Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1901-02-15
The Little Lacemaker.


as good as she was pretty. and
her modesty and simplicity commanded
the respect of all.
Left an orphan at thirteen years of
age she lived with her brother three
yes,.ss her ser,cr, Who, havirg sudder,,.
become the head of the house, labored
for his little sister and himself at cab-
net making
The two lived happily together; but
the years passed and the time of mill
tary service came. Louis was obliged
to go. The separation was terrible to
those two children, who loved each 9TH
er SO much.
Left alone in the little lodgings, thus
suddenly become too large for her, Noe
mi with bleeding heart applied herself
to her work and wrought marvels from
the fax fields.
Each Saturday she carried back her
work and when she returned home di-
vided her earnings in two parts. Must
she not send a small subsidy to her sol
der, who was thinking of her there in
Ills ldi-dWdy SdIIlSOHs
On his side Louis behaved in his regi
ment as he did in VaIenciennes; that is
to say, like an honest man, and so, at
the end of the second year of his alb
sence he was able TO announce one
beautiful morning that he had been
promoted to be sergeant.
You can imagine how happy Noemi
wasl How her heart throbbed with joy!
VI, how proud she was of her dear
brother! But her happiness was short.
In few weeks came letter. The war
cloud had burst all at once; armed
France rushed to the frontier of the
East.
The dreadful war began.
From the letters of her beloved Louis
she learned the successive defeats of
the French army, Woerth, Rozenyille,
Saint-Private, Gravelotte, Sedan. Then
silence followed-no more letters, NO
more news, nothing
Noemi, who never read the papers
hastened now to the Office of the Guet-
teur de Valenciennes and of the Echo
de La Frontiere seeking there some lit
tie ray Of hope She listened to the
talk on the street, she mingled Will
the groups of people commenting on
the news, she gave ear to the painful
accounts of the war and she learned
with sinking heart, that her brothers
regiment had met with severe losses.
Meanwhile the wounded soldiers wer,
sent, through Hirsan and Avesnes, t
the towns and cities on the northern
frontier. Every day fresh conveys ar
rived in Valenciennes.
All the hospitals were full, and still
they came. Then private ambulance
were organized everywhere, churche
and factories opened their doors to tn
unfortunate wounded soldiers.
One morning the report was circu
lated that convoy OF wounded fron
her brothers. regiment had arrived dur
ing the night.
To the poor girl glimmer of hop
returned.
She ran from one to the other, aslxin
: of the nurses, bending over every col
hut the hope of the morning vanished
All at once she remembered that til
day before they had opened in Sain
Saulve a hospital intended especial
for the officers. Was there any poss
bility that an unknown sergeant migi
have been brought there? Surely no
Yet, Notwithstanding. she foun
strength to go thither.
An army surgeon came toward her.
-What do you wish, mademoisellei
"Oh, monsieurl Pardonl am lool
Ing for my brother. Sergeant Louis We
der"
"You mean Lieutenant Louis We
dierY' And pointing with his fing,
down the long row of mattresses on Il
floor, "there he is In the sixth bed"
To the poor girl 1t seemed as II Il
earth vanished from beneath her fee
She choked back an exclamation Of 10
tottnred forward few steps and wit
an outburst OF infinite happiness kne
before the bed OF Lieutenant Verde
who. with his head wrapped In line
was lying In heavy stupor.
'Louisl Leuisl 1t Is l." she