Vi)h&t- Well Dressrf
SMMfSOIOOL
Lesson , ,
(By H. O. SELLERS, Acting Director or
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute, Chicago.)
TOP
Women Uill W
By Am American Arthur Guy Empey
SoldlierWIloWent Machine Gunner, Serving in France
fCoDvriht. 1918. Western NewasPaPer Union.)
C
LESSON FOR MARCH 24
Copyright 1917, by Arthur Guy Empey
: " " - I luvonvrn imiMBM INTERNATIONAL
- I w
"OVER
THE
EMPEY LEARNS HOW THE TOMMIES ARE FED IN THE
FRONT-LINE TRENCH AND BACK OF IT.
Synopsis. Fired by the sinking of the Lusitania, with the loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, an American living in Jersey City,
gos to England and enlists as a private In the British army. After a
short experience as a recruiting officer in London, he is sent to train
ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and
makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training
Empey's company is sent intothe front-line trenches, where he takes
his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whiz overhead.
J
CHAPTER VI. Continued.
After dinner I tried to wash out
the dixie with cold water and a rag,
and learned another maxim of the
trenches "It can't be done.,; I slyly
watched Mne of the older men from
another section, and was horrified to
see him throw into his dixie four or
fire double handfuls of mud. Then he
poured in some water, and with his
hands scoured the dixie inside and out.
I thought he was taking ah awful risk.
Supposing the cook should have seen
him ! After half an hour of unsuc
cessful efforts I returned my dixie to
the cook shack, being careful to put. on
the cover, and returned to the billet.
Pretty soon the cook poked his head
in the door and shouted: "Hey, Yank,
come out here and clean your dixie!"
I protested 'that I had wasted a half
hour on it already, and had used up
my only remaining shirt in the at
tempt. With a look of disdain he ex
claimed: "Blow me, your shirt! Why
in didn't you use mud?"
, Without a word in reply I got busy
wijthi the mud, and soon my dixie was
bright and shining. j
Most of, the afternoon was spent by
.the men writing letters home. I used
my spare time to chop wood for the
cook and go with the quartermaster to
draw coal. I got back just in time to
issue our third meal, which consisted
ct hot tea. I rinsed out my dixie and
returned it to the cookhouse, and went
hack to the billet with an exhilarated
feeling that my day's labor was done.
I had fallen asleep on the straw when
oce again the cook appeared in the
door of the billet with : "Bime me, you
.Tanks are lazy. Who in atgoin to
draw the water for the mornip.' tea?
Do you think I'm a-goin' to? Well,
rm not," and he left. I filled the dixie
with water from an old squeaking well,
and once again lay down in the straw.
CHAPTER VII.
Rations.
Just dozing off ; Mr. Lance Corporal
butted In.
In Tommy's eyes a lance corporal is
e degree below a private. In' the
corporal's eyes he is one degree above
a general.
He ordered me to go with him and
help him draw the next day's rations,
also told me to take my waterproof.
Every evening, from each platoon or
nachlne-gun section, a lance corporal,
and private go to the quartermaster
sergeant at the company stores and
draw rations for the following day.
The "quarter," as the quartermaster
sergeant is called, receives dally from
the orderly rbom (captain's office) a
isHp showing the number of men en
titled to rations, so there is no chance
f putting anything over on him. Many
arguments take place between the
"Quarter" and the platoon noncom, but
the former always wins out. Tommy
says the "quarter" got his job because
he was a burglar in civil life.
Then I spread the waterproof sheet
o the ground, while the quartermas
ter's batman dumped the rations on It.
The corporal was smoking a fag. I
carried the rations back to the btlleti
The corporal was still smoking a fag.
How I envied him. But when the Issue
commenced my envy died, and I real
ized that the first requisite of a non
commissioned officer on active service
is diplomacy. There were 19 men in
our section, and they soon formed a
semicircle around us after the corporal
had called out, "Rations up."
The quartermaster sergeant had
given a slip to the corporal on which
was written a list of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor, using a wooden box
as a table, the issue commenced. On
the left of the corporal the rations
were piled. They consisted of the fol
lowing :
Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf
of a different size, perhaps one out of
the six being as flat as a pancake, the
result of an army service corps man
placing a box of bully beef on it dur
ing transportation.
Three tins of jam, one apple and the
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all dif
ferent sizes.
A piece of cheese in the shape of a
wedge.
Two one-pound tins of butter.
A handful of raisins.
A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls
them "jaw breakers."
A bottle of mustard pickles.
The "bully beef,,? spuds, condensed
milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono
chie rations" (a can filled with meat,
vegetables and greasy water), had been
turned over to the company cook to
make a stew for next day's dinner. He
also received the tea, sugar, salt, pep
per and flour.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then in a slow, mystified
voice he read out, "No. 1 section, 19
men. Bread, loaves, six." He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in a musing
voice :
"Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see,
that's three in a loaf for fifteen men
well, to make it even, four of you'll
have to muck in on one loaf."
The four that got stuck made a howl,
but to no avail. The bread was dished
out. Pretty soon from a far corner of
the billet, three indignant Tommies ac
costed the corporal with:
"What do you call this, a loaf of
bread? Looks more like a sniping
plate."
The corporal answered:
"Well, don't blame me, I didn't bake
It; somebody's got to get it, so shut
up until I dish out these blinkln ra
tions." Then the corporal started on the
jam.
"Jam, three tins apple one,' plum
two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six
in a tin makes twelve men for two tins,
seven in the remaining tin."
He passed around the jam, and
there was another riot. Some didn't
like apple, while others who received
plum . were partial to apple. After a
while differences were adjusted and
the issue went on.
"Bermuda onions, seventeen."
The corporal avoided a row by" say
ing that he did not want an onion, and
I said they make your breath smell, so
I guessed I would do without one too.
The corporal looked his gratitude.
"Cheese, pounds, two."
" "
j The corporal borrowed a jackknlfe
corporals are always borrowing), and
. - I- . ' .it I kutnrr.
sliced the cheese eacn - slicing unk
ing forth a pert remark from the on
lookers as to the corporal's eyesight.
"Raisins, ounces, eight.'
By this time the corporal's nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for "duff" (plum pudding).
This decision elicited a little "grous
ing," but quiet was finally restored.
"Biscuits, tins, one."
With his borrowed jackknlfe, the
corporal opened the tin of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselves no
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy Is "fed up" with biscuits.
"Butter, tins, two."
"Nine In one, ten in the other."
Another rumpus.
"Pickles, mustard, bottles, one."
Nineteen names were put in a steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only 18 names, as the winner is elimi
nated until every man in the section
has won a bottle.
The raffle Is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when it comes to
gambling with his rations.
At the different French estamlnets
in the village and at the canteens Tom
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and
pastry. Occasionally when he is flush,
he invests in a tin of pears or apri
cots. His pay is only a shilling a day,
24 cents, or a cent an hour. Just imag
ine, a, cent an hour for being under
fire not much chance of getting rich
out there.
When he goes Into the fire trench
(front line). Tommy's menu takes a
tumble. He carries in his haversack
what the government calls emergency
Or iron rations. They are not supposed
to be openel until Tommy dies of star
vation. They consist of one tin of
bully beef, four biscuits, a little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes (concentrated beef tablets).
These are only to be used when the
enemy establishes a curtain of shell
fire on the communication, trenches,
thus preventing the "carrying in" of
rations, or when in an attack a body
of troops has been cut off from its base
of supplies.
The rations are brought up at night
by the company transport. This Is a
section of the company In charge of
the quartermaster sergeant,' composed
of men, mules and limbers (two
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
my's wants while in the front line.
They are constantly under shell fire.
The rations are unloaded at the en
trance to the communication trenches
and are "carried in" by men detailed
for that purpose. The quartermaster
sergeant never goes into the front-line
trench. He doesn't have to, and I have
never heard of one volunteering to
do so.
The company sergeant major sorts
the rations and sends them in.
Tommy's trench rations consist of all
the bully beef he can eat, biscuits,
cheese, tinned butter (sometimes 17
men to a tin), jam or marmalade, and
occasionally fresh bread (ten to a
loaf). When it is possible he gets tea
and stew.
When things are quiet, and Fritz Is
behaving like a gentleman, which sel
dom happens. Tommy has the opportu
nity of making dessert. This is
"trench pudding." It is made from
broken biscuits, condensed milk, jam
a little water added, slightly flavored
with mud put into a canteen and
cooked over a little spirit stove known
as "Tommy's cooker."
(A firm in Blighty widely advertises
these cookers as a necessity for the
men in the trenches. Gullible people
buy them ship them to the Tommies,
who, immediately upon receipt of same
throw them over the parapet. Some
times a Tommy falls for the ad, and
uses the cooker in a dugout to the dis
gust and discomfort of the other oc
cupants.) This mess is stirred up in a tin and
allowed to simmer over the flames
from the cooker until Tommy decides
that it has reached sufficient (gluelike)
consistency. He takes his bayonet and
by means of the handle carries the
mess up in the front trench to cool.
After it has cooled off he tries to eat it.
Generally one or two Tommies in a
section have cast-iron stomachs and
the tin is soon emptied. Once I tasted
trench pudding, but only ence.
In addition to the regular ration Is
sue Tommy uses another channel to
enlarge his menu.
In the English papers a "Lonely
Soldier" column is run. This is for
the soldiers at the front who are sup
posed to be without friends or rela
tives. They write to the papers and
their names are published. Girls and
women in England answer them, and
send out parcels of foodstuffs, clga
rettes, candy, etc. I have known a
"lonely" soldier to receive as many as
five parcels and eleven letters in one
week.
Empey realizes; for the first!
time how death lurks in tr
trenches when a comrade fails
by his side. He tells about it In
the next installment.
Taking Provisions to the Fron
(TO BE CONTINUES.!
JESUS MINISTERING TO THE MUL
TITUDES. LESSON TEXT Mark 6:32-56.
GOLDEN TEXT The son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to minis
ter, and to give his life a ransom for
many. Matt. 20:28. , ,
DEVOTIONAL READING John 6:35-40.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACIfERS-Exodus 16:14-18; Matt. 25:31
46: Luke 4:16-21; James 1:27 Rev. 17.
PRIMARY TOPIC Jesus a helper at all
times.
MEMORY VERSE Be of good cheer.
It is I: be not afraid. Mark 6:50
INTERMEDIATE TOPIC Helping the
needy.
SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC (?)
This parable marks the high level of
the year of popularity in the life of
our Lord. It is such an important mir
acle as to be the only one recorded by
all four gospel writers. The returning
disciples (v. 31) are urged by the Mas
ter to come with him into a desert
place and rest and also that he-might
comfort their hearts over the death of
; John the Baptist. "They naa no
! . s
leisure." Jesus knew the neea ana
aiso the proper use of leisure, but the
multitude would not grant him this but
flocked to his retreat in the desert.
They followed that they might listen to
his gracious words, or behold some new
wonder, but Jesus also saw. and min
istered, (v. 24). Carlyle said he saw
In England "forty million people most-
j ly fools." Not so with Jesus; he saw
and was moved, not with sarcasm, but
with a compassion that took the form
of teaching (v. 34). It is better to
teach a man how to help himself than
j to help the man without the teaching.
We also infer that the soul of a man
is of more value than his body. It Is
not enough, however, to say "God bless
i you ; be warmed and fed," when a man
is hungry. Sympathy must Issue in action.
A Great Task.
John tells us of the conversation
with Phillip. Phillip lived in Bethsaida
nearby, but to feed this multitude was
too great a task, even with his knowl
( edge and resources (John 6 :5, 7) . Yet
! we need not be surprised at Phillip's
; slowness of faith. Moses in a similar
I case was once nonplussed as to how to
; feed the thousands in the wilderness
I (see Numbers 11:21-33). The centra)
fact concerns neither the need nor our
poverty, but the absolute surrender of
our all however little to God.
Another disciple, Andrew, who had
brought his brother, Simon Peter, to
the Savior, In his desperation found a
boy whose mother had thoughtfully
provided him with a lunch consisting
of five barley biscuits and two small
dried herrings (John 6:9). This is a
great commentary on the tide of Inter
est at this time that even this hungry
boy should have forgotten his lunch;
the circumstances emphasized the help
lessness of the disciples in order that
Jesus might show his power. His com
mand "Give ye them," (v. 37) teaches
us that we are to give what we have,
not to look to others, nor to do our
charity by proxy (Pro. 11:24, 25).
Again the Savior asks his disciples to
seek (v. 38) as though he would teach
them the boundless resources of his
kingdom. Give what you have and he
will bless and increase it to meet the
needs ot the multitude. The secret of
success points to the moment when he
took the loaves and looking up (to God
who also saw their needs), he blessed
it.
' Living Brcid.
This conservation process was a
stinging rebuke to the orientals, and Is
being emphasized in these days of food
conservation in connection with war
needs. Too long we have been prodigal
of God's marvelous bounties. God gives
us that we may use; and we lose it un
less it is shared. Jesus, the living
bread, (John 6:48) will satisfy hunger
ana give life. As bread generates in
the human body heat, energy, vitality
and power, so he will feed the hungry
souls of men. We have at hand the
Word. It is for lack of it that men die
In the deepest and truest sense of that
Word. The poverty and perplexity of
the disciples in the presence of similar
great need, is being repeated over and
over again, and yet how faithless it is.
We have not enough to feed the multi
tude. Our few loaves of comfort,
amusement, counsel, etc., will not sus
tain them In the present world's crisis ;
but when we break unto them the Uv
ing bread, it meets the deep hunger of
the human heart; and they will have
enough and to spare if they will only
eat It. In these days when the empha
sis Is being laid on material bread for
the sustenance of the , nation, there is
great danger lest we forget the neces
sity of breaking the living bread to the
starving multitudes of the world. We
must maintain the supremacy of the
spiritual, or lack the dynamic to pro
ride the material.
How true the words of the late Dr.
Maltbie Davenport Babcock:
Back of the loaf is the snowy flour-
Back of the flour the mill:
And back of the mill Is the wheat
And the showers, and the sun, '
And the Father's will.
The problem which the disciples
could not meet, Jesus discerned and
solved. As they co-operated with him
nd gave of that which he had first
Messed, each had a basketfull to take
iway and thus was well repaid for
'harms with the multitude.
SUITS THAT LOOK LIKE SPRING
styles.
Here is a group of suits for spring
that even the unpracticed eye at a
glance will perceive to be quite un
like the suits of yesterday. Their de
signers have wandered into green
fields and pastures new, , gathering
ideas, and are displaying the results
of their wanderings now In suits that
have many interesting style features.
They appear to have centered atten
tion on coats and to have agreed that
skirts shall be plain, hang straight, or
show a little narrowing toward the
bottom, and reach at least to the shoe
top.
In coats the most noticeable inno
vation is the uneven line at the bottom
of the coat skirt. There is only ah
occasional coat that is even at the bot
tom edge, but this variety is good
style always. Another new feature in
coats is the fitted-in lines at the back,
which are achieved by new methods of
cutting and shaping, that almost vie
with semifltted models in point of num
bers. There are many coats that fail
to close at the front, and some whose
only closing point is at the waistline.
These open models are worn with light
waistcoats in' some cases, or over
blouses that are glimpsed to the waist.
At the left of the picture a very
graceful and clever coat has pointed
fronts and its skirt is set on to a
Assortment
suits that every womar
satisfaction of satisfy
and, preferences wheni
lection.
The dressy, separate
umur a ntMurj ior use!;
its welcome every
great day is ushered it
Its rival, the sports si
moted it; success for
skirt of silk is sure and
there is no end to the vi
and color combinations a
thing of beauty this sp:
Two or three shades o!
- stripes and plaids, or con
contrasting colors, or co!
bars in black or white, It
signs as we find in gi;
the choice unlimited, but
have been developed into
tractive of the new skim
The season is dominr
styles, each with nianyr
Is the skirt laid in
waistline and the other
skirt. The plaited skin
as the tunic, but it is
ing, and may be fitted ri;
good style for women in
of their reckoning.
Tunics, like coats, an
even in length. They an
I Owl
cd i-
civ!
V'-' v
TUNIC SKIRT OF STRIPED SILK. I
draped and ln're the &
signer either slw,s r .
skirt shown :.i"' a A
Silk is so well managed ij
that the stripes run W
the front and ImrizonW")..
back. A feature to w f
disposition of mst of f
the tunic at the fr-nt oi
the sash of silk. '
in a bow of two e-
I lie J
ilk"1 I
Jouble-breasted body ending in a belt
across the front. There Is a little
ripple in the skirt of the coat, which
slopes upward from the front and
across the back. Some models of this
kind are very short at the back. The
collar and cuffs are of satin with white
polka dots and the skirt narrows to
ward the hem.
At the right of the picture the suit
)f serge maintains more mannish lines,
but reverses the order of things shown
in the other suit. Its coat slopes down
in a curved line across the back, and
fs one of the longest 'models shown.
It is worn over a low-cut vest of white
vmsh satin and has a satin overcollar.
The edges are bound with narrow silk
braid and strips of this braid, with
two bone buttons finish the cuff. The
skirt is plain . and hangs almost
straight.
Little sketches elsewhere in the pic
ture reveal the diversity of the new
silk used for the tunic i J
okac nd niel- A
i&itr icil oiuv -
a row of small, flat
together. The unders
;r- A"r..r;; 1.
narrow, mereiy
sewed together
three-inch hem
. fill IN
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