The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-10-12

Eclusier. The Times; goes on to say:
Between the lines of the opposing
armies lay the Somme, which in the
vicinity of Eclusier and Frise spreads
out into a sort of big pond with
marshy banks. When the water rose
it often flooded the lines so that SOL
diers frequently lost their way, and
here it was that Marcelle again found
a means of aiding France. Being
thoroughly acquainted with the neigh
borhood, she used to pilot parties of
soldiers. This brought her again close
to death. While leading a squad Of
men who wanted to dig an advanced
trench in the village of Frise she fell
into the hands of a party of Germans.
They locked her up in the little vii
lage church of Frise, reduced last sum
mer to a heap of ruins during the bat
tie of the Somme. On the morrow,
she felt sure, they would shoot her.
But once more luck and the French
artillery were her salvation. The
French across the Somme began a
lively bombardment of Frise. One
II SIC1I DlC" q 1d16 &c IO1S ia IlC CDutSll
wall. Through this hole, unperceived
by her captors, Marcelle crawled.
| Creeping past the Germans scattered
through Frise, she soon tumbled, safe
and sound, into the nearest French
trench.
By this time her fame had spread
and rewards began to shower upon
her. She got the Cross of the Legion
of Honor, and some time later the War
Cross. In spite of all she had gone
through, she persisted in staying in
the Somme country and continued to
work for the cause of France. For
fifteen months she remained, despite
| shot and shell, in her little Somme
| village, taking care of wounded SOL
| diers. Also among her charges was a
woman of ninety, too feeble to travel
to a safer place. Marcelle looked out
for her night and day with ~unflagging
devotion.
Everywhere soldiers knew and ad.
mired her. One English general or
dered his soldiers to salute when she
passed and refrain from addressing
her unless she spoke first.
At last, however, the strain of
bombardment and work, aided by her
grief at the death of her soldier broth
er and brother-in-law, proved too much
for her strength and she was per,
suaded to go to Paris. Yet she had
no intention of stopping her efforts.
She petitioned the authorities to al
low her to enter a nurses school in
order that she might continue to aid
the wounded. She added that it was
necessary for her to work, as every
thing she possessed had been lost in
the war. Her request was granted.
The Times concludes:
All this Mr.. Klotz told his audience
at the Sorbonne. Then suddenly he
stretched out his hand in dramatic
gesture and electrified his auditors
with these words: H..
This little heroine of Picardy, this
admirable girl, this incarnation of the
qualities of the woman of France, this
girl of simple origin, f1awless dignity
of serious mind and gentle ways, this
girl of indomitable will power, is here,
ladies and gentlemen, here among you,
in this room! And l feel that l am the
| spokesman fol-. every oheL of you when
l now extend to her the expression OF
our respect, our gratitude, u admira.
| tom"
The auditors, every man, woman and
child of them, leaped to their feet, mad
with enthusiasm. They craned their
necks to catch a glimpse of the hero.
inc. Unable to escape them, the young
girl stood up, blushing. Through the
great hall of the Sorbonne, where the
most famous people of the world had
been honored by France, swept a storm
of cheers. A reward more splendid
than the Cross of the Legion of Hon
or, than the War Cross, than the sd.
lutes of soldiers at the front, had come
to Marcelle Semmer.