Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-27
): The Truth About Belgium =:
BY BRAND WHITLOCK

Of the German staff adorned them
selves Nith the American colors.
However, a new decree was sisued
that evening ordering the entire
civil population 10 so TO bed at
seven o'clock.
BeIgium's Gift TO Toledo
There was a graceful and charm
ins deed, what the French would
cal. a beau geste, which was so
nearly coincidental with the day
that il had the effect of being
pant of the celebration. IL was
tie generous and spontaneous i'm
pulse Of Mr.. Charles Leon Carbon,
the distinguished amateur ana con-
nOisseur or art in brussels. In the
curious old house where he lives
alone. on the Ouai aux Bots a Bruler.
near the Marche aux PoiSsons, there
are the results of two generations of
art collecting. for Mr.. Gardens
father was a painter and a collector
before him.
IL was. out of all these treasures
that Mr.. Carbon chose, in order to
express the gratitude OF Belgium,
as a gilt TO America, van Dyck's
sketch of his great painting LIE
Manteau de St. Martin II is one
of the finest canvaSses that came
from the brush of the master, and
in his grand style, glowing with
all the colors of his brilliant palette.
1t had often been sought after by
American connoisseurs, and the late
}. PierpOnt Morgan tried to per-
suade Mr.. Carbon to- part with il.
IL was one of the most beautiful
of the many beautiful evidences of
the warmth OF the Belgian heart.
that simple little ceremony at the
legation when Mr.. Carbon came TO
present il. He had asked NJ. Lem
onnier. the burgomaster, to make
the presentation on behalf of the
city OF Brussels, and there in the
presence Of the aldermen and of the
legation staff NJ. Lemonnier made a
graceful little speech, in which he
compared America to st. Martin,
and his own city, in thus presenting
Mr.. Gardens gift, to the jay in La
Fontaines fable of lie Geai Qui
s'est pare des plumes du Paon."
(''The jay that adorns itself in the
peacock's feathers.") Mr.. Carbon
read a letter as a deed of gift, in
which he stipulated that the paint
ing was to be hung in the art
museum of my own city of To-
ledo.
Brussels had changed, from the
gayest, il had changed into the
dullest, saddest city in the world.
The QUARTER Leopold was as though
deserted, and the boulevard and the
avenue were no longer bright with
the daily promenade. Men walked
there, il is true, at noon, for the
exercise, or to pick up a bit of gos-
sip. and in the afternoon the ave-
nue. took on something of its old
air; but it could never be happy
any more. 1 went walking there
one day with a friend; we had
agreed not to mention the war, but
we had hardly gone a block when
a woman in deep mourning, coming
out of a house, met some friends
and ran toward them crying:
Mon fills est mort! ("My son
is dead.")
They were always receiving such
news; it was almost the only news
they could receive.
I have spoken of dining out, but
L should not like thereby to give the
impression that there was anything
like social gaiety. Brussels was in
mourning, and il was only occa-
sionally that a few friends were
asked to dinner, and then most in
formally. Evening dress was laid
aside for the war, and by some tacit.
common understanding men paid
Difference to conventions only by
DOMINIC dinner jackets. even when
ladies were present. The great
houses were closed, and when one
went to see ones friends il was
always with the effect of closed
shutters and drawn blinds. The
women had spontaneously laid aside
jewels and colors: they were always
in black. and most of the time, ere
long. in deep mourning. Many per-
sons indeed made strange vows-to
wear black. not to drink any wine,
to impose this or that little person
al sacrifice, until. the war should
end. Perhaps some could make such
vows because of a belief that the
war would not, could not. last very
long: il may have been because
they could not endure the thought
OF it lasting longer. e..
wine Cellars OF Brussels
To appreciate the contrast all
these changes made, one must have
known Brussels In the days before
the war II was not only the gayest
but the happiest of cities. In the
population there was a fine joviality,
that joyousness that came down
from the days when Rubens, and
Jordaens and Tenlers were painting
Ia vie plantureuse" abundant
life) of Flanders. This same gaiety
was reflected, in more refined forms,
in the lives of the upper classes.
At dinner nine or ten wines were
served. one with each course. not
to be drunk but to be tasted; they
do not drink wine in Belgium, they
taste it-deguster. The guests
would take pride in guessing at the
year Of the wine, not by the taste
but merely by inhaling the bouquet.
It was none OF your vulgar cham
payne, which the nouveaux riches
open" as they say, but rare old
Bourgoyne. Men were proud of
their caves (wine cellars). When
a child was born, a barrel or sew
eral barrels of the vintage of that
year would be laid away and left to
mellow through the years, and not
be decanted until the child became
of age, perhaps on her wedding day,
If the child were a girl; the wine
would crown the feast in honor of
youths coming of age.
TIE GeUmah soldiers, Of course.
when they came into Belgium did
not allow these joys to go untasted;
they did noe deguStc (taste) the
bourecgneS: they FuZzled them,
and when it happened % DC a new
wine. the Belgians reliShed the i'll
ness and the pain il caused them.
There were always tales Of such