Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-20
OLD FRENCH FARMHOUSE
LEFT STANDING BY HUNS
English Tommy Finds Aged French
man at Work in Orchard
After Germans Left.
EACEEUL IDYL Or WAR
Charming Picture of Rural Life in
Fight ny Zone by Patrick Mac
Gill, the Navy Poet--Farmcr
Yields to Persuasion of Eayunct.
"y n,rrnM,> r.rnl.K mAcG,,L.

Author of The Great Push" etc. now
a soldier in tho oh-ipn I,l.:.,
FRANCE, November l9.--It was TO
the late AFTERNOON that Private Shirley
cam" along the road that ran straight
from T. I" - his pack on his back
VILLAGE 10 Whch ne Ma onAnd AZ
battalion was hillctcd there and he was
going - reioin II after his smell in
the hospital further back. where he had
spent = fortnight with Il flesh wound
i'm hc Ihick o. mas .cs
Now that he was tit again he lunecd
10 hc back with his mates. cSpcria'iv
when ;hcy wcr" in that sector of tire
front To which Ii" was going. lie had
been rh"re h"tore. had nrrn niiic,.d
set. had frrqucntcd it's cafes. made
love Ia the girls "t the hilicis and rn-
joyed lii" when freed for time from
III" stress and strain of the battle
front.
one pIac" he remembered very we'll,
II was a farmhous" in which his section
had often stopped, and where they
were made 20 ic"i az Snu. and COM
Portable as IL they We're in their own
house was an old man who endeared
himself % all the soldiers ana who
welcomed them when they came and
wished them God speed when thew
wen, away And this man worked on
nm orchard planted by his own hands
and KEEP; neat and tidy though the
war lowered on the horizon and the
thunder or guns could always be heard
in the village.
ANEl.LED PATH
LINED WirI suRuBs
The farmhouse stood little apart
from the hamlet, with it's front door
looking; on, OH the orchard Down the
center OF the orchard ran Il nicely
gr"veiicd path. lined with rows of
uooScbcrry and currant bushes Behind
these stood peach and apple trees
which bore flowers earlier than any in
he ncishborh9od IT. Was hs si mai ihai
covered with a woo!len cap and two
big patches on the seat of his trousers.
Tending over his work all day long
even when wedding the path IT was a
marvel how the man VII" had ionE
since pass at the allotted Spnn "f years
could work so hard a; his fruit trees
ANA flowers
His days work came to an end at
i i'm the evening" and at that hour. If
Eritish troops happened to be billetei
in his home hr came in with basket
Of frUii which IL" gave 10 III" boys IN
Khaki Then having distributed me
down near the door. lit his long
shanXcI lnrr With it's tobacco toppinE
the bowl. took off his wonlen cap ana
row and again when the tlics settled
on h;s head He spo"'. littir. never
showed 3ny Si%ns PASSION or :;cp:'-
.icnre Niih him cue dGS passei like
another. and his whole life gave the
soldiers back from the lines of war Il
feeling of nviolablc peace and con
tent Nent.
shirley knew the old man well. and.
being often billctcd in the farmhouse
In days gone by. he had eaten many
times Of The fruit Of the orchard. But
lhut was long time ago. and much
had happened since then. The Ger
mans had ovcrrun the country. the
hamlet had fallen into their hands;
and anything might have happened
since they, took possession. Probably
some Of the inhabitants Were killed.
others might have been taken back
as slaves into Germany. But the old
man. what mad happened Ia him? y
doubt his orchard WAS destroyed. his
farmhouse broken down. shirley knew
the Germans and hi; heart was
OF miSgiVings and fears as he strobe
along the road towards the firing line.
Old MAN NOREING ~
ORCHARD AS Of YORE
lie reached II q hamlet turned round
by the church and saw in front OF
him the farmhouse. which seemed
strangely quiet and peaceful. The
trees in the orcha rd' were Standing "A nd