The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-27
ENGLISH GIRL IN BELGIAN CONVENT
 DESCRIBES WAR

UESGkIbES WAk London, Aug. 27-The Standard schoolgirl, Miss Murie1 F'urness of
 B1ackpool, written in tf1e convent at 1 Eysden, a. village near Wise. Eysden is just on the Dutch side of the from tier. Miss FNurniss has arrived in Lon don and is with her father. The diary reads:
 July 3o--This morning the Mother Superior received a letter from Bonn
 saying that all German girls from Bonn mustrreturn immediately, owing l to the fear of war. At dinner time a French girl had a telegram saying that she must return at once.s, The nuns soothed our fears, but at tea so | many teIegraIns were arriving that the reverend Mother decided that the school holidays should commence on Saturday instead of Monday as ar ranged. At supper we were told that we must go home tomorrow.
 July 31=We went to the station to see the Belgian girls off. still thinking that thefe was no war.
 Aug It was impossible for the Dutch girls to return, as the trains we're full of soldiers going to the frontier. In the afternoon we packed up everything and prepared to leave. f Aug Eve rejoiced that we should go home tomorrow, but at tea time la Mere came in crying like a child and telling us that war had been a,c~ tualIy declared. The sunset tonight was most beautiful. It kept changing it's color-that we.are told is a sign of war.
 Aug. 3-In the morning we cleared the drawing room so that the soldiers
 might come to camp there if they wanted.
 Aug. At 4 o'clock this morning every one was startled by a terrific explosion which shook the convent. We learned that the bridge at Wise had been blown up, as Belgium must defend her neutrality. We were told that cam ons were being brought up- People began to come in from Vise- sped on by a, hail of bullets. A Ger man officer came to Wise. He com menced to read a. proclamation, but before he had finished doing so he was shot dead This the nuns told us. This afternoon la Mere told us to put up beds in the drawing room for the wounded, We also hoisted big white flag with a red cross Doctors and nurses came from far and near. All the while we could hear the crackle of rifle fire and the tear of cannons. We went te the chapel and prayed for an hour.
 Aug. 5AWe could not sleep at all during the night, so heavy was the fire. During one half hour-while we were at nnass-we counted no fewer than twelve aerop1anes which flew over the house. We were told that bridge over the Mouse. They pulled down houses by the side of the river and used the debris to stem the cur rent. As soon as they had the bridge half finished the Belgian fire would destroy it. It took thirty-six hours lr,f 17-v had spanned the river.
 Aug. F6-Many -fugftiVes arrived from Belgium. At tea time German off, fcer was brought in who had fainted from fatigue on the battlefield. Af- ter tea we heard the sound of aero planes. One came along flying very high, but as soon as it arrived in Holland out of range it dipped down. One of the nuns saw an aeroplane un -s der fire It kept lodging up and down with shrapne1 bursting below it. It escaped, however. Tonight we are to fleep in the cloakroorn in the base meIlt.
 Aug. I've went to bed at 9.S0 last night, but could not sleep, as the floor was hard and cold, and the noise went to mass, and then back to bed again. La Mere told us to pray a great deal, as we might die at any mo-
 nent. We must be prepared to die.s l was very sorry for a young officer who was shot through both legs. I shook hands with the Prince Consort, who came to see the wounded. We could see the. smoke of burning Moulan curl ing up toward the sky.
 Aug. SIWe are told that Liege has been taken, but lies are SO frequent that we don't know what to believe. Aubel has been completely burned. A German and a Belgian aeroplane are said to have met in midair. The Bel gian cut the other in two.
 Aug. 9-Some of the soldiers came into mass. It was so sad to see all the young fellows look so pale. Each had a prayer book in his pocket, and their one desire seemed to be to get to the wounded soldiers and I spoke to a Belgian who had a bullet right through his cheek. He opened his mouth and showed me the hole. The Only thing he wanted was to see his loved ones and go to the war again Poor things! There was a deep red sky tonight, changing it's color all the time. This is the sign of war.
 Aug. 10-Iast night the cannons fired in earnest and continued all through the night. From the roof I could see three villages on fire The wounded get on very well together There is a Belgian soldier here who is slowly recovering. A German, badly iniAred,- was brought -in,s and the Bel gi4h at once ran forward and unIaced his boots for him.
 Aug. 11-Heard no guns through the night, Many nuns from the F'leron convent, who have arrived say that the Germans gave them. three hours in which to leave. Thirteen nuns came from Antwerp who say that there has been. a battle at Tongres which the