The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-01-13
Ex|LED FRENCH
SAD, BUT HAPPY
TO REACH HOME
Spirits Reused by Sound Of
Native Airs,
ny The Associated Pfess.

ny me hHsOCih'tn fith
fNlNN France, CBy MalO--lhc
return 10 France Of the women, chl.
dfcn ami old men who were sent out
a. that part Of. France occupied by
Germans Tor more than -four years
rrr,cn'cl p.iliul spectacle. Many 4
these f,lugcc. we're little tots whose
father, and mother, had been taken
aNi} hy lbc ,wel burhc 10 work m
Germany ~ behind the fighting line,
O'hcN were orphan,
Twice da,ly the affecting scenes of
thrr return were enacted here when
thc trains bringing them through
switzerland bringing 100 30 700 rcpa
lriate, back 10 the beloved soil Of
rance With them were Belgian,
who came from part, OF Belgium then
occupied hy the Hun Much wa,
done 'o relieve The suffering, u these
poor people by S : lIow'and repre-
sentative OF the Belgian rclici com.
m'cuon station here, and by Mb
Rowland, hi, wife.
All Are Destitute.
Dc,cf.biUg r1c scene Of the return
oi q traulYid OF refugees, Mr How
band write.
Slowly. ,Ie long line came toward
Ne. the I'D and the Young about
equally divided alas but lew OF mid
die age. iur the Germans had use ior
such and would not lct them so While
few showed traces oi actual dcNi,u.
tom. wr knew that hui small num.
her possessed more than tho clufhc,
the, wore and what the hand bags
AZ bundle, they carried contained
They were not emaciIicd. but their
lace, were worn. sometimes anlcmc
How could they be Otherwise after the
wears Of constant suffering and con
t.nucd horrors they had endured, with
no hope Of iNtclca>- before them hu'
victory ior the al'c,, or perchancc
The gSol fortune tp be enrolled IN one
u' these lRtle bands of repatfic,.
Now ard again someone would
ush out from the sidewalk to greet
relative OF t.lcnd recognized after
years ot absence Bu, though such
instances were rare. they served 10
buoy up the hopes oi the rest tina, per
hap, farther along they too would be
as fortunate
Two short rests were made that
the seemingly o9tntless children
m gh, be able TO keep up Brave 1T
tie tots they were. holding close 10
their mothers. IT they had them. or II
not. TO those who had beiriendcd
them on the way, for many were OF
phanS, br had had their parents taken
away k the Germans TO work. Pc
hap', hundreds OF mile, from their
homes
Their Home Coming.
Inside the great rooms OF The
casino long lines Of tables sc, Tor
supper filled almost the entire space
As the repatries filed in, women
showed them 20 their seats while
others distributed small French flags
to young and old allkc-thc flag that
once more they nigh, wave freely.
Bowls OF soup, slices OF good
bread, hot well.oooked meat and
glasses Of red wine still further
oheered the hearts Of the stranger, so
that when the orchestra in il. gallery
began to play well known and cher
ishcd French airS--airs that had no,
been heard before in all these long
year'--,eirs sircamed down the
checks Of many. and OF lookers-on as
well, while hands and voices pro.
claimed their keen delight.
mo man did We see between four.
teen and sixty unless they were pal
pably III or crippled. and Compare
lively few women who had not long
since passed their prime. Mothers
had been separated from sons and
daughters dragged OF by the boche to
work in factories and mines. even ON
tortiiications TO be used against thcir
own kin.
The feast was nearing its end when
the sub-prciect mounted the rosirum
and began to speak. Instantly there
was silence lie dwell, upon Frances
love for her people, her sorrow for
their suiicringS.
His words had hardly ceased when
The band struck up the Marseillaise,
The old, the young, the halt, the blind
sprang to their feet, trying their best
10 join in the refrain but frequently
prevented by sheer nervous exhaus-
ton Sobs could be heard and the
faces OF most of the women and OF
many OF the men were hidden in the
handkerchiefS with which they wiped
away their tears OF 10y"
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