Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-14

WAS asking Mrs. henry collins the
l. other evening when we were dining to-
was enjoying her visit to ''potentates" in
Belgium. She then told me the following
story about her own experience with Bel
glans in this country, apropos not so much
of my question about Mrs. Henry as that
had spoken disparagiDgly of the rank and file
of the Belgians for being very much ION the
make In spite Of their national heroic stand
and sacrifice in the war. She said that her
experience of them as individuals had been
just the reverse, and as proof recited the
she averred typified the adaptability of some
of the race and their honesty.
THERE lived. she said, at a small town
i called Allost, a few miles from Brussels,
the proprietor of lace making industry
and his wife and their general factotum and
servant, Hortense. On the approach of the
Germans there was nothing for IL but to
move, and to move quickly.
No motors were procurable, so nothing
in their house could be taken away. They
hid their most precious possession, a box
full Of their most valuable lace, by burying
1t in the garden, and with some slight hand
luggage they proceeded to walk toward the
coast, the two women, the master of the
house and their pet dog. During the first
day there was some confusion on the road
and in the midst of it the dog disappeared.
ne Hlot tHty bltpt WIN luuN
sister-or rather under her roof-along with
twenty other refugees who had accepted its
hospitality in the vain hope that there would
be rally Of the Belgian forces and the re-
treat would come to an end. On the con-
trary, Brussels surrendered, and next morn
ing 1t was obvious that not only the guests
but the hosts must get away in all haste.
During the night however the lady's sister
gave birth to a child, which greatly compli-
Gated the escape. The mother and child had
to endure sixty mile drive in rough cart
within the next forty eight hours, and after
seeing them in safety the lace proprietor and
his wife and their servant Hortense made
their Getaway to England.
They had scarcely landed there before the
man died Of pneumonia. The two women
no friends. They went to London and ap-
piled at the headquarters of the Belgian
relief that was already established for work
AS they had no children dependent upon
them they could not be classed as needy ap-
plicants and they were told they must wait
indefinitely for aid in that direction. but
they were asked If they would accept Eng
lish hospitality for two weeks.
The mistress accepted very gladly, both for
Hortcnse and herself, and they were forth
with provided with tickets and careful direc-
tions as to where and how to proceed and,
without the faintest knowledge of English,
they went trustingly forth to visit they
knew not whom.
THEY were met at the final station by a
l. very fine motor and a sedate and impor-
tant looking chauffeur, and 1t presently
dawned upon them that their hosts must also
be very important persons indeed. When
the mistress and Hortense got their bear
ings and put the little English that they had
picked up together, they found that they
were visiting Lord and Lady Antrim in
County Antrim, Ireland. in the famous
&c hot Oh n1
pleasant weeks and were urged to stay an
other two, and then on the Antrims' but
tier being called off to war, Hortense took
over his duties, and Madam her mistress
took over all the mending for the castle, and
SO they passed the winter.
BY spring the two put their heads together
and decided that they had better seek their
fortunes in America. possibly taking posi-
tions together, with Madam ms housekecper
and Hortense as cook. So with Lady An
trims s very kind help, to America they came.
The position of cook was an easy one for
Hortensc to obtain but that of housekeeper
not so easy. Comparatively few American
women even in the grent houses employed
hOuSekeepcrs of Madam's status. And so
pending such an opening the mistress OF
Hortense came to Philadelphia to the already
famous Belgian relief center that Mrs. Bayard
Henry was carrying on In conjunction with
the Emergency Aid Committee. And from
that Office Mrs Collins got her as n sort of
provisional nursery governess for her chill
dren.
She remained with her until the end of
the war made return TO Belgium ana her
home possible.
She and Hortense went together back to
Belgium and with many sad memories
crowding on them made their way to the
old house they had fled from three years
before.
The house was there, empty, dismantled,
with even the keys and hinges and metal
fastenings of all kinds torn from the wood
work, In the overgrown and neglected
garden they dug up the precious box Of
lace. As they pried open the lid steam
rose from the moldy folds and wrappings
The moisture had penetrated the box and
ali tbe lace was ruined. But there was one
blessed thing to welcome them in that for
lorn place. The dog they had lost on the first
day Of the fight came rushing to meet them.
He had gone back and been taken care Of
by neghbor all those years.
Mrs. Collins tale was that both Hor-
tense and her mistress found themselves
strangely homesick for America and curl
ously out of touch with the old ways of
doing things of their native town, no longer
even quite at home with their neighbors
who had remained where they were all dur
ing the war. They felt that things had
changed In the old places.
r REMEMBER once in Naples wonder
/ full all day drive we took with a sympa-
tbetic Italian who tried to tell us what he
knew of the places through which we were
passing. He finally gave 1t up with great
sigh Of helplessness:
"English, 1t is my prison." he said.
One Of my family had an Italian servant
some years ago, who In this process Of be =
coming an American gave us all a great
laugh. One of his letters which ! quote,
translated almost verbatim, shows how
far he had still to go before he could see
with our eyes and speak in our vernacuar
Newport, June II, 1906.
"Gentilisimo Sgnore:
"As usual. misfortunes fall upon the un
fortunate. Your kindness has ended by
running my sad life. I have not had cour
age enough to appear again before you, who
kindly loaned me your bicycle. Unluckily
a dog in my way in such a position that
was not able to avoid it, and this was the
cause of the smash. l should have pre-
ferred to break one of my arms rather than
,our hjcvcle 7 have only n lollnr in ~,