Life — October 12, 1916 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

628 400 Babies ICTURE, readers have done for the or- phaned children of France. Did you ever sce four hundred babies to- gether? We never have, and it baffles our imagination to visualize such a gathering. But four hundred babies have been given a better chance to live and become useful citizens of the future France through the gen- crosity of Lire’s readers. That is a concrete fact which it takes no agination to realize. That doctors are. not all bad is demonstrated by the fact that one of them sent us $146, accompanied you can, what Lire’s hy this verse: Say, Lire, you of the facile pen, Whose pleasing wit makes glad the hearts of men, You who are ready with the word to smite The wrong and to uphold the right, Although betimes you are a per- fect chump able misfortune had fallen upon me the death of my poor husband, killed the 7th of September, 1914, in the Battle of the Marne, at Ser- maize-les-Bains, by a bullet in the forehead. He was born at Stenay, June © :th, 1881. You who take pity on our grief will understand how great it is, but also how precious a comfort is the moral and material aid, like yours, that meets one on this journey. But I will take up again my story. Not being able to work in the fields as the Germans wished, because my youngest child was not yet cight months old, the whole family was inscribed as a burden, and on this account was expelled seven months afterwards at the end of March, 1915. Entering Switzerland, we were met with a distribution of use- ful supplies, and from Annemasse, the first French station, we were di- rected to the Haute Loire. We are given a daily allowance of a franc and a quarter for my- self and one half a franc for each of my children, which is not enough tolive upon. Therefore I work after- noons as a gardener from half-past And_ losing sense, delight to beat and thump Men groping for the truth of healing’s art (Pray do not think you make our hides to smart), We know you wrong us in your ignorance. But this you're doing for that dear old France. Say, Lire! That is a thing worth while, To wipe her tears away and make her children smile Through the long-lasting clouds of grief and jain The tender children of those fathers slain. We differ, but_in this thing we are one. We love new France, and hate the hateful Hun. Our hearts are with you, Lire; our purses, too. We differ, but we doff our hats to you. We thank you, Lire, for giving us a chance To do this good. Enclosed’s a Vive La Franc: Havernitt, Mass., Sept. 22, 1916. And here is another of those proofs of character, to show that the aid of Lire’s readers is not misdirected : Atcuitate, Sept. 10, 1916 Monsteuk: The committee for the distribution of American gifts to the orphans of the war having included one of my three children among its wards, I hasten to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the benefits which the American people continue to bestow upon us, and of which we will always preserve a grateful memory. We were living at Wiseppe, near Stenay, Meuse, and had a good-sized farm, When the Germans arrived, the zSth of August, 1914, we remained in the country, and shortly afterwards misfortune burst upon us. Not only did we have to suffer the presence of the Germans, but also the lack of news from those who had left us for the war, On the gist of August an incendiary shell bu. red quickly and entirely our home and the next house, without our having the time to save anything whatever. Later I learned that seven days afterwards an irrepar NIE MARIE, BABY NO. 150, AND HER NINE- TEEN-VEAR-OLD WIDOWED MOTHER one to half-past eight, for one franc additional. It requires courage to put ourselves again to work, as we are unhappy widows, owning only that which we have upon our backs and having the duty to raise our children. If any other information will be useful to you, Tam at your entire service, and beg you to accept again the assurances of our gratitude and of our respectfully de- voted sentiments. Loutse Derorces, Veuve Lamanne To the date of going to press we have received $29,210. irom which we have remitted to the Orphelinat des Armé 151,060.64 francs. We gratefully acknowledge from N. O, Nelson, New Orleans, La., for Baby No. 380... $) Mrs. L. W. Ausley, Great Neck, L. 1, for Baby No. 390 Mrs. T. G. Lovelace, Peoria, IIL, for Baby No. 301... . Macdougall, Haverhill, Mass., for Baby De. Duncan 9 Baby yo Morrisou, Memphis, Tenn..”” for Baby 394¢ A Margaret Bates Knapp, Co; No. 305 Dases The Whitney Children (C Cove, L for Baby No. 301 Mrs. Meta K. Moore, Berkeley, Cal. Mrs, Andreini, New York City, for Baby No. Julia White Brown, Winchendon, Mass., for No. 399 . asee “ Anonymous.” Lansing, Mich., Denmark, for Baby FOR BARY NUMBER 383 Already acknowledged Mr. and Mrs, W. L lombia, S.A... sae sry E. Bateman, Philadelphia, Pa. 00200. E.S.H., BB, G.'B, M. HW. H.’and W. 11. Meg: Mass. Soausers soeseeubs AL Cy Areata, Cato cec oe 1. G! White, Locktart, Als. Ben and John Duniway, Lara