HOMELESS CHILDREN
At Saint Nicholas du Port we rested, waiting for our division to go to
the trenches. Almost every night we were visited by Boche aviators who
would come over and drop a few bombs to add to our comfort. It was one
of the nicest little spots one could find, for we were quartered in
an old cow barn from which we had to shovel about two wagon loads of
manure before we could put up beds, and when we did not have the Boche
flying over us we were busy with the “cooties” round about us.
If ever conditions existed that were cootie producing, we certainly
found them here. There was an old tile roof that was perfectly
watertight, except when it rained, and evidently intended for
astronomical observation. At other times our anti-aircraft batteries,
located across the road, when they shot at the Boches caused shell
fragments to drop on our none-too-solid roof, and thereby add to the
access of small rivulets, to say nothing of the danger of our losing
about a yard and a half of hide. But we were visited so many times by
the Boches that we ceased to pay any attention to them. With practice
one can get used to anything.
One night a little boy came up out of the darkness and asked if he
could sleep in the driveway. He said he was very tired and had no
place to go. He had been ordered back, for when a regiment goes into
the fighting zone no one that is not attached to it is permitted to go
along. There are hundreds of these urchins in France that follow the
armies and live with them when they are not in the trenches.
This is just what had happened to Lombard, for that was his name.
We questioned him very closely and he finally convinced us of his
truthfulness, and so we made him comfortable for the night on a
stretcher in one of the cars. In a short time he was in slumberland.
About an hour later the Boche aviators came over and things were soon
humming. The batteries were going full blast when I thought of that
poor child out in the car without protection, and unable to get out.
I put on my steel helmet and went out to release our guest. I brought
him into the barn and felt much better to know that he was at least
sharing the protection we were afforded. The air raid soon ended and
all was still. In the morning our guest was given his breakfast and a
few francs, the net result of an impromptu collection, but he seemed
to like American hospitality and started in to cut wood and carry
water for our cook. Someone suggested that we keep him with us to do
errands and help generally, but before this was to be considered it was
necessary to learn more about the youngster, as we all had valuables
that we did not wish to lose, and coming to us as he did no one cared
to take chances.
We decided to question the lad and learned that for over two years he
had been wandering about from one regiment to another. His home was at
a place called Pont a Meusson, and when the place had been attacked by
the Boches, his father had been killed and his mother carried off. He
had two older brothers in the French Army, but did not know where they
were. Thus, after the cross-examining, we decided to let him stay. We
felt sure that as long as he was to help the cook and handle food, we
might just as well have him clean.
On account of the particular interest I had shown in him, I was
allotted the job of seeing that he was cleaned up. After taking up
another collection I bought him underwear, a clean shirt, and socks.
There were miscellaneous donations like handkerchiefs, ties, towels
and soap, so our guest was now ready for the bath. We had some water
heated, into which we put a disinfectant to help matters along,
for I don’t think he had had a bath since he left home. It is hardly
necessary to say that the bath was, at least, a partial success.
[Illustration: A Camouflage Road Made to Order]
[Illustration: A Natural Camouflage Road]
He seemed more than grateful for what we had done for him and all
went well until we were ordered to the front with our division. Then
it looked dark for Lombard, for we must go into the fighting zone and
he would not be permitted to follow. But he seemed so distressed and
forlorn that we tucked him away in a camion and took him with us.
We bought him a little uniform, and, when we left our division, the
American boys who came to take our places gladly took him in charge. We
were sorry to leave this little fellow, for he had become a part of our
daily life.
It is unfortunate that all the little children that follow the armies
can not be taken care of in some such way. There are thousands of them
straggling in the wake of the troops over there and they have no one
to consider their comfort or safety. What will become of them, beaten
from pillar to post day after day, with no one to put out a helping
hand. This is a problem for the women to solve, since the men are
occupied with other things and have no time to adjust the matter.