  giving  us all the assistance
needed to supply another point in the  trenches
with  our good hot stuff, which is most useful,
particularly at this cold season of the year. We
still had served  to-day for  lunch some of the
delicious canned chicken which was sent me from
home, and  part of which had been  kept in re-
serve for "Juicy's " return. An order was sent
out from the staff office about our distributions
expressed in a most flattering way  in regard to
the Franco-American Canteen and our work, 
OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     135
and our first supply of drinks for our new point
in the lines was promptly called for this after-
noon. We are both very much pleased.


                            P. C. le 12 Janvier 1918
                         Le Colonel Hoff,
                  Commandant pt.la 133' Division

                 Note de Service
   1'GsUvre des can tines Franco-Americainesinstallee
   a aCoxyde-Bains, hotel deFlandre, recommencera
son service a la date du Janvier 13 au soir. Cette oeuvre
met a la  disposition des  S/ Secteurs des boissons
chaudes, chocolat, bouillon, th6,  cacao.
   A cet effet, la voiture sanitaire de Nieuport-Bains
prend chaque jour a Coxyde lors des releves les mar-
mites norvegiennes, qui lui sont remises par l'oeuvre
et rapporte le materiel vide.
   En ce qui  concerne le S / Secteur  du Polder, les
boissons  chaudes seront reservees a. la garnison du
Redan. L'officier d'approvisionnement du 401e R. I.
fera prendre  tous les  soirs vers  16 h. 30.  en allant
ravitailler les unites en secteur 4 marmites  norve-
giennes qu'il conduira jusqu'au P. C. Defense ou elles
seront a la disposition du Cdt. du C. R.: Redan.
   Les marmites vides seront renvoyees chaque jour a
l'ceuvre a Coxyde-Bains.
   La plus grande attention devra Stre apportee a ren-
voyer le mat6riel vide (marmites norv6giennes) sinon
le service se trouverait suspendu de ce fait.
133' Division
Etat Major
1' Bureau 
136
JOURNAL
  II est du devoir de chacun de prgter son concours a
cette oeuvre, qui se propose d'apporter gracieusement
aux troupes en secteur une amelioration a. leur bien-
gtre et de cooperer ainsi au resserrement des  liens
qui unissent l'Am6rique a la France.
                   P. O. Le Chef d'Etat Major
Destinataires
/-^./.II3(+).    .                 ro  n
Median Divisionnaire               \Seal\
CEuvres de Cantines
Franco- Americaines

                                January 14
Snowstorm when we got  up, but it was before
daylight, as we were bound for Dunkirk on Can-
teen errands. Started out  on foot just as it was
getting light, and caught a train for permission-
naires (those going on"leave") which we thought
should connect with a regular train for Dunkirk.
This train we missed, so we begged a ride on a
passing automobile, which took us as far as the
next town to Dunkirk; here we took a regular
street car for the city, and arrived there in time
to do all our errands before lunch. After lunch
we took a regular train (which  only runs twice a
day) to a town about one hour's drive from the
 Canteen, where we were met by a one-horse and 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     137
two-wheeled wagon which deposited us and our
purchases at the old Canteen. When we got back
I found a welcome letter from  home  written
Thanksgiving  Day (just about seven weeks in
getting here, and I received one written Decem-
ber 3, four days  ago). Certainly  Christmas has
upset the mails.

                              January  13
Dirtv, miserable, rainy day. Not very cold, but
very damp. Too much wind for the little stove,
which always gets a back draught with the wind
in this westerly quarter. As yet the return of our
marmites  from the  new section of the lines, to
which we have just begun distributing, is most
unsatisfactory, but, with the backing of the staff
office, this should not last long. Of course our
distribution in the lines is by far the most  useful
work that we can do, but unless our marmites
come back regularly, we have not enough for
our regular work here at the Canteen. "Juicy"
is working the phonograph downstairs to-night.
He seems to like doing it, which maybe very use-
ful when  we cannot find a poilu for this  work. 
138             JOURNAL
                              January 16
Heavy gale and driving rain all  night, which
made all temporary repairs of broken window-
panes flutter and slat  about, and in  parts of
our establishment carried them completely away.
Wind dropping during the morning and tempo-
rary repairs being made. Ceilings leaking badly,
but it is very unimportant as there is absolutely
nothing that can be damaged. That surely is one
advantage of the furnishings of this house. There
are no furnishings!  After lunch the storm has
passed and the wind changed to north, so now
our  little stove will draw again. To-night the
popote has asked for another gramophone concert
and  I am so disappointed that we cannot give
them the new records, but the steel needles have
not yet been sent from Paris. There are some
English Quakers here, it seems, who do ambu-
lance work. I had seen them occasionally, and
two  of them wanted to come to the Canteen to
take French lessons of "Juicy." One of these
came this  afternoon  and,  not wanting to  em-
barrass him,  I  went into my room to take a
nap. When I came back a little later, "Juicy"
and  the Englishman were hard at work playing 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     139
chess and the French lesson had been entirely
given up.

                              January IJ
Snowstorm again, but not windy. Gramophone
concert  at the popote was a great success last
night and they were playing it again at break-
fast time this morning, before sending it back
to the Canteen. To-day was the jour de fete of
the head of our popote and they made  a bou-
quet of carrots  and cauliflower for  him, and
what with two speeches addressed to him, he was
very much embarrassed. Then they had two bot-
tles of red wine, and, when I proposed his health,
he replied with a toast to the American army.
It does  not require much to amuse a small num-
ber of men, when they are so far from any real
form of amusement. (As I  write there is a sup-
ply of ammunition passing by the Canteen on
the way to the lines.) Very big crowd of poilus
downstairs to-night.

                              January 18
Warm  and cloudy, with no wind. Just across
the street from us, for the past few weeks, there 
 140             JOURNAL
 has been a family, consisting of an old father,
 two daughters (the only females within miles),
 and a son, who have had the nerve to move into
 a dilapidated old house, where they appear to
 be making a great deal of money selling cigar-
 ettes, matches, etc., to the poilus. It is evidently
 the desire of making money that has induced them
 to come here. The old father has interested me
 considerably. He is really very old, and every
 morning, shortly after daylight, starts out for a
 walk. I have thought him over and  imagined
 him an old retired fisherman, and have amused
 myself not a little in making mental fairy stories
 about him. I was perfectly delighted this morning
 when he appeared for his  morning walk in a
 "sou-wester," which at last made him fit in ex-
 actly with my thoughts about him. He now ap-
 pears to me as the real old thing. It certainly is
 fortunate for me that I can be so easily amused.
 Except for a cloudy sky, to-day really feels like
coming  spring and I took my  walk this after-
noon without my overcoat. Of course there will
be plenty of winter  left for us. The  days are
getting appreciably longer. 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     141
                              January ig
Partly cloudy and quite warm. While I was at
breakfast this morning an officer, whom I had
met at our autumn Canteen, came to the popote
to call upon me. Very polite of him, and we are
to take a walk on the beach together this after-
noon. He has charge of the guard who patrols
the beach, so we shall not  be interfered with. I
have of late given up taking my exercise on the
beach on account of the patrol there. Another
officer asked for me at the  Canteen while I was
dressing, but when one of our men told him that
he would see  whether I was still in, he said he
would not have time to wait. Very nice to have
my foreign friends look me up. Another officer
from  the lines has just called on me ("Juicy"
is away making a call at a neighboring town this
morning), and  asks us for hot stuff. We have
not really enough marmites to answer our de-
mands, as I  explained to this officer, still we
shall have to see what can  be done.  Had a very
pleasant walk with my French officer and he said
that my French had improved.  I doubt it my-
self. After my walk I had  nothing particular to
do and " Juicy" had not returned from his visit, 
142             JOURNAL
so I lay down in my room for a nap. I had hardly
got down on my bed, when a German shell burst
right over the house. Another bombardment had
begun. I hurried downstairs to the cellar and
found our two men sitting crouched down under
the foundation wall and I promptly joined them.
The shells came pretty fast for about seven min-
utes, the first of them very near us, and then ap-
parently further to our left. In all I should think
that  there were about fifteen big shells, which
came altogether too close to our vicinity for com-
fort. All this happened about fifteen minutes ago,
and let's hope they  will not begin again soon.
Our gramophone concert downstairs was going
full blast one hour after the bombardment. At
six o'clock they were firing on all sides at some
German planes directly overhead. It seems that
a young priest at our popote was wounded very
slightly in the  hand during the bombardment
from the German lines, and one of their shells
fell in the main road, on which we are, but failed
to explode.  It  fell not one hundred  and fifty
yards from our Canteen. 


0?/r "Poilu"  Helpers- at Coxyae Bains 
 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     143
                              January 20
Cloudy, with indications of rain. No wind, not
cold. As I was writing my usual Sunday letters,
at a little after  ten  o'clock this morning,  the
Germans again began to bombard our miserable
little village. The shells fell about one hundred
to one hundred and fifty yards to the left of our
Canteen. One passed through a brick house, next
door  to the cottage where we have our popote,
and killed a horse that was stabled in a wooden
shed  built  up against this cottage. The bom-
bardment was more intermittent than that  of
yesterday afternoon, but  lasted a little longer.
As soon as it began I went downstairs and
joined our two men in the cellar, the same place
that we used yesterday. " Juicy " was near the
popote at the time and got under cover as quickly
as he could. The day has turned out rainy and
I shall not take my usual walk this afternoon.
Our daily distributions now mount up very large.
This  week we distributed about ten thousand
drinks, and as much more than two-thirds of
these go into the lines, it is quite useful. The Can-
teen seems to be much appreciated. I hope so, at
any rate, as the work is more or  less strenuous. 
144             JOURNAL
                              January 21
Again this morning at 10.30 we were bombarded
from the German lines.This bombardment lasted
a little longer than those of yesterday and the
day before, but the shells came at longer inter-
vals. It lasted for three quarters of an hour. We
are now looking into the question of a possible
shelter near our Canteen, and have  our ideas of
using the  cellar  of a house two  doors away,
which, with a little work, could be made into
a comparatively  safe shelter.


                              January 21
Cloudy and mild. We  now have still another
separate application for our hot stuff. This time
from a battery, to whom it would be useful to
distribute, but  it is now a question with us of
marmites.  With our present distributions we use
about all of the marmites that we own (and we
own twice as  many as  we are really entitled
to, because the Franco-American Canteen, that
was to the south of us  in the autumn, left all
theirs with us when they found that there was
no  chance for them to  work in this  section), 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     145
and any new work that we now undertake will
have to be given  out in the form of raw pro-
ducts, or called for in marmites owned outside of
our Canteen. This  shows what a big business
we are doing. " Juicy" has taken such a fancy to
the candy that was  sent from home for Christ-
mas that I really fear for his digestion.  The day
has again turned  rainy, but not bad enough to
interfere  with my usual walk.


                              January 22
Showery, but still warm. Had just gone to sleep
last night, when I was awakened by the noise
of many anti-aircraft guns. The German avia-
tors were overhead on the usual trip to Dunkirk.
It was a beautiful  moonlight night, with just
enough clouds to help conceal the airplanes. The
noise was considerable, and a little later, when
the planes were  returning to their lines after
doing their dirty work over Dunkirk, the same
noise was repeated with some addition.  It looked
as if poor Dunkirk must have had a very un-
pleasant  raid. Still  another application for our
hot  stuff came this morning. At  this rate we 
146              JOURNAL
might soon run short of supplies, but we are ap-
plying for more from Paris. At our popote they
have a system of fines for being late, or mak-
ing puns,  singing, smoking before coffee, etc.,
so to-night, as one of the members was  leaving
us, the money collected  by the fines was spent
on a special dinner, and I found that there was
an army cooperative store in  this vicinity where
champagne could  be bought.  I set up the cham-
pagne for  the  occasion and we all had  a feast.
It was very pleasant with the  usual international
toasts.

                              January 23
Showery and still very mild.  A whole batch of
nice letters from home — letters dated between
December 16  and 22. We seem  now  to run
some chance that the native who owns the house
where we  have set up  our Canteen here, may
want to move in himself. Even in that case we
think that all we should be required to do would
be to give him sleeping quarters, a place to cook
his meals  and carry on his necessary business.
All of this we could arrange, not without some
inconvenience, however.  It seems a shame, but 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     147
it is not yet sure to happen. We shall probably
know more about it to-morrow.  We have still
another inquiry for our hot stuff, and this time
the distribution will be very feasible, as the mar-
mites (not ours, but theirs) are to be sent to the
Canteen to  be filled.


                              January 24
Cloudy and mild. It is  now one week since this
mild  weather has been with us.  Shortly after
lunch a German plane, very high  up but plainly
visible, flew overhead, and they must have had
nearly fifty shots at him  from the  anti-aircraft
guns in the vicinity, but the aviator finally suc-
ceeded in hiding himself in a cloud. It was im-
possible to-day to connect with the official  who
has  the  authority to  put  the native proprietor
into our Canteen building, so we  are still uncer-
tain as to how we stand. To-night two of the
 English Quaker automobile drivers came to play
 Bridge with us (no stakes, of course). The name
of one of them is Davie Jones.  He ought to lead
a seafaring life. 
148              JOURNAL
                              January 2$
Foggy, and not quite so mild as during the past
week, but still unusually warm for this season of
the year.  Have just received from my friend the
priest, who is still living at Zuydschoote, the re-
mainder of the letters of thanks from the French
families whom I helped with my birthday fund.
He did his work of distribution most admir-
ably, and my confidence in  him was not mis-
placed. We have now communicated with the
Major du Cantonnement, who does not want to
disturb us by allowing the native proprietor of
our Canteen building to come in, but is not at
all sure that he can prevent it.  The worst fea-
ture of this whole matter is that the native wants
to establish a bar-room downstairs, which would
be the worst  thing  that he could do from  the
point  of view of our Canteen work. This after-
noon  " Juicy " and I went to another entertain-
ment  at the same barrack theatre that we went
to several weeks ago. I had the  same feeling of
sadness at seeing the poilus, dressed in their
none too new uniforms and most of them deco-
rated  for bravery, singing with just as much sen-
timent as they would on the Paris stage. They 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER    149
were, of course, professionals in their work when
in civil life. There was an  orchestra  of thirty
pieces. After the performance the commander of
the regimental battalion which was giving the
show very politely came over to me and said he
hoped I had enjoyed the entertainment, and that
I would come again.

                              January 26
Foggy and cold, after a  beautiful night. The
moon was nearly full last night, not a cloud in
the sky and hardly a breath of wind. Such a night
was  too calm and beautiful  to be left  in peace.
These conditions were immediately seized by the
airplane raiders, and as a result "bing-bang"
almost all the night. It seems as if nothing beau-
tiful were allowed to remain in this part of the
world. Fog remained thick until noon, when it
began to burn off, but toward sunset  it shut in
thick again, so perhaps we shall have  our  sleep
to-night undisturbed by the airplanes. 
150             JOURNAL
                              January 2 J
Thickfogandnotverycold. Quietnight. "Juicy"
heard last night that he might soon again be
examined as to his health  (he was honorably
discharged about three years ago on account of
pleurisy and bad lungs),  and, while his gen-
eral health is greatly improved, if he were passed
into the army again, it would mean as an ordi-
nary poilu, as he has no regular army rank. For
this his health  is not good enough, and it may
be necessary for him to begin as soon as pos-
sible to  study  in preparation for taking his  ex-
amination as an officer  in the Quartermaster's
department. With such a commission he would
be an officer in whatever department he was taken
into. This preparation I consider most impor-
tant for  him  to make,  and he is to-day busy
looking into the matter. It seems to me that he
should go to Paris to-day to make his arrange-
ments. He is to return to the Canteen as soon as
possible. Meanwhile I must wait for my "leave,"
but I  do not think I shall be delayed more than
a day or so. 
        OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     151
                              January 28
Colder to-day, but beautiful clear weather and
no wind. Last night the  Medecin Chef (he is
the president of our popote) told me that there
was to be a concert near our popote and that,
if I wanted to  go, he would go with me. It
was very kind of him, I thought, and we spent
the evening there together. The entertainment
was the first really poor one that I have seen,
although there were one or two  good acts. Re-
ceived  letters from home to-day. They were
none of them dated later than December 18,
and have been beaten by other letters written
later. The proprietor of this house, where we
are established,  came to see me to-day, but I
did not want to see him  with "Juicy" away,
so I sent him word that I did not speak French
well enough to talk with him. That will at any
rate delay the matter a little. He told our man
that he would come back again, and  that he
spoke English. If he speaks English the way that
some few people hereabouts try to,  I  honestly
could not understand him. 
152              JOURNAL
                              January 2g
Beautiful cool day, no  wind. This makes the
eleventh day in succession that has really been
more like spring than winter. Very lucky. Last
night being clear, no  wind and moonlight, the
German airplanes were  busy, but not really so
noisy as I had expected they would be. Again
running out of coal, but I have to-day ordered
more. Except for the boiling of our water for
the hot drinks, we have not needed much coal
during the  past week, as the weather  has been
so beautifully spring-like. Beautiful moonlight
night and just the opportunity for the airplanes,
which are now beginning to pass overhead. How-
ever, the moon is beginning  to wane and  also
rising later each night. It looked earlier in the
evening as  if the  good fog might shut in thick,
but it did n't. The anti-aircraft guns are at this
moment banging away and making all the win-
dows shake. I can see the shells bursting in the
sky  and hear the airplanes on their way, but,
with the moon only just rising, that is all there
is to it at this moment.  The planes will be back
again on their way home to the German lines
and then the noise will  begin all over again. If 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    153
the fog would only shut in thick while the planes
were still  out! No such luck,  I fear, from the
appearance of the sky at  present.


                              January JO
Beautiful  day, rather cool, but not really cold.
Now my  mail is all stopped in Paris, as I had
expected to  leave to-day  for my extra "leave."
However, I hope  that "Juicy" will return to-
morrow, in which  case I  shall  set out for Paris
the day after. A German aviator is overhead
now and  the guns from the ground are  after
him,  but  he is very high  up  and the chances
many hundred to  one in his favor. We are still
having a  little trouble about the prompt return
from the lines of our marmites of hot  stuff,
but it is to be expected  now  that we serve  so
many in  the lines, and  it may be that in the
end we shall find ourselves minus one or two
marmites. It is all in a most useful cause, how-
ever, and the good done is doubtless worth the
small loss. For the eleventh day to-day I took
my walk without an overcoat. Quite a record
 for this time  of year. I am very hopeful that 
154             JOURNAL
"Juicy"  will get back to-morrow,  and I am
anxious to hear what he has to say about his
plans, as  it may materially affect the remainder
of my service. Considerable noise on the line to-
night.

                              January jl
Beautiful clear day, ground covered with hoar-
frost like autumn. Our best man, who helps at
the Canteen, has just received orders to leave,
and they have replaced him with another one,
ability unknown. "Juicy"  has just returned,
which lets me off on my extra "leave" to-mor-
row morning. He cannot at present  change his
service, so he should now remain with me at this
work until I am finished with my service. Thank
goodness for that. Very thick fog to-night, which
ought to  give us a quiet night, and as we get up
long before daylight ("Juicy" is accompanying
me as far as Dunkirk), it will be a welcome rest
from the airplanes.

                              February I
Cold, clear day. Up very early to take the little
horse-drawn wagon (not allowed to be driven at 
        OF A  CANTEEN  WORKER     155
a trot) for the nearest railroad station. "Juicy"
came with me  to help with my baggage, as I
took practically all my belongings. For the few
weeks that remain of my service, I can take from
Paris a very moderate outfit. Again was very
lucky to meet my friend the priest on the train,
on his way into Dunkirk. After a long all-day
trip, arrived in Paris  nearly one hour late, but
not too late to have my  dinner before retiring
to my room for a most welcome hot bath. Paris
was bombarded the  night before last, by air-
planes, but it seems that nothing but wickedness
was accomplished.  Nothing  of any war value
was destroyed. It will really seem very pleasant
to sleep in a real bed to-night, although I do not
complain  in the least  about  my sleeping-bag at
the Canteen. I am so used to the good old sleep-
ing-bag that I may not sleep well in a comfort-
able bed.  I have great hopes, however!


                                February  2
Fine day, not too cold. Went the first thing this
morning to get my mail at the Red Cross office
and found a good welcome batch. Am dining 
156             JOURNAL
to-night with a number of my American friends
at Henri's  Restaurant. A Dutch treat  affair. I
was shown figures at the Red Cross which were
to me very satisfactory, all dealing with Canteen
distributions. Our Canteen, in spite of its vari-
ous delays  and reestablishments, stands third as
regards weekly distributions and fourth in total
distributions. The Canteens that have beaten us
have not been disturbed in their work, and, all
things  considered,  we  are figured as  standing
about at the head of the list. I very much fear
that we shall be  moved again soon, in  order to
follow our Section, which is necessary, but will
mean shutting up shop again. Lunched with
Hugh  and Edgar Scott and was joined at  this
meal by Charles Curtis. Had a very pleasant din-
ner at Henri's,  and went afterwards  to Billy
Patten's apartment to play poker.


                                February J
Warm and partly cloudy. Lunched at  Voisin's,
where I met Ellis Dresel, who joined me at my
table. Went to  see a rather amusing farce at
Marigny's Theatre, and afterwards watched the 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     157
amusing and apparently very happy crowd in the
Champs Elys6es. Am dining with Billy Patten
and Gerry Chadwick at their apartment. Had
a very pleasant time at dinner. The only other
guest was Ellis Dresel.

                               February 4
Partly cloudy and warm. Went the first thing
this morning to the gramophone  place and had
the pleasure at last of hearing Lily sing,  and it
pleased me immensely. I  bought the necessary
diaphragm and can attach it to our gramophone
at the Canteen. What fun it will be! In the even-
ing Charles Curtis and I dined together and were
joined  by  Richmond Fearing. Very pleasant.
After dinner Charles Curtis and I went to a show
at the  Casino de Paris, which is the only good
variety show that I have seen in Paris this year.


                               February 5
Mild and  hazy. Lunched with Mr. and Mrs.
George Mairs, at their kind invitation, and en-
joyed seeing them again. He is just about to begin
work with the American Red Cross here in Paris, 
158              JOURNAL
having come over originally to drive an ambu-
lance, which work was made impossible for him
when our troops began to arrive on this side of
the ocean. Met Alfred Dabney, who has been
held up for nearly two months in getting started
in his  Ground Aviation work, and  says that
the whole thing, for him, may fall through. He
may go into Red Cross work if he does not get
what he wants, and I suggested to him that work
similar to mine might  be interesting and cer-
tainly useful. I invited the two heads of the Can-
teen  Department to dine with me  and we had
a very pleasant dinner.

                              February 6
Cloudy and mild.  Did a very little  necessary
shopping, to replace a few things that have be-
come worn out. Lunched alone for a change and
went afterwards to a "movie" entertainment.
Received a short  note  from my young doctor
friend Vitou, with postscript from "Juicy" (he
was evidently lunching at Vitou's popote, which
is about  one or two hours' journey from our
Canteen), in which he said that we would be
moved shortly.  I wish I knew more definitely, 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    159
but" Juicy" promised to keep me posted, so I
think he will do so. Just before dinner Doctor
Vitou's brother called me up on  the telephone
and said that if I had no other engagement, he
would like to come after dinner  and call. The
young gentleman came at about half-past eight,
was extremely nice, and stayed until nearly eleven
o'clock. I was really glad to see him.


                                February J
Cloudy and mild. At the  invitation  of Mr.
Fithian (the head of our Canteen Department
in Paris)  I went with him to an American lunch
club. It was quite an unusual occasion, as Amund-
sen, who discovered  the South  pole,  made a
very interesting speech, being introduced by our
American Ambassador to France, Mr. Sharp.
 In the late afternoon it tried to rain a little, the
first I have  seen for three weeks. Dined with
 Frank Blake and Edgar Scott.  Very pleasant
time and to bed early. 
160             JOURNAL
                              February 8
Cloudy, but not cold. I find myself in rather a
dilemma, because I have not  yet  heard from
"Juicy," as to whether our Section has been
moved.  We understood that  everything indi-
cated a change in two or three days after I left,
and "Juicy" and I arranged a simple code in
which he would write me, so that I  might know
where to meet him. I rather expected to return
to-morrow, but "Juicy's" letter may take three
days to reach me, and  I fear that  I must wait
for it, rather than take it for granted that the
Canteen has not been moved yet and go all
the way up there to find every one  gone and
nowhere for me  to eat or sleep. Started to dine
alone, and Edgar Scott happened  to  turn up,
also alone, at the same restaurant,  so we dined
together.

                               February g
Beautiful bright, clear, warm day. No letter from
" Juicy," so I have arranged to have sent to him,
by the French Red Cross, an "official" telegram,
which should reach him to-morrow, asking him
to telegraph me where I am to rejoin him, and 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER    161
saying that I  am all ready to start. Had a very
pleasant lunch with the Paris heads of our de-
partment (both French and American), and I
thought that  we should never get through eat-
ing. We were over two hours and a half at the
meal! Now, after the telegram has been sent, I
have  received my letter from "Juicy," saying
that they are about to change the Section arid
that it will not be  worth my while  to  try to
reach him before he moves, and that he will let
me know what to do. Dined again to-night with
 Edgar Scott.

                              February 10
 Partly cloudy and still warm. Lunched alone and
 went afterwards to a fairly good revue at the
 Theatre Femina in the Champs Elysees. Charles
 Curtis leaves word asking me to dine with him
 and go afterwards to see " Faust" at the opera.
 Dined  with  Charlie, and  we were  joined by
 Richmond Fearing, who happened  to  be just
 beginning his dinner at the same restaurant. In-
 stead of going to hear dear old " Faust," we
 went to a fairly good revue at the Concert Mayol.
 Hope to hear from "Juicy" to-morrow, either 
162              JOURNAL
by letter or "official" telegram, when and where
I am to rejoin him.

                             February II
Fine day and still warm. Received a telegram
early this morning saying that "Juicy" was at
present back at  Zuydschoote. I planned to start
to-night to rejoin him, but was advised to wait
until to-morrow night before starting, so that a
telegram might have time to reach him announc-
ing the time of my arrival. So now again we are
without a Canteen establishment, and where we
shall set up the next one I  do not know until I
see" Juicy." Not much time left for another long
delay, and I hope  this time we may be given the
opportunity to reopen more quickly than last
time. Spent the early part of the afternoon in
trying  to  pack all my necessary  outfit into a
hand-bag  and large  dress-suit case and  finally
succeeded, although it will be impossible to avoid
carrying two bags (called musette in the French
army)  slung on my back. All the rest of my
stuff I  shall leave at the hotel  until I return.
Found Norman Cabot with nothing to do to- 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     163
night, so asked him to dine with me, and I
enjoyed seeing him.

                              February 12
Still the same beautiful  warm weather.  Met
Stewart Forbes in the  street this morning, and
we made  an appointment to  lunch together,
which we did later and with the greatest pleasure
to me, as I had not seen him for a year. After
lunch I went to the Gare du Nord to get my
ticket, had an early dinner at 5.30, and left for
Dunkirk on the 7 p.m. train.

                              February 13
First cold, rainy day  for ever so long.  After
travelling all night, arrived at Dunkirk on time
and found" Juicy"and young Dr.Vitou waiting
at the  station to meet me. I was very glad to see
them again, and they immediately took my bags
off my hands. Here we are at Zuydschoote, where
we spent part of November. The popote is the
same as at that time. We live at the same hotel
where we were billeted before, but "hotel" does
not quite represent the place,  as there are no 
164             JOURNAL
servants and we take our meals at the popote five
minutes' walk  from here. My friend the priest
has just turned up (he has been away for some
time on hospital duty near by), and it makes
all four of our original popote again members of
this larger one. The only out is that we are at
present out of work, and I have not yet heard
any guesses as to where we go from here. How-
ever, as I have only four weeks of service left, it
cannot now be helped. If we only had been left
for four weeks longer where we were established,
our work would not have been interrupted be-
fore  I  got through. I am very  much excited at
the thought of taking Lily's records and the new
diaphragm  to  the  popote  to-night, where our
Canteen gramophone now is.

                             February 14
Foggy and cool. The records were perfectly
sweet on the gramophone at the. popote last night,
and how much I did enjoy them! It was a won-
derful  inspiration to send them over to me, and
I never knew  of a better way  of giving a per-
fect Christmas present. " Juicy" was all admira-
tion  and did not conceal his feelings. It surely 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER     165
was a long wait before I was able to hear the
records. Took a long walk on the beach (as the
tide was low) before lunch. It reminded me of
three months  ago, when I used to take my walks
on the same beach.

                             February 13
Still foggy and rather cold. Took a walk on the
beach this morning, and this  afternoon  after
lunch went to see the ceremony of giving out
decorations at a nearby town.  One of our po-
pote members (the only one older than  I) was
given the Legion d'Honneur, not for bravery, I
am sorry to say, but for length of service. This,
in my opinion, cheapens the honor very much.
However, there was a French regiment with
band to assist at the ceremony, and the General,
who was so polite to "Juicy" and myself on a
similar occasion in the autumn at Oostvleteren
(General Nollet), presented the medals and did
all the kissing. Our [decorated] popote member
brought two  bottles of champagne to dinner to
celebrate the occasion, and he drank to his French
and American friends. 
166             JOURNAL
                             February 16
Clear and very cold. At last winter has returned.
Went into Dunkirk this morning, which is not
a very long distance away, and had my hair cut
in preparation for any orders that may come to
move. Lunched there with "Juicy," and after
riding half-way home in a tramcar, walked the
rest of the way here. We stopped at the hospital
here to visit a young French lieutenant, who was
badly wounded week before last, and who is still
in bed with one leg badly broken and slung up
to the foot of his bed. He was most modest, but
told a very interesting story as to how he had
been wounded. Surely he is a  good example of
the plucky young French officer. Before dinner
went to see the weekly  "movie" show at the
hospital.

                             February IJ
Clear and very cold. Took a long and beautiful
walk on the beach this morning. The tide was
dead low and the beach consequently hard and
dry. Not a cloud in the sky. If it had only been
a little warmer, it would have been perfect. Our
popote at lunch had fourteen members and it was 
       OF A CANTEEN  WORKER    167
rather crowded in one small room, but since
lunch two of the members have gone on " leave."
Nothing new as to our plans. Moonlight night
and consequently some passage of airplanes.


                             February 18
Very cold, but otherwise beautiful, sunny day.
Took a long walk on the beach and found the
high-water mark of the sea on the beach frozen
(as it is on Revere Beach at home in winter),
but not to any depth. No notice of any move-
ment from this place for us. Good night for air-
planes, but not so much doing in that line as
might be expected.

                             February ig
Still cold, but very fine day. Went into Dunkirk
with "Juicy" for lunch. Walked half-way in,
and  while walking met the commanding medi-
cal officer of our Division, who knew us both by
name and was most  complimentary about the
work we had done at our last Canteen. He said
that, when the move  from  this place came, he
hoped he could take  us along with him. After 
168             JOURNAL
lunch at Dunkirk,  I met my  friend the priest,
and we walked all the way back here, making
ten or eleven miles for me to-day. Nothing else
to do at present. At  Dunkirk I met a young
French officer  who had received  the Legion  of
Honor medal the other afternoon. He told me
a story of hard luck. The day after he had been
decorated, his barrack caught fire and he lost
all his belongings, and he showed me his medal,
burnt to a crisp.

                             February 20
Cloudy and still cold. Arrangements seem  to
change all the  time here, and it now looks pos-
sible that  we may reestablish our Canteen not
far from here. "Juicy"  and I propose to make
a tour of inspection to-morrow to see what we
can do in the matter of reestablishment, and if
the thing  looks  feasible, we  shall  immediately
take the necessary steps to get our orders for the
move.

                              February 21
Clear and cool,  but not really cold. Started  off
on foot for our tour of inspection, and were very 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER    169
lucky in our "ride begging," as we were picked
up and carried to our destination by a General.
After looking the place over we decided that,
although we ourselves would be most comfort-
able, the work would be distributing our drinks
among men in a large  encampment, which, it
seemed  to  us, was not the work that we were
sent out to do, and therefore it does not appeal
to us. We have not the final word, however,
and we shall  probably  have to visit the staff
office in a nearby town to-morrow, and report.
We are connected with the French  army and
have  to do as we  are told,  but  let us hope
that everything will go smoothly. Very possibly
"Juicy"  (who loves to go) will have to take
a trip to Paris, to consult with his  French Red
 Cross. On the return from this trip the same
 General picked us up in his automobile, which
made our tour really very simple and easy. Air-
 planes are taking advantage  of the very fine
 night.

                              February 22
 Cloudy, with westerly gale of wind. Had lunch
 in Dunkirk, to celebrate Washington's birthday, 
170             JOURNAL
with "Juicy" and  Dr. Vitou, and we expected
my friend the priest, but he did not understand
the invitation when given yesterday by " Juicy,"
so could not arrange to come. It seems definitely
decided that there is no chance for Canteen work
for us in this vicinity, so "Juicy" is going to
Paris to-morrow to report and get orders. Again
we are held up, and I do not  at all  appreciate
being without our work; but  it is no fault of
ours, and for the next few days, at least, I shall
have to remain here in idleness.

                              February  23
Partly cloudy and fairly mild. Gave myself the
pleasure of going  into  Dunkirk this morning
to send a cable of congratulation to my brother
Phil on his commission as Major in the National
Army. "Juicy" was  off very  early for Paris,
where he will look carefully into our interests
in our Canteen work, and he will do  it well.
Hardly expect him back until  the end of the
month. Received a fine bunch  of letters from
home. Met one of the officers of the popote that
we were with during January. He and hispopote
are not far  from here and he asked me to lunch 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     171
with them next Monday, which I accepted. Went
to the usual Saturday afternoon "moving pic-
ture" show at the hospital this afternoon.


                             February 24
Nothing to do but loaf to-day. Waited around
the streets almost all the morning, as Premier
Clemenceau was expected from  Paris, but he
did not show up. Just before lunch I was writ-
ing some letters in  my room when a corporal
came up from the Medical Divisional Office and
told me that I was wanted on the telephone by
an officer of our Division who lived in a neigh-
boring town. I immediately went with the cor-
poral to the office and soon succeeded in getting
into communication with the officer, who turned
out to  be one of those that I knew and liked
very much. He told me that he wished to pro-
pose me for the Croix de  Guerre and was very
polite, and when I thanked him he said that he
wanted me to carry back to America some good
token of recognition of my Canteen work. I was
surprised, but of course very much delighted at
the thought, as the Croix  de Guerre is very 
172              JOURNAL
much sought for in the French army, and in
many ways is the best decoration  that can be
given.  My friend told me that he would like
me to stay at Zuydschoote all the next day, as
General Arnaud, who is the commanding offi-
cer of the Medical Department of our Corps,
wanted to meet me, as he would also be inter-
ested in my being decorated. I was asked  to
keep the matter entirely secret, as it often takes
a considerable time for such proposals for deco-
rations to get through the red tape  of the army
Headquarters. This  afternoon four  German
prisoners passed me on the street.  They were,
of course, under guard, and appeared to have
just come from the large hospital here. The little
children called after them, and one  little girl of
about ten, who was looking after her little sister,
aged about three, told me that her father had been
a prisoner in the hands of the Germans for nearly
the length of the war, and had never even seen
her little sister.

                              February 23
Raining and howling gale. It  seems  that our
Section is to be reviewed this afternoon by Gen- 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     173
eral Arnaud, with whom I have an appointment
later. I am expected to be in the review and shall
probably be introduced to him at that time. The
review is to be a full-dress affair with helmets
and gas masks, so I shall  have to put them all
on  for  the occasion. After lunch the weather
cleared  and the sun was  very grateful as the
wind was very cold. General Arnaud reviewed
us, and when he came to me he stopped  and
chatted with  me  for several minutes and  said
he was glad to add his recommendation to my
proposal for the Croix de Guerre. He said that
he would like me also to have the Reconnaissance
 Francaise, which is a civil decoration, while the
 Croix de Guerre is purely military. He said,
 however, that it might take some while because
 the government wanted to have  some outside
 recommendations  in giving this latter  decora-
 tion. He asked me whether I had any letters of
 recommendation from home, but unfortunately
 I have nothing  but my letter of credit, but  I
 rather think that in some way or another they
 can look me up. I was very much  pleased in-
 deed. 
174             JOURNAL
                              February 26
Clear and cold and no wind. This morning, hav-
ing absolutely nothing  to  do, my friend  the
priest and I had our eyes examined at the hos-
pital by our young friend, Dr. Vitou, who is an
eye specialist. He had previously looked my eyes
over in his room, but wanted to have a real pro-
fessional look at them. He pronounced my eye-
sight normal. My friend the  priest, who wears
glasses for nearsightedness, was told that  the
glasses which had been given him a year ago
still suited him perfectly well, and therefore no
change for him was necessary. This is one way
of spending one's  leisure time, but regular Can-
teen work would suit me better. After lunch  the
priest and I took a walk of over eight miles, but
as a very strong wind began to blow at about
noon, the walk was not so pleasant as it might
have been.

                             February 2 J
Partly cloudy and cool. Walked on the beach be-
fore lunch. "Juicy" did not return from Paris
to-day, so I hope he went to the opera there last
night to hear "La Boheme." He had never heard 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER    175
it and I suggested, before he left, that he ought
to stay over one night to hear it, as under the
circumstances (with nothing to do here) there
was no need of our both being on hand. I look
for him to turn up to-morrow. Raining to-night,
and although the moon is almost full, the weather
is not propitious for the airplanes.


                             February 28
Clear and cold. "Juicy" returned this morning
and reported that he had done all that was pos-
sible for us at his Red Cross, and there was no
chance for continuing our work at once. It looks
as if the remaining  two  weeks  of my  service
must be passed in idleness. This morning there is
a strong wind blowing, which cut out my walk
on the beach. My good young friend, Dr. Vitou,
at lunch time to-day, received long expected or-
ders to leave, and I am very sorry that he is off
to-morrow. "Juicy" has gone to a nearby town
to make his report on his visit to Paris in connec-
tion with our Canteen work. Another welcome
bunch of letters at lunch time, but all  written
earlier  than the letters  already received. The 
176              JOURNAL
mail is certainly not up to the highest standard.
This afternoon I  went to  the room where we
have our popote armed with Lily's records, and,
with nobody about, gave myself a concert on
the gramophone,  playing the records over and
over again. It  was a  real pleasure.

                               zJMarch I
Partly cloudy  and cool. "Juicy," the  priest,
young Dr. Vitou, and I are going to Dunkirk
this morning for  a farewell lunch with Vitou.
The lunch at  Dunkirk  was  very nice  (eight
Frenchmen and myself), and we gave Vitou a
good send-off. He really is a  remarkably nice
young man, and I am sorry that he has to go
before my service  is up. On my return received
some more letters from home.

                               zJMarch 2
Clear and very cold, with howling  northeast
gale. The weather is so bad to-day that there is
no use trying  to  do  anything  out of doors, so
this morning I  wrote  letters. After lunch I went
to the hospital and played chess with the poor 
My Three Friends, Vitou, Fardet, and "Juicy 
 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER    177
young  French  lieutenant who  was  terribly
wounded about three weeks ago. Attended the
usual Saturday evening "moving picture" show
at the hospital.

                               zJMarch 3
Still cloudy and cold, with somewhat less wind.
This morning I went to see the Legion of Honor
medal given to a doctor of the hospital, where
the usual kissing  ceremony was performed by
General Nollet when he  gave  the decoration.
" Juicy" caught a bad cold yesterday, and I kept
him in bed to-day until lunch time. Gave" Juicy"
a lesson in English dictation in the afternoon.
Heavy  cannonading at the front to-night.


                               zJMarch 4
Cloudy and cold, no wind. Having nothing else
to do, I went into Dunkirk  and mailed my letters,
and then for exercise I walked part of the way
back on the beach. My friend the priest  is not
feeling well to-day, but I  think it is the weather
that has upset him. He was in the Gallipoli cam-
paign and  has still occasional upsets. 
178             JOURNAL
                               zJMarch 3
Cloudy, colder, and considerable wind. I am glad
to find that the priest is entirely well again to-
day and beat me at chess very handily. This after-
noon I went to a theatrical entertainment at the
hospital, but it was not so  picturesque here as
the performances we saw right behind the lines
and not so pleasing. "Juicy" is almost cured of
his cold to-day, so there seems to be a clean bill
of health hereabouts.

                               <JMarch 6
Clear and cold, no wind. Took a long walk on
the beach before lunch, and the sunshine was very
pleasant after the past few days of bad weather.
Indeed, loafing in a town like this is a very seri-
ous matter. This afternoon gave a lesson in Eng-
lish to "Juicy" and a young  doctor  who  has
come to take the place of Dr. Vitou. Some planes
about to-night.

                               zJMarch J
Slightly foggy and cool, but the  day will prob-
ably turn out fine later. Took  a short stroll
before lunch and afterwards a long walk on the 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER     179
beach. Poor "Juicy"  has indigestion  to-day,
probably induced by his cold, but this latter ail-
ment is  now  almost passed. He  has been on a
diet all day, and probably will be better to-mor-
row. Heavy cannonading  on the front.

                               zJMarch 8
Clear and cold. Went  into Dunkirk  to send a
telegram to Paris to hold my mail after Mon-
day next. That sounds like the beginning of the
end of my service. " Juicy" joined me at Dun-
kirk and we lunched there together. After lunch
we went down to the harbor and went aboard a
French  submarine chaser, which was very much
like those built for the Eastern Yacht Club  last
winter. While  walking down to the harbor a
huge  Handley-Paige airplane of  the  English
passed overhead. It had  a carrying capacity of
fifteen men and appeared quite majestic. It will
probably seem very  small compared to the planes
of ten years hence!
                               zJMarch g
 Clear and cold, but the bright sun will warm us
up a little  later in the day. After lunch walked 
180             JOURNAL
with "Juicy" on the beach and saw some prac-
tice grenade work, which was very interesting.
Late in the afternoon I went to a band concert
outside the hospital. How very idle!


                              zJMarch 10
Clear and cold. "Juicy" went into Dunkirk to
lunch with a friend who is in the way of becom-
ing interpreter between the French and English
forces. I should like very much to have "Juicy"
given an opportunity in this branch of service,
as I am sure he would do it very well, although
he does not speak or understand English per-
fectly. He knows quite enough, from my point
of view, to be most useful,  and in addition, he
knows perfectly every different  branch of the
French service. To-day they put all clocks one
hour ahead for "daylight saving."


                              sJWarch n
Clear and not quite  so cold. Having  nothing
better to do, in my idleness, I decided to take my
letters, to  be mailed to the United States, into 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    181
Dunkirk myself and drop them in the letter box
(which is impossible here, as there is no box for
stamped letters), and so save perhaps one day
and perhaps connect with an earlier steamer.
Walked back most of the way from Dunkirk, and
arrived here in time for lunch. Walked on the
beach with "Juicy" in the afternoon in beautiful
spring weather.

                              <JMarch  12
Clear and cool. "Juicy" and I went into  Dun-
kirk this morning to  do a little shopping. Stayed
there for lunch, and in the afternoon went out
in a submarine chaser with a friend who is in
the French  navy. It was very much like those
that we built at home last winter, but not quite so
good in some respects and not so fast. We walked
back here most of the way. A very fair way of
spending the idle day. Although very dark, with
no moon, to-night, the airplanes  are about their
dirty business.

                               zJMarch 13
 Clear and cold. I have decided that it would be
polite to  visit the commanding  officers of our 
 182             JOURNAL
 army corps, and as to-morrow is my last day of
 service, "Juicy" and I are to make the round of
 visits in a nearby town this morning, and after-
 wards  take lunch with our friends of the popote
 we were  with  in December, and who happen
 to be in the same town as the officers we are to
 visit. We were extremely politely  received on
 our visits and are invited to lunch to-morrow by
 General Arnaud. We lunched with our former
popote  friends, and as usual their food was far
 better than can be had at any other popote. At
 dinner at our popote they had a surprise song for
 me, with kind words about America; the music
 being of a French song bought by my friend
 the priest, and  the words written  by "Juicy."
 I thought it very friendly of them to take the
 trouble to prepare the surprise for me. Thick fog
 to-night.

                              zJMarch 14
 Cloudy and damp.  Appeared on time at the
 office of General Arnaud, who was to take us to
pay a visit on General Nollet, commanding the
army corps of this region. General Nollet  was
most polite and invited us to dine to-night with 
        OF A  CANTEEN  WORKER     183
him, hearing that it was my last night in these
parts. Naturally it was for us to accept his in-
vitation, although it obliged me to  miss my last
evening at our popote. After our visit to the Gen-
eral, we went as arranged yesterday, to lunch
with General Arnaud. Here there were fourteen
at lunch and it was very pleasant  and  cordial,
and as usual I toasted the French  army. After
lunch, as our plans had to be changed on account
of our dining to-night with the General, we were
sent to Zuydschoote in the automobile of Gen-
eral Arnaud, who was kind enough to put his
car at our disposal for the afternoon. After pack-
ing my outfit, I said good-by with the greatest re-
gret to my friend the priest, as we  had  decided
it would be more practical to spend  the night at
Dunkirk, since I was to take the early train for
Paris to-morrow. So here we are again, spend-
ing  the night where we did almost six months
ago, and my Red Cross service  behind me in-
stead of ahead. We had a most interesting time
at our dinner with General Nollet, and I could
not have asked for anything more  complimen-
tary .There were at dinner as guests only "Juicy,"
General Arnaud, the chief of staff,  and myself. 
184             JOURNAL
I sat on the right of the General, and in every
way they made it clear to me that the dinner
was given in my honor. Both of the  Generals
separately told me  that they wished me to be
given the Croix de Guerre, and told me so very
prettily. The final word, in my case, has to come
from the French General Headquarters. This
they had hoped to receive to-day, but it did not
arrive. If there should be no  long delay in the
proceedings, I may possibly expect to receive the
Croix de Guerre before I leave Paris for home,
but it will probably be much later. At any rate,
it is their desire that I should have it, and that
is the main thing. The treatment that I received
to-night has, for me, made all my endeavors of
the past six months seem very well worth while,
and I am entirely content.

                              zJMarch 13
Clear and  cold. Although clear  all night, the
airplanes made no raid of Dunkirk last night and
we were left quiet to sleep. Took the ten o'clock
train for Paris, the good "Juicy" looking after
all my arrangements for me just like a first-class
"courier." Arrived a little late, but by very good 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER    185
luck got something to eat, and a room with a
bath!
                              zJMarch  16
Cloudy and cool. Went at once to the Red Cross
building and got a goodly number of letters
from  home. Made my report to my Canteen
Department, which naturally mentioned that I
had been  proposed for the Croix de Guerre.
They were delighted, and when I returned to
the office after lunch I received many congratula-
tions. Am dining to-night at Bill}' Patten's apart-
ment.  Met Dr. Morton  Prince in the street,
who  is here with  the Louis Frothinghams to
open  a casualty bureau for the Massachusetts
troops.
                              zJMarch iy
 Beautiful spring day. Went to lunch at Voisin's,
where Charles Curtis also turned up  and we
 lunched together, and arranged to dine together
 to-morrow night. After lunch I went to a rather
 pretty, very light, opera at the Theatre Femina.
 Am  dining to-night  again  at Billy  Patten's
 apartment. Very pleasant dinner and home to
 bed early. 
186             JOURNAL
                             ^JMarch 18
Spring weather continues. "Juicy" turned up
at my room this morning. There is nothing for
him to do where we have passed the last month,
so he came down to Paris for a few days, and
I hope that he will take  me later in the week
and introduce me to his mother. He lunched with
me  at Voisin's restaurant. After  lunch I went
to the Red Cross building and heard an inter-
esting talk  from H.  P. Davison, who is the head
of the entire American Red Cross and  has just
come from America. To-night Charles Curtis
and I dine together.


                             zJWarch ig
Showery and cooler. "Juicy" turned up at the
hotel early and we did a little shopping and then
went  and  had our  photograph taken together
and separately. Lunched with Templeman Cool-
idge.  "Juicy" has  invited me to go to visit at
his mother's house at  Ay,  Champagne, and I
should like very much to spend a day or two
there, but  fear that it will be difficult for me to
get  the necessary papers of permission (as Ay 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    187
is in the war zone), especially as I have no valid
reason for going.

                             zJMarch 20
Day started in cloudy and cool, but with signs
of clearing. "Juicy" called for me and we went
to see about my papers of permission in the
matter of my proposed  visit to his mother. It
will be difficult, and already we are delayed be-
yond our original plans. "Juicy" lunched with
me, and I am having him for lunch again to-
morrow. Went to call on the Louis Frothing-
hams in the late afternoon and am dining with
them on Friday. Dined with Charles Curtis.

                             <zJMarch 21
Fine cool day. "Juicy" and  Fithian (head of
the American Red Cross Canteen Department)
lunched with me and after lunch I took " Juicy"
to " La Boheme," nicely given at the Ope>a Co-
mique.  Dined alone.

                              zJMarch 22
Another fine spring day. "Juicy" came to join
me at lunch. Dined with  the Louis Frothing- 
188             JOURNAL
hams, and just as we were about finishing din-
ner the air-raid warning was  sounded and we
had to quit, as all the lights were turned off. I
took Mrs. Morton Henry (who was also at the
dinner) to her hotel just around the corner, and
we there joined the other guests in the cellar of
the hotel. It was not an affair  of long waiting,
as the planes did not come as far as over  Paris,
but the Parisians had to be warned in time to
be prepared in case they did reach the city.


                              <JMarch 23
Very warm and clear. A little  after  nine this
morning the air-raid warning was again given.
"Juicy," always at my request and very appre-
ciative, came to lunch with me. The signal that
the air raid was over was not given until after
four o'clock, but during all that time everything
went on pretty much as usual, and the  raid, if
such it could possibly be called, was certainly not
noticeable in the part of Paris that I spent my
day  in. Beautiful day and every one out walk-
ing in the Champs Elysees. I have heard to-night
that Paris has not  been raided by  airplanes 
OF A  CANTEEN WORKER    189
to-day, but, incredible as it sounds, that it was
actually a bombardment from some very high-
powered  gun, which must be able to carry about
seventy miles, as that is about the nearest point
in the  German lines from Paris.

                              zJMarch 24
Another  perfect spring day. The warning siren
was again  blown this morning at about eight
o'clock and yesterday's performance is evidently
to be tried again to-day. "Juicy" turned up at
the usual hour and we lunched together. Al-
though the signal of danger is still in force, even
after dinner, the number of shots sent into Paris
to-day seems to me less than yesterday, and since
noon I have heard no noise whatever.  I have
yet to be persuaded as to the real source from
which the shells came, that have fallen in Paris.

                              zJMarch 23
 Perfect weather continues. "Juicy" turned  up
 about noon and we both lunched with Tem-
 pleman  Coolidge, who very kindly invited  us.
 We have not heard much from the very foolish 
190
JOURNAL
bombardment of Paris since nine o'clock this
morning, and absolutely everything is going on
as usual to-day in the city. The probabilities of
my getting the necessary pass to visit "Juicy's"
family are very slight indeed,  so he is going
there himself to-morrow.

                              <JMarch 26
Much cooler to-day, but fine. "Juicy" went this
morning to join his mother, but I could not go
because of the question of a  pass. Met Stewart
Forbes on the street and we lunched together.
Dined  with Charles Curtis and went to the the-
atre afterwards. No alarms to-day.

                              <JMarch 2 J
Rather cold  and hazy.  I really  miss young
"Juicy," since he has gone to see his mother at
Ay, and lunched alone wishing he were here to
keep me company. Passed a very quiet day.

                              zJMarch 28
Cool and  partly cloudy. Went to a very funny,
naughty play at the Bouffes Parisiennes this after- 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER   191
noon. Dined with Hugh Scott and a very pleas-
ant man, Fosburg, and offered my services at the
railroad stations for any one who needed any-
thing of that sort. Not  necessary to-night.

                             <tJMarch 2g
Warm and rainy, but cleared off by noon. Went
to the office of the steamboat  company to find
out anything new about sailings, and learn that
the steamer that  I expect to take will not sail
until the 20th, instead of the 13th as I had hoped.
Very much disappointed. I may try to go on
an inferior boat earlier if I can get accommo-
dations. Dined with the Louis Frothinghams.
The  mysterious gun has again this afternoon
dropped some shells in  Paris.

                             <zJMarch 30
Cloudy and cool. The gun is again at work this
morning. Turned soon into a rainy day. Went to
see about  possible accommodations on steamer
sailing April 13, with Mrs. Frothingham (Louis
Frothingham is away for a day  or two), who
has been consigned to my care. Given a very hand- 
192             JOURNAL
some lunch by some of my Red Cross friends.
It seems that "Juicy" has returned to Paris and
came to see me to-day, but I was out. He is
coming again to-morrow morning.


                              zJMarch 31
Clear and  not  cold. "Juicy" turned up this
morning and  tells me that, if possible for her,
his mother is coming to Paris to see me, as I can-
not get the pass to get to her. "Juicy," Charles
Curtis, and I lunched together, and then Charles
and  I  went to  the theatre. The theatre was
packed with people, and when the first act was
about over the long-distance gun began to fire;
it was very plainly heard in the theatre. I would
have supposed that a crowd of French people at
a theatre would become rather panicky on such
an occasion, but not at all.  In whispers and in
signs to each other they prevented any disturb-
ance and the act was continued without inter-
ruption. It is a rule now that if the long-distance
gun begins to  fire before the hour of the matinee
performances there shall be no performance. Be-
tween the  first and second act one of the actors 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     193
came  before the curtain and said that  he was
obliged by the authorities to tell us what we had
plainly heard, which was that the gun had begun
to fire, and that if anvbody wished to leave the
theatre, this was the best opportunity. Not a soul
left his seat. After the theatre we walked up the
boulevard, and the crowds were so dense that we
were  obliged to walk in the  street to make any
real progress, it being Easter Sunday.


                                zsfpril I
Partly cloudy, but not cold. "Juicy" came to
see me  in the morning to tell me that, if possi-
ble, his mother expects to come into Paris on
Wednesday afternoon, and I shall certainly be
most pleased to see her. I was invited to lunch
at Mr. Fithian's  apartment, where he had, be-
sides his wife, my friend Mr. Pomeroy and his
wife  and two other guests. It was a very pleas-
ant party and I  was very glad  to  meet Mrs.
Fithian and Mrs. Pomeroy  (Fithian and Pom-
eroy are the Paris heads of the Department of
Canteens at the Front). I was given the seat of
honor at Mrs. Fithian's right and  Mrs. Pom- 
 194             JOURNAL
 eroy sat on my other side. Really Fithian has
 been most polite to me. Dined with Frank Blake
 and Richmond  Fearing. The gun fired a few
 shots again to-day into Paris.

                                tsfpril 2
 Partly cloudy and cool. The air-raid signal was
 given last night at about  three o'clock, but  if
 any bombs were dropped,  they must have been
 far away from me as I did not hear them. The
 anti-aircraft guns were fired for quite a while.
 "Juicy" came at 11 o'clock and Dr. Vitou's
 brother, by appointment, and  I  gave them  a
 lunch. As, in  these times, it may take my bag-
 gage three or four days to reach Bordeaux, I
 have about decided to leave Paris for Bordeaux
 on  Monday next, as my steamer is expected to
 sail the following Saturday. Gun dropping a few
 shells into Paris to-day.

                                zSlpril 3
 Clear and mild. I am now very busy getting the
necessary papers  to go to  Bordeaux. "Juicy"
brought his mother in to see me this afternoon
and she was most polite and attractive. She came 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    195
from Ay, Champagne, for the purpose, and I
was very much pleased, as I wanted to see her,
but could not get the necessary papers to go to
Ay, which annoyed me not a little. Dined with
Billy Patten at his apartment. Just myself and
one other guest. Particularly pleasant time. The
big gun fired a few times to-day. We understand
that there were two of these long-range guns, but
one has burst.

                                ^April 4
Cloudy and cool. "Juicy"  turned up, and I
went to the office of the  French Line and took up
my ticket for my  state-room on the " Rocham-
beau," which is expected to sail on the 13th of the
month. The day turned out miserably rainy, and
there is not much to do here in such weather, as
all the places of entertainment are closed in the
afternoon for the present. Received this after-
noon a fine lot of home letters. Did not hear
from the long-distance gun to-day.

                                 z^April 3
 Cloudy, but trying to clear. Not  cold. Gave
lunch for Messrs.  Fithian,Pomeroy, and "Juicy " 
196             JOURNAL
and after lunch took most of my baggage to the
railroad station and checked it to Bordeaux, so
that it might surely be there when I arrive. It
really begins to look like going home!! No sound
from the long-distance gun to-day, which really
does not seem to disturb the people here very
much now.

                                <^/tpril 6
Fine, warm day. "Juicy," who is still out of a
job, came this morning and went with me to the
prefecture of police, where I had my passport
vised for Bordeaux. He then left me, as he was
not feeling well, having eaten too much rich food
while in Paris. He will probably be well by to-
morrow if he goes easy  to-day. I asked Tem-
pleman  Coolidge to lunch. Charles Curtis and
I dined together. One shot only to-day from the
long-distance gun.

                                ^April j
Fine spring day. "Juicy" lunched with me and
we went afterwards to a very good little show
at the Capucines. My young friend Vitou (the
brother  of Dr. Vitou) came to pay me a fare- 
       OF A CANTEEN WORKER    197
well visit, which was very polite, as he barely
knows me and his brother is now in Africa, so
did not tell him to come. Dined with Charles
Curtis and Ralph Preston. No sound from the
big gun to-day.

                                zsfpril 8
Partly cloudy and cool. Weather turns out badly
with continual rain. "Juicy" came after lunch
and we spent the rainy afternoon  at a moving
picture show. Very good. Went to bid my friends
at the Red Cross good-by. "Juicy,"  the faith-
ful, dined with me and saw me off on my train
for Bordeaux at 8.30. I shall never forget my
dear young friend, and feel that my whole work
in the Red Cross Canteen was cheered up and
made infinitely more pleasant in his company.


                                 ^April g
 Arrived at Bordeaux at 7 o'clock this morning,
 having spent as comfortable a time as possible
 on a train where you sit up all night. Looked
 about Bordeaux in the morning and lunched with
 the Louis Frothinghams. After lunch went with 
198             JOURNAL
them to see Dr. Washburn of the Massachusetts
Hospital Unit, who took us to see a large Amer-
ican Camp just outside of Bordeaux. I hope our
steamer may sail on Saturday, but probably there
will be some delay, as usual in these times. This
city is not like Paris in the way of luxury, but
I took my dinner at a very good restaurant, and
here, at night, everything is  lighted, which cer-
tainly is quite a change for me, as, where I have
passed the autumn and winter, not a light was
visible, and even in Paris the lighting at night
was very much reduced.

                               <>sLpril 10
Bright, beautiful day. Went  to steamship office
and found that the " Rochambeau" had arrived
at Bordeaux  last night, but they could  not tell
me just when she would sail  on her return trip.
I am quite ready as  soon as she is. This after-
noon I went out to see the American Base Hos-
pital outside of the city, at the invitation of Dr.
(now Major) Washburn, of the Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston,  and it was most in-
teresting. Certainly Washburn has done a splen-
did work, and I am  quite sure that  our other 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     199
American hospitals will find it difficult to install
their work on the high standard that he has set.
Asked the Louis Frothinghams to dine with me
at the restaurant that is the only really good one
here, and I enjoyed their company very much.

                               <tApril II
Fine  spring day. Went to the steamer office,
where they  say that the "Rochambeau"  may
sail Sunday or Monday. They generally are late
in starting and the" Niagara " (on which I could
not get  accommodation) only sailed last night,
or early this  (Thursday) morning. I went along
the water front to have a look at the " Rocham-
beau" and  found her still  unloading.  Asked
Charles Crehore to dine with me and had a very
pleasant evening. He is doing Red Cross work
here at  Bordeaux.

                               ^April 12
Beautiful day, almost hot, and the leaves on the
trees fully out and at their prettiest green. Went
to ask about the day of sailing and was told that
it would probably be late on Monday. Dined
with the Louis Frothinghams, and young Mrs. 
200             JOURNAL
William Wendell was there, who is sailing with
the rest of us on the " Rochambeau."

                              ^April 13
Partly cloudy and warm. Again I went to the
steamship office, and this time I was told that
passengers must be aboard at four o'clock Mon-
day afternoon. Let us hope that there may be no
further delay. Dined with Charles Crehore and
to bed early.
                              ^April 14
Rainy, disagreeable day. Trunks, etc., are to be
put aboard the ship to-morrow morning, I am
told. I am entirely ready! Went to a rather poor
revue at a  fairly large theatre this afternoon.
Rain has kept up all day. Dined with Joe Stevens
(who has just finished the same kind of Red Cross
service that I have done, and is sailing on the
" Rochambeau"), and am now ready to take my
belongings  to the steamer in the morning.

                              z^Ipril 13
Cloudy and cool. Took my baggage on board
after breakfast and  went aboard  myself after 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER     201
lunch. The ship is not yet unloaded and  there
are a good many German prisoners helping. I
understand now that all day to-morrow, at any
rate, we shall remain here tied up to the dock.
Have a seat at table with the Louis Frothing-
hams and Mrs. William Wendell, which is very
nice for me. As soon as my papers had been ex-
amined and passed, I changed my uniform for my
regular clothes—the first time I  have been out
of uniform for nearly eight months. I notice that
the "Rochambeau" is camouflaged, which is a
new idea for this line.

                               ^April  16
Cloudy and quite cold. The boat is still being un-
loaded, and we are told that we  shall not leave
the dock before to-morrow evening. Left theship
and lunched and dined ashore. This evening the
ship is being loaded. Very uninteresting having
to wait tied  up at the dock, but in these times
all the steamers  are delayed in sailing.  During
the daytime the work of unloading was done with
the assistance of the German prisoners, but at
night they are not seen.  Frenchmen take their
places. 
202             JOURNAL
                               ^April iy
Partly cloudy and cold. Went ashore for lunch
and back to the old ship. Things began to look
more promising in the way of loading, but at
dinner time they had not quite finished putting
the trunks aboard. Finally at nine o'clock (just
as it  was too dark to be able to see the big new
American docks which are being finished at Bor-
deaux) the lines were cast off and we actually
started down the river toward the coast.


                               zApril 18
Fine day. Early this morning we dropped anchor
at the mouth of the river and here we are. How
long we may remain here is the question. It cer-
tainly is a slow process getting away. Got away
from the river at five o'clock, after a short drill in
our life-preservers, only  to stop again when just
clear of the  land. About seven o'clock we had
a destroyer  alongside, and we  then proceeded
on our way. While we were at dinner we  had
our  first excitement. We heard two shots fired
from our ship, and immediately afterwards two
or three from our convoying destroyer. It seems 
        OF  A CANTEEN WORKER    203
that a submarine was seen close at hand. Almost
every one at dinner behaved remarkably well and
there was no sign of a panic. One or two people
lost their common sense, but it led to no disturb-
ance. We have been asked to sleep in our clothes
to-night, which is a very proper precaution. The
life-boats are hung over the side.

                                ^April ig
 Fine day.  North wind and a slight roll.  Per-
 fectly uneventful day. Still being convoyed by
 the destroyer. In  the  afternoon passed a  large
 convoy of transports bound east. Still are re-
 quested to sleep in our clothes. Run from yes-
 terday late in the afternoon, when we started on
 our way, until noon to-day was 255 miles.


                                z^fpril  20 ,
 Fine day, smooth sea, and fairly cool. Our de-
 stroyer convoy has  left us and turned back for
 France. The run to noon was 343 miles, and in
 the afternoon the life-boats were put back into
 the regular cradles on the upper deck. Sleep un-
 dressed to-night. 
204             JOURNAL
                               ^April 21
Day starts out fine and smooth, but rather cool.
Head wind. Quite a head sea this afternoon.
Were notified that there would be gun practice,
and the two stern guns each took a shot at a
barrel  that was thrown  overboard, but both
shots went wide of the mark. Quite amusing,
however. Run to noon 339 miles.

                               <>s4pril 22
Showery, but not cold. Passed a steamer going
west this morning. In the afternoon  passed a
three-masted schooner, reefed down close in the
strong  westerly squalls, bound  west. Run to
noon 315 miles.

                               <>s4pril 23
Cloudy and cold, sea  fairly calm. As day ad-
vances it turns rainy, with cross sea. Run to
noon 308 miles. Sighted nothing all day.


                               ^April 24
Cloudy, sea much calmer and not so cold. As
they do not publish the latitude and longitude 
        OF A CANTEEN WORKER     205
it is impossible to know where we are, but I am
satisfied in my mind that it is to be a long pass-
age. Cleared off beautifully at eleven o'clock.
The run to noon was only 294 miles.

                               ^April 23
Pleasant, calm day. Rather cold. In the morning
we overtook a fair sized  steamer  bound about
on our westerly course. Run to noon 321 miles.
Beautiful weather all day, getting rougher sea
toward sunset.

                                <tApril 26
Fine day. Strong westerly wind. Moderate sea.
Run to noon only 268 miles. In  the afternoon
a very confused sea, and the steamer is pitching
and rolling more than she has as yet during the
long, tedious trip. Continued rough all the even-
ing, but by bedtime the sea was calmer.

                                ^4pril 27
 Beautiful northwest day. Sea smooth.  Rather
cold. Run to noon to-day 262 miles. Sighted a
 steamer ahead this afternoon on  our starboard 
206             JOURNAL
bow, but she crossed our bow bound on a more
southerly course. They held the usual auction
sale and concert for the benefit of the wounded
soldiers to-night, and it passed the time (and
money) away very pleasantly.

                               <tApril 28
Good  day, not quite so smooth as yesterday,
but warmer. Easterly wind. About nine in the
morning we passed a steamer bound west, but
how we can pass anything is beyond my com-
prehension. Left Nantucket Lightship to star-
board  at half-past  ten. Run to noon 344 miles.
We should land in New York to-morrow morn-
ing, after sleeping  fourteen nights on the ship.
Took the pilot on  board at midnight.

                               z^April 2g
Very foggy. Found ourselves at Quarantine at
six in the morning. At about nine we proceeded
very slowly up the river  to  the dock of the
French line, and at twelve o'clock we got ashore,
thus finishing my journey, which I shall always
look back upon with the greatest satisfaction. 
APPENDIX 
 
            zAPPSNDIX

              From M. Fardet

                  Hopital Chirurg}cal mobile N° i
                               S.P. 21
Cher Monsieur
  Je me suis acquitte" avec grande joie de la mis-
sion que vous m'aviez confiee. Vous trouverez le
resultat ci-joint.
  Laissez-moi au nom de toutes ces families mes
compatriotes vous dire ma reconnaissance pour
le bien que vous leur avez procured Si vous aviez
pu voir la joie et la reconnaissance £mue de ces
families e"prouv6es vous en auriez ete emu.
  Mes sentiments les  meilleurs.
                                 P. Fardet

  J'attendais une occasion pour vous remettre
les dernieres lettres, n'en trouvant pas, j'attend
un peu. Je suis maintenant a l'hopital [erased
by censor\ plus pres de vous. 
210
APPENDIX
               Two Letters
 [Selectedfrom more than one hundred received]

                     I
                          Le Chesnay, z 3 X" 17
Monsieur et cher Bienfaiteur
   J'apprends avec une vive reconnaissance les
bienfaits dont vous me comblez mes enfants et
moi apres tant de malheurs et d'6preuves  l'in-
teret genereux que vous me temoignez me touche
tant.
   Cette somme de 200fs  va m'etre si utile  pen-
dant l'hiver. Pour  en  garder une partie  en
reserve je vais prendre un bon de  la  Defense
nationale a 6mois que je serais heureuse de trou-
ver un peu  plus tard et qui me  fera faire un
acte de bonne francaise.
   Je suis de Reims ou mon mari etait char-
pentier, ma maison  est en partie perdue demo-
lie par les obus, et mon cher mari  a 6t6 t\x6 le
14 9bre 1916 a Sailly-Sallisel, tout me manque a
la fois pour elever mes 3 filles; je suis refugiee ici
avec elles et ma mere, et j'ai trouve" du travail.
   J'ai raison d'avoir confiance en Dieu  puis-
qu'il me  permet que je rencontre un si excellent 
                APPENDIX            211
bienfaiteur, toute la famille prie le bon Dieu de
vous proteger et de vous rendre le bien que vous
nous fakes.
   Veuillez agreer  Monsieur mes profonds re-
spects et sincere remerciements
                         Ve Charles Camus
                         Rue de Versailles 53
                                 Le Chesnay
Le 22 Decembre 1917                Seine et Oise

                     II

                   Versailles le 2 3 Decembre 1917
Monsieur et Cher Bienfaiteur
   Au nom de ma  femme et de mes six enfants,
je nesaurais comment vous remercier delasomme
de deux cents francs que vous m'avez fait remet-
tre, car une somme semblable dans une famille
ouvriere permet de donner quelques douceurs a
ses chers enfants.
   Aussi prieront-ils tous 1'enfant Jesus dans sa
creche  pour leur bienfaiteur  anonyme, et pour
sa famille, que Dieu tant puissant leur accorde
sa benediction, et  aussi pour la grande nation
Americaine qui  nous envoie  ses fils,  pour sou-
tenir la cause  du droit et de l'humanite contre 
212             APPENDIX
les barbares sans foi, qui  tuent nos meres, nos
soeurs et nos enfants et brulent sans raison les
maisons de Dieu.
   Cher bienfaiteur, j'ai avec mon maigre sa-
laire de 5 francs par jour, eleve* septs enfants dans
la foi de  Dieu et l'amour de la  Patrie. Mon
fils aine* age" de 20 ans a donne" son sang pour  la
France. Sorti de l'ecole a l'age de 13 ans, il s'etait
mis au travail pour aider a Clever ses freres et
soeurs,  il etait employe de banque au moment
ou la France a eu besoin  de ses services.
   Maigre" son instruction,  tres e*le*mentaire a
force de travail il e*tait parvenu a  passer ses ex-
amens d'eleve officier; il etait recu le jour ou une
bombe de ces bandits, est venu le faucher avec
ses camarades au Chemin des Dames.
   Mon second fils age" de  18 ans egalement em-
ploye" dans une banque va partir avec la classe
prochaine pour venger  son frere bien aime\
   Mon troisieme fils, 16 ans se prepare a l'en-
seignement. Le quatrieme, 15 ans, se destine  au
commerce, tous font partie du Cercle Catho-
lique de Versailles. II me reste encore un  petit
garcon de 10 ans et deux petites  filles de 6 et 4
ans, qui vont en classe et qui j'espere suivront 
                 APPENDIX             213
le chemin de leurs aine"s; je les eleve dans la foi
Catholique pour en faire plus tard d'honnetes
hommes et de bons Francais.
   Pardonnez-moi, Cher Bienfaiteur, de m'eten-
dre aussi longuement sur ma famille, mais c'est
pour que vous sachiez qu'aucun d'eux ne vous
oublieront dans leurs prieres et  aussi la grande
nation Americaine qui vient au secours de notre
chere France, pour sortir avec tout ses vaillants
allies victorieuse de cette horrible guerre.
   Daignez, cher Bienfaiteur, agreer, avec mes
remerciements les plus sinceres, mon deVoue-
ment le plus respectueux.
                                   J. Morel
13 rue  {Montbauron 
 
FRANCE
LEGEND
—? SCALE IN ENGLISH MILES
■——— FRENCH FRONT IN SEPTEMBER1917
------ TRENCH FRONT IN NOVEMBER 1917
111II llllll BELGIAN FRONT
FROM NIEUPORT BAINS TO ST. GEORGES HELB
BY BRITISH IN ©CTOBERAND TAKEN OVER BY
FRENCH UN NOVEMBER
INUEUPORT
WM
'MDNS DE COXYTOE
.UYBCOOTE
E   L   G   I

O OOSTVLETEREN
♦ ^ OROUSBRUCGE
YPRE§ ®
X+ + ** + + + * 
 
 
 
 
D 640 S439j 1919




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