The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22

that heroism from high to low which
is a part of that graver, nobler France
which the world has seen rise up in
the hour of supreme need. The little
Turco with the broken legs, who had
lived Ave days after the battle Of the
Aisne on water and apples shaken
from the trees at night, told a sim
pie story"
an war one naturally mustn't ex-
pect to get too much to eat" he said;
but I'm certain we've had u full
share of suffering on that score. The
worst time was In the Argonne once.
For three days and a half we hadn't
touched a thing; o really began to
feel yourself disappear. My Lieuten-
ant, when we liked. a fellow who
knew how to march. ] can tell you, got
us together and asked:
"'Who has any rations in reserve"
mo one answered. because, to tell
the truth. II we had any 1t was a
temptation to save II for yourself. FL
nally ! made up my mind. I said:
i've a can Of monkey meat" Lieu
tenant. Here 1t is
Three others, too, after me. ave
up their tins.
"'I've got one too said the Lieu
tenant. IN give II to you. az well as
this bread that I've saved. There are
twenty of you: you will divide each
tin In -four parts and eat 1t. with a
little piece of bread for each. IL isn't
much. but it will sustain o "A while
longer
while the men were doing as he
said and making the division the
Lieutenant went of a little way and
sat down by, himself. He ever put his
head in his hands, and | realized that
II was 80 he shouldn't see us eat. He
was pale as pale; ] went and stood
before him and presented arms.
"'Well, what more do you want?'
he asked impatiently.
Excuse me. Lieutenant. but you
counted up all wrong: we're not
twenty
How do you mean, not twenty"
"'No. Lieutenant, we're twenty-one,
and I'll not touch this portion unless
you'll take half
THE officers have lots of feeling
sometimes; it's extraordinary. saw
large tears on my Lieutenant's face.
yet he wouldn't accept II from me.
That vas a little too much for me, !
can tell you. But when he saw that
he was making me furious. and that in
truth. as | had told him (for | am pig
! headed), / would not eat anything he
changed his mind abruptly and said
to me:
"'Sit down there. Thanks. Wei
eat together
Imagine ii I was not proud To 81,
there at mess with my Lieutenant"
1t Is an established commonplace
that the French have wit and not
humor. BE that as 1t may. there are
touches OF this graceful Gallo esprit
even in stories as grim and tragic as
those We have before us. There is
Bolsset. the stubby little orderly in the
Hospital OF Saint Dominic. He Is an
e~X-pastry cook. 60 years of age or
t~hereabout, always happy. always
smiling. and his greatest joy is in
begging leftover bits Of milk and eggs
from the kitchen that il his leisure
moments he may fashion sweet dam
ties for the invalids. humming the
Magnlficat as he works.
A sanitary train filled with wounded
arrived Unexpectedly at This town one
day. Two hundred men TO be fed. all
~ Na-tS Aht a. lever AIN
about to be operated upon. And at a
previous stopping place they had been
served with bread and cheese. Here
there was thing: one jug OF milk.
and that was all. What was to be done?
Now It happened that oppo-
site the convoy of wounded a cattle
train was stationed. due to start in a
moment in the opposite direction
. Thar u-ng ~. N f.lN " $500 L-s-
good old heads looking so peaceful In
these warllke times. The god
herdsman, a native Of our mountain
heights. blue bloused. a big stick in his
hand. came up and bowed awkwardly.
They're French. you know he said.
pointing to his beasts. and they'll
gladly give up their milk for the
wounded soldiers" . Volunteer
mixers were not lacking.
These little sketches come fresh
from the heart and memoir OF a
woman who has labored with the
suffering and the dying. who has
sat beside fever wracked victims
living over and over the horrors
OF the trenches. And. so coming,
they have the simplicity and per-
lection of style which the greatest
literary craftsmen so often fail 10
achieve. The translation is d~elicately
and artistically made. For once. at
least, we feel inclined to agree with
the publishers claim concerning his
book. for 1t is perhaps n o too much
to say that this Is the "truest and
most striking book that has so far
dealt with the human side OF the
great war"