The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-18

| 'fHc FOLLOWING VIVA WOT0 pictures
from the Belgian Front was delayed
tells OF Belgian Heroism and Belgian
suffering can never grow old.)
BY ROBERT WELLES RICHIE
At the Belgian Front, Sunday. No.
vember 3 ;. tDelayed)--No bells are
tolling tonight in the shell riddled
steeples in the outskirts of Client. In
stead, there is the never ending lull
and chatter of the machine gun and
the believing OF the big gun.
Suddenly into this roa OF war
Comes tho sweet chimes of St. Peters.
In Client. less than thre miles away.
The voice of the enslaved city is
calling for liberation, SO close II hand.
1t Is easy to imagine the prayers
OF h people OF Gnent. assembled in
the ancient little churches. with the
Will of German planes overhead n
the crash of German guns not far dis
tant. This is the most joyous Sunday
in Client since the first Prussian Uh-
Ian o d into the city four years ago.
The pressure of the Belgian army
from the north and of the British
from the south was APPLIED today with
relentless might against both Ger
man wings until they were forced
back. With Client az the apex. fight
ing has been reduced to the, blasting
OF Teuton machine gun nests. The
Belgian cutposts have gradually clos
ed to within four kilometers 1.-TWO
and a half miles) OF the walls OF
Client.
There are no general Infantry en-
gagements, but the Belgian guns are
brought W with surprising speed over
the bridges n the Germans are
forced to pay a bitter price for their
covering actions while ~evacuating the
city.
once this afternoon the low-hanging
mists lifted from the house tops and
from the banks of the Client canal
and showed a rim tracery OF the dis
tant towers. A Belgian outpost sentry
pointed eastward and spoke, half to
himself.
A scntry's Experience
There it is--nny Client. NY wife
and three children are there. ! have
not seen them since l escaped in De-
cember, 1914. / climbed the electric
wires on the Dutch border and work.
ed my way to England and France.
/ fought in the trenches two winters.
Once the Germans were only thirty
feet away from me. I was wounded
twice. l was taken prisoner, but es-
capped again
Now / see Client for the first time
again"
His voice dropped to the reverent
whisper OF prayer AS he added:
Good God. do spare me-"
This soldier is my idea of a a I
promised to dine with him the first
night in Client if he finds his family.
His pack contains two packages Of
chicory and a box of sugar, which he
has carried with him two months for
the first dinner in Client.
Yesterday l saw some chickory in
another soldiers pack. but the owner
will never carry It into Client. be-
cause he lies buried tonight in the
outskirts of Somergen.
Scores OF unchronicled tales of
simple owe have been under my OBJ
s~ervation for three days, Before
Client today a youthful adjutant of
hardly twenty-five showed me a doll
that can open and close its eyes. He
to take it home with him in Client.
His baby was only a yea Old when
be saw her last.
Old Enough Tor Doll
she is old enough for the doll
now" said he, contemplatively. l
wonder which she will like best; the
doll or her father?"
AT noon today DR.. Lepage. a IA
nous Belgian urgeo we'll known in
America. former director of the
Queens hospital. at Iapanne. was
establishing a dressing station at the
convent Of SITS. Vincent and Paul at
Waerschot. This onven is the n
quiet spot for many miles. Under the
skilfull direction OF DR.. LepaGe, soft
footed sisters have transformed the
chapel into a surgical ward. Here
victims of machine gun bullets and
shells are lying mutely pm the stone
floor, their eyes lifted to the brilliant
~ Autographed saints along the walls.
They are awaiting their tUrn on the
operating table.
1t was only yesterday that the sis
ters saw the first Belgian flag since
1914. Today the Sunday ray were
suspended SO they might minister TO