FRENCH MAIDENS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1916, Page 10

FRENCH MAIDENS.

WIX AUSTRALIAN" HEARTS. KISSES Vttr! THK WARRIORS FROM ANZAC. Writing from Francis, Lance-Corporal Paul t'. Xunan, of the Australian Army Medical Corps. gives to his parents in Melbourne interesting information about I'fe at tlie front, and includes a panegyric on tilt* eharms of French girlhood. "Naturally," lie writes, "we were most interested on our arrival in the young women of the country. We soon found out that they have a great bent for throwing kisses, in fact, they have exalted that innocent pastime to a fine art, 'Happily, some prefer to bestow rather than throw these tokens of affection. Therefore, some of the lads were lucky, and some were envious. SOUVENIR CRAZIS. "As a result of the souvenir craze which lias sprung up, letters are constantly arriving for the corns, addressed to Private Monsieur Jones, Brown, or Robinson. This is the spring time, when 'A young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,' so we who have not received these perfumed favors are still hoping. "I am satisfied that Australia has not yet a monopoly of pretty women. What we particularly notice here are the beautiful complexions of the women and feirls, especially in the north. While such complexions are rare in/Australia, here you can reckon them in millions. Some of the "kiddies' here, both boys and girls, are rosv-cheeked beyond description. "For the first time we have realised l.ow near the Hermans were to Paris. When one sees the lovely country through which they have passed, where the grim trail of war is still evident, it kings home all the more the madness of the world's present method of ending arguments. N'KAR THK FRUITING 1,1 N T K "Since I wrote the foregoing we have moved once again into the grim realities of war. We occupy a ruined town from which the occupants have fled long ;igo. This morning some of my comrades and I watehco a German artillery reducing to ruins a block of buildings about three-quarters of a mile away. They formed an imposing row of threestoried brick and were soon a veritable dust heap. What has happened to this town has happened to many other towns and villages in the north of France and Belgium. Yet there are young and fit men in Australia who, I understand, have scarcely awakened to the fact that there is a war on. I am sorry I cannot make use of niv camera to help to show what has happened. The camera, however, was taken from me, and a soldier found using one is liable to be courtmartialled. "As regards the comfort and health of the troops, rest and relaxation from the strain of fighting, and the conditions of warfare generally, this is, I think, feoing to be a picnic compared with Anzac. When the soldier here has done his share in the trenches, which, in many cases, will be just as many days as it was months in Galiipoli, he can get a hot bath and a change of underclothing, receive all reasonable comforts, and mix with kindly, considerate people. "TOUCH OF A KIDDIE'S HAND." "After being so long 011 Gallipoli, with the society of men only, it is impossible to describe the satisfaction one feels at netting among women and children once more. When we were at Lemnos a touch-looking veteran, battered by the hardships of Gallipoli, was with us as we purchased some eatables from a Greek peasant. One of the 'kids' toddled over and put its hand into his, as it yabbered -oinething in Greek. The old chap was delighted, and his face fairly shone). 'lsirt it great, lie said, 'to feel the touch of a kiddie's hand again';' And we all agreed with him."