Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-12

Millions Of F'renchmen have entered
this war with fervor Of heroism and
martyrdom which formerly, in the
most exalted epochs OF our history,
characterised only the flower OF the
combatants. Young or old. poor or
rich, and whatever his religious faith,
the French soldier Of 1915 knows that
his Is q nation which intervenes when
injustice prevails upon the earth, and
in his muddy trench, gun In hand, ne
knows that he IL carrying onward the
Costa Def per Frances.
Roland. on the evening after Rom
cevaux, murmurs with dying breath:
20 land Of France. most sweet art
thou, my country" It Is with similar
expressions and the same love that
our soldiers Of today are dying "Au
revoir.' writes Jean Cherlomey to his
wife; promise me to bear no grudge
against France If she requires all of
me-" "Au revoir. It Is for the sake Of
France" were the dying words Of
Captain Hersart de La VillemarQue."
"Vive la France, am well content,
am dying for her sake" said Cor
poral voituret Of the Second Dragons.
and expired while trying to sing the
Marseillaise Albert Malet, whose
handbooks are used in teaching his
tory to our school children, enlisted
for the war: his chest ia pierced by
bullet shouts: FORWARD, my
friends! am happy In dying for
Franco" and sinks upon the barbed
wire In front Of the enemy's trenches.
viva Ia Trance. q die. but I am well
content" cry in turn, one after an
other. thousands OF dying men. and the
soldier Faissac, Of the Thirty first OF
the line. MORALLY wounded on the
ED Of September. 1914. dnds strength
before expiring to write on the back
OF his mothers Photographic: TT Is an
honor for the French soldier to die"
They do not wish to be mourned.
Georges Moullot, a graduate OF the
Ecole Normale and sub lieutenant In
the Twenty-seventh infantry, died for
France In the forest OF Apremont on
Dec. Ii. 1914, leaving a letter to his
parents: IF this letter comes into
your hands It will be because am no
more. and because shall have died
the most glorious OF deaths. DO not
bewail me too much; my end IL OF all
tIle lI1oSt W U0 NcSIIcu. cpCah VA
me from time to time as Of one of
those VINO have given their blood that
France may live and who have died
gladly. -" Since my earliest child
hood have always dreamed Of dying
for my country. my face toward the
foe. Let me sleep where the
accident Of battle shall have placed me-
by the side Of those who. like myself,
shall have died for France: I shall
sleep we'll there. My dear Father
and Mother. happy are they who die
for their native land. What matters
the life of individuals II France is
saved Ny dearly beloved. do not
grieve. Vve Ia France!" Louis
Belanger twenty years OF are. killed
by the enemy on Sept. 10. 1915, had
written to his family: 7 hope that my
Death will not be to you q cause OF
sorrow, but an occasion for pride. 1t IS
my wish that mourning should not be
worn for me. for. in tho s)or1ous day
when France shall be restored the
eombre garb must not DO allowed to
dull the sunlight with which all French
souls will be irradtated" In obedience
to his desire the cards announcing his
death were not framed in black. but
edeed With silver. Hubert Prouve-
Drouot was q saint Cy11sn Of the class
called LaGrande Revanche, who died
on the field Of honor; while leaving
home to Join his regiment he made this !
last request to his mother: When the
troops come home victorious thru the
Arc de Tromphe, II am no longer
amongst them. put on your finest ap-
parel and DO there"
The mothers understand and share
this sacred enthusiasm. Beside the hos"
pital bed, where lies extended the
body OF his dead son a father weeps;
the mother q peasant woman, takes
him by the hand: I'VE have got to
have courage, my husband. You sec
well enough the boy had It." A soldier
from Bagneres- de- Bigorre. gardener
at Lourdes, sorely wounded, died at tho
hospital Of the institution; his wife.
summoned by telegram, arrives TOO
late. Before the body lying cold IN
death she said simply, HE died for his
country, she was his mother. I am only
his WIFE" Madame de Castelnau, the
wife Of the ilustrious general. while at
the communion table WIS praying 1or