Life — May 2, 1918 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Cloud An Idyll of the Westen Front here in France. vayside shri Celeste, Pierre, a Cloud. CEN Persons: Ceveste (gazing at the solitary white Cloud): I wonder what your thoughts are, little Cloud, Up in the sky, so lonely and so proud! Croup: Not proud, dear maiden; lonely, if you will. Long have I watched you, sitting there so still Before that little shrine beside the way, nd wondered where your thoughts might be astray; Your knitting lying idle on your knees, And worse than idle—like Penelope’: Working its own undoing! Crreste (picks up her knitting): Who was she? Saints! What a knot!—Who was Penelope? What happened to her knitting? Tell me, Cloud! a Queen: she wove her husband's shroud. Cuovp: She was Ceveste (drops the knitting): His shroud! Ctovp: There, there! ‘Twas only an excuse To put her lovers off, a wifely ruse, Bidding them bide till it was finished, she Each night the web unravelled secretly. Crveste: He came home safe? Croup: If 1 remember right, It was the lovers necded shrouds that night! It is an old, old tale. I heard it through A Wind whose ancestor it was that blew Ulysses’ ship across the purple sea Back to his people and Penelope. We Clouds pick up strange tales, as far and wide And to and fro above the world we ride, Across uncharted seas, upon the swell Of viewless waves and tides invisible, Freighted with friendly flood or forkéd flame, Knowing not whither bound nor whence we came; Now drifting lonely, now a company Of pond’rous galleons— Oftentimes I see A Cloud, as by some playful fancy stirred, Take likeness of a monstrous beast or bird Or some fantastic fish, as though 'twere clay Molded by unseen hands. “JL, 1 FE. * Coup: Then tell me, pray, What / resemble now! CELESTE: I scarcely know. But had you asked a little while ago, I should have said a camel; then your hump Dissolved, and you became a gosling plump, Downy and white and warm— Cuoco: What! Warm, up here? Ten thousand feet above the earth! Ceveste: Oh dear! What am I thinking of ! Of course I know How cold it is. Pierre has told me so ) A thousand times. Crown: That tells How came he to such frigid heights to soar? And who is this Pierre ou all the seerets of the air? - Ceveste: Pierre’s my—He is in the Flying Corps. Ciovp: Ah, now I understand! And he's away? Ceteste: He left at dawn, where for he would not say, Telling me only ‘twas a bombing raid Somewhere—My God! What's that? Ctown: What, little maid? Ceteste (pointing) : That—over there—beyond the wood- ed crest! Only a skylark dropping to her nest: 1 heard Clon: Her mate is hov'ring somewhere near. His tremulous song of love— CELESTE: (Drops upon her kn O Mary! Blessed Mothe Forgive my sins! Grant it wa Here is the cross my mother gave me Will burn the longest candle it will buy! That was no bird! Hear my prayer! not Pierre! I Ctovp: Courage, my child! Your prayer will not be vain! Who guards the lark, will guide your lover's plane. The West Wind's calling. I must go!—Hark! There He sings again! Le bon Dieu garde, ma cheret II Pierre: I made a perfect landing over there Behind the church— CeLeste: The Virgin heard my prayer! Now I must burn the candle that I vowed— Pierre: Then ’twas our Blessed Lady sent that Cloud That saved me when the Boche came up behind. I made a lightning turn, only to find The Boche on top of me. It seemed a kind 4 Comicbook segoge