New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-08
THE LITTLE CORPORAL.


We were in the barracks of the Sth Regi-
ment Of Artillery. They have been converted
into home for refugees, but the old insignia
Of famous victories still adorn the walls.
We were talking with Nine. Deron. She Is
a refugee from Pont-a-Mousson, widowed by
German severity. But unlike so many
women of Lorraine wnom | met, she still
could look to her line continuing For while
she sat slightly bent over and tired, Charles
her fifteen -year-od son ("Fifteen and hall
monsieur,") stood tall and straight at her
side. While the mother told me her story
looked up from her and saw the wall the
escutcheon of the regiment and | read in
Illuminated letters the names of the battles
in which it had fought:
Austerlitz go. 1905.
Friedland 1907.
Sebastopol go. 1854.
Solferno 49,. 1859
At the beginning Of the war her husband
was ferryman Of the Moselle, she said. He
carried civilians and soldiers across. Their
little son, then thirteen years old, liked to be
near him and watch the river and the pass
ing Of people. The boy had discovered q
cellar under the bridge-a fine underground
room, well vaulted, where, boylike, he had
hidden tobacco and where he often stayed
for hours dreaming of the bold things he
would do when his time came and he would
be permitted to enlist.
During the early battles the bridge had
been blown up. SO Father Derlon was kept
very busy ferrying peasants and stray soldiers
from bank to bank. One day three German
patrols came along. Charles was standing by
the bridge watching his father sitting in the
wherry. The boy stepped down into his un-
foreground room to get some tobacco. He was
gone only five minutes. When he came back
the three Germans said to him.
"Your father is dead"
1t was so. They had climbed the bridge
and fired three tmes-one explosive bullet
had entered the ferrymans head and two had
shattered his arm. The Germans said he had
been carrying soldiers across, and that it was
wrong to carry soldiers.
"The little one came home crying" said
Nine. Derlon. "Since that moment the little
one left home without telling me- lie did
not send me any news Of himself. | searched
everywhere to try to find trace of him.
Monsieur Louis Marin, the Deputy, told me
he had seen boy like my little one follow
ing the soldiers. Actually he had been adopt
ed by the 95th Territorial Regiment"
He told the soldiers that he had just seen
his father killed by the Germans. One Of
the captains took him under his protection.
The boy insisted on becoming fighter. lie
was brave, and they made him corporal He
fell wounded in action, winning the Croix de
Guerre.
Charles Derlon, the little corporal of the
e5th Infantry, has bright, open face, but
it is face into which has passed the look
Of responsibility. In one moment he became
man, and he has that quiet dignity of boy
whom older men respect and make comrade
Of He holds himself with the trim shoulders
and straight carriage of little soldier Of
France.
One Of US asked him:
And weren't you afraid, my boy, Of the
fght?"
at is ali the same to me-" he replied
when ] get used TO it," =
"And you are away from the army now
on permission ?" we asked.