Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-15
Victim of Shell Shock"


The Saxon company to which Albert
had once belonged had been caught in
a she'll storm somewhere near Scissors
Their trenches had been torn to pieces.
Those who tried to run away were cut
down by the steel hail when they left
the shelter of the dugouts. Those
who remained were destroyed. There
is no other word which so well de-
scribes their fate. When the chas-
seurs came leaping into what had been
the German position they found Albert
lying face down in a grisly mire He
was red with blood from his pale hair
and yet he had not suffered wound
He screamed when they picked him up
For days he did not sleep.
The doctors call such cases shell
shock nowadays. The man recovered
in time sufficiently to be sent to the
prison camp at Havre. If this world
had been at peace Albert would have
been sent to some sanatorium until his
bruised soul forgot its horrors. Today
greater sufferers than Albert claim
every inch of such Ravens He was
given such isolation as a prison camp
offers, and protected from the thick
Witted and brutal of his own comrades
More could not be done, until Marcel
appeared with his demand for a boche
Let US try it," said the camp sur
geon, seriously. Perhaps he will be at
ease with the boy"
1t could not happen in any army ex-
cept the French army. They are in
dividualists. these French, to the last
inch of them. An English camp is
bound by rule and precedent Witness
the violent outcries that the English
army is every day throwing away
thousands of pounds of invaluable sup
plies because no way has been provided
by which less can be drawn than the
regulations prescribe, nor may the sur
plus be lawfully turned back. A Ger
man surgeon would have tried a new
serum or a new machine on the man
whose nerves had been shattered The
Frenchman was inspired by kindness
and sublime disregard for regula-
tons. Marcel was instructed in his
new duties.
You are his guard Marcel was told.
See that he does not escape, and that
no one leases him.
Marcel and His Charge at Work.
1t is possible. that no other little bow
in France has been quite so happy as
Marcel. He would lead his charge well
up the coast, away from bad little boys
who tried to tease them. They gather
ed seaweed scrupuiously for the greater
part of each day. AS time went on they
became friends They managed to talk
in queer babble of French and Ger
man, spotted with English words Mar
Gel picked up from the innumerable
Toinmies that wander about this town
that has become great camp. Little
by little Albert regained poise Only
now and then a cloud seemed to de-
scend upon him. Then he would mutter
fierce German phrases. or shrink pitt
fully from terrors invisible to the eye.
Sometimes-well hidden back of a
headland-they played at being SOL
der. Somewhere-where do boys get
these things?-Marcel had secured a
rusty sword bayonet and what remain
ed OF shattered gun. The bayonet be
came his sword, and he put Albert
through the manual of arms. At first
the soldier was the instructor. but Mar
Gel soon developed finely official man
ner. He snapped at his army in true
drill sergeant style. Sometimes he
would nod gravely.
| Much better" Capt. Marcel would
/ TT seems but dream. that day at
Arras," Albert began to say. II have
forgotten it. almost"
They were in a furrow of sand they
over the ridge of loose sand toward the
| sea. Capt. Marcel was swapping his
orders. His regiment was sitting a
grin. Suddenly Albert put his hand to
his ear:
Il hear guns" said he.
His Dream" Of Battle.
| Now il is known that the cannon at
| Arras was actually heard at Havre that
day. in spite of the 100 miles that sep
arate the towns. Albert began to NUT
| ter to himself. His pale blue eyes
CLEANED over the sand parapet. His
cheeks were white. AS the boy watch
ed him, half afraid of his strange
| manner, the prisoner of war leaped
| to his feet with a cry. He swung the
| broken rife above his head.
| Deutschland" he cried; "Deutsch-
land ueber alles!
| He leaped out of the shallow pit.
Twenty feet away breakers were gath
! ering force against the sharp incline
| of the beach. A man in that blue wa
| ter would be utterly helpless. The
| waves would thrash him against the
| sand until the ebbing tide carried him
! out to sea. The great Saxon soldier
| threw open his arms and a battle roar
| came from his lips