Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-12-28

X cheerful In d1SappOlnCmenIS,
charitable toward the errlng Z
and fallen; protect helpless ami
X mails; do as 1 would be done \
by; smile more and frown less
Z and do every day something !
x beautiful, some kindness that
Z will cheer and strengthen an
( other \
4444A&&&&44x4&4% 4 = 4 4 y = = = ~
SSSSSSSSSSSSSS
In twinknng' / -GnuersJoou"wnar IL
all meant. When the tide of battle
had surged over this house the in
mates had hidden in the cellar | call
ed out: "Je ne suis pas Allemand. made
moiselle. Je suis American" q am not
German. l am American.) Then, TAX
ing up the lamp, l descended the stairs.
Huddled together was an old man, an
old woman and several children. The
girl l had seen stood between me and
them.
Never have l seen a more pitiable
sight These people were living in
cellar, into which little light permeat-
ed. The old persons and the little chill
dren suffered most, the former being
chilled by the damp atmosphere, the
latter deprived of proper food They
had evidently entered their place of
concealment in haste. for they had no
bedding or other articles to make their
Imprisonment less distressing than it
might otherwise have been.
| stood looking at them. plying
them; they looked at me, supposing
that an enemy had discovered their re-
treat and expecting l know not what
calamity. My first thought was to re-
assure them.
The soldiers are gone" l said in
French. There is no danger. Come
upstairs"
Are you sure, monsieur?" asked the
girl.
Come and see for Yourself.
retraced my steps, and she follow
ed me, but on reaching the floor above
stood looking about her, as if dreading
to see some fierce creature who would
butcher her. AS soon as she was sat
about she called to the others, who
came struggling up. looking furtively
about them.
1t was some time before l could
quiet them so that they would COM
municate anything to me, but present
ly l CLEANED from the girl that they
had been in the cellar nearly two days,
during which time they had had moth
ing to eat. They were all, especially
the children, nearly famiShed. l help
ed them to get out what eatables there
were at hand, and in a few moments
they were eating ravenOusly, though
before the girl began to eat she re-
turned to the cellar and brought up
bottle of wine. For there are few per-
sons in France but drink the wine of
the country.
The family insisted on my occupying
the only bed that had escaped being
wrecked but | resolutely declined,
taking my blanket to an upper room,
where | could see the stars through
hole in the roof made by a shell.
There | stretched myself on the floor,
feeling that if the dead were without
the living were within. Consequently
| went to sleep and slumbered till the
sound of distant cannon awakened me,
and | knew the slaughter had recon-
menced.
| decided to spend the day hunting
an opportunity to send off my report,
and after partaking of a breakfast of
what was left in the larder l sailed
forth But | did not get very far.
Guns. provisions, ammunition, were be-
ing hurried forward along the roads.
and | concluded when evening came to
find place between thOroughfares to
spend the night SO | repaired to the
house had occupied the night before.
was disappointed to find the fam
lily gone But when | reflected that
they had nothing to eat | saw that their
going was necessary. Not caring to
spend another night amid such lonely
surroundings. | determined to look for
other quarters and found them in a
barn that had escaped being leveled by
shot or fire. though the uhlans had
taken the contents for their horses. |
succeeded in scraping together enough
hay to make me bed. on which slept
quite comfortably
The next morning had no difficulty
in reaching a point where | could send
my reports. for | was arrested by the
French and hustled off to Calais. There
- l.,
the place was full of wounded
Finding that reporting battles and
fighting my way to the battle-ground
without any assurance of being per-
mitted to stay there was diScouraging.
| concluded to make a virtue of neces-
sity and chose another field for my
IahorS
The war has changed much since
then. There are more men. more guns.
more shells. more aerOplanes. And that
new kind of fortifcation. the trench.
has become the principal defense in
military engineering More men are
upon the air and more down under the
sea They fly higher and dive deeper
If so great have been the changes with
in few years. what shall We have in
another quarter of a century?
All Extra.
There's some mistake about this
bill" said the departing guest. You
told me your rates We're s. day"
so they are" said the genial hotel
proprietor. but that's just for having
your name on the register Rooms and
board are extra. Pittsburgh Press.