The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-21

me HuItlan StOGy
 Mrs. Marmena Urpanis gets up at 6 a. m. = her husband Is Q work ing man and she has six children. All is peace and quiet for 20 minutes. Then the siren sounds.
 "Say, you" she says casually to her oldest son. "Go up and spot"
 The youth, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, climbs onto the roof. All over the neighborhood, family spot ters are on the roofs. No use being disturbed by mere bombs unless they're close.
 Urpanis, having washed his face and shaved, comes in for breakfast. The three younger children are still asleep. Urpanis says he slept well and Mrs. UrparNs said she had 8 good night too. She takes the steam ing coffee pot from the stove, has 1t poised to pour when shout comes from the lad on the roof. They're coming close.
 Awaken Sleepy Children
 The Urpanis awaken the three sleeping children. Calmly, even cas- ually, all eight of them repair to the nearest shelter, ancient, rock-walled well. Within seconds, bombs are dropping all around. Forty minutes later the planes have been driven of, and the family returns to break fast, Mrs. Urpanis slightly annoyed because she must warm the coffee.
 Urpanis goes of to work and Mrs. Urpanis starts scrubbing and dress ing the three young ones. She Is just about through with them when, 50 minutes after the first, another raid starts and she and the children go of to the shelter again.
 When that one is over, she takes her basket and goes of shopping. In the midst of 1t, the sirens sound again and she and all persons in the streets, go casually to publish shel- ters. That raid didn't amount to much and there isn't another until ? p. rn., which permits the family to lunch in unaccustomed quiet. Mrs. Urpanis even gets the luncheon dishes washed.
 Over They Come Again
 There isn't another raid for al- most half an hour. At 2:30 p. m., in the midst of the siestas, the planes come over again. That is truly annoying; the Maltest prize the siesta and it seems hardly sport ing of the Axis co disturb 1t.
 The tea time raids come every day and 1t would seem an all but intolerable break in routine if the Axis missed one. En route to the shelter for that one, Mrs. Urpanis and her children learn from neigh bor that 150 Axis planes are ap- preaching.
 That means the airdromeS," she said, as all Maltest are military strategists. But 1t is Valetta itself that got their load.
 The next raid was early evening. There were 100 German planes and they hit at Valetta again. One big bomb after another came down within radius of 200 yards and close to the shelter. The younger children were somewhat disturbed by the noise; the rest of the Urpanis hardly blinked.
 Lights Go Out
 Then one really came close. The lights went out. Candles were light ed, revealing dust and dirt pouring through the exits to the well. The oldest Urpanis girl wetted hand kerchief and tied it around hel mouth. That makes breathing easier when there's a lot of dust.
 It was all over at 7:30 and thC Urpanis found their house had beer damaged-again. It was annoying because 1t was supper time anc they were hungry. But Mrs. Urpar cleared the debris but of her kitch' en quickly and got the pots on thu stove, Urpanis meanwhile goinl around the house, repairing door and windows. He's an expert at tha task now.
 Supper is hardly over when an other big fleet comes overhead, and since it is apparent the Axis intend to keep 1t up all night, the famil, consults among itself and decides t spend the night in the air rai' shelter.
 There have been 12 raids in al from the time they left their bed r to the time they go to bed agair
 Since they sleep well every nigh they don't tabulate the night raid' That is more or less an averag :, day of the average Maltest family | the Urpanis.