“It’s that’s making me mad.” A pause,
“I don’t like you anyway.” A pause.
“You’re no good of a priest. If I was dying I wouldn’t”—(reconsidering)—“I hope to God when I’m dying I won’t have to put up with the likes of you.” A long pause.
“I’ve long had me opinion of you. I’ll tell it to you if you like.”
A pause—with me saying to myself “Now you’ll get the truth.”
“I’ll tell it to you. I’ve been wanting to do it time and times.... You smoke cigarettes with the Officers, that’s what you do.” A sigh of relief, and the thought “I could have said more than that myself.”
Then in bursts Colonel Hine and Paddy was hustled away for punishment. But I know what will happen. We shall eat army food au naturel for a week or so; and some noon the meal will be so good that we shall all eat more than is good for men with work still to do, and nobody shall ask a question about it, for everybody will know that Paddy, God bless him! is back on the job once more. Of course I have a special liking for him because when he was in a mood to denounce me he let me off so light.
GRAND
December 25th, 1917
If there is one day in all the year that wanderers from home cannot afford to forget it is Christmas. The Company Commanders have had their Mess Sergeants scouring the countryside for eatables.