The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10

III
buy 1t 1t may be refused. To-morrov
morning there may be no train"
Then he takes you aside:
DO not wait until tomorrow. o,
tonight"
but there is no train TO Dicppe..
you say, having decided to go by that
route.
But there is one to Havre." is the
slightly impatient response; "one at
midnight. Take that. beg you to
take H. 1t Is not safe to remain-for A
woman"
You picture to yourself that midnight
train to Havre; you have heard ana
read tales of hotels packed at Havre.
people asleep on the quays: no porter,
Tor the hand luggage every possible
inconvenience and danger.
You determine to keen TO vour
original intention, going to England
VIA Dleppe. which is a little out of the
dahger zone and route not so eagerly
sought as the ordinary one. Boulogne
ana calais have been closed for DAYS
ana there is only this alternative.
As IT turns out it is wise selection.
but the pale official shakes his head.
nave sent my wife and children
away Please listen to me and 60"
You are very tired" you answer
after a moment.
He has the look you have seen ON
the faces of many of the overworl,ed
ofhcials of late; many OF them Young
Fellows, who have never before known
really strenuous toll, now bending "a
desk and pen with the untiring zeal u
patriots Actually his eyes M with
tears. IF you only knew"
Overstrain. overwork overworrv--
they are the spectres that have stood
invisible but ever present in the en-
hassies, banks. agencies. wherever
refugees have focked with merciless
questions and reiterated stories of need
CARRYING away exaggerated stories
oftentimes of cross answers and in.
sufficient information. Indifferent TO the
strenuous work carried on by the STATS
Of these establishments.
Paris must have its matches down and
all eNtraneous cargo removed in case
IL goes into siege and on these heroes
OF the pen and desk have fallen some
OF the hardest work Of the war-hard
In that 1t gets no adequate reward. hard
because It is done under frghtful pres
sure and often without adequate infor-
nation or assistance.
took tho s o'clock train from the
Care 81. Lazare by getting up at 4,
swallowing a hasty breakfast and by
good luck securing the only cab visible.
There are a few cabs left. and this is
one OF them, the driver too old TO go
TO war; the horse too decrepit for any
other duty. Early as was the hour
when I reached the station ii was a
black mass Of scurrying people, with
tickets for the same train--it was, by
the way, the only one that day
In this crowd, which gradually grows
until its proportions are unfgurable,
| stood for two hours, but fatigue is
expected and none complain; some are
sorry to go; some glad. The officials
are polite. Paris is only anxious to get
her visitors to place Of security, and
whatever little peccad.loes she may
have committed against them in the
past surely she has made great atone
mont.
There is only a single emotional cpl
sode. When the narrow gate is at
length opened and the crowd tries to
squeeze itself through the breach
huge woman with a handpiece as big
as wardrobe trunk Of popular star
tres to push her way along, and in
mother is too overweighted to take her
in her arms.
The guard pushes the woman aside
with a quick thrust Of his elbow.
DO not push the child" he cries.
In one tone or another, in one en-
vironment and its contrast. that is the
cry of France to-day: Look out for
the child"
People who have bought first class
tickets are glad to ride third class.
but with an extra train all are accom-
modated. There is much crowding, but
the hour is young, people are not over
tired.
The cars creep along; they are NOV
ing through n danger zone. long
troop train filed with English khaki
and detachments of French in red and
blue is seen. After Pontolse the train
gallops TO its end, not passing through
Rouen, its usual path, but detouring by
side track. Several troops of dusty
French cavalry shoot by the flashing
windows.
Two hours on a crowded pier in n
broiing sun follow. People faint and
recover, There are irritating delays
and stories pass through the dense
crowd Of floating mines and authorities
explain that for this reason the boat
will enter Folkestone harbor instead OF
Newhaven.
But the passage is smooth as a mill
pond. All the world is neghbor to its
right or left and stories Of privation,
loss, starvation, help are so prevalent
that one could not begin to chronicle
them.
\ Slav woman absolutely penniless
has been sent by the Red Cross to tho
Russian Consul in London. She nurses
the baby openly on the crowded deck
ana one has forgotten old time sentI-
ment toward such maternal display.
Another Russian woman with exquisite
jewels smokes a cigarette and one
thinks it quite appropriate.
No one wants to listen TO any ones
story, for every one has a story of his
own, but occasionally accent or SINGER
ity makes a tale triumph over lesser
attempts. As in the case Of a retired
Irish army officer who relates thrilling
stories of a bicycle tour through Aus
tria and France. lie ends his expert
enCe with an amusing description of a
meeting between some English tom
.t..H I 4 .