Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 234, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1917 — Extracts From Letter of French Ambulance Driver. [ARTICLE]

Extracts From Letter of French Ambulance Driver.

(Written by Alfred Thompson.) Sept. 24, 1917. Last night I heard someone playing the organ and it made me more homesick than anything since I left the United States. It sounded so beautiful. I walked over there and lad a very enjoyable time. We could not find the place at first and walxed in the wrong court yard, where we found an old, fine looking abbe who, kindly hobbled out to the road and showed us the way. He certainly seemed like a fine old man. Finally we found the place and went in. He was playing in a little old room about eight by twelve which served as his kitchen, bedroom, dining room and parlor. It was dark there except for a little bit of a gasoline light that he played by. He had a little old organ worked by the feet and he sat there, a little withered up old man of seventy-two with a long gray beard, and played the most beautiful music. It almost brought tears to my.eyes. He was an old soldier,.had

fought in the war of 1870 and had just escaped hanging by the Germans. Again in this war, when the Germans took this town, about three years ago, they starved him for five days. Think of that! They did not give him a bite for five days, and he an old man of seventy years, a noncombatant, and on the sixth day they »ave him a bit of soup. Can you Seat it? He played a long time, some, of the most beautiful French and German songs and finally “America.” I never heard it sound better, but it was probably because I was just in the mood. Wish you could Save seen that picture, a darkened little room, an old befit man of 72, playing an old organ with practically no light and four silent, enthralled listeners. You cannot imagine how you miss music until you have been out in a godforsaken wilderness where there is none for three months almost. I surely appreciated it. He talked French and German to us, being fluent in both. He told us a lot of interesting things about the Germans when they occupied this town. lam going back tonight an,d every other night we are here, as he is interesting to talk to and I love to hear his music.