South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-06

has got no pretension at fine style
or flowing words. 1t is the story Of
i woman's heart. and, l will add,
Of a noble woman's heart.
Beautiful Descriptions.
And then. what beautiful descrip-
tons, beautiful by their earnestness
aud their simplicity Of all that she
has seen or heard. Can anything
be finer than the story Of her re-
turn 10 her country home OF Ma
reuii, and Of all that she found
there, and now lifelike her impress
siOnsi There are traits which sud
denly disclose TO US all the horrors
Of the war, devoid of exaggeration
anu OF hatred. such, for instance.
when she tells us that while walking
in what had once been her garden,
together with a French officer who
Ea0 been sent to occupy it, after the
retreat Of the German troops, she
was surprised by hearing the roar
OF thunder on a beautiful day and
on expressing this surprise TO her
companion, received from him the
cur: reply: Don't you know what
it is. madame ?-cannon-abOut 20
miles away"
And then that other remark. when
she heard that war had been de-
clared. and tries TO get back TO Paris
10 see her son before he starts for
the front: THE chef de care as
sures me there is no chance Of our
getting away tomorrow. | am per-
9 II
c's before he goes. I may never see
him again" This is human, essen
TALLY human. it is the cry that
would go out Of a mothers heart
OTly in an hour OF dire distress, a
cry devoid of sentimentality and
false emotion, the cry of a woman
Who is at the same time a patriot.
A patriot. This is essentially the
characteristic of Mrs Waddington;
a splendid patriot. such as America
alone can produce; a simple pa
IT II, one worthy of the country that
has given to the world chara cters
such as Washington. Abraham Lin
coin and Pres't Wilson.
Intensely Interesting.
Apart from these few features |
have attempted TO single out. the
book Is intensely interesting all
through its pages. 1t introduces us
into the family circle Of a French
household at a time when every
daily incident OF existence may ac-
quire later on an historical impor-
lance. II is a record Of the patience.
the quiet herOism and spirit of self
sacrifice which French women and
the whole of the French nation have
displayed for nearly four years. and
the only part of the volume with
which ] feel inclined 10 quarrel are
the lines in which the author says:
so many books about the great
war have been written, and will be
written. that the simple details OF
a family life are hardly worth re-
cOrding." II seems 10 me. on the
contrary. that these will always be
the things that pOsterity will appre-
ciate the most. the simple details
OF a family life" during the most
critical period Of French history;
those details that will show to the
generations Of the future the energy
and the patriotism displayed by
their ancestors. as we'll as the great
faith in the strength OF their country
which animated French citizens
while fighting the greatest military
power the world has ever known.
We must hope that Mrs Wad-
dington will give US a second edi-
ton Of her diary. We would like
to hear her express her joy when
victory at last comes 10 crown our
efforts She ends her book with the
remark that perhaps her "grandsons
Will like 10 read Granny's remem-
brances of the great war when the
world is at peace and the cannon
hushed. and women are busy and
smiling In the little hamlets where
their mothers spent long months
and years OF suspense and anguish
and mourning and 7 will add TO L
that il will not be only her grand
sons. but every man and woman
capable Of appreciating this simple
story which through the pen OF a
noble. right-minded and highly
principled lady initiates us into the
family life OF a great nation at a
great time.
nRr-ENEr ~a@.ant $3.50