Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21
FRENCH FACE WAR
WITH ST0IC|SM
After Four Years of Hardships,
They Still Maintain
Spartan Spirit.
FLAG SYMBOL OF FoRTITUDE
American Red Cross Performs
Important Work Among
the Refugees.
FLAG SYMBOL OF FoRTITUDE

PARIS, July Cot doesn't take long
for the newcomer TO absorb two vivid
Impressions from Paris, bombardcd by
day and bombed by night. that the flag
Of France is real symbol of fortitude
and that the Red Cross is doing a great
WORK in caring for the unfortunate
victims OF tho great war.
on May 90 refugees from the Sois-
sons Rheims districts. which the mill
tary authorities were evacuatinS un-
der German bombardmcnt. began
first by the hundred and were easily
handled by the local authorities.
Then they began to come by the
thousand and the aid OF the Ameri-
can Red Cross was requested
They came and went in quiet. or
derby fashion-these men and women
who suddenly had been turned out of
their homes 20 face strange future.
Many of them had walked for miles
and miles TO reach railroad station.
Most OF the things they loved they
had Of necessity. left behind. but
each cluns to few treasures, a
strange assortment. indeed. of silver.
stock. Dogs with wagging tails and
ears alert were integral part Of
the procession Dicky birds. chickens
and tame pigeons dropped in their
cages. One old woman had painfully
dragged a reluctant goat from the fields
near Scissors. while another proudly
exhibited two hig cats which she had
crowded into her market basket She
had abandoned a roll of blankets and
pair OF fine sheets by the way. but
Jean" and Observation-Disclosures!
OLD PEOPLE OF FRANCE
ARE 4 STURDY RACE
Fine sturdy peasants France has
bred. Her old people are rugged and
after four years of hardship face what
ever may come with a Spartan stoi-
cism. Her children are old and grave
beyond their years. They have been
doing tho work OF maturity for some
time and. while a laugh is rare, tears
are rarcr. The only tears saw that
day were tears of gratitude that occa-
sonal!y sprang TO their eyes. Steam
ms bouillon. coffee. chocolate, sand
wiches of bread aad sausage and a |
few cakes and figs for the little ones
are grateful. indeed. when combined |
with a smile and a word of good cheer.
scissors refugees had no complaint to |
make. though they poured forth their
stories in vouble French and found |
relief in the telling
Madame Maroon, with a frctful baby
In her arms and six stair-step children
in her train. had walked sixteen kilo-
meters from her farm At Fere-en-Tar-
dcnois. An hour after she left the
Boches were there. so that each step
of her progress was punctuated with
falling shells. Two American soldiers
she said, had aided her. carrying the
smallest children and pushing alone
the baby carriage, into which she had
loaded $ many things as possible. The
Two eldest children had come off with
out shoes and were trudging along in
felt slippers.
Monsieur laborer in ladder fac
tory near Chateau-Thierry. brought
seven children with him. His son he
had given to France. The eldest
daughter. wearing mourning that ac-
centuated the Madonna-like sweet
ness of her face. carried the young.
est of the family in hc~ arms Three
times the family had been evacuated
Yet their main concern was to ex-
press gratitude for the kind treatment
they had received and TO learn some
thing OF ST Sulpice. where they were
being sent.
Each story was the same and vet a
little different. told with the marvel
Gus s.oicism and fortitude that four
years of unremitting hardship has
bred in heroic people. All day
and night they passed through the
making room as they went
on their way for new group-stal-I
wart sunburncd women, bare of head:
aged men with furrowed checks and
khotted hands: wrinkled Erandames,
weary children. muSSed and tattcred
from their journey. but wide eyed
and keenly interested in this strange
glimpse OF Paris. And as they passed
out from the canteen they never for.
got to stop for n moment with a SIM
pie "Merci. Merci bien" that was