The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-12-11

was terrific. Suddenly all guns, large
and small ceased on both sides as by
magic. What's up?s r;e men cried.
What is it?' They loked fearlessly
over the top OF the barricade. Every
one was stretching his neck and heads
were raised right along the barricade.
This is what they all saw Thirty yards
away there were four or five Beings
larger than men. They had their
faces towards the oncoming Germans,
and each one had its arms stretched
out horizontally from its shoulders,
and was slowly moving them, with a
sort of suggestion of Now stop and
go back. You must not come any
further
"'What is it all?' men cried, and
Pie. Easy quickly cried out, They are
angels. They seemed to float rath-
er than stand. They were alike, white
robed and bareheaded. The sun was
shining quite brightly, az it was q
sunny August afternoon.
"Just stop for . moment" said
to Private Easy. "Tell me: were they
anything like this picture?" yes, q
good deal like but they had no wings
or swords and of course ! could not
see their faces as they had their backs
to u.s."
1--WE went down the street at the
double. Looked back once. They
were there. Turning the bend, looked
again-they were gone"
He said the men didn't like to talk
much about it before the others. Some
took q line they couldn't stand, viz:
that Of chatting them about angels.
1t il not q subject for jokes. So
they preferred to keep silence. Some
thing in these rough but true hearted
men revolted against the thing being
spoken lightly Of There are those
who feel this still.
These men found the 9th Brigade
early next morning to their own great
establishment. Their lieutenant in
charge Of the machine gun had been
killed and they had only N. C.'s. They
had been a mixed set of men. Now
they went to their own units again.
A Great Change in the Men
"Tell me, what difference did it
maker" I asked Pie. Easy. "The
men were greatly impressed. No
more swearing or bad words at that
time. I've been a different man my
self ever since and always intend to
be. Gcd had sent help and through it
we escaped. We were thankful indeed.
On one occasion Pie. j. Easy caught
sight of one of his comrades on that
occasion. He cried. Corporal,
what did you think Of the angels ?"
He replied, hurriedly, "They were
splendid" but, being in the presence
Of others, he didn't seem to care 10
resume the topic. Pie. Easy found
that the subject, till lately, was not
an acceptable one, but now it is very
different. The men just love to hear
him tell the whole story and never
finch but sit round the fire spell
bound till it is ended.
Pie. Easy was officers servant to
second lieutenant when the controver-
sy commenced about a certain book.
His officer said one day to him, "I've
got very serious question to ask of
talk about the Angels of Mons-can
YOU tell me whether it is really true
or mott" Then Pie. Easy gave him
the full story, and he said, 81 think
you should make it known"
We sat in an upper room that day
over a confectioner's shop and through
the windows we could see the church
yard plainly. "You see that white
cross yonder. sir?" said Pie. J. Easy.
Eyes, it is now rather grey" "Well,
the angels were no further from US
than that cross and the sun was shin
ing brightly on them and on every
thing else. We could make no mis-
take" Afterwards, as we walked
little along q quiet road, Pie. Easy
drew his stick across the way the two
lines Of the barricade and showed me
where he was firing. and where the
men behind stood who were firing be-
tween the front set Of men,
Rev. A. A. Brcody.