"As we went along a heavy gray motor lorry passed us. It carried the post. We caught it up and saw it stop. Suddenly where we had only seen an encampment of white tens and tethered horses grazing in ths sunshine, we beheld a swarm of men rushing up from all sides and surrounding it. Eager hands were held out, the dialects of the North and South mingled, voicing the same question: 'Any letters for me?' For an instant all those men were carried back to their old life, the life they forgot in the many duties that filled their days. They were no longer soldiers, they became private citizens. Civilization caught them in its grip again..."
Thursday, July 28, 2016
August 21, 1915: Mail call on the Italian Front
The following was written on August 21, 1915, by Italian-American journalist Magdeleine ver Mehr whose entire account can be found on pages 140-141 of Lines of Fire: Women Writers of World War I.
"As we went along a heavy gray motor lorry passed us. It carried the post. We caught it up and saw it stop. Suddenly where we had only seen an encampment of white tens and tethered horses grazing in ths sunshine, we beheld a swarm of men rushing up from all sides and surrounding it. Eager hands were held out, the dialects of the North and South mingled, voicing the same question: 'Any letters for me?' For an instant all those men were carried back to their old life, the life they forgot in the many duties that filled their days. They were no longer soldiers, they became private citizens. Civilization caught them in its grip again..."
"As we went along a heavy gray motor lorry passed us. It carried the post. We caught it up and saw it stop. Suddenly where we had only seen an encampment of white tens and tethered horses grazing in ths sunshine, we beheld a swarm of men rushing up from all sides and surrounding it. Eager hands were held out, the dialects of the North and South mingled, voicing the same question: 'Any letters for me?' For an instant all those men were carried back to their old life, the life they forgot in the many duties that filled their days. They were no longer soldiers, they became private citizens. Civilization caught them in its grip again..."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment