Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-02

ting postures. The strongest crowd to
strained and Eager.
They are still in their uniforms and
these they have apparently cleaned
and mended after the long detention in
the prison camps. Stuck in their caps
and pinned on their chests are little
flags, tri-colored tinsel and flowers,
gifts received from Swiss children on
their way through the country. In
their eaSerness to breathe the air, TO
see. hear or feel their fellowmen about
them. the wars derelicts cram the WIN
dows until the doors are opened.
1t is a wonderful experience after In
describa bic hardships, they say. No
one smiles.
The train stops and the doors are
opened. 1t takes the greater part of
an hour to unload the cars. The SOL
diers are led. carried. wheeled or sup
ported into vast waiting room near
by at the corridor. Armless, Sightless,
leeless. faceless even, horribly disfg-
ured. bent double and crippled in every
conceivable way, they manage to hob
BILE along with the help of the bran
cardiers. who call them endearing
names and carry the piles of gaudy
sacks and little souvenirs OF all sorts
they received in Switzerland or We're
allowed to bring over. They are the
last word in broken beings. In their
eagerness. a pitiful enthusia SIN. they
They were treated horribly, they de-
clare-fed on vile food and sometimes
beaten. They are unanimous in say
ing this, but they say they received
more lenient treatment than that melted
to the English prisoners. AS they talk
in their weakness and misery some say
foolish things
1T is enough, this war. How long
yet will it last, do YOU know" asks a
little, thin fellow with a shaggy beard
and an armless sleeve pinned over his
chest He has a catch in his voice as
of weakness "They told us nothing in
Germany, the dirty cows. All it is
good here. this place. ] used to come
was happy then. My mother. is she
here?'
At the door through which they pass
stands a galaxy of officers and civilians
of note. who salute and lift their hats
to the homecomers. One fellow.
wheeled along in a chair, with a leg
and an arm missing, manages to hold
onto large French flag. 1t is frayed
at the edges and much faded. 1t part
~ covers his body and the missing leg.
He draws a solemn salute and a tear
as he passes.
Finally the train is unloaded. All
of the soldiers are now assembled In
the large room. The place is deco
rated with flowers, ferns and flags.
There are long tables set In banquet
style. The dishes are of tin, but the
tables are spread with real. linen and
strewn with roses. At the plates are
little tri-colored favors of divers types.
4
Cross societies have concentrated their
efforts to stretch the funds allotted to
them
The soldiers are arranged around the
tables. Spotlessly gowned nurses, with
red crosses on their arms or caps, fit
here and there and minister to the
soldiers as if to so many children, pat
ting them and saying nice little things
as they stoop and pass from one to the
other.
At the other end of the station the
crowds still stand without the door.
They are held back by gendarmes at
both sides of the entrance. The pent
up eagerness is now keyed to the high
est pitch. 1t is manifest by the very
silence of the throng. 1t is a weighted.
oppressive silence that now and then is
broken by short waves of restlessnesS
and a few low words here and there.
Women fix little things about their
dress, their hats or hair, and fingers
twitch and pull at handkerchiefS.
In the room Of the tables there is also
silence, and the men are beginning to
nibble at, their food.
Then it comes: From the far end of
the corridor leading to where the crowd
has waited comes a rustic, a swish of
many feet and the officers and brancar-
diers gathered at the tables in silence
turn to look.
The long string OF parents. wives.
sweethearts and children comes on
steadily through the long. narrow pas
sage toward the tables. Now the 81
lence is tense and breathless. Not one
i'll that sad. straining crowd is sure of
a reunion. They come on with some
thing that resembles giant billow
ready to break.
In the eagernesS of expectancy the faces
are painful to see. There is a woman
with a baby in her arms and poorly
dressed. An old man hobbies along
with the aid of a cane, one hand feebly
extended toward an elderly. stout wo-
man, who pushes along in the lead.
She has a face set for disappointment.
Near her is a slight, gentle looking
woman whose face is furrowed in deep
lines and who tries to force an air of
unconcern.
Three women pass and in their frantic
eagerness to get at the tables push
merry ously through little openings in