The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Hilltop on the Marne, by Mildred Aldrich

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Title: A Hilltop on the Marne

Author: Mildred Aldrich

Release Date: February 9, 2004 [eBook #11011]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

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A HILLTOP ON THE MARNE

By Mildred Aldrich

Being Letters Written
June 3-September 8, 1914

Note To Tenth Impression

The author wishes to apologize for the constant use of the word English
in speaking of the British Expedition to France. At the beginning of
the war this was a colloquial error into which we all fell over here,
even the French press. Everything in khaki was spoken of as "English,"
even though we knew perfectly well that Scotch, Irish, and Welsh were
equally well represented in the ranks, and the colors they followed were
almost universally spoken of as the "English flag." These letters were
written in the days before the attention of the French press was called
to this error of speech, which accounts for the mistake's persisting in
the book.

La Creste, Huiry,

France, February, 1916.

To My Grandmother
Judith Trask Baker
That Staunch New Englander And
Pioneer Universalist
To The Memory Of Whose Courage
And Example I Owe A Debt
Of Eternal Gratitude

A HILLTOP ON THE MARNE

June 3, 1914

Well, the deed is done. I have not wanted to talk with you much about
it until I was here. I know all your objections. You remember that you
did not spare me when, a year ago, I told you that this was my plan. I
realize that you--more active, younger, more interested in life, less
burdened with your past--feel that it is cowardly on my part to seek a
quiet refuge and settle myself into it, to turn my face peacefully to
the exit, feeling that the end is the most interesti