Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1919 — From Hans to Bill [ARTICLE]

From Hans to Bill

Bill, olt bioneer, wegeetst. How plows dher vlnt in Hollant yetst? How vas your vinter’s pile of woot, unt dot exile life zozimleich goot? Dher gruel var vas ofer, Bill; no more we hear dher big guns roar, no more we hear dher pugle’s blasht —she quit shust like you salt she woult, we beat dem. Bill, at lasht. Yah, Bill, dher last ten miles we run we beat dem sex, dhose sons ofe guns, Bill, if you coult been here now you’t be surbrised, I bet. Dher vaterland don’t seem some more shust like dher olt blace yet. Mlt English soltiers on dher streetds, mit dher Frenchman’s parlewo, mit dher Yanks a possing me arount I don’t know vat to do. If I enshoy some little shpree unt maype shood me off my moud, dher Tommy puts my stomjack py his bayonet unt say “Hans Pefler, cut dot oud.” It I sing “Hi-le-hi-lo” aber dher “Wacht-Am-Rhine,” dher poily shentarme say “Move on, Hans,’’ and dher Yank he kicks my shpine. Bill, if your heat all vaSser vas, your stomjack all prine, like dher sea, you coult not veep haif enough vor what you hafe dit to me. Yah, Bill, if you coult veep like dher vomans veep—if your dears coult flow forefer, like dher Rhine, you coult nefer adone for what you hafe dit to lant dhose kicks on my shpine. It woult pe such a glory vor me to tie in a fair unt shquare fight, vor dot “mofe on, Hans,” unt dhose kicks on m,y bants are gedding my goats—lm shust apoud puckhouse tonighd. I vish somepoty hit me py dher heat mit dher gasblpe—l hobe I vas deat unt ashleeb mit dher poys on dher hillsites ofe France. It vas besser, I belief, den to hear efery tay dot “mofe on” vrom dher poily shentarme lint to hafe dher Yanks kicking ms bants. I vas writing more in sorrow as in anker, Bill, dere vas no room in my posom vor hate, I shwear, but ven I see dher glory dot hafe flet vrom dher vaterlant it vas more as I can bear. Dot’s vy I hafe such a craziness, dot’s vy I was hiting dher pooze since dher var. S- 8.