The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-19

suffering but dauntless little army
of Paris, plodded on with them until
he could go no further. He leaned
against a wall, slipped down in an
angle to his launches, and his eyes
closed. He thought that he was ready
for death
A voice aroused him. 1t was an Of
ficer.
Papa Guillemont raised to his feet
and saluted.
Have you finished?" asked the
officer.
81 have finished" returned Papa
Guillemont huskily, and, saluting
again prepared to slide down in his
corner and die.
NO" said the officer. "But wait
here If the Germans come, you may
die fighting. 1t is for France?"
yes, my officer" agreed Papa
Guillemont, and into him came al
that moment something stronger
than the strength of life itself. the
thing which made the army of this
land the marvel of the world. 1t was
the spirit of France!
The light of it is in his face to
this day, and so long as there is a
piece of him it will remain.
He did stay alive, though his head
dropped and his knees bent, stayed
alive and in that spot until the Ger
mans came. He can't tell much of
what happened after they arrived,
ed up Papa Guillemont from among
the dead Huns which surrendered him
he was plumb full of bayonets,
though he had spirit enough to smile
ecstatically, and voice, enough to
whisper sfVive la Francer'
The dead Huns were in front of
him, in front, mind you, for he lay
nearer Paris than they!
What had happened where Papa
Guillemont stood had happened in so
many places that Paris is still Paris,
and the towers of Notre Dame still
stand sturdily against the sky, and
the Arch of Triumph still heads the
beautiful Champs-Elysees.
With panied surprise the Germans
who had not brought along enough
men between the frontier and Paris,
found themselves badly worsted in
some of the bloodiest hand-to hand
fighting of the war, found them
selves held in permanent check by
the despised little army of France,
found the itinerary of the Hohenzol-
lern tour of the world disrupted. and
knocked to flinders for centuries to
comet
Papa Guillennont has been reform
ed three times since then, over
hauled, rebuilt and new parts sup
piled, and he is now a proud per-
but if Paris is ever
again threatened, he asks one favor;
to lead a regiment of reformed
poilus like himself-and now the
twinkle is once more in his jolly eye. |
He'll do the thing scientifically.
He'll divide his regiment according |
to its incapacities; right-wooden- leg
ged men in one platoon, left-wooden-
legged men in another, right-wood- |
en- armed men in another, left in an
other, and so on. He'll guard the last
bitches with that regiment, and guard |
them we'll; and when the cries
''Allous! Marchand!" and they go
over the top, you may be certain that !
no body of soldiers will dash into ,
battle with more enthusiasm, fight !
with fiercer vim, account for more
of the enemy, or with more profound
patriotism shout give la Francew
Why, confound it, Papa Guile
mont's in earnest about it! There's
an electric vibration in his voice,
there's a moisture in his eye, there's
No, the twinkle is back again. as
he tells what he will do in case they
don't give him that regiment of re-
formed poilus. He'll go right back to
the spot where he made his glorious
stand in 1914, and once more pre-
vent the Germans from entering
Paris. He has studied the matter for
three and a half years, and has ana
lyzed every thrust and ever counter
thrust of that never-to be forgotten
and he is certain that
he could dispose of at least twice as
many Huns as in the original fight.
He has not only practiced we'll a
fancy new uppercut with the bayo-
net, but has added boxing with his
feet and butting with the head.
Voilal
You may rest assured that the
spirit of France will never die so
ong as Papa Guillemont lives. And
France is full of Papa Guillemonts!
What do Americans. lover here"
think of the French? Read CheS-