Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-02-28
Stories of the War
Madame Care-DeviI.

Madame "'Dare-Devir' is dead.
Madame Daredevil was the name
given by French soldiers to Madame
Meunier, the wife of farmer at Les
sart, not far from Nanteuil-le-H au-
douin, where the English troops pass
ed Sept. 2nd-> under the pressure of
continually multiplying German troops
on its left flank. The peasants of
Lessart, most of them, piled their per-
sonal effects into carry-alls and carts
and fed before the conflict. Madame
Menuier, however, refused to bulge.
Solidly braced against her door-siIl,
she turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
She remained alone there with her
wants; she buried her choice provi-
sions, her wine and a number of bot
ties Of old brandy in the garden,
bought a poignard for personal de-
Tense and waited for the Germans.
FROM the surrounding country there
succeeded wave after wave of thick
ranks of gray. Five army corps,
nearly three hundred thousand men,
marched through that region toward
the Marine. In the early morning
hours of the next day a German Of
ficer knocked on the door of Madame
Meunier's farmhouse with the hilt of
his sword
Il must have milk, bread, meat,
wine, salt, pepper, for my men" he
cried.
the provisions that were visible in the
house, and when the count had been
| made the German officer offered her
| a bank bill Madame Meunier drew
! herself up, and pushed the bill back
with her hand:
Il have only given you what you
| would have taken if I had refused. l
| do not want your money. You can
| take everything you find here free of
| charge" she added. But on one con-
| dition."
"a condition."
Yes on condition that I shall go
| and come at will. I will attend to my
| affairs in my own way. Otherwise
! you shall have nothing more at ALL"
$50 be it," the officer replied, but
| let me give you a little advice. Take
good care of yourself. My men don't
| trif1e'
| Scarcely had the officer turned up
on his heels when Madame Meuniel
| ran to the stable. hitched up the only
| conveyance she had, stuffed her car
full of the provisions she had secretet
and in a few minutes the old horse
was trotting at top speed along the
road between the lines of German
| troops on the march. At Versigny
patrol stopped her, searched the car
| and showed their delight at the find
they had made. The legend has it thai
| Madame Meunier, with a raised whiI
exclaimed
Down with your paws. These pro.
visions are for the German genera
staff"
At this, it is said, the patrol divid.
ed respectfully and allowed the cart t.
pass on.
Violating all orders by her audacity
| Madame Meunier got through the Ger
man lines, reached the hospital a
Nanteuil- de-Haudouin and distri.
buted her provisions among thu
wounded French and English soldier
at the hospital, slipping pieces o
money into their hands and left will
the triumphant cry: Until to-mor
row, my lads"
The next day and the following an
for ten days thereafter, Madame Meu
nier passed through the German line
every day with her charge of provi
sions for her proteges in the hospita
lat Nanteuil-de- Haudoin. On the 12tl
of September, on the road from Nan
teuil to Lesard, her old cart was sud
denly caught in a storm of shells. TIL
Germans all round under brief an,