Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-28

PARIS, May Z.
| Tn 1910, when Louis XIII ascended the
| i throne Of France the Isle de ST. Louis
| in tho Seine separated by narrow water
| from LIsle dc Ia Cite, the cradle Of Paris
and upon which stands Notre Dame, was
virgin ground. Tho president Of the Parlia-
| ment, Pierre dc Charron, bought the island
| OF St Louis from the parish Of Notrc Dame
| and built upon IT It's first building magnit-
| icent hotel" or regal residence, capable
| OF housing $50 persons. The fascinating his
tory Of the de Charron "hotcl" has no
place on this page. I touch upon 1t at
all only because 1t so happens that the
second floor is occupied by my friend
Pierre Mile, author and journalist, with
whom spent recent afternoon.
He Is a modest man, Pierre Mile, and
will not talk about himself But those who
know his art rank him among the foremost
littcrateurs Ia France. To such Americans
as are acquainted with the literature Of con-
| temporary France Pierre Mile Is known,
as well as at IS Quai de Bourbon, the
ancient street address Of the de tharron
Hotel" facing the Seine from the left bank
&C the island And many more who do not
read French are likely to know him pres
entity since a number Of his Temps articles
have recently been translated into English
for classic text book purposes
Through an antique studded gate and
acr - a cobblod courtyard to a stairway
pl llOdu steps, tnaue low so tnhL III lu'
days of old great ladies in sedan chairs
might be more comfortably carried up and
down, | made my way. In his thrcc-century-
old salon, before a modern fire, passed
few hours and during their passing one Of
the stories Pierre Mile told was this:
There have been more than three hundred
Christmas ewes and Christmas days Celc-
brated in this house. | thought Of that
recently mentally picturing them And out
Of the thought came another. It's too late
for last Christmas and too early for the
next But I'll tell ii to you.
1T was bedtime and the little German
prince had been uudressed. lie had been
childishlv pensive all day. knowing the night
was the night among AL the nights Of the
year, the eve Of Christmas, and being a
little child despite his princelincss, he still
believed. So he ran across the velvet carpet
TO the chimney piece and placed his shoes
within, after the custom Of his people. lie
was at the age VIXEN little children are still
little children. even if Of princely blood.
THE American Coverness who had re-
placed the English. now gone away, Occa-
sionally looked upon his childhood innocence
with the thought that but little later ne
would resemble his brothers and his living
forebears, and that being a little prince 1t
was of course quite necessary he should be
like them in flesh, in thought in aim. Be-
fore running to the chimney piece with his
shoes he had knelt in innocent nonunder-
standing prayer prayer that had been
taught TO him, prayer fun Of fierce words
that called the wrath Of Heaven upon the
heads Of enemies he did not know. He was
destined to be prinCcly soldier for he had
been told and in his childish glee pleased
TO wear uniform, the uniform of a
colonel commanding a regiment Of men who
bore guns and instruments of death He
had seen them drawn up for parade and
thought them very beautiful and very good.
AS the govcrness assisted him into his
tiny princely bed he said:
"'Father Christmas will come this year.
will he not. just as other years. And he
interrupted himself, very proud 10 record a
memory.
~ remember very well when he came
last year lie put so many things in the
chimney. And the next day there were
more things on big tree. and it had gold
and silver balls on it, and little lighted
candles from top TO bottom. You are
sure he will come again."
Yes, Hghness,' answered the governcss,
he will come when ycn are asleep, and not
come If you stay awake. He is shy and
never wishes to be seen
~ will sleep them answered the little
Prince. And the governcss extingushed
the light and softly closed the door.
1.-The little Prince was thus alone, his
was wide awake and he could not slecp
He thought of his grandfather formerly
smiling and gay, but whom he now rarely
saw and when he did, seemed not to notice
him, to be absorbed in something he could
not understand. He thought Of his father
whom he had not seen for a long time
And he thought Of his mother. who seemed
different mother with less love and az
fecton for him than before He had noticed
but understood that he must not ask why,
Then he thought Of his Shetland pony,
Ihe pretty pony that was dead and could
not be replaced on account Of the war.
Were all the Shetland ponies killed in n
great battle" he had asked. And he did
not understand when he was answered
II was not that, but they could not cross
the sea on account of the bad English.
With eyes still closed his thought turned
to Father Christmas and ne prayed TO him:
Father Christmas, l must tell what
wish, for you do not know. Please do not
bring me any more cannon or boxes of lead
soldiers, or little Zeppelins. Those Won
brought last year are still here and [ am
tired Of them. ! want farm, and a sheen.
fold, and cows, and peasant women to milk
them l want gramophone that plays
something else than Wacht am Rhcin and
Deutschland uber Allies | am tired Of them
too
And then sleep came to him. the sleep
Of the little child. But mingled with it,
somewhere In its mysterious depths. re-
mained the spirit Of his last waking thought
Of Father Christmas. And so he dreamed
"He heard In the chimney piece a host
Of little voices, Was it Father Christmas
accompanied with the angels? But then
he saw as they came out over his shoes
that they were not angels at all. but little
children; that Father Christmas was not
with them; that they were little boys and
little girls in their nightclothes, no bigger
than himself. He thought they were very
beautiful and that they had come TO play
with him. But as they came close he saw
they were very pale, that their hair and
nightclothes we're wet. And they seemed
70 be crying as they stretched their little
hands out toward him,
what is the matter?' asked the little
Prince, 4 don't want you to cry; 1 don't
want you to be sad
"And they answered in low concerted
voice that in his dream he could scarcely
hear:
we are little American and little Eng.
lish children. And one night we were
drowned. We were on a big, big boat. we
don't know why we were drowned We
had always been good boys and girls, lit.
tie Prince and all at once we woke in a
great cold salt-tasting water We opened
our mouths 10 call our papas and mamas