The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-12-21
American Red Cross Brought
ION the Dimples l
She WAS BORN IN CAVE
Infant Saved From UntimeIy
Death BY Nurses Kindly
Administrations
From Fridays Daily.


Toul, France, November 11.-[By
Mail. There is an eighteen month
old war baby with a perpetual smile
and an iron constitution at the Ameri-
can Red Cross home for refugee
children here today who ought to have
an American God-mother.
Simone Botmer, French war child
is probably the champion war baby
of the entire war. More trials and
tribulations have been crowded into
her short young life than in any 9TH
er life of equal period. Fate has play
ed as many pranks with her than per-
haps with any other living fodder
Today SimOne has a smile for every
one and as for disposition she might
just have well been born with sill
yer spoon in her mouth instead e
under conditions which are as much
the reverse as day is from night.
Born In Cave.
To begin with, Simone was born in
one of those dark, unsanitary, verm-
in filled caves where French peasant
folks live after the German guns have
blown their homes to bits. Simone's
father, of course, wasn't present He
fore the event from the very region
just over the hill where the French
trnches face the enemy and keep him
from advancing further into the de-
partment of Meurthe and Moselle.
Simone's mother, being sturdy
French peasant woman gave the lit
tie mite strength to live even under
all the adverse conditions.
Once Neat Household.
Before the war the Botmer house
hold was as neat and thrifty as any
in the village But the village like all
others within range of the enemy
guns, is now mass of ruins. No liv-
ing thing is safe on the surface of the
ground. To appear among the battered
and naked walls means to invite
German shells from the enemy gun
ners. The caves offered shelter
against these missiles until the Ger
mans began to use gas. Then the
French government supplied the cave
jewellers with gas masks. But to send
them to safer place was the best
remedy. The French government NOV
ed the smallest children to the "Asile-
Caserne de Luxembourg" a group of
buildings prepared for the purpose
here on a hill near Toul. Then the
American Red Cross took hand and
today more than 500 children are un-
der the care of American doctors and
nurses headed by Dr. julius Parker
Sedgwick, of Minneapolis.
Suffered From Pneumonia.
Little eighteen month old Simone
Botmer is among the children. Suf-
fering from pneumonia she was TAX
en- from her mothers cave and plac-
ed in the small children's hospital
Here after many anxious days and
nights under the care of Nurse Bes-
sic Spanner of Cleveland, O., and
DR.. J. l. Durand, child specialist of
Seattle, Simone pulled through and
has since smiled her way into the
affections of all the American doc
tors and nurses.
A month ago Simone's face, pinched
by lack of proper nourishment and
disease made her appear like skinny
Japanese baby. Her nails, despite the
illness drew her eyes down to narrow
Sits and her small white teeth not
yet fully grown were the most promi-
nent part of her appearance. With
proper treatment, daily bath and
nutritious food Simone is beginning
to blossom out
All Simone needs is an American
God mother.