The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1919-05-03
General Allenby and the
LS:iie Had Of France

/ the great war. have won the hearts
Of many soldiers. English and
American, privates and officers.
But they have had no more tender
| friend than General Allenby, the
| conqueror of Jerusalem, who, be-
| fore he left France for the East,
was affectionately known In many
French villages as lie bon general"
One who served with him has re-
Gently related the pretty story Of
some OF his many friendships with
French and Belgian children Now
that the war is over, says the writ
er, they are awaiting him eagerly.
In the little village OF northern
France and Belgium. Marthe and
Sidonie, Aline. Irene with her bad
arm) and many others are waiting
for him on the chance that he will
come their way again one day-as
he promised.
Their hearts have not forgotten
"Allenby. le bon general" 1t is
impossible to estimate how much
they will kiss him. Irene (who can
read the papers) is little wistful
about 1t, and, oh, so Jealous! She
is afraid that, perhaps, during his
triumphant progress, her big friend
may have taken some little Arab
Tor even Turkish) children under
his wing and the thought hurts.
And what friend he was Neither
Irene nor her mother will ever for
get that dreadful day in September,
1915, when the enemy rained death
and destruction among the inhabit.
ants Of Saint-P Pol
Madame remembers that the gen
eral himself walked round the
town, comforting the wounded and
experimenting the arrangements
for their care. Irene only remem-
bers the burning, stinging pain in
her arm; the finest face she had
ever seen, and then nothing more
until she woke up in comfortable
bed in British military hospital,
to find the kind-faced matron smil-
ing down on her. That evening the
general sent up his A. D. G.. with
some flowers. Every day that week
the general called at the hospital
and sat on her bed (strictly against
hospital regulations!). And every
day he called at the little house In
Saint Pol and reported Irene's prog
ress to her anxious mother. After
a bit Irene was cured, and went
home, proud, and very much in
love!
Then came the winter. Irene
will never forget that winter and
the visits Of the general. Some
times he would come alone on foot.
tap at the door and walk In for q
homely chat; at other times he
would ride past with his A. ID. G.
and flag bearer and stop outside.
And after that the excitement Of
going to Paris, where the general
was arranging for her instruction
at school where children who are
deprived, temporarily or otherwise,
of the use OF limb are taught some
useful trade.
The blow fell suddenly. The gen
eral was going to Egypt, and Irene
could not hide her tears: A few
later Jerusalem was taken,
and Irene was the proudest girl In
France. Yet, perhaps, II she had
but understood it--as some day she
will-the little girl had greater
cause for pride on the first day of
the battle Of Arras, In 1917. For
on that day General Sir Allenby, in
the very middle and crisis OF the
conflict, walked out of his once, at
4 moment when he knew that for
1t least half an hour he could bet
no more useful information rs to
the progress of the battle, went in
10 local patisserie and bought q
bag of buns, which he then took
round himself to his little MANNED
girl friend. Then he walked quiet
y back. In few minutes his chief
If staff brought him the informa-
ion he required, and he calmly
.elephoned his orders for the cav.
llry to advance.
As an example Of calm, that in
.ident-which is perfectly true-is
lard to beat. And one day Irene
.xah -