North Carolina Newspapers

POLK COUNTY NEWS, TRYON, N. 0. mrKdVED umrovf ihterkatiorai By An American Arthw Guj Empey Soldier Who Went Machine Gunner, Serving in France Copyright im, by Arthur Ony Kmpy (By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D.' IX. Teacher of English Bible in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.) (Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.) LESSON FOR AUGUST 11 smraooi lesson CHAPTER XXVI Continued. 25 The presence of the R. A. M. C. men fid not seem to disturb the raiders, be- n munv a IrtVo mario In nn n n pr. tone, was passed along the winding column, as to who would be first to take a ride on one of the stretchers. This was generally followed by a wish that, if you" were to be the one, the wound would be a "cushy Blighty The stretcher bearers, no doubt. Imping that, if they did have to carry anyone to the rear, he would be small and light. Perhaps they looked at me wfeen wishing, because I could feel an mwomfortable, boring sensation be tween my shoulder blades. They got their wish all right. Coins up this trench, about every sixty yards or so we would. pass a lone ly sentry who in a whisper would wis to "the best o' luck, mates." We would blind at him under our breaths ; that Jonah phrase to us sounded very Without any casualties the minstrel troop arrived ' at Suicide ditch, the front-line trench. t Previously, a wiring party of the Royal Engineers had cut a lane through our barbed wire to en able as to get out into No Man's Land. CrawQng through this lane, our party of twenty took up an extended order formation about one yard apart. We had a tap code arranged for our movements -jvhlle in No Man's Land, Because for various reasons It Is not aafe to oarry on a heated conversation a few yards in front of Fritz' lines. The officer was on the right of the Vne, while. I was onv the extreme left. Two taps t from the -right would be passed down the line until I received them, then I would send back one tap. The officer, In receiving this one tap. would know that his order had gone 4owa the whole line,' had been under stood, and that the party was ready to obey the two-tap signal. Two taps meant that we were to crawl forward slower and believe me, very slowly for fire yards, and then halt to await farther Instructions. Three taps meant, when you arrived within striking dis taste of the German trench, rush it and inflict as many casualties as pos aQde, secure a couple of prisoners, and then back to your own lines with the apeed efutch open. Four taps meant. " have gotten you Into a position from which It is impossible for me to extri cate you, so you are on your own." After getting Tommy Into a mess on the western front he is generally told that he is "on his own." This means, "Save your skin in any way possible." Tonnny loves to be "on his own" behind the lines, but not during a trench raid. The star shells from the German Bhey were falling In front of us, there fore we were safe. Aftef about twen ty minutes we entered the star shell aone. A star shell from the German Bnes fell about five yards in the rear and to the right of me ; we hugged the croaad and held our breath until it twined out. The smoke from the star shell traveled along the ground and crossed over the middle of our line. Some Tommy sneezed. The smoke had &ten up his nose. We crouched on 33a- ground cursing the offender under nreath, and waited the volley that Sfoerally ensues when the Germans Hare henrd a nnlco In Kn rn'c l onil I Xbrhfng- fcappened.f. We received two taps and crawledforward slowly for Shre yards; no doubt the officer be ttered what Old Pepper had said, "Per aeaally 1 believe that that part of the Gernao trench is unoccupied." By be has careful, and remaining motionless when the star shells fell behind us, we leached the German barbed wire w I th orn nais&ap. Then the fun began. I was scared stiff as It is ticklish work euttfng your way through wire when about thirty feet in front of you there is a line of Boches looking out into No Han's Land with their rifles lying across the' parapet, straining every senseto see or hear what is going on fa Ko Man's Land; because at night. Frits never knows when a bomb with his name and number on it will come hartling through the air aimed in the Erection of Berlin. The man on the right, one man in the center and my eif on the extreme left were equipped with, wire cutters. These are insulated with soft rubber not because the Ger- wires are charged with electricity. to prevent the cutters rubblne against the barbed wire stakes, which .are of iron, and making a noise which may warn the Inmates of the trench that someone is getting fresh aa their lront yard. There is only one ly to cut a barbed wire without noise through costly experience Tommy become an expert in doing this. must grasp the wire about two xrora the stake in your rieht .and cut between' the stake and hand. Xf yon, cut a wire improperly, a iwang win ring out on the nicht air like the snapping of a banjo .string. Perhaps this noise can be heard only for fifty or seventy-five paras, but in Tommy's mind it makes land noise in Berlin. TFe had cut a lane about halfway through the wire when, down the cen ter of our line, twang! went an Im "periy cut wire. We crouch - ", m Bauer our breath, trembling all our kopi 'scerated from the strands of the cut barbed wire on the ground, waiting for a challenge and the Inevitable volley of rifle fire. Noth ing happened. I suppose the fellow who cut the barbed wire Improperly was the one who had sneezed about half an hour previously. What we wished him would never make his new year a happy one. The officer, in my opinion, at the noise of the wire should have given the four-tap signal, which meant, "On your own. get back to your trenches as quickly as possible," but again he must have relied on the spiel that Old Pep per had given us in the dugout, "Per sonally I believe that that part of the German trench is unoccupied." Any way, we got careless, but not so care less that we sang patriotic songs or made any unnecessary noise. During the Intervals of falling star shells we carried on with our wire cut ting until at last we succeeded in get ting through the German barbed wire. At this point we were only ten feet from the German trenches. If we were discovered, we were like rats in a trap. Our way was cut off unless we ran along the wire to the narrow lane we had cut through. With our hearts in our mouths we waited for the three tap signal to rush the German trench. Three taps had gotten about halfway down the line when suddenly about ten to twenty German star shells were fired all along the trench and landed in the barbed wire In rear of us,turn ing night into day and silhouetting us against the wail of light made by the flares. In the glaring light we were confronted by the following unpleasant scene. All along the German trench, at about three-foot Intervals, stood a big Prussian guardsman with his rifle at the aim, and then we found out why we had not been challenged when the man sneezed and the barbed wire had been Improperly cut. About three feet in front of the trench they had con structed a single fence of barbed wire and we knew our chances were one thousand to one of returning alive. We could not rush their trench on ac count of this second defense. Then -J ln -Blighty." In front of me the challenge, "Halt," given in English rang out, and one of the finest things I have ever heard on the western front took place. From the middle of our line some Tommy answered the challenge with, "Aw, go to h 1." -It must have been the man who had sneezed or who had Improperly cut the barbed wire; he wanted to show Fritz that he could die game. Then came the volley. Ma chine guns were turned loose and sev eral bombs were thrown in our rear. The Boche in front of me was looking down his sight. This fellow might have, under ordinary circumstances, been handsome, but when I viewed him from the front of his rifle he had the goblins of childhood imagination rele gated to the shade. Then came a flash In front of me, the flare of his rifle and my head seemed to burst. A bullet had hit me on the left side of my face about half an inch from my eye, smashing the cheek bones. I put my hand to my face and fell forward, biting the ground and kicking my feet. I thought I was dy ing, but, do you know, my past life did not unfold before me the way it does in novels. The blooa'was streaming down my tunic, and the pain was awful. When I came to" I said lo myself, "Emp, old boy, j you belong., in Jersey City, and you'd better get hack there as quickly as possible, The bullets were cracking, overhead. I crawled a few feet back to the Ger man barbed wire, and in a stooping po sition, guiding myself by the wire, I went down the line looking for the lane we had cut ' through. Before reaching this lane I came' to a limp form which seemed like a bag of oats hanging over the wire. In the dim light I could see that its hands were blackened, and knew it was the body of one of my mates. I put my hand on his head, the top of which had been blown off by a bomb. My finjrerg gank uto the hole. I pulled my hand back full of blood and brains, then I went crazy with fear and horror and rushed along the wire until I came to our lane. I had Just turned down this lane when something inside of me seemed to say, "Look around." I did so; a bul let caught me on the left shoulder. It did not hurt much, just felt as if some one had punched me in the back, and then my left side went numb. My arm was dangling like a rag.,- I fell forward In a sitting position. But all the fear had left me and I was consumed with rage and cursed the German trenches. With my right hand I felt In my tunic for my first-aid or shell dressing. In feeling over my tunic my hand came in contact with one of the bombs which I carried. Gripping it, I pulled the pin out with my teeth and blindly threw it towards the German trench. I must have been out of my head, because I was only ten feet from the trench and took a chance of being mangled. If the bomb had failed to go Into the trench I would have been blown to bits by the explosion of my own bomb. By the flare of the explosion of the bomb, which luckily landed In their trench, I saw one big Boche throw up his arms and fall backvards, while his rifle flew Into the air. Another one wilted and fell forward across the sandbags then blackness. Realizing what a foolhardy atfd risky thing I had done, I was again seized with a horrible fear. I dragged myself to my feet and ran madly down thel lane through the barbed wire, stum bling over cut wires, tearing my uni form, and lacerating my hands and legs. Just as I was about to reach No Man's Land again, that same voice seemed to say, "Turn around." I did so, when, "crack," another bullet caught me, this time in the left shoul der about one-half inch away from the other wound. Then it was taps for me. The lights went out. When I came to I was crouching In a hole in No Man's Land. This shell hole was about three feet deep, so that It brought my head a few inches below, the level of the ground. How I reached this hole I will never know. German "typewriters" were traversing back and forth in No Man's Land, the bul lets biting the edge of my shell hole and throwing dirt all over me. Overhead shrapnel was bursting. I could hear the fragments slap the ground. Then I went out once more. When I came to everything was silence and darkness in No Man's Land. I was soaked with blood and a big flap from the wound In my cheek was hang ing over my mouth. The blood run ning from this flap choked me. Out of the corner of my mouth I would try and blow it back, but ,it would not move. I reached for my shell dressing and tried, with one hand, to bandage my face to prevent the flow. I had an awful horror of bleeding to death and was getting very faint. You would have laughed if you had seen my ludicrous attempts at bandaging with one hand. The pains In my wounded shoulder were awful and I was getting sick at the stomach. I gave up the bandaging stunt as a bad Job, and then fainted. When I came to, hell was let loose. An intense bombardment was on, and on the whole my position was decided ly unpleasant. Then, suddenly, our barrage ceased. The silence almost hurt, but not for long, because Fritz turned loose with shrapnel, machine, guns, and rifle fire. Then all along our Hue came a cheer and our boys came over the top In a charge. The first wave was composed of "Jocks." They were a magnificent sight, kilts, flapping in the wind, bare knees showing, and their bayonets glistening. In the first wave that passed my sWell hole, one of the "Jocks," an immense fellow, about six feet two Inches in height jumped right over me. On the right and left of me several soldiers In colored kilts were huddled on the ground, then over came the second wave, also "Jocks." One young Scottie, when he came abreast of my shell hole, leaped into the air, his rifle shooting out of his hands, landing about six feet In front of him, bayonet first, and stuck in the ground, the butt trembling. This Im pressed me greatly. (TO BE CONTINUED.) U-Boats Have Murdered Thousands. There is a danger lest familiarity, even with such a monstrous crime as unrestricted U-boat warfare, should breed indifference to its enormity, says an exchange. Therefore, it Is well to bear In mind that, except when the attack is made on fighting ships or transports carrying fighting men. the torpedoing of ships and sending men to their death far out at sea, is simply murder, unredeemed by any extenuat ing circumstances whatsoever. Just now great a bill of indictment is be ing drawn up by the German admiralty against Itself Is seen In the statement given by the government leader In the house of commons, that up to Feb- Sary, 1918. the German U-boats had lied 14,120 noncombatant British irien, women and children. This, be It noted. Is exclusive of th murders done upon peoples of other nationalities. The Drawback. She His wife made a man of him. He Yes, but anybody that looks a him can tell it la a home-made Jib. HELPING OTHERS. LESSON TEXTS Luke 10:25-37; Galv tiana 6:1-10. , GOLDEN TEXT Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatlans 6:2. DEVOTIONAL READING Galatlans 8: 25-6:10. PRIMARY LESSON MATERIAL Luke 10:25-57. INTERMEDIATE. SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIO-Who needs our help, and how can we best give it? ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Proverbs 17:17; Matthew 5:42; Romans 12:10-15; I Corinthians 13:1-13; I John 3:16-18. I. Being a Neighbor (Luke 10:30 37). The story of tht Good Samaritan is Christ's answer to the lawyer's ques tion: Who is our neighbor? He shifts the question so as to show that the supreme concern Is not who Is our neighbor, but whose neighbor am It If I am Christ's, my supreme concern will be to find those who have need that I may be a neighbor t them. If we love God supremely, we shall find all along life's highway souls who have been wounded and robbed by sin, whom we can love as ourselves. To be a neighbor is to 1. See those about ns who need help (v. 33). Love Is fceeu to discern need. Let us be on the lookout for those in need of our help. 2. HaW compassion on the needy (r. S3). Christ's pity was aroused as he came Into contact with those who were suf fering and In need. All those who Have his nature will be likewise moved. 3. Go to those in need (v. 34). Many ate willing to give money to help the poor and needy, but are un willing to personally minister to them. .Many times the personal touch Is more Important than the material aid. We should give ourselves as well as our money. 4. Bind up the wounds (v. 34). Many Indeed are the wounds today which need our attention. 5. Set the helpless ones on onr beasts while we walk (v. 34). This is a proof that tha love Is genu ine. Christians will deny themselves In order to have something to give to those who have need. This kind of sympathy Is greatly needed today. 6. Bring to the inn and take care of the unfortunate (r. 34). Genuine love does not leave Its serv ice incomplete. Much Christian serv ice Is spasmodic; helps once and then leaves a man to care for himself. 7. Gives money (v. 35). It costs a good deal to be a neigh bor. Love Is the most expensive thing in the world. It cost God his only Son; It cost Christ his life. May we go and do likewise I II. Living and Walking In the Spir it (Galatlans 6:1-10). Those who are freely Justified In Christ will conduct themselves as fol lows : 1. Restore the sinning brother (v. 1). Restore Is a surgical term which means the placing back of a dislocat ed member to Its place. We are mem bers of the body of Christ, and the sinning of a brother ought to as really give us pain as the dislocation of a member of our body. This service Is to be dono in the spirit of meekness, lest we also be tempted. 2. Bear one another's burdens (w. 2t4). Many are the burdens of life, bur dens of weakness, temptation, sorrow, suffering and sin. Christ is the su preme burden-bearer. When wo do this we fulfill the law of Christ 3. Bear our own burdens (v. 5). There are peculiar burdens Incum bent upon each one to bear. These burdens cannot be borne by others. .4. Support teachers of God's Word (vv. 6-8). It is Incumbent upon those who are taught in the Word of God to give of their means for the support of the teacher. To repudiate this obligation is. mockery of God, for he ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9 :14). 6. Be earnest In well-doing (v. 9). Some fall of the reward because they give up when the goal Is about to be reached. 6. Work for the good of all men (t. 10). The" one who Is free In Christ will have sympathies and interests as wide as the race. He will especially strive to help those who are members of Christ's body. True Service. There Is no service like his that serves, because he loves Sir Philip Sidney. Vaunteth Not Itself. Put a seal upon your lips, and for get what you have done. After you have been kind, after Love has stolen forth into the world and done Its beautiful work, go back Into the shade again, and say nothing, about It A Paradox. It is one of the happy paradoxes of spirit that without dependence ther can be no independence, and that pre Hsely in proportion to our faith will be our intellectual and moral activity. -Susan E. Blow. From the Bed Cross Bulletin, Issued at Washington, D. C July 8, the fol lowing article appears about the motor corps service: "More than six thousand women now are included In the personnel of the Red Cross motor corps service. As a result of a conference recently held in Washington at the call of the direc tor of the bureau of motor corps serv ice, the motor service in six of the principal cities of the country which previously ha1 been independent In Its organization, was amalgamated with the Red Cross corps. This makes the Red Cross motor corps service a thoroughly co-ordinated Institution, able to meet the local and lnter-local demands for transportation through out the length and breadth of the land on a nationalized basis. The organizations which have be come parts of the Red Cross motor corps service are the motor messenger service of Philadelphia, the National Service league motor corps of Atlanta, the National Service league motor corps of New York city and Buffalo, the emergency motor corps of New Orleans, and the emergency drivers of Chicago. All these organizations were represented at the conference by their commanding officers, who now become commanders of the Red Cross motor corps service in their respective titles. The four Independent services Georgette and Georgette crepe and satin have rivaled one another In afternoon gowns during the present summer, with georgette the choice a little more often than satin. But with summer on the wane, the indications are that satin will outstrip georgette and hold first place In fashion's favor. A lovely gown Is shown In the picture, in which these two beautiful materials have Joined forces to make a dress of wonderful distinction In which beige colored georgette and black satin are brightened with a beaded passe menterie. It is one of the new evo lutions that have come along In the train of slip-over garments. There are several features In this new model that will commend It to the woman who has present need of a new afternoon gown. We have come to the place where it goes without say ing that an afternoon gown will do .double duty as long as It survives the demands made upon It for both after noon and evening ; for it must take the place of evening gowns. To begin with the most essential of all things, this particular model has beautiful lines. It Is cut In an original manner with a narrow yoke and upper portion of the sleeves in one. The body of the gown hangs In straight lines from the yoke, to which it is attached with hem stitching. The lower part of the long flaring sleeve is joined to the up per portion In the same way. The lower part of the gown shows two wide bands of black satin, one of them set on to an undersllp of silk and the other to the georgette of the frock. Where these are joined two nar row bands of beaded trimming, In black and beige, make a very rich and effective finish. The sleeves are banded with this trimming at the hand. The undersllp is of beige col ored foulard, with a black scroll de sign In it, but plain foulard, or taffeta Is as good a choice for a gown' that is to do duty for evening wear. The narrow sash is of black satin and loops brer at the back, weighted at Cg j&swssswass Bl 'pi i 45 Assss8' ft fi li tH mri. v- C man six him, . to the motor corps raKk wmparat during which the National been in control of lK ! tor corps of the vhh,.." mot! 'eau i tant progress has been m 2 cacy and uniformity 0f toft and requirements h.., .... L 1 1 . . . "VVTI etn. . 1 ized SO that those nr ?t8: sincere in thtr "V,U8lfl in the service. T;r,(w existing a certified drlv In her nncHU comitiJ Ml In conformity with the re the war department the JS? khaki and the insignia forZ? ployed have been regulation uniform of the motor'Jj is to be of Rwi rw H Commanders will wear three ? diamonds, embroidered on their ? der straps. Captains win wea ! sliver diamonds, first lieutenants 1 and second lieutenants a gilt (W Pearl gray tabs on the collar win dicate staff officers. Sen-ice stri will be worn on .the sleeves. 51 The cars of the service are to distinguished by a white metal nant, bearing the red cross and a words "Motor Corps." This and ft driver's identification card vm k m .a. a. i . i sumciem 10 give tne cars the right way when on official business. Satin Join Forces U the ends with beaded tassels. A lut with black malines brim and Mai nsnnn vplvpt crown is noncommittal jis to whether it is a summer or wia- ter affair ; it belongs to either, ana a fine companion piece for the go - nf Rail. r rum vcnti j There is a best way of winding for knitting and that is the way t . ... , ...(nri from tm causes ine wooi w un,iuu thi roll a piece H ff ra nor T"rrr onH fl half Inches m by two Inches wide into a tube. ,ure off about eight inches of woo Krrin vlndin2 tcef UUU UCf,!" ui about the tube. When enougt) secured been wound to hold the tube tuck the eight-inch looe end compi iy mio one euu ui i"- cover this end in further winding. the other end may be covered. , A . . . , iht times ID Desi to wina six ur . direction before turning to nnnthpr dlrprtion. When the Sk completely wound tuck the ' well into the ball. Pull "Ut-tne bringing with It the long loose en knitting. If many balls are wood once or if a ball is not to be use mediately it is a good idea to the tube to remain in the ready for use. Darning Tip. , When underlaying and dara sleeve, where you are apt to ca under side of the sleeve, sup of stiff glazed paper into tne You can then work freely and .it that your needle will not catch w the paper. X Lace in Liberie. Lace is still much used In o gerie, and the finestof rea used with charming effect. well, too, and In these, days , try to huy with wisdom, we bit about the durability of oar m