Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-12-15
Song Of Israel Causes Suspension Of
Hostilities Which Neither Army
Could Resist.

UD the nlgm preceding the ZotD
Of December, 1870" began a captain,
according to the Methodist Recorder,
Il was in command of a company Of
volunteers engaged in the defense Of
Paris The siege had already lasted
three months, and in the trenches my
brave comrades were enduring martyr
dom Of suffering and privation. The
cold was biting bitterly; the stars were
shivering in cloudless sky; the moon
shone brightly on the sn0w-clad plain
between us and the enemy; the Ger
man trenches we're so close to us that
we could hear the passwords Of then
sentinels as, hour by hour, they were
relieved and passed into their camp.
"As was walking about to keep my
feet from freezing, one Of my men
came up to me, and. saluting, said:
Captain, | have strange request to
make; | want you to permit me for a
little while to leave the trenches.
Leave the trenches?' | replied
But why? Because it is so cold? II
will be warm enough when We begin
to fight
1t is not that. | ask you, as
favor, to allow me for a little while
to leave my post. cannot tell you
why; but, If you grant me leave,
promise you you won't regret it.
Impossible! You want to 20 to
Paris If | give you leave, | cannot
well deny it to the rest
"NO, not TO Paris said be, smil
ing, but in that direction, pointing
toward the German lines. i shan't be
long
He had aroused my curiosity.
granted him permission, but warned
him that he would most probably gel
killed.
No fear he said, and. leaping ovel
the ramparts. he walked into the mid
die of the plain.
I'VE followed him with our eyes
listening for the sharp crack Of tn
enemy's rifles. and expecting at ever.
step to see him fall Not a sound
save the crunching of the frozen snow
beneath his feet! As soon as he hal
come within hearing of the German
sentries he paused, saluted. and begal
to sing a well-known Christmas hymn
with the refrain:
Noel! Noel Christ is King Of Israel!
1T was so unexpected and so simpl
done. the strain took from the nigh
the scene, the circumstances, such
beauty and sublimity that the leas
religious of us hung upon his lips
and the hardest hearted in our trenc
were moved The Germans neithe
spoke nor stirred. 1t seemed as if
spen nad bound them all in silence an
in immObility. The simple strain ha
doubtless made them think of hon
and Of the happy groups around tn
glittering Christmas trees beyond tn
Rhine They we're evidently listenin,
for 10 other sound was audible-nC
a step, not movement of arms.
soon as x had done his hym
he gave another military salute, turne
on his heel as on a pivot, and deli
erately walked back to our line.
Well, captain said he, are 70
sorry that Won gave me leave?'
Before | could reply, a soldier ha
! begun to move across the snow frol
the opposite camp. He, like X
saluted, and, between the companit
of armed men, he sang a German We
sion of the Noel, Noel that II
French recruit had sung. | had give
orders, though they were superfuou
not to fire on him. He sang the hym
through, verse by verse, and when
came TO the refrain, the soldiers
, both camps Joined in the chorus:
Noel Noel Christ hath ransomt
. Israeli
The same emotion filed all heart
, All diverSities and enmities had bee
forgotten in the presence of Il
Prince Of Peace The soldier then d
> parted to the German lines and di
/ appeared A few hours later we
2 gan to fire again"