The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-11


.1 will take you to see them" po-
Iitely offered one of the officers STA
toned there. On the road he said TO
me "They are adorable. You cannot
Imagine the good they are doing ana
With what understanding, intelligence
and kindness"
After we had climbed over some de-
nlorable piles of demolished houses
we saw a. hut of new white wood. IL
is here, I am told, that they live.
He opened the door Familiarity, anc
rshered me into little room, FURNISH
ed with the most distinguished plain
ness. and where floated an Elusive
perfume
Two of the fairies, warned of my
nresence. came in Immediately
through a. little door at the end. They
were the head fairies of all those
in that place. Two women, both tall
svelte, and extremely elegant in their
costume of voluntary service, sky-blue
in color. like the dress of our soldiers
Each was smoking a cigarette; an
oriental cigarette, that gave out that
delightful odor 1 had already noticed.
''You must excuse u.s." they said,
for nothing" And they offered me
one from their little gold boxes which
put us all in sympathy. would have
felt uneasy all the same, like an in
truder, with my manner of an inter-
viewer, without their willingness to
talk and their exquisite friendliness.
.cWhat do we dor they laughingly
replied. to- 1neL-tHAll sorts Of things.
We build, we clean up. We sell, also,
and we sell everything, preserves,
beds, frying-pans, shoes, live COWS
We even intend keeping line
of fowls and of rabbits"
1t was so amusing, and at the same
time so splendid, to listen to them
telling about it in this tiny house
these women born to luxury and
riches, one of them being the daugh-
ter of a wel1-knowh millionaire! AL
ready they have lived here for six
months, prisoners in the midst of this
desolation, working eagerly to make
! themselves Little Sisters of the Poor
women who could be living fashion
ably and extravagantly. Not only are
they giving gold with lavish hands
they are giving their time, their know
ledge, and their hearts without meas
ure.
They have something in their voice
that is a little decided, certain
brusqueness and authority, that is no
in our tones, but which is tempered
always with inflexions Of compassion
ate kindness when they talk about tn
poor and humble.
1 see all at once how the peasant
of our old French provinces astonisl
them, who have been accustomed t
big and ultra modern ideas. The awk
wardness, and almost repugnance G
farmers to use the new tools whic
they have introduced into this regio
in dozens, make them smile a littl,
They were also surprised, these COS
mopolitans whose fatherland, besid
had not yet suffered, surprised an
touched at the deep affection thes
poor people feel for their humb
dwellings, for the smallest corner
their native soil.
I'VE meet it every day." they sal
s'when they see their country agat
for the first time since their fligl
before the Barbarians. Often VIII
was once their home is hardly recoi
nizable-nothing but heap of stone
But it is always the same, it is the
that the obstinately long to live.
vain we offer to build a more comic
table little house for them elsewheI
No in spite of the rubbish, that is Il
place, perhaps because of an old WE
that is still there, or an old sto
stairway, or an old tree. And tn
we have to give in that we may n
add to their sorrow"
I was curious to see these stoI
'ewhere they sold everything" 81
right Come along!'' theq said chez
fully, ard rose. Again another Zig
cigarette. For the journey. a ST.
that they held as an old lady ous
without doubt, to hold her long cal
and they preceded me as erect, har
some. elegant in their walk as VIII
seated.
We were outside in the midst
desolation and floundering about
the mud. But their hastily constru
ed store was very near. Besid
there is already a real settlem
there, almost a village, of glazing n
H white wood, beside which are heal
Vi piles of cases in American ia
IN, not yet unpacked. IN truth, tn
everything inside on the la
~ shelves' made of new fir wood. H
the place for wooden bed covers, tn
for sewing machines, another pl
for tables, another for dressers ;
another for wash basins. =.
''Oh! do not think that everyth
is given away" said they in a hum
ous and drole tone-"No, we very
ten sell 1t is only free TO those v
are poor, old, or sick. We make
others pay for they must not lose
habit Of working. They are less
cIined to work after their long
tering. 1t is true that we sell a
loss. as, for instance, selling for
francs that which cost thirty fra.
But, nevertheless, we are mercha