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"SOMEWHERE in the WORLD"
1 July, 1918
Dear Mama:
Suppose you are thinking
that it is quite time you were hearing from me and by the time this reaches
you, you will know that it is "A Long, Long Way from Somewhere to the Good
Old U.S.A."
We had quite a nice trip
across, a little rough, and somewhat rainy and windy at times, but I managed
to, "hold on to everything" fairly well.
We reached our
destination last Saturday afternoon after being out almost two weeks. We got
our first sight of land after leaving the U.S.A., early in the morning and
we were soon seeing some very pretty scenery. Great high jagged cliffs
rising many feet into the air with the breakers dashing against their base,
with every few miles a white light house perched, in some manner, away up on
a narrow ledge. After several hours of this we entered a place where we
could see the cliffs on each side and in the distance great rolling
mountains showing their blue outlines against the sky with the fleecy clouds
draping around their top. While in the middle distance could be seen forests
of green and gently sloping hills covered with fields of growing grain and
pasture lands. The dark background with the white clouds, together with the
green covered hills, combined to make a wonderful picturesque effect, which
was enchanted all the more, by the contrast of the harsh outlines of the
great cliffs.
Some hours later we
passed into a bay and on each side we could see quaint villages in which the
houses were of stone with gray slate roofs and sometimes a thatched one with
pretty green hedges all about with now and then a white farm house showing
up against the green of the hills. "Just like a stage scene" I said to my
pals, they all agreed that it was and just like pictures we have seen of
places ---- well, "Over here." Finally we dropped anchor in a beautiful
harbor near one of these quaint villages. We went ashore yesterday and we
found that "quaint" was just the word for it for there is nothing else. All
slate roofs with now and then a thatched one. It is all very odd to us, we
all agree that the scenery is splendid, but for any thing else, well there
are better places we've seen, but we are all from the Glorious Old U.S.A.,
and that would make a difference in any place.
My pal and I took a ramble all about "town" saw a very pretty castle, a
wonderful wood, some fine cattle, a lovely lane which was a street at one
end and went away into the wood at the other, until it lost itself among the
oddest, prettiest kind of trees, some of them with blue-purple blossoms. I
told my chum that we must be asleep for there was "no such a place" and "no
such kind of a tree," but he only said it would be a splendid place to walk
with one's "One and Only" but I have not seen a girl in this place one would
look at twice. now don't you think that a shame with so many pretty "lover's
lanes? Possibly there are some, we haven't really had time to explore the
town thoroughly. Any way if there are none the pretty scenery can take care
of itself. I'm not worrying.
I suppose you think I
have raved enough about this wonderful country, so I will endeavor to talk
about something else, but I'm not quite sure what to tell you next for I
don't know how much the Censor will blot out, but I will try to keep out of
his way.
We are just beginning to
realize that we are really at war. Especially so, when we go ashore to order
the kind of lunches we used to get "back home." There's absolutely nothing
doing, for they are conserving in every thing. Very few people back home
really know the meaning of that word as they do here. One thing we do get
plenty of and that is fresh eggs, and they are quite a treat after being at
sea so long.
We began to realize a little, just a little, when after days and nights of
sailing and always constantly watching the seas, what a serious business we
were engaged in, when the convoy came out to meet our ships and a little
later the air ships. But the people here know what it means and in a far
grimmer manner and have known for several long weary years. When one can see
the camouflaged buildings, oil tanks, cantonments etc, and knows that it is
not just for practice and that the air ship sailing up yonder is not just on
a trial spin, why, he begins to wake up a little.
The people go about their
work in a calm steadfast manner. There is no moping or dispiritedness shown,
but one can tell from the seriousness of their manner that they can and do
realize what America is just awakening to. Of course, "back there" we would
see the women engaged in different kinds of trades, which before the war
belong to men only, but they and every one else looked upon it as a kind of
a play, but here they just go ahead in a matter-of-fact manner.
Would like very much to
travel about this country when there is no war and possibly I would be able
to find a livelier spot with as much pretty scenery. Would like to send you
some views, but will have to wait awhile, as I cannot mail them now.
Am feeling fine now, that
I have been able to get ashore and run about a bit, think I lost weight
coming over, but am feeling "nifty" now. Suppose I had better stop now, for
it is Ten-thirty now and I am writing this by day light, as it is long after
taps. A fellow just made the remark "its daytime Twenty-four hours here" and
he is just about right too, For the sun does not set until after Ten o'clock
and rises something like one-thirty, so you see he was about right at that.
Haven't received any mail
yet but hope to get some before the war is over. With lots of love to all, I
am
Your boy
Charles W. Prouty
P.S. Please use the address at the head of the letter when you write.
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