of the hall, the mayor had asked if the show might not be put on one night for the townspeople, as they had no other entertainment of any sort since that black August in 1914. When one read in the American papers of bazaars, fairs and entertainments taking place in every town in New England, it was hard to grasp the fact that since 1914 these people had put aside every form of amusement and devoted themselves solely to one purpose—the war. It would have taken a harder heart than the Battery's to have re­ fused such a request; Christmas Eve was set as the night for the townspeople and the tidings were published to the village by the town-crier. The town was in a turmoil. A theatrical production by the Americans—this would be a Christmas for the people of Varennes to talk about for years to come.

                The great night came, and the townspeople, decked out in their Sunday best, which in many cases had not seen the light of day for four long years, trooped to the Mairie. All Varennes was present, with scattering representatives from nearby towns, and seated in the gaily decorated hall of the Mairie, they waited eagerly for the show to start. It was not a very ambitious production, but very well done in view of the short time which was devoted to preparation. There were singing and dancing acts, an exhibition of banjo playing, a tumbling act, a comic song with a beautifully trained chorus, all of which roused the crowd to the highest pitch of enjoyment. We could not have found a more appreciative audience for an opening night; Everyone in the hall, from the mayor himself to the sergeant of the local gen­

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