The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-15
WILL IRWIN.A

- We" .hC DIS uc CalalS at the end !
of October-an October blessed IN
his year Of dread, with clear. COO,
bracing weather, much like orr own
Indian Around a turn in
the road came a strange, shutting
multitude, ooubly strange in that we'll
ordered landscape.
At the lead marched an old wama,
4 stalwart, straightforward FIemish
woman, vigorous in spite of her sixtv |
years. Beside her walked q bow Of
not more than twelve, his figure al
ready settling into a peasant soliditv.
lie, like the old oman carried on
his back n bundle wrapped in q sheet. |
And between them they dragged by
he hand a little girl, not more thar
six years old-half carried her. since
now and hen she raised her feet
from the ground and let them support
ter.
II was plain to see why she lifted
Ter feet. Her poor little shoes. heavy
though they had been in the begin
ning, were worn clear through. Her
clothes n hair were matted with
dirt. and her face was gray with it,
save for the streaks made by her
ears. She had stopped crying now;
she was beyond that. There comes
The time with all these refugees.
young and old, when they get beyond
tears.
Behind followed the rest of the reg
Igee caravan, like these leaders ex-
cept for minor details. or course
here was not among them a man Of
rigorous years-only d few grand
fathers, trudging along beside their
women folks Mainly. it was a col
lection Of young children-all, like
the little girl in the leading party,
beyond tears with misery.
Pouring Into France.
! dozen Of the women, at least,
carried babes in arms who had some.
now survived the miser1es of days ana
lays of walking. These were the last
II the Belgian refugees to pour into
france. They came, mainly. from
hat thickly-settled, fertile, once pros
porous southwestern strip, along
which Germans and allies were now
lighting for the bridge-head Of the
User.
But not ali. Some Of them-as l
learned from the few who had the
energy to talk-lived further North.
\ month before they had fed from
the German advance after the capture
III Antwerp; and they had been flee
ing ever since-sleeping in the fields
through rain and shine, eating what
bread Of charity Heaven only knows.
II tail OF the procession, l found,
had halted at a crossroads beside
which someone a erected a tent
from blankets strung on sticks. AS I
approached, wondering what this
might DO, an came WhlZ-
ling down the road at seventy miles
an hour-there are no speed laws 1Or
military automobiles in time Of war.
1t stopped beside the tent; there was
d parley and a man in Belgium uni
form wearing a Red Cross braSsard
on his arm aIighted. go
What is it-what is happening!"
asked the first Of the refugees beside
The tent-an old man who
IN the gutter. .
"Un enfant-a baby is being born"
he said briefly. The man in uniform
was n. Belgian surgeon taking TINS
from his work Of repairing death te
assist in giving life.
Calais Faded and Dirty.
Again: it was the next day in Caiais
Calais. once so busy and so Venef
able, and in spots SO pretty, but nov
faded and dirty with the passage o.
armies. Ten thousand OF these reIu
gees came into Calais that DAY. ina
lay, also, the Red Cross was Drlnsihk
IN belgian wounded by the thousans
there had been serious hghtih'
along the Yser.~ @ "+
The refugees, herded or escorted y.
The police, streamed down the stree,
- the concentration yards prepare.
f"r them on the dock of the IRENE
government, which was going 10 trains ,
port them to the Midi as soon as I
rouid get the YOU "oui'
hear now and then the foot OF an au
'omobile horn, and the refugees Woul'
make way for the passage OF lnp.oa
rar loaded TO capacity with 'he W. =,
faced wounded. The car Wouiu 3
on, and the refugees would close mt
gaps II resume their weary nerve
less pace.
At the concentration yards II Sd
IN family groups. the children huuu.h
about their mothers and Srahuiilo
ers like chickens around hens. ~
mild among them laughed or PLAYED
they were too weary for that' ou. :,
child cried. I was trying to nav
speech with these refugees, alo liz nn-
ing them too nerveless TO sSe -,
ambulance arrived.
\ nurse and o physician Oescellu.