Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-05
CHILDREN OF LILLE. IN SONG.
PRAISE AID OF AMERICANS
Kindness of u. S. Women Appreciated by
Wars Depressed Mothers Deplore
Inability to Buy Enough Food

phrascs-not quite correct in gram
mar and rhetoric. but very courteous.
very cordial She says: My husband
lies sick from tuberculosis contracted
in the trenches. l have lost two
children from that trouble during
the war. ! have but one lett. can
not loose him must save him.
May he go TO the colony of the gene
rous Americans May he go soon?
He must not watt l am. with SIN
ccre regards. your ohcdient and
grateful friend. Mrs. NJ"
The next day she meets .na on the
street and renews her request She
is a trim. brisk little body. with
flashing dark eyes and KAY. bright
smile of greeting. Eut, as she spea ks
of her boy. the tears we'll up and
through her smile they fall. You say
her boy will surely go to the country.
and soon. atRl she speaks her graU-
tude in pretty. shy fashion. with
graceful though crude phrases.
Every One Knows the Americans.
THE Americans are known every
where on the street: the children spy
us and give us "A smile, a word and
a nrim salute. In one big school for
boys. where we had been work ing.
they asked me one day if I lived in
New York. and | said: No I come
from Chicago" Instantly there was a
shout in which all Joined. and. above
the din. | caught the words ''riande"
+ and .frigoritiaue-" And. when ] could
make myself heard, | asked what they
knew about Chicago, and from their
replies | am sure they think that
Chicago supplies all the cold-storage
meat for the whole world.
Song for Americans.
America must have no doubt of the
| gratitude of these people for the food
furnished them during their reign OF
terror. Everywhere you meet those
/ who say. But for America We should
have starved" In little kindergar
ten where. We worked recently. the
children lined up one day. hand in hand.
and marched round and round the
room. singing a song which their
teacher had composed for them. The
music is an old Lillois air and the
| words are a paraphrase upon the
original:
Long live America. my dears,
Long live America,
| She's given us bread she's given us meat.
Long live America.
when my little old shoes are all out.
I'll 20 to the 4. X. Is.
And get nice little broad new boots
With warm stockings to wear inside!
| Now what would We poor little French chill
dren do
| Were il not for the e. X. h?
Without the Americans. generous and kind.
| We'd have all starved to death long ago!'
! The day / left that school l took
my camera at noon to catch their
! picture while they were eating the
! lunch. furnished by the c. r. b.. in
! the school canteen. Forty little
scraps of humanity-some of them
hardly out of the cradles. one SO
small she had to be fed--lined up on
their little benches. Before each
child was a pewter bowl. a spoon and
| piece of bread. and into each bowl
was poured a ladleful of good. hot.
! nourishng broth, made of meat and
! vegetables The children ate eagerly
| but quietly. They were permitted 10
! talk ana they kept up a running fire
of gay child chatter. asking all about
| America and when l was going back.
! and girls about them.
Greeting From Lille.
F, And then. suddenly. the big boy OF
! the school rose and came toward me
| with a big bunch of lilacs-purple
and white. He put them in my hands
and then, to my great SURPRISE he
| reached up and kissed me on each
| cheek-in true French fashion-say-
! ing: These flowers are for you and
| for the little boys and girls of
America. from the children OF +
Ecole Maternelle Jean Jacques Rous-
seau of Lille. France.
| Oh! l am sure those children are
worth saving. They are weary and
worn from long days and nights of
/ terror. Their poor. pinched little
| bodies bear the marks of their hard
ships. But their wits are keen. their
minds are clear, they are lovely and
lovabie and loving, and they need