New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-09
The Last Days of the Marne
From the War Journal of Lieutenant Jean Gaudoux OF The french Army

not know that the enemy had been here
Occasionally there is an outburst Of rys.
pathy for some particular soldier among u:
"oh, look at the big dark fellow! Sc. Ar
red haired one!"
They restrain themselves, however, and Il,
favored man receives not a whit more .hn
his comrades. From every window con,
cries:
What do you want most"
Matches" we call back.
A handful of matches is distributed sn,ns
us forthwith, each receiving two. II. las,
man even gets three. Such is luck!
Give US soap
Out il comes. square chunk. Of yellow soap
then little cakes OF toilet soap, then fr,g
ments that have already seen use
The Fearful Question
Old women trot along beside Us, Offering
sugar piece by piece. We are shrouded N our
greatcoats so they can recognize no one, sit,
a, they keep about the same pace as we with
out realizing it they give continually te tie
same man. In their starched aprons and
fu:ed caps they eye our dirt and rags with
humility. They could do our washing, thy
say, if only we were to be quartered in tos'
Finally, during short halt, they cone vi
with the question which has been torturing
them:
You've had some men wounded"
yes"
"And some killed.
Yes"
They dare not ask US the exact NUMBER
They feel the number o; the victims groVl''
in their imagination. Perhaps there ""
ten, fifteen, twenty-g good Heavens, were there
thirty"
Five hundred" says Bergeot.
They are horror-struck. Bergeot says tiH
perhaps he was exaggeratinG, and their SLOW
working minds set to work saving few sur
vivors from those five hundreds: ten, fifteen
twenty. 1t almost seems as i those whon
they had first given up for dead were BEN:
restored to them. All if only they could "a"
thirty
We have come 10 well-psyed streets now
the countrymen walk on them more csut!S"'
ly, as on a waXed floor. To the left ri'"
high wall with baker astride it, passing ."
loaves of bread out TO us in a deterrlna''0'
that his side OF the street shall not be 0uF
done in giving by those across the "s''
civilian who has followed US into town ru'ne'
ahead of US and filings himself into the afm'
Of weeping parents. Shamefaced trsdesms'
and solid citizens loom up in our path; 'n@
feel dishonored, contaminated by the nv"
sion, and will long keep their downcaSt l0oN
for they have had 70 hold their tongues 10
a fortnight they venture to addre" "
it is with hesitating, high-fown expressions
Pray believe" says the Mayor, pray D'
leve in the high regard Of regard Of-Aa'
do believe in it,"
The town urchins, swarming eyeryNhe''
help move the army along by pushing .. 'n'
gun carriages We pass a poor old one'
who forgets for the first time in his I'VE
be proud OF the tablet on his house, Whe',
Alexandra Dumas once lived. He is coNs'1
with confusion at mistaking for maeh'o'
gun our flag in its leather case. PRE-"
distributing tablets of chocolate as ne woN'
her speciality. One pours eau-de-cologne "
our hands, or on our heads If we wish' -
other watches US with eyes full of tears -
other calls at the top of her voice to a "'"''
in the house, invisible to US, who keeps pas
ing cheese and preserves out OF smail W"
dow. Here is an empty building, all spa''''..
with foreign words, which looks as II IL "'''
full of Germans. Every now and then VIC ~
child or an old woman putting olrd '',
or pot Of gersniums back on the wind0" %.
There stands man in a frock coat s'e'I
vis1ged and silent, who is probably suhe''D'
remorsc for having spoken to some fr'S'
officer, for not having told him lies enouss
he droDs TO his knee TO help me edlus' =.
garter. stfened and mouldy as an old p'''
of bark
Others there are who have been thih.s
only Of this deliyersnce, who rejoice a. -
ing waited for US unAinchngly, who sp',,
fricnziedly TO US and cry forth their oe'
thoughts from sfar because We have no' w.
appointed their trust IN Us.