The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-16
SOME FRESH STORIES OF
 EUROPES GREAT WAR

standing outside. all shining Ia the rnornine sur. Inside they we're atl eharred black or hlazing yet Wi'a coals from the fire still sloWlS eufHz ing it's way through wood ana pias- ter Here and there q house had es- eaned inc torch. In the smashed window Of one of these houses brisht ger anium hlossomed. It seemed to cry Tor water. but I dared not turn aside. n another a sewing machine Of Amer iean make testified to the thflAe aa'V progressiveness of one household IT the last house as 1 left the Nliiase rocking horse with its head stueN through the open door smiled its woou. en smile. as though it at least could keep good cheer though the roofs might fall.
 Flags of Truce of No Avail
 Evidently the Beigsns from Wise to I.iege had not reused the ire of the in vaders as strenuously as the natives on the other side of Wise, and had as l whole established more or less friendly relations with the alien hosts.
 on the other side of Wise nothing hao ayailed to stay the wrath cf the Germans 1-laas af truce made of sheets and pillow cases and white pettieoats were hung out on poles and broom handles, but many of these houses before which they hung had heen burned to the ground as haN others.
 One Belgian had sought for his own benefit to coneiliate the Germans and as the kaiser's troops at the turn or the road came upon his house there was the Kaiser's emblem raised tu greet them The man had nailed it high up in an apple tree that they might not mistake ms attitude of truculent disloyalty to ms own country. hoping so to save his home. Bat let it be said to the credit of the Ger 44Ia4 tempt for this treachery by raging thls house to the ground. and the poor fellow had lost his soul along with his earthy treasures.
 I saw now few houses with signs of life and little below Argenteau came upon several buckets of water in front of a house with a rather neNt-loolSing peasant woman standing hy them. l in ouired what these wern for. She had no time to explain, for column Of soldiers at that very moment cane plodding slow lv along A worried loViS came to her face as thought she were saving to her self T know that We have been spared so far by all the soldiers that have gon1 hN but perhaps here at last is the band that has been appointed to wipe us out. This water. then, was a peace offering, a plea for mercy As soon as she saw the soldiers there was a smile on her face which i'll concealed her anxiety. She pointed to her pals. At the sight O. the water a thirsty soldier here and there would break from the ranks. rush to the pais take the Iroffered cup, and hastily swallow down the cooling draught and always with a smile or with a word of gratitude hand the cup .o the woman and rush back again to his place in the ranks. Perhaps q dozen men removed their helmets, and. extracting a sponge from the inside. made motions to the woman to pour water cn it, then replacing the sponge in the helmet. went on their way rejoicing. mounted officer, spying the water, drew rein, gave the order 10 halt, and the horse thrust his nose into the pail and greedily sucked the water up. whlf the men flung themselves down along the road, evidently much wearled by long forced marchs