New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-01

Now, as We approached, II mlBht
save for ne weather, have been winter
along Ostend Beach. Upon the sands
there was no human being save little
Belgian sentry. The bathing houses
stood stacked under the piers. Half OF
the hotels showed only shutters in place
Of windows, and the rest few the flags
of the Red Cross. We could make out
moving spots Of white on the pazzas
of these buildings. Through the glasses
OF my friend the captain | distin-
guished them as nurses in uniform. On
tie pier. as we rounded into harbor,
stood a few mute, bewildered towns
people and a squad of little Belgian
soldiers in blue and red. Still further
along a troop Of cavalry were washing
their horses. It was all desolation,
waiting, and war.
The Spirit of Ostend.
All except one item. At the very pier
head. and above us because Of the low
tide. stood a young woman. She was
dressed in the extremely scant and
flmy fashion which prevailed in that
period Of frivolity closed so suddenly
by the great war. II was yellow, II !
remember rightly, with light blue
overdress; and her little, modlsh hat
Of pink and yellow was cooked at that
alluring angle which only Paris knows,
She balanced herself on frivolous, high
beeled shoes; she carried over her
shoulders a yellow silk parasol. The
afternoon light, blazing full against
her. revealed through all that timy
chiffon her full young figure. We
could not make out her face, but her
attitude was both alluring and saucy
She alone fingered to show what the
Llace had been but month before; and
am wondering yet if saw her or only
fancied her. Ii was as though the
spirit of Ostend fingered, while all the
devotees we're gone.
This incident is worth mention here
because | have seen another spirit IN
the last fortnight. | can scarcely De-
lieve her, either!
The man from Cooks is still going
through the motions in most OF the
European capitals, although outside of
London he has very little to do.
visited Cooks office in Paris 70 see
whether or no the boat upon which
had bought passage home had been
transformed into a troopship and taken
off the run since last | inquired. AT
the counter stood little woman IN
gray, consulting the clerk Of the inland
travel department Her back and the
fringe Of gray hair under her bonnet
showed that she was old. And her
good. honest nasal twsng as her voice
reached me showed that she was an
American.
Wanted to See Rheims.
"Goodness4 she was saying. ITS o
lot Of trouble, isn't it?"
Eyes. madame, but it's absolutely
necessary" replied the English clerk,
pleasantly but formally.
As ! reached the counter the old lady
she appeared sixty years old if day
turned upon me a mild, pleasant and
sociable blue eye, which invited ac-
quaintance. introduced myself as an
American.
"So'm l." she said, unnecessarily,
from Maine" That also was unneces-
sary. Since | had caught her accent.
81 wanted to so up to Rheims (she
pronounced it "Reems"D, "but it seems
quite a lot Of trouble"
Quite a lot Of trouble! Rheims is in
the zone of operations, under occasional
bombardment. Having had ambitions
il that direction myself, ! joined with
the clerk in describing the impossi-
bility of any one not sent there to de
getting within sight of Rheims.
"Unlcss,' added as an afterthought,
"you have relatives there
"Oh, no." she said cheerfully. 81 just
wanted to see that cathedral before
they finish it Of. I've done Paris, as
much as They'll let you do, and
thought "a % somewheres else"
"Then you're just travelling?" |
asked.
"Oh, yes! I'd been expecting to come
to Europe about this time. Goodness
knows how long this wars going to
last. and | felt if | didn't come now |
might die first They kept telling me
I'd get killed, but if do it won't con-
Germ anybody much except me-"
Her First Trip Abroad.
Further conversation brought out
Rat il was her first trip abroad. She
had been looking forward 10 it all her
life. as so many American women do;
saving for it, planning it. Colonel
Roosevelt has admoniShed his country
men not TO go to Europe in her time OF
t.iai for mere lew curiosity. That was
not the impulse Whlcn Drought TINS oIu
lsdv. She wanted 10 see the Louvre
and the BOulevards and the Coliseum
and Westminster Abbey; ard she did
not propose TO alter the plan of life
tune just because of a war. She had
sailed directly to France. She had suf-
fered her disappointments. The Louvre
was closed, so that she should never
see tie Venus Of Milo and the Mona
Lisa. Nevertheless, she had enjoyed
Paris. and was thinking Of going else
where. Venice and Florence were
barred to her, but there remained Rome,
and since she couldn't 20 to Rheims
she had about made up her mind TO 30
20 Rome before they closed that
As she tOddled away, with her Bae-
deker clasped to her breast, | had an
impulse which | inhibited TO ask her
how she got her passports, seeing that
the government IS supposed to be issu-
ing papers only 10 people having actual
business abroad However. that would
; ave been ov~r curious. As she passed
the ,hresho, she informed the clerk
.hat she would make up her mind in
a day or so whether to see some French
cathedrals or go straight 70 Rome.
And remembered for the first time
in months the lady on the pierhead at
Ostend. Here, too, was one who seemed