El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-04

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turn I discover new evidences of
wonders the war has worked
among the people of France No magi-
clans wand could have called back TO
new life the soul Of the whole French
nation as these months Of sorrOws
and miseries have done An incredible
cha ge that has come over Paris. And
towns and villages Immediately behind
the front which are still endangered
by commandments. have found among
smoldering and blackened ruins OF
humble homes. a new race OF French
women. the mothers of the generation
that Is 10 come, who seemed abso-
lutely out of place in this the goth
century, but who bOde we'll for the
future OF France.
I found a weird population OF old
men, women and children, who had re-
fused to leave what was once their
homes and whom the military authori-
ties have not had the heart to drive
away.
Cling te Wrecked Homes.
With infinite care the women still
try TO make tidy and coy the few
rooms in their houses which have re-
NAMED untouched by German shot and
she'll The roof may be gone. the cell
ing full Of cracks and holes, but the
floors are spotlessly clean and the
pitiful remnants OF treasured old furni-
ture are busted and polished every
morning
During q short bombardment I found
myself forced to seek shelter within
one of these ruins It belonged TO an
old weaver and was really only the
ghost Of a house, With its entire vine
clad front wall blown down by a shell.
In a corner between two walls I found
q little kitchen with its typically
French array of bright copper utensils
and its large fireplace.
A door leading 10 the cellar stood
ajar and from below came the regular
sound Of a working hand-loom. accom-
panying the voice OF an ole man chant
ing a song written more than two cen
turtles ago.
I descended the steps and entered
2 subterranean room Illuminated by
an old fashioned lamp. similar in
shape to those used by the ancient
Greeks and Romans By the light of
this lamp a weaver was working. a
very old man with an immense white
beard, while beard. while at his side
a girl Of Is was calmly winding slender
white thread upon a bObbin-
Old Man Sticks 10 His Work.
With deft patient fingers the old /
man went on weaving his intricate pat !
for years and which neither the hos !
tile invasion. nor the fierce battles 8
which we're fought IN this village be
fore the enemies were driven back,
When the house above became unin- /
habitable he simply moved his loom
with his precious work down into the Il
safer place in the cellar.
Through all this period OF turmoil 4
he had managed to make living for /
himself and has granddaughter HIS
son, for many years widoWer, was /
in the trenches
A mar mite" one Of the big shells
which are also known as Jack John
sons" exploded with q roar IN the
street above our heads
The old weaver stopped singing and
looked at ne with a smile and shruS
OF his shoulder
shell Bursts Near.
again." he said, but have become
quite familiar with that noise during
The last year and, thank God, IL does
not interfere with the work They
nave made hell out Of Gods beauti- !
'ui earth for more than a year. They |
have ruined the house of my fathers
ma my little garden is gone, but am Z
happy here in my cellar ! work even
weaving It is an altar cloth, IS me
res long but it will weigh only. a lit
lie over half a round when It IS fin
shed Feel how soft 1t is"
NO machine was ever invented that
,ould do this kind Of work It is lar
90 soft and delicate Still one must
Though they have taken our daily I
read and killed an old craft which
vas my fathers ana my grandfathers
lefore me, they have suffered so
.rueliy during this war that one can
lot help feeling sorry for them
Twenty Mills Destroyed
a year ago there were twenty mills
n this village The noise Of them
vas like a nightmare TO me- But they
ave work 70 thousands OF hands and
.ow they are in ruins In the one
earest this house 10 looms out Of 20
we're destroyed. but still the owner
as stuck 10 his mill He has re-
aired three of the broken looms and /
e has even got together a crew Of
and carpenters as old as
am and during the nights they have
epaired all the holes and cracks
-hich the shells made during the
ay. He is now keeping seven looms
-orking."
on my way back I saw plenty of
Dung girls spinning this wonderful
roolen and linen thread which had
ecome almost a thing Of the past.
lany a girl I saw sitting in a cellar
{ the side of her grandmother who
ad never laid aside her distaff Both
-Orked in the same graceful. old :
-o-Id way wetting their fingers on :
heir lips coated with a solution Of
ugar to hold together the two fine
men fibres that make a thread less
han one-tenth Of a millimetre in
thickness.
A u