furnished. We lighted fires in our new fireplaces and settled down.

                The first few days of our stay at Varennes were spent in a thorough exploration of the town and all its resources. Our appreciation grew with each new discovery. Little luxuries, such as jam, chocolate, condensed milk, might be had in abundance; at such a house, it was whispered, one might buy fresh milk, while farther down the street good rooms were to rent.

                Here began a new phase in the life of the Battery, that wonderful though expensive system known as "living out." The process was simple; one hired a room, containing usually a bed and a tiny fireplace; one's hostess took care of the room and furnished bed clothes; for all this, one paid the standard rate of one franc per night. So, little by little, men began to dis­ appear from their billets, showing themselves only at formations and mess, lurking during their leisure hours in their hidden fastnesses, immune from sudden details and inspections.

                The people of Varennes we found to be hospitable and friendly, an "entente cordiale" being soon established. The lucky member of the Battery who lived out was in most cases adopted outright by the family with whom he lodged, while friendships with this neighbor and that sprang with amazing rapidity. Truly this was a "good sector."

                Christmas Eve, 1918, was a memorable night. The Battery had organized a more or less formal vaudeville entertainment, and the Mairie, "Town Hall", had been secured for a theatre. In consenting to the use

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