The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-09-21

recent air raids on Paris. An air raid is a nerve
tracking time. The newspaper accounts and the
magazine stories do not tell you one-hundredth
of the anguish lived through by the people who
crouch in their cellars, listing to bombs that ex-
pIode close by and expecting all the time that the
next missile will demolish the house over their
) heads.
The favorite gathering places for civilians dur
ting air raids Is In the cellars. During the raid Of
which I speak, one of these underground places
was crowded with refugees. But they not
moping or trembling Instead, they were con-
stantiy joking and laughing about their predca-
lment. They did not for second lose their
line courage and stanchness.
When the bombs had ceased to fall, they came
up to the street level once more But they did
mot breathe great signs of relief and thank their
lucky stars for not being hit. Not they! Their
ewes glowed with the fire Of unquenched spirit
and they shook their fists in the direction of the
departing German airplanes.
aThose fools" they shouted. 'Those fools!
They think they can break us They do not know
nsi Never shall we yield! Never"
This is not the only splendid exhibition OF
French devotion that l have with my own
ewes The people in the rural regions are no less
defermined In their ardor. Although nearly one
Gfth of France has been invaded by ruthless
enemy and some portions invaded the second
time these country folk would die rather than
wfve themselves up to the foe.
m little old woman who living alone She
was working at washing linen for the soldiers
who were In trenches not far away. Her own
house had been burned down by the Germans.
She told me her pathetic story
: 1t seems that German officer who had very
Mad reputation for molesting the civilians had
heen auartered in her house. After he had been
there for a few hours he went to the small stove
(Which heated the house and opened It 10 put
fu some wood But when he put in the suck OF
wood he allowed the end to protrude so that as
soon as 1t began to burn, the fire blazed outward
into the room. He then placed screen near
irn,s blazing wood so that it would catch fire.
The old woman saw what he was doing and knew
Iehat II was his design to burn down her house.
NE had already burned house In the next street
g., the same manner. Knowing that she was pow
.-r1ess TO prevent him, and being filled with des-
r,air. she fell on her knees before him.
~Spare mew she entreated Of him. spare
cato house and allow me to live here in peace
what have ever done to your
But she had hardly uttered these words wnen
uahap,e oyercame her because she was abaslng
E.ersself before a German. In another instant she
Rad risen to her feet
4yVbat am 1 doingw she exclaimed. "Je suis
v,erdui / am disgraced have entreated a favor
Ee,-om the foe Of my native country"
Tbsn she crossed the room before the aston
ssbed officer and took up his gun. Placing 1t IN
'nts hands she told him to kill her.
NT deserve no less than DEATH" she said. 1
aava disgraced France by kneeling to ask a favor
s,f one of her enemies"
probably the German officer would nave Kllieu
A.. ,yonan but at that moment one OF his brotner
ssoars came into the house. He must have mao
80 tender heart, for he took pity on the old
oman and nut a ston to the proceedings. so ner