FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   >>   >|  
ced her after all these years, and I hope so much that someone will restore the Carillon so that she can sing her little song once again. In one corner of the square was a house (now turned into a furniture shop) where one of the F.A.N.Y.'s great-grandmothers had stayed when fleeing with the Huguenots to England. They had finally set off across the Channel in rowing boats. Some sportsmen! Market days on Saturdays were great events, and little booths filled up the whole _place_, and what bargains one could make! We bought all the available flowers to make the wards as bright as possible. In the afternoons when there was not much to do except cut dressings, I often sat quietly at my table and listened to the discussions which went on in the ward. The Belgian soldier loves an argument. One day half in French, and half in Flemish, they were discussing what course they would pursue if they found a wounded German on the battlefield. "_Tuez-le comme un lapin_," cried one. "_Faut les zigouiller tous_," cried another (almost untranslatable slang, but meaning more or less "choke the lot"). "_Ba, non, sauvez-le p'is qu'il est blesse_," cried a third to which several agreed. This discussion waxed furious till finally I was called on to arbitrate. One boy was rapidly working himself into a fever over the question. He was out to kill any Boche under any conditions, and I don't blame him. This was his story: In the little village where he came from, the Germans on entering had treated the inhabitants most brutally. He was with his old father and mother and young brother of eight--(It was August 1914 and his class had not yet been called up). Some Germans marched into the little cottage and shaking the old woman roughly by the arm demanded something to drink. His mother was very deaf and slow in her movements and took some time to understand. "Ha," cried one brute, "we will teach you to walk more quickly," and without more ado he ran his sword through her poor old body. The old man sprang forward, too late to save her, and met with the same fate. The little brother had been hastily hidden in an empty cistern as they came in. "Thus, Mademoiselle," the boy ended, "I have seen killed before my eyes my own father and mother; my little brother for all I know is also dead. I have yet to find out. I myself was taken prisoner, but luckily three days later managed to escape and join our army; do you therefore blame me, _Miske_, if I wish
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

brother

 

mother

 

Germans

 
father
 

called

 
finally
 

shaking

 

August

 
marched
 
roughly

cottage

 

movements

 
understand
 
demanded
 
Carillon
 

conditions

 

village

 

brutally

 

inhabitants

 
treated

restore

 
entering
 

killed

 

prisoner

 

luckily

 

managed

 
escape
 
Mademoiselle
 

question

 

quickly


sprang

 

hidden

 

hastily

 

cistern

 

forward

 

quietly

 

listened

 
grandmothers
 

dressings

 

discussions


argument
 

French

 
Flemish
 
Belgian
 
soldier
 

afternoons

 

Saturdays

 
England
 
events
 

booths