New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
I'm THE evenings, when the wounded
were asleep, when there were left
A burning in the halls only the Ar

TN THE evenings, when the wounded
were asleep, when there were left
n burning in the halls only the Ar
gand lamps, shaded by hoods Of
cardboard, the old doctor used to take
q little turn up and down the road.
His pipe stuck between his teeth, he
used to climb the little hill, from which
through the trees he could see the de-
nuded plain, the villages, whose mutt
lated prohles made strange, sharp
drawn figures against the sky, and,
further off, St. Quentin, which for
by the glare of incendiary fires.
Then, his back bent forward, his
hands in his pockets, he watched going
up in smoke the city in which for
twenty years he had visited the poor
and the rich-the peaceful little city
where formerly the old people whom
he had cared for and the children whom
he had brought into the world greeted
him as he passed by; the sorrowful
mother awaited him. Now and then,
as the wind blew aside the smoke and
the flames licked the black horizon, he
would say:
"It is the factory which is afire. Or
maybe it is the city hall-or the
church"
Clenching his fists, his lips trem-
bling, he made his way back to the hos
pital-older, more weary, heavier at
heart.
On the mornings of the days of the
attacks, when the cannon passed at a
gallop, when the tread of regiments on
the march echoed through the silence,
lie stole softly from his bed to watch,
buoyed with the hope that this time at
last they were going to retake his
city; that he would reenter it and see
there once more his old mother, his old
home and his old friends.
But when he saw the soldiers COM
ing back, when the thunder of the
would sigh, "Not this time, either" and
resume his tasks.
One day, when there had been sharp
fighting, they brought into the hospital
a batch of wounded prisoners. One of
them, q feldwebel (scrgeant-major),
whose shoulder was shattered by a
she'll, astonished him by the dignity
Of his bearing and the refinement of
his talk. Examining the wound, he
asked the prisoner in German:
"Where do you come from ?"
"From Magdeburg, in SaXony. Mon
sieur lie Medecin- Majeur," replied the
sub-officer, in good French.
"Ah," said the doctor, with an into
nation of regret, for he had hoped that
the wounded man was an Alsatan, con-
scripted by force. The latter seemed
to understand, and murmured:
"What can you expect, doctor? War
is war. But that doesn't prevent me
from loving France, where l grew up."
ho -
the face Of the old surgeon. Pushing
up his glasses and looking sternly at
the prisoner, he hurled at him this
question:
"And are you not ashamed to ravage
this country, to ruin these poor people,
who before the war received you with
kindnessc"
yes" the other answered softly. 81
am often ashamed. For my part have
always striven to be humane, to be
just, to avoid mistreating anybody and
70 alleviate mistreatment by others as
far as lay in my power. The combat
again: and the inhabitants of the oc-
cupled regions are not responsible.
Their persons and their property ought
to be sacred. | have to apologize for
those of my companions who have not
understood this. For instance, my regi-
ment has been for the last six months
al st. Quentin
The doctor gave a start.
You have been at ST. Quentin for six
months? / came from st. Quentin.
Perhaps you can give me some news.
Often in the evenings / see tres-now
Ill one quarter Of the city, now in an
other. You haven't destroyed the place
Systematically, have you, as you did
Noyon, Peronne and Bapaumc?"
Alas. doctor, that is foul blot on
our arms"
But" pursued the surgeon, his
voice almost choked. "you have been
burning only public buildings, haven't
you? Not private houses? ?"
"No; the private houses are prac-
tically untouched up to now"
"Ah! Do you know a street called
Beffroi Street,"
81 know it very we'll. 1t is there"--
ut IS there that my old mother
lives" said the doctor slowly. "My
name is Journau. Do you know my
mother?"
81 was quartcred in her house"
"Ah! Mon Dieu! How is she?"
"She is well-very we'll. She is a
very worthy person and I suffered
from The annoyance which our pres