The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-30

Iamiiy until the war CLOUDS fOiieu
up and the German storm broke
across Belgium and into France.
For days the battle was heard in
the distance. then, one night, the
Germans swept forward past the
farm. the ST. Mihiel saliant was
formed and the once happy family
was shut in
1t was then, after the Germans
came. that Marie Rose bid goodbye
to her brother one morning as the
Germans took him away with some
other boys, who. SO the Germans
said, were going to do some work
not far away Just how far away
they took her brother Marie Rose
does not know. for she has never
seen him since.
Marie Roses story, as told to the
Yanks who liberated her and her
mother, is the same story as told
by many others who were caught
in the German advance four years
ago. Some German transportation
officers occupied the spare rooms
Of the farm house. and from time
to time new officers came to take
their place. The officers were not
harsh. but they were st Ct None
of the family was all ed away
from the fam. Once Maen Marie
Rose became very sick a German
doctor was brought in to care for
her.
Learning Pretty Language.
Marie Roses father worked on
the farm, while her mother did the
housework and cooked for the Off
GERS. There was no school, of course
SO Marie studied German. and often
German officer devoted his eve
nings to giving her instruction.
She was told that the German
language was very pretty, and that
in few years the entire world
would speak German.
So the months rolled by, and
Marie Rose learned to speak Ger
man. She did errands for the Ger
man officers. and sometimes they
brought her candy and cookies. Oc-
casionally she visited another little
girl who lived only few kiIometers
away. but this chance did not COME
| often, as she had to be escorted by
a German officer or soldier
The day they buried her little
girl friend in nearby graveyard
was sad day for Marie Rose.
There were no more pIaymates in
miles and miles. She cried for two
, days and nights: then. so her mo-
Their says, she asked if there were
any more little girls in the world
Her mother told her there were,
that some day when the Germans
were beaten back, they would go
away from there to where there
were lots of little girls and boys
and school.
sadder Days Come.
This encouraged Marie Rose, but
her courage was shattered when in
1916 her father died out in the field
where he had gone to work. Her
mother lapsed into a long sick
spell soon after. Those were sad
der and lonescmer days for little
Marie Rose
AS the months rolled by and
Marie Rose grew older, her mother
often called her aside and told her
of the great day coming when the
Germans would be swept back.
Marie Rose listened with much in.
terest. One day she approached a
German officer about it. He told
her that there would soon be no
French army and everything would
be German. Marie Rose returned
to her mother with the news.
Don't you believe Them" her
mother told her. There will come
day"
During the early morning of Sep
TENDER II, 1918, Marie Rose and
her mother heard the booming of
distant cannon. AS daylight broke
the booming became louder and
louder, and at noon the Germans
hurridly packed their belongings
and left without even a word to
Marie Rose and her mother.
Heavy shells were soon bursting
in the neighborhood, and German
soldiers began to pass in wagons,
automobiles, on horses. Somo-a
great many-were naSsing IN foot