South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-11
From Boulogne to Paris
In Refugee Packed Train

and in half an hour or SO. after the
train was we'll on its way they re-
turned TO full consciousness.
Someone asked them what their ex-
periences We're and between sobs and
walls they poured out volumes in the
quick. brittle French language Not
word OF il I knew except Les Allie
mandS', but that came frequently TO
their lips and II was Missed each time
with hatred that only the volatile
French could muster into concrete
vocality.
About o'clock in the morning
someone put the compartment light
out and everyone went 10 sleep. An
hour later one Of the babies began
crying and everyone awoke The sun
was just beginning TO rise over the
eastern hills The valleys were still
filled with purple mist. The fare
from the sun was red as fire.
1T is the blood of the battlefelds
in the east said the Princess of Eau
borg to my Franco English friend and
tears rolled down her face.
"Oui. Out over there it is terrible
in the east" they all said. How can
the sun rise so beautifully on such
dreadful scenes ?"
The lights of the guards were out
now and their red trousers and blue
coats began to fit by again. And
trains that had been passing us at a
fearful rate of speed all night long
began TO show in the light what they
were. They were all freight trains,
and painted on each one were these
words. "Hommes-36-40; ChevauX'.
(This car will hold SO to 40 soldiers
and eight hOrses.)
Soldiers TANNED i'm Cars.
In each train were easily so cars.
nd h.nP To- Cd in
all Of them. Nearly every car had
nailed to it great sws .ping boughs Of
sumac. and the soldiers were singing
the "Marseilles" as they went by. The
soldiers were happy-in France they
seem to be glad TO have the chance
TO stand up before the hurricanes of
lead that are being levelled at them
by the most powerful guns in the
world
At Louyres, out of the mist. sud
denly. the tops of bayonets flashed
into the early morning sun. In a sec
Ond the compartment was mad
house. Shrieks of Les Allemands!"
rent the foul air. Then the bayonets
emerged and their bearers-and it
was a cloud of French soldiers, al
though marching TO the Westward
for what reason no one knows. The
sight of the national dress quieted the
hysterical women in the compartment,
and the next minute they were all
leaning out of the windows shouting
''Vive la France! Nive la F'rance!"
All along the river Disc there were
armed guards Every bridge and
even every culvert had its sentry. AS
we got nearer Paris, the jewel of
France. these sentries increased in
numbers till finally we were running
simply through regiments of soldiers.
The great Care du Nord itself in
Paris, where we landed, is q bristling
net Of bayOnets You are challenged
on every sile, and you show your
passport at least 20 times before you
emerge. You walk over 10 the "un-
foreground" TO ride to your hotel.
Big iron gates are swung across the
steps "Avis" and Notice" take your
eye. You choose the English render
ing. 1t tells you that. owing to the
state of warfare, the underground is
not running. 1t is too dangerous a
thing to keen subterranean passages
open under the city of Paris. Bombs
placed there by spies could wreck the
entire city.
You look about for a taXicab. There
is none They are all Communicated.
You join the walking throng of aris-
tocrats and refugees that are in the
middle of the street.
Thus you enter the heart of Paris
on foot, between a princess and a
peasant, and within sight Of thousands
of bayonets.