New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-12

n valley. Now it was evening. Inc
blush smoke rose in perpendicular columns
from the skeletons of the houses, with their
snrashed-in rafters. Soldiers camped in the
village street.
little troop had kindled fire on culvert
and was feeding it with the charred remnants
of fence. The fence had surrounded big
cross. which bore a reduced size figure of the
Saviour. A shell had struck the cross, shattered
it and scattered the pieces about for yards
The shock had dislodged the figure of the
cruc;fed Lord 1t fell into the hole made by
the shell. Faded flower garlands and pale
artificial roses were scattered around.
A little girl sat on the shattered arms of
the cross. She wore a coat with black, green
and yellow stripes and a cloak of similar pat
tern. She had on a stout pair of boots. The
child tried awkwardly to wind few roses into
a wreath for the image. Then she dug hole
with one of the big splinters of the cross and
sought TO lay the Saviour in It,
But the cold metal stifened her fingers and
made her SILVER. She wrapped the figure IN
her cloak and trpped toward the fire in order
TO warm herself.
The soldiers paid no attention to the little
girl The overmastering impressions OF the
last few hours had turned their faces to stone
TIE little one ran back to her excavation,
laid the image in its grave, shovelled the loose
earth into little mound over it, put her wreath
on TOP of the mound, placed flowers and leaves
along the sides and sang in a monotonous tone
two or three times;
THE Lord Christ is dead. | have buried
him"
Then she ran to one of the soldiers who was
sitting on his knapsack and had thick piece
of bread in his hand
Maria is hungry. Maria wants some
bread"
The soldier let her keep the piece which she
had taken out of his fingers, and the little girl,
full of confidence in them, remained with these
elderly Landsturm men, played with their side
arms and felt their cartridge rolls. The men
did not interfere with her; they took hardly
any notice whatever of her until she vent
ured once a little too near the fire. Then one
Of them pulled her roughly back, so that she
wouldn't burn herself. The little one did not
appreciate the good intentions of her protector
She felt only his rude grip. The corners OF her
mouth dropped and she began to weep bitterly
The tears seemed to tighten the stoniness IN
the faces of the soldiers, and one of them asked
in Polish, with sort of clustering sympathy:
What arc you crying about?'
Because Pcha there was so rough with her
Such an old bachelor understands nothing about
children"
So answered Private Mucha in his high
fasetto voice, which always had an aggrieved
and plaintive note in it.
Come. Maria" he continued, seeking to
quiet the little girl "Come to me; III do you
no harm."
Picha twired the ends of his long, sweeping
mustache and his eyes sparkled. But ne said
nothing. He seated the ch..d on his knee,
danded her to and fro and sang her Polish
song. Then she stopped crying and tried to
null the soldiers mustachios. while he, with
make-believe righteousness, snapped at her lit
tie. fat fingers. She laughed heartily at that
and wanted to keep the game going indefinitely
In the midst Of the play he asked;
Where is your mother"
Mother is gone-dead" the child answered.
And your father"
Father is dead too Maria doesn't know"
There was long pause. Then the fat
Fabq broke in His face was black tangle
Of hair out of which his eyes shone.
THE man who has this war on his con
science will die thousand deaths. A curse on
the grand dukes and the princess"
But what shall we do with the child?" asked
Private Mucha.
The question was an audacious one. Ii sug
gestCd measure Of responsibility and sense
Of sympathy on the part of these rough Land
sturm men which they had heretofore been
ashamed to confess TO one another.
For tonight we must give her some shelter.
Tomorrow, naturally, We can't burden our
selves any further with her. said Pcha de-
cisively.
Naturally not. Children don't belong in
company when il is out on the fighting line
said Mucha.
But each of them had some mental reserva-
tions in connection with that word naturally"
Since il was the general opinion that the
child must be looked after for the night. Mucha
and Fabg set out TO find quarters for her.
Johann Picha would not move. Yet il was
proper for one Of them to stay behind to look
after the little girl. Such little people are al
ways likely 10 get into trouble.
Plchs waited until the comrades had van