East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-10-23
FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE
COMFORTED BY PRIEST
LITTLE FRENCIIMEN ADMINS
TEHING BLESSINGS AS DUTIES
DIRECT HIM.
(By william G. Shepherd, United
Press Staff Correspondent

| lBY William ". 1HfBh''Nf N'''NN
Press Staff Correspondent
on THE BATTLEFIELD OF
sOIssONs. oct. 2.--(By Mail to New
York; wish ] could show you the
little grey-haired priest Of this VII
Ilage near Scissors as he goes about
his duties these days.
There's the peace OF certain War
less Land that he knows about on his
face and he reads his service over
dead German with the same tender
tones and the same smile Of hope that
he has for the dead soldier who sleeps
in the red, white and blue OF France
first saw him as he passed
through the village square In his
robes that had once been white. His
! surpllce was slashed with the mud OF
hundreds OF automobiles which dash
through the narrow. wet streets On
his feet were army shoes, as muddy
az any soldiers But he raised his
face as he chanted a service from
book in his hands and when / saw
him smile, forgot the CRIME. Be
hind him marched four men, guarded
by sold ers. Even before ! knew VINO
OF what they were / saw that there
was something especially evil ana
gruesome about them. A French Of
ficer explained the procession TO me:
These men are Germans who were
caught wearing civilian clothes. May
be they we're spies: who knows? But
they are worse than spies. They
we're caught looting the French ana
German dead out there on the battle
field. They are being taken out now
to be shot
II was a thing TO shudder over but
the little clergyman marched on with
the look OF hope and mercy on MS
face as II he knew someone who un<
derstood and even controlled all TINS
madness and evil into which humanity
has fallen. someone who knows the
weakness Of humanity so well that he
might have pity even on man VINO
had robbed the dead.
The next time / saw the little
clergyman was at the entrance TO the
Red Cross hospital. Three caskets
stood in the high hallway whieh
opened onto the street A line OF
French soldiers stood at attention
facing the doorway, Red Cross am
bulance drew up and the soldiers
broke their rigid formation to make
way for five wounded soldiers who
were carried past the coffins where
three dead soldiers rested
The soldiers reformed again. There
was evidently a hitch in the proceed
ings. The church was across the
street and. by the glances Of the Off
GERS towards the church door. ! could
see they were waiting for the clergy
man. Then / saw him come to the
door
Five women and two little girls. all
in black. were following him, persist
entity. and speaking to him. He stop
ped and spoke a moment with each
woman. They knelt. one at a time
on the sidewalk. es he raised his hand
in blessing. over each mourning be-
decked head. He held his hands on
the heads OF the little girls and raised
his face upwards as II he were tell
ing someone to take special notice OF
two little folks who needed extra care.
All tbs time the soldiers were walt
ing. The priest walked across the
street through the mud. his soldier
shoes spattering the dirt onto his sur
plice. the officers saluted, the soldiers
raised the caskets, the little priest
ed off through the slush and the three
dead soldiers of France were started
on their last march.
I've seen the little priest a score of
lines since then. He marches more
han any soldier. There are scores
IF dead to bury: there are dozens of
stores and confessions TO hear from
lying men in the hospitals; there tire
the broken hearted women and chill
lren OF the village who have lost their
soldier loved ones to be comforted,
md his task was so great that II
eemed to me that IL were the little
,riest and saw so much of such ter '
'ible sorrow in a world gone so far /
Iwry | would take off my white robe ,
md fold il away and say, God has (
orgotten us. What's the use?'' I
Only / know by the little clergy {
mans face that he knows that God /
las not forgotten us, even though the {
lannon's Of men who are hungry to
Till are sounding above the chant of 1
he funeral services and even though |
ach crash means more broken hearts |
nd more dead TO bury.