e wrote
from morning until night, and, watching him stretching his lean old
hands, I asked him if he suffered much pain from writers' cramp.
He looked at me almost reproachfully before answering, "Mademoiselle,
it is the least I can do for my country; besides my pain is so slight
and that of the comrades so great. I am proud, indeed proud,
that at sixty-seven years of age I am not useless."

I was shown a copy of the last letter dictated by a young French
officer, and I asked to be allowed to copy it--it was indeed a letter
of a "chic" type.

Chers Parrain et Marraine,

Je vous ecris a vous pour ne pas tuer Maman qu'un pareil coup
surprendrait trop.

J'ai ete blesse le ... devant ... J'ai deux blessures hideuses et je
n'en aurai pas pour bien longtemps. Les majors ne me le cachent
meme pas.

Je pars sans regret avec la conscience d'avoir fait mon devoir.

Prevenez done mes parents le mieux que vous pourrez; qu'ils ne
cherchent pas a venir, ils n'en auraient pas le temps.

Adieu vous tous que j'aimais.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

Dear Godfather and Godmother,

I am writing to you so as not to kill Mother, whom such a shock
would surprise too much. I was wounded on the ... at ... I have two
terrible wounds and I cannot last long. The surgeons do not even
attempt to conceal this from me. I go without regret, with the
consciousness of having done my duty. Kindly break the news to
my parents the best way you can; they should not attempt to come
because they would not have time to reach me before the end.

Farewell to all you whom I have loved.

LONG LIVE FRANCE!

Whilst loving his relatives tenderly, the last thought of the dying
Frenchman is for his country. Each one dies as a hero, yet not one
realises it. It would be impossible to show greater simplicity; they
salute the flag for the last time and that is all.

At General Nivelle's Headquarters

From Triancourt we went straight to the Headquarters of General
Nivelle. They had just brought him the maps rectified to mark the
French advance. The advance had been made whilst we were
standing on the terrace at Verdun the night before. We had seen
the rockets sent up, requesting a "tir de barrage" (curtain of fire).
The 75's had replied at once and the French had been able to
carry out the operation.

Good news had also come in from the Somme, and General
Nivelle did not hesitate to express his admiration for the British
soldiers.

He said that t