The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-20
JEANNE D'ARC"

Sommerville Story, in the Resurrection.
 IN those terrible days of early Septem-
 S ber 1914, when the Germans were
 A. advancing with fearful rapidity upon Paris, in the arrogant belief that they
 were going to march straight into the
 panic-stricken capital; when the pest
 French troops fell back wondering yard
 after yard, mile after mile; when picked
 British regiments threw away overcoats
 and ammunitions and all they had. and
 for the first time in their histories re-
 treated and retreated, but fighting all the
 WAY. when the Cameron TIighlanders and
 Black Watch were mown down by the
 chattering and shrielking German artillery that came ever on and on, like a bloody Nemesis and the end of all things; in those fearful days Paris was saved-when
 it seemed that nothing mo~o could help
 her-Paris was saved for the second time
 in her glorious history by Joan Of Arc,
 the divine Maid off Orleans. who cen turies before had listened to. the voices of the tutelary saints. And this was how it came about
 The suspense that day and night was terrible.
 Though it matters little to soldiers where they fight, once they are battling for the motLerland the thought that be- fore morning the fairest city in the uni l verse, the greatest jewel in all their great land, might be smoking ruin, made their spirits sink low, and life itself seem as of no account. But with the breeze that sprang up around Paris as the sun sank, there came a spirit that awoke echoes of old chivalry and renown
 The army had retreated as far as was ! possible, and Paris lay almost open to the conquering hordes. Gallieni had | taken his supreme measures; Maunoury | had whipped up the new army given to him which was bent upon the last des- perate stand before the entrenched camp should be attacked. The Germans lay | in long line from Senlis and Chantilly | to Gentilly and Meaux. They had taken summary vengeance upon the Inhabitants | and were feasting before the last strug- gle for they believed that in Paris were awaiting them rest and ease and pleas ure.
 l And the generalissimo gave the pass word for the night that should prevent any but those in the secrets of the grand staff to pass from line to line; and the password was "Jeanne-d' Arc"
 ! Like miraculous fire the word passed from general to subordinate from com manding officer to sentry who gripped the gun between his two fierce hands: | Jeanne d Are"
 l It was like fresh, stream of strength passing from mouth to mouth, as officers
 on stern duty whispered as they crossed
 the lines: "Jeanne-d' Arc" Mems faces turned instinctively upward, and a new I light shone on them as they caught the magic words that sounded like a prayer: | "Jeanne-d'A Arc!' It was another redemp- | tion of France; it was a renewal of her vows and her sacrifice, reconsecration
 and a revival of her ancient liberties and her glorious pledges. ''Jeanne-d' Arc, 2 men murmured. and though the millions who watched that night knew it not a
 spirit of beauty passed again over France. 1 Jeanne d Arc'' lowered like a breath l over the burned homes of Senlis; and the
 sodden brutes who had been carousing l turned uneasiy in their sleep. "Jeanne- d'Arc;" and those who watched around
 Paris seemed to see white light above l the towers of Notre-Dame. Jeanne dArc'' rang like clarion in the ears of
 1000 men, and the spirit of the Maid of ! Orleans walked through the ranks oi millions like new foce. She was history speaking, she was France awakened and
 mighty: she stood for the mothers and the I wives of men; she rushed and touched all like the waters of the Seine and the
 Loire and the Rhone; she unfurled invis- ible banners that were sacred and unde- niable and led men on to mighty deeds
 as of old. "Chevaliers of France shs