Evening star., 1919-03-02
HIS HOME.
BY LIEUT.. J. II. MORTON.

A 7 the beginning of the war they
succeeded In escaping, They
went out of the village In
rickety old cart Just before the
Uhians arrived. Even as they
went the horsemen came Gathering
into the village, and they have de-
scribed the horror of that night escape
They had vague Idea of taking the
main road toward L, where they
had friends. 1t was simply a ques-
tion of throwing themselves on the
hospitality of somebody.
They arrived at T.. the next
morning, cold. tired and starving,
and were cared for by their friends.
They stayed on. hearing scraps of
rumor all the time. One day there
was rumor that the German ad-
vance had been checked. They did
not like tS believe 1t. so fearful were
they OF being disappointed. At length
however, it was confirmed, and Brit
lsh troops moved up through Z.
The old man had been much shaken
by all he had gone through during the
escape, and was for some time con-
fined TO his bed. The most alarming
symptom was his evident lack of any
desire to get well. They used to sit
beside his bed and tell him that
better times We're coming. but he
only shook his head
Il am old, very old" he would say.
and | shall be dead before many
months. / wanted to die where I had
lived 80 happily. Now [ shall never
see our home again"
They tried to comfort him but had
little success, He seemed to be nu;,e
broken hearted, and even when he had
recovered from the strain of the es-
cape he was still utterly apatbetic
Then one day the old woman had an
inspiration. Why should they not go to
Madame S., at v? v stood
on rising ground, and from there they
could look over to their own valley
They would not be able to see their
mouse. but perhaps that was Just as
Wen, for there was no knowing what
might have happened to 1t.
They wrapped the old man up and
me family moved again. this time to
v, where Madame S. received
them as though they were her truant
children. The old man was made COM
portable in room at the top of the
house, and the next day he could see,
by sitting up in bed, in a far haze.
his valley, with the brown smudge
of the village. For a long time they
looked across the many miles OF
country, wondering what was taking
place there. A dull rumble OF guns
was the only answer to their unspok-
en- thoughts With careful nursing the
old man began to grow better, and
with the early autumn days he was
pottering about In the small garden,
stopping. now and then, to look
through gap in the hedge out to-
ward his home.
For four years he lived and hoped.
and his family hoped with him. They
never lost their faith. There was a
German retirement from other parts
of the line. there were ofrensives and
counter -offensives. but things did not
change in that valley. Their belief
was put to its sternest test In the
early spring of 1913. 1t seemed as IL
those German attacks would over
whelm the allied armies. News came
that the British had been driven back
on the Somme. and then July brought
them the reward of their patience.
AS the summer wore on the old man
became quite excited. He was like
child. He would spend hours ut
mat gap in the hedge. There We're
splendid advances elsewhere but stilJ
no change here. And then suddenly
me change came. The Germans were
Withdrawing His own village. his
own village--he could hardly believe
Twas liberated
IN whirl of excitement the family
corrected their few belongings and
, LOOK their way back to their home.
uhey FOUND it sadly changed The
Ilttie woods were laid low, and the
man street was unrecognizabIe, but
,ne,r own house, thanks probably to
i.s heIng used for some German head
quarters, had been comparativeIy
Weil treated A British officer ex-
p,aiheu TO them that the Germans had
=, Pp,topaply had no time to burn 1t down.
IT, IT, was found burning, but the men
iaa aa been able to extinguish the
in,aaia i,ma,es, Their joy is Impossible to
IN ana they" said the old man. point-
ihs ihs " party of British working on
wnr. uun fnad' they treat us as IL we
In thao tno heroes. and not they"
;Iiaa 'uese recent months MANY fam
hnnsa i,res nave been restored TO- their
thaIr some of them only to find
nIeas,,ra houses VIZ destroyed. But the
aga,h srnm ,ha ana i,s the thrill Of the news news
ir1Ie iitue Tue front compensate them =