" The French call this "light" wine and say it takes the place
of water, which is only fit for washing; but it proved to be too heavy for
the Germans that day. They drank freely, not even waiting to unseal the
bottles of rare old vintage, but knocked the necks off the bottles against
the stone walls and drank. They were all drunk and in no condition to
conquer France when their artillery came up, and so the wooden French guns
and the French wine saved Paris.
When the two men finally arrived in Demange the Military General greeted
them gladly and invited them to dine with him.
He had for a cook a famous French chef who provided delicious meals, but
for dessert the chef had attempted to make an American apple pie, which
was a dismal failure. The colonel said to the general: "Just wait till our
Salvation Army women get here and I will see that they make you a pie that
is a pie."
The General and the members of his staff said they would remember that
promise and hold him to it.
The pleasure which the thought of that pie aroused furnished a suggestion
for work later on.
Within two or three days the hut had arrived. The question of a lot upon
which to place it was most important. The billeting officers stated that
none could be had within the town and insisted that the hut would have to
be placed in an inaccessible spot on the outskirts of the town, but
Colonel Barker asked the General if he would mind his looking about
himself and he readily assented.
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