The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-10-11
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Ell To the arch across the street q few feet away,
through winch they would soon pass, with the
american ana French flags intertwined and the
motto IN big scrawly letters. 'Soyes les Bienvenus."
she explained that 1 was an American. They
seemed to understand, and their faces lighted up,
o MS was In early June, and even these pitiful
ones, who had been where little news had reached
tnem TOT nearly four years, knew that the Ameri-
cans were IN France in good numbers now, and
were their allies.
So the group ceased to shrink from my camera.
a woman even thrust her child forward and
smoothed its hair so that it would look well in the
picture But. just as | was about TO snap the
shutter, another woman In the group. standing a
little back, looked at me with an expression that
was full of condemnation, full of appeal, as she
said; Yes, my friends, let us stand up straight.
so that he can get a good photograph of misery -
Then she laughed bitterly, and well, l did not
take the picture.
At this moment the rest Of the convoy began to
come out of the station, led by the Chasseurs' lit
tie band. With them came Red Cross men and
nurses. carrying or helping those who could not
walk into the waiting camions and ambulances.
/ put up my camera and hurried ahead TO reach
the casino, whittier the procession was bound. be-
fore their arrival there. Someone struck up La
Marseillaise," ONE woman with a high, shrilI
voice. As l climbed upon the front seat of an
ambulance and we started to pass the crowd l
thought for n moment that l was now going TO
see, going TO hear. what [ had come up from Paris
for-the glad burst Of enthusiasm, of happiness
from these people now that they fully realized
that they were in France. among their own, free
from the German yoke. which had lain on their
necks since 1914. But as our ambulance went by
the procession there were no other voices raised
90 join that of the singing woman, and after a few
bars she, TOO, stopped singing and the procession
went on. silent. shutting. except for some small
boys, town boys, who trudged ahead of the Chas-
seurs, still playing their tune on drum and bugle.
L reached the casino ahead of the procession
and waited ut the door for them TO com down the
Rue du Casino The narrow, steep street was
crowded along its sidewalks with townspeopIe.
and from windows was flung the tricolor, while the
American flag waved here and there, too. As the
procession came around the head Of the street the
people hailed it with cheers and the waving of
hags. The Chasseurs played more loudIy-now
Et was "VIve fArmee" they were footing. A few
OF the children raised their heads and looked with
glad eyes on the enthusiastic natives who were
trying so hard TO cheer them home. An old man
In the procession Strengthened up and shouted.
"VIve lie General Joffre." But otherwise there
were no cheers, no thrills of happiness, nor any
thing but just that down-bent attitude. that shut
fling walk. that dazed. whipped. cowed express
sion. 1t was, as the woman at the station. had
said, misery. For Evian is the clearing house of
misery these days.
1t was not 50 at first, the American Red Cross
doctor told me, and so the subprefect of the de-
partment Of the HauteSavoie also assured me.
(Which is why we make such a great effort to
cheer them as they come in nowadays" he said.
'srhey are crushed. these people; they are like
dead men and women. and the children, even the
little ones. are scarcely alive 10 the situation.
Free from Germany once more? They cannot be-
ueve it-there is scarcely enough strength left in
their poor minds and bodies for them TO be able
to understand"
Yes" added the Red Cross doctor. pointing out
a girl of eighteen or nineteen who passed "look
at the expression on the face of that girl" /
looked. I caught here eye as she turned in my di-