Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-12-16
CHILD CRUSADER.
BY 3. A. mitchell.

BY =. a. mitchell.
Copyright, 1903, by American Press Asso-
ciatlOn.I
Far back In what are called the mid
DE ages in Europe ono vast army after
another marched TO Palestine with a
view to freeing the holy sepulcher
from the iniidei Turk. These crusades.
as they were called, produced an cpl
uemic of fanaticism which at last
seized upon the children. A French
peasant boy about twelve years old
conceived the idea that lie had been
assigned a divine mission to Lead the
children to the rescue OF the holy
Sepulcher. He exhorted them. max.
ing them wild with Religious frenzy.
Fifty thousand children went from
Germany and 10000 from France.
Two thousand sailed from Brindusium
from whom no voice ever Games back.
The French children were betrayed
and sold to Mohammedan masters. ,2'
At that time there lived In Venice
a boy named Dino Coslmo, who was
being brought up with a little girl,
Gemma, his constant playfellow. Dino
never played with boys, Comma never
played with girls, because neither
would give up for any time the society
Of the other. Dino used to row Gem
ma In his little gondola on the canals
every day. During these boat rides
they would sing, though the songs they
knew were very limited. Dino han
ding the pole. Comma sitting 1.-THE
stern with her lutte, n stringed instru.
mcnt much like n mandolin. D." |." sac
When the wave OF childish fanaH.
cism that resulted 10 the chlldren,s
crusades swept over Europe 1t carried
Dino with IT. Comma was q child Of
rare foresight for those days and did
not see how children could accomplish
that in which great armies had failed
She begged Dino not to 60. but he
claimed that he obeyed sacred duty
and that the child army would be made
to prevail by divine interposition.
Dino bid adieu to his playmate and
sailed out upon the Adriatic sea with
feet of child laden ships.
Month after month. year after year,
passed and no tidings camo from the
fleet OF children. Comma from the
first had little faith in the success of
the expedition and at last made up her
mind that Dino would never return TO
her After five years had paSed and
she found the same void In her heart
- Of yore she determined to 20 In
search Of her companion She was
now seventeen years old. That was
the period OF minstrclsy when men
gained livelihood by singing. usually
.gi'h harp accompaniment, their own
rorScs or the popular Oallads recount,
'hS events OF the time. Comma dress
cd herself rs n minstrel boy ard, tax
ing her harp. set ovt 10 work her way
OH foot to the Holy Land. Turning
ner foco eastward, she walked, sing.
Lg by the way for bits OF money.
iill She came 10 the Danube river
= his she followed. occasionally making
short distances by boat. 1nd nj its
mouth lu tie. Sla"k sea found n ship
about TO leave for COustantinople. She
prevailed upon the captain TO take her
with him. promising 10 omusc these
or hoard during the trip with her
mirstrclsy. from COnstantinOplc. theI
n Christian city disguised rs a Turk.
she entered the domains Of tho sultan.
but before doing so she learned some
thing Of tho Turkish language and
few songs These she sang by the
way visiting different Turkish cities
mud saving nearly all the coins that
were given her
Two years after Comma had left