Produced by Lynn Hill  HTML version by Al HainesTo all friends of the brave children of FranceMap of the VoyageTHE FRENCH TWINSbyLucy Fitch PerkinsCONTENTS    I THE CHURCH AND THE PEOPLE   II ON THE WAY HOME  III THE COMING OF THE GERMANS   IV THE RETURN OF THE FRENCH    V AT MADAME COUDERTS   VI THE BURNING OF THE CATHEDRAL  VII HOME AGAIN VIII REFUGEES   IX THE FOREIGN LEGION    X FONTANELLE   XI A SURPRISE  XII MORNING IN THE MEADOW XIII CHILDREN OF THE LEGIONI THE CHURCH AND THE PEOPLEThe sunlight of the clear September afternoon shone across the roofs ofthe City of Rheims and fell in a yellow flood upon the towers of themost beautiful cathedral in the world turning them into two shininggolden pillars against the deep blue of the eastern skyThe streets below were already in shadow but the sunshine still pouredthrough the great rose window above the western portal lighting thedim interior of the church with long shafts of brilliant reds bluesand greens and falling at last in a shower of broken color upon thesteps of the high altar Somewhere in the mysterious shadows an unseenmusician touched the keys of the great organ and the voice of theCathedral throbbed through its echoing aisles in tremulous waves ofsound Above the deep tones of the bass notes a delicate melodyfloated like a lark singing above the surfThough the great church seemed empty but for sound and color therelingered among its shadows a few persons who loved it well There werepriests and a few worshipers There was also Father Varennes theVerger and far away in one of the small chapels opening from the apsein the eastern end good Mother Meraut was down upon her knees notpraying as you might suppose but scrubbing the stone floor MotherMeraut was a wise woman she knew when to pray and when to scrub andupon occasion did both with equal energy to the glory of God and theservice of his Church Today it was her task to make the little chapelclean and sweet for was not the Abbe coming to examine theConfirmation Class in its catechism and were not her own two childrenPierre and Pierette in the class In time to the heartbeats of theorgan Mother Meraut swept her brush back and forth and it was alreadynear the hour for the class to assemble when at last she set aside herscrubbingpail wiped her hands upon her apron and began to dust thechairs which had been standing outside the arched entrance and toplace them in orderly rows within the chapelShe had nearly completed her task when there was a taptapping uponthe stone floor and down the long aisle leaning upon his crutch cameFather Varennes He stopped near the chapel and watched her as shewhisked the last chair into place and then paused with her hands uponher hips to make a final inspection of her workBonjour Antoinette said the VergerMother Meraut turned her round cheerful face toward him Ah it isyou Henri she cried come no doubt to see if the chapel is cleanenough for the Abbe Well beholdThe Verger peered through the arched opening and sniffed the wetsoapy smell which pervaded the air One might even eat from your cleanfloor Antoinette he said smiling and taste nothing worse with hisfood than a bit of soap Truly the chapel is as clean as a shrivensoulIts a bold bit of dirt that would try to stand out against medeclared Mother Meraut with a flourish of her dustcloth for when Igo after it I think to myself Ah if I but had one of thosedetestable Germans by the nose how I would grind it and the verythought brings such power to my elbow that I check myself lest I wearthrough the stones of the floorThe Verger laughed then shook his head Truly Antoinette he saidI believe you could seize your husbands gun if he were to fall andfill his place in the Army as well as you fill his place here in theCathedral doing a mans work with a womans strength and smiling asif it were but play Our France can never despair while there are womenlike youMy Jacques shall carry his own gun said Mother Meraut stoutly andbring it home with him when the war is over if God wills and may itbe soon Meanwhile I will help to keep our holy Cathedral clean as heused to do It is not easy work but one must do what one can andsurely it is better to do it with smiles than with tearsThe Verger nodded That is true he said yet it is hard to smile inthe face of sorrowBut we must smilethough our hearts breakfor France and for ourchildren lest they forget joy cried Mother Meraut She smiled as shespoke though her lip trembled I will you the truth Henri sometimeswhen I think of what the Germans have already done in Belgium and mayyet do in France I feel my heart breaking in my bosom And then I sayto myself Courage Antoinette It is our business to live bravely forthe France that is to be when this madness is over Our armies arestill between us and the Boche It is not time to be afraidAnd I tell you they shall not pass cried Father Varennes strikinghis crutch angrily upon the stone floor The brave soldiers of Francewill not permit it Oh if I could but carry a gun instead of this Herattled his crutch despairingly as he spokeMother Meraut sighed Though I am a woman I too wish I might fightthe invaders she said but since I may not carry a gun I will putall the more energy into my broom and sweep the dirt from the Cathedralas I would sweep the Germans back to the Rhine if I couldIt is indeed the only way for women children and such as Igrieved the VergerTut tut answered Mother Meraut