Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-17
WHEN A GIRL MAY
WRITE TO A KING
And the King May Answer Her
Letter-The Experience of
Little Genevieve Cri-
non, of Paris
BY HENRI BAZIN
Star Correspondent Of the Evening Ledger
IN France.

PARIS, June %
uER name is Genevieve Crinon, she is
l. nine years old and she lives at 1875
Rue Ferdnan, Paris Her hair is as black
as a ravens wing and her eyes the color
of a gazelles,
Genevieve had very often heard during
the last two years OF the sufferings of
ner uncle who was prisoner of war in
Germany. She remembered l. - 10Y well,
for she had loved him very l. rh Her
mother and her aunt often sorrowed al
belated tidings, or sorrowed more at none
at all They had no word from him for
three months, and the last letter was
very short as the regulations specify. tell
ing only Of life and love for those in
France and also of sickness.
While one evening about the fire an
her mother and her aunt were crying,
she asked where the German prison camp
was Her mother told her it was Camp
Festerdorf in westphalia, and that's all
she knew An hour later, while Gene
We've was looking at the evening paper,
she suddenly said aloud Mon Dieu!"
which in French is the equivalent of
Well never" or "The idea!" or any
kindred ejaculation The next afternoon,
while her mother and her aunt were out,
Npa
bank, took from it forty centimes, wen,
out herself and bought a sheet Of paper
an envelope and a twenty.fve.centime
stamp, came home and wrote this letter;
wrote it in her childish way oblivious of
error, unmindful of a big blot that leaked
from her mothers pen, and she signed
her name:
Monsieur Your Majesty the King Of
Spain: You will please see about my
Uncle Gabriel Crinon, who is a prisoner
in Camp Festerdorf in westphalia, he
is sick and ! read in the paper sick
French prisoners can be sent to Switzer-
land to be made well again I read in
the same paper you had friend who said
you were good. / am a little friend who
asks you for myself and my mama and
know my uncle was in Switzerland and
away from the Boche that hurt him with
a big gun. He would never have made
my uncle prisoner If he had not hurt him
first. / will kiss you If you send him to
Switzerland He Is a sergeant and I
love him. He Is a sergeant of the line,
my aunt says. I don't Rnow what the
line is, but he wears a gray uniform and
has a mustache l am only nine years
old and If you will send him to Switzer-
land l will come to your castle when this
nasty war is over and see you my own
self.
Then Genevieve wrote upon the envel.
ope, THE King Of Spain, Madrid" and
put the letter in the post box at the
corner as she went to school the next
morning. And every day she went to
school again and she played and helped
her mama and her aunt and lived her
little life of childish innocence.
One evening, long after so long that
Genevieve had forgotten, thinking only
now and then that some day she would
have to tell her mama about the forty
missing centimes from her bank, the post.
man came TO the door. Her mother
greeted him eagerly, for no news had
come from the prisoner in Westphalia
for four months. And she cried out;
"Genevieve! Genevieve! It's =, letter
for you. And it comes from Spain. What
can it be?'
And then little Genevieve remembered.
Her little face grew red and then it grew
pale, and then she burst into tears sob.
bingly telling what she had done weeks
NJ ha,.
and her aunt looked at her mother, and
both looked at Genevieve while they both
reached to take her i'm their arms at the
same time. And while they all three sat
down together Genevieve opened her first
letter all her own self It was written
upon beautiful paper and had a coronet
at its top while at its bottom was the
signature, Alfonso. She passed it to
her mother, who read it aloud. And here
is what she read:
Mademoiselle-wh one is but nine
one cannot Of course, know that even
kings cannot always do that which they
wish TO do. II this one could your uncle
would be home with you now.
But learn, mademoselle, that [ myself
have written to Germany, not through
secretary. but in my own hand, as
would for dear personal lrlend, l nave
done this because your letter moved and
charmed me- And ! hope that which l
have written will bring your uncle to
you. I would not be surprised II it did.
thank you for your confidence in me,
mademoisele Every one has not conf
dence, even in king, and I shall hold
you TO your promise 10 come and see me
in Madrid when the wicked war is over,
or II not then, at least a little later,
when you can bring your uncle and your
aunt and your mama.
Permit, mademoiselle, that the King
of Spain express his gratitude to you
for having written him, and that he
place two big papa kisses upon the cheeks
of a little French girl whose heart is in
that she has written, so that It is here
in Spain with him.
That letter was received by Genevieve
some weeks ago She is waiting for her
underwriting in the surety of childish
confidence.