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Number 7

Dear Emma and Children:
  There have been no letters from you yet, but it is expected that the mail will soon be straightened out and then it will come. The days have been beautiful, sunshine, not much dust, and not too hot. The village we are in is quite on a hill. One long, narrow street paved with cobblestones and lined with white buildings and walls. There a few walled (*C.O.) running out from this (*C.O.) curved street - some to Paris and some to the front.
  Monday night the crier went through the town playing his drum and each corner he advised the people to open their shops and write to their friends to come back and attend to their business. The last drive had put the Germans back, and they had suffered so much that they had no more guns to shell this town any more. Tuesday and Wednesday stores started to open. Women, children, dogs, cats appeared on the streets telling one another the great experiences they had the last few days in the camp or some place in France. We CENSORED and there is the talk of the town about what the Americans did. The French are so happy over them. They think the war will end in a couple of months from the time we came here. CENSORED everyday with all kinds CENSORED getting missed in the fight and also ambulances driving getting (*C.O.) We got a little (*C.O.) of everything the slightly wounded went by the CENSORED We leave the canteen for a couple of hours with buckets of coffee every evening at seven P.M. to get these troops. They do not pull out until dark for fear the lunatics of Busch will shell them on their (*C.O.) for first aid.
  The other night I gave coffee to a little runt four feet tall with a big head and black as the ace of spades of zulu. He was wounded quite badly on his arm and shoulder. When he saw me with the coffee, he held out his hand for coffee and of course got it. He did not smile very much, but he tried. I could not help but think that this little runt had in his short body a brain doing more for civilization than the whole Busch nation. 
  Of course I hear many very interesting stories from the CENSORED who were now on this train going over to some hospital place. We give coffee and chocolate to that CENSORED every day. There are four of us. We work from 4:30 A.M. to 9 P.m. in shifts of two. The coffee is 2¢, the chocolate is 4¢. The other day M. Blanc promoted me to the counter to sell tickets for the coffee and chocolate. I have a great time making out the change in French money which amuses the French soldiers. Most of them try and help me out. I do not think I lose very much. Sometimes I take in bad money, but everything goes in war.
  The foyer is one of the greatest establishments for the soldiers every done. You see, the soldiers are always on the move. It is a very common thing for the soldiers to have been without anything to eat for 12 hours and more. Their kitchen is on the road. Many of the soldiers are lost from their regiments, and it is very amusing to see two American boys wandering from the front looking for the fine cafeteria in company. They look like