SPIRIT OF FRENCH WOMEN

When sympathy was expressed in Paris for a poor woman, mother of nine sons, eight of whom were at the front, she replied:  “I need no consolation.  I have never forgotten that I was flogged by Prussians in 1870.  I have urged my sons to avenge me and they will.”

As one train of soldiers for the front moved out of a Paris railway station two girls who had bravely kissed farewell to a departing man turned away, and one began to cry, but the other said:  “Keep up a little longer, he can still see us.”  Another carried a baby, and as her husband leaned out of the window and the train started she threw it into his arms, crying:  “Leave it with, the station master at the next station, and I will fetch it; you must have it for another few minutes.”

A Paris painter, called for military duty, was obliged to leave his wife and four children almost destitute.  When he communicated with his wife on the subject she replied:  “Do your duty without worrying about us.  The city, state and our associations will look after us women and children.”  In her letter, the wife enclosed a money order for $1 out of $1.20, the total amount of money which she possessed.

KILLS MANY WITH ARMORED CAR

Lieutenant Henkart, attached to the general staff of the Belgian Army, perfected a monitor armored motor car which was successfully used by the Belgians.

During the war the officer engaged in reconnoitering in one of his armored cars.  He had several encounters with Uhlans, of whom he killed a considerable number, virtually single-handed.  His only assistants in his scouting trips were a chauffeur, an engineer and a sharpshooter.

On one occasion the party killed five Uhlans.  Two days later it killed seven and on another occasion near Waterloo, the auto ran into a force of 500 Germans and escaped after killing twenty-five with a rapid-fire gun, which was mounted on the motor car.

A GERMAN RUSE THAT FAILED

A Belgian diplomat in Paris related an incident he observed at Charleroi.  He said: 

“Twenty Death’s Head Hussars entered the town at 7 o’clock in the morning and rode quickly down the street, saluting and calling out ‘Good-day’ to those they met, saying, ‘We are friends of the people.’

“Mistaking them for English cavalrymen, the people cried ’Long live England!’ The Belgian soldiers themselves were deceived until an officer at a window, realizing their mistake, ran to the street and gave the alarm.  The Belgian soldiers rushed quickly to arms and opened fire on the fleeing Germans, of whom several were killed.”  DIED WRITING TO HIS WIFE