The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-10
TOUCHING TRIBUTE
IN BELGIAN CONVENT
BY ROBERT WELLEs IuTCHIE.

Belgian Headquarters. Nov. O.
tBy Mail, Delayed. )--Au incident.
small enough in itself. but speaking
volumes, occurred a few days ago in
the Convent of ST Vincent de Paul on
the outskirts of the little Belgian viii
lage of Waerschoot, north of Client.
! The characters concerned in the cir
ciftnstafit,e~ were tao sisters of the
cort1*at --v4isozn We mar consider col
leec5asciy as o5e, FOR thcyNaTs all east
in the same eeceliastical mou!d--and
an American correspondent.
The town of Waerschoot had been
evacuated ny Il Germans AT s o'clock
IN the morning o American CORE
spondent with Military accom-
panying officer. 4 into the little
hamlet, blossom ian flags from
every window. If truth be
told. the correspoh 1t that hour
was seeking Sometimes to eat far
more diligently than he was news,
/ breakfasts in Eruges, his temporary
abiding place, being distinctly sketchy
! in character. Dr. Lepage, one of the
/ most famous surgeons in Belgium and
/ we'll known in our own country, sud-
| denly appeared in the role of minis
tering angel He hailed from his auto
10 say he had a modest luncheon in
preparation at the convent; two extra
\ plates could be laid without trouble
/ A very grateful Belgian lieutenant
and an American correspondent who
/ had only IA dim memory of how ham
and eggs simmering on scorching
( plate stand at the portals of Paradise,
accompanied DIR. Lepase to the con-
/ vent. There in n severely furnished
room whose walls were hung with
chromos of ascetic ecclesiastics of an
elder day. the two hidden guests
watched an elderly sister lay a table
With fine Flemish linen. Each time
! she opened the door a ravishing odor
of apple sauce with Il hint of onion
soup was waited in 10 sensitive
] nos,riiS.
The mother superior of the convent
entered to pay her respects to the
| distinguished surgeon and his guests.
/ To her DR.. Lepage said something in
I Flemish which brought swift light
! of interest to her eyes. A minute
! or so after the door closed behind her
! a bell sounded in the hall beyond the
/ dirfing room, followed by the sutf-
sun of many slippered feet Perhaps
/ five minutes passed before sister
/ entered and whispered something in
+ DR. Lepage's ear, With curious
/ twinkle of humor in his eyes the colo
mel OF the medical staff addressed the
correspondent:
You viii please follow-me. There
| is somebody to see you"
/ The bewildered newspaper man
obeyed, DR. Lepage laid his hand
upon a doorknob and warned with a
chuckle: This will be a trying ex-
perience. but remember you are an
American-the first American to
come TO Waerschot in four years"
! Saying which. he opened the door
! and ushered the correspondent into
the converts assembly room. There.
row upon row, sat black soifed sis
! ters--1 60 of them, the. whole person
mel Of the convent. When the falter-
i ing American stepped into the room
I all arose and there was a burst OF
/ handclapping. Every face was light
! ed with "A smile of the warmest well
como and in many eyes the bewildered
reporter read sheer child-like Won
dermerk
What the correspondent felt called
upon TO say in limping French In
neither here nor there. But here is
tho meat in this little tale:
J These simple folk had awakened to
prayers that morning with the roar
! of heavy guns and the crackle OF
rapid -firers In their ears. Then they
had sent the last OF the detested
boche running and knew they were
freed OF four years bondage The
marvel Of the incoming Belgian caS-