The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-28
for humanity's sake, they must be
made happy as we'll as healthy.
No gloom for the little ones!
Everybody in France makes that
constant effort. =. LIS

| ''
1t cannot be an easy task for a
gricf-stricken woman to turn always
a smiling face when her CHILD asks
for its dead father.
We know most conscientious
woman who did not quite succeed one
day. She succumbed to the tremend
Gus bitterness which was i'll her,
against not only the hell-lossel Hun
who had taken her husband and TWO
brothers, but against everything, to
the Infinite; fierce protest that she,
N the midst of peace and happiness,
she and her countless widowed sisters
OF France, had Geen plunged into such
needless ag0nies of grief.
SHE CRIED! Something stopped
her; the voice of her two-year-old son
who was crying out of sheer SYM
patty. Her first and her most ma
tural instinct was to clasp him in her
arms; but at the same moment came
the thought that, if future France is
to maintain it's centuries-old sublimity
of courage and endurance, it was for
her, as for every mother, to set an ex-
ample of strength. So she dried hei
tears, and smiled.
But the future Frenchman was
started and would not stop. The mos;
powerful lever was used; he was told
that little French gentlemen did not
cry! It was a terrible blow, and ne
struggled with all his baby might to
achieve the high ideal which was his
because it was his mothers; but the
soos continued. Amidst them, he
stoutly maintained that he was lit
tic French gentleman, even if he did
cry; and SHAT took almost more
strength than his mother possessed;
for she was compelled to dispute his
prnpQsition; whereupon he turned
from her knee and toddled to the
door.
He opened it, he marched through,
snuffling and gulping, he closed that
door; butsnot altogether. A tiny crack
remained, 1t held slightly wavering
for long time, very long time. The
mother, sitting perfectly motionless,
had as hard struggle as the one
which was going on in the hail. 3
All! The door opened, and smil.
ing but moist face was revealed, while
triumphant voice proclaimed that
the owner thereof was indeed, and III
fact, little French gentleman:
THAT'S THE SORT OF LITTLE
Toys WHO GREW UP. TO BE THE
SORT OF MEN WHO HELD YER
DUN!
1t is one of our great privileges
also to know of certain little Mace
leine, who is five and half years
old. Madeline, of course, canno:
remember when there was no war;
but she can remember, with vivid
distinctiveness, the air raids which
occurred in the beginning, when the
Germans we're more convinced than
now that the world was their football
and that all they had to do was conc
over in leisurely fashion, three or four
nights a week, and drop BOMBS until
all the little Madelienes and Yvonnes
and Henris and jacques were de-
stroyed III.
1t has been a long time since the
German has felt it safe or profitable
to try that trick on Paris, but, long
as the time is, Madeleine can remem-
Der the warning scream of the siren,
the deafening reports of the airclaft
guns, the whizz and shrek Of the, fall
ing bombs, the crash fthe explosions
and the fires which flared up.
he other night, when there was a
practice warning Of the siren, to keep
the defense system in working order,
like fire drill, Madeliepe's lip quiz.
cred at the first sound, but that was
all. sisettt. r ss3
She sat bravery in her chair, and
went on eating her dinner, and evea
managed to answer, though somewha:
wanly, a reassuring smile. s Il.
Do you know why Madeleine dill