A LITTLE SOLDIER OF MERCY
"Jean is the name of the hero of whom I shall tell you today. He was
only twelve, and he joined the army, unofficially, something after the
fashion that little Remi did. Remi, of course, ran away to follow the
army, which, perhaps, was not wrong in view of the fact that he had no
relatives at home. With Jean it was different, for he had a mother,"
said Captain Favor, resuming his story telling.
"A detachment of French soldiers had been stationed in this boy's home
town, and the lad, by many little acts, had endeared himself to them
very much.
"One day the detachment received orders to leave. Jean begged that
they might take him along, but the soldiers advised him to remain at
home because he was too young to go to war. 'Go ask your mother,' said
a young lieutenant, 'and if she says "yes" I shall not see you if you
should follow us.'
"Jean, most grateful for the suggestion, ran home and burst, in upon
his mother excitedly.
"'The lieutenant says I may go if you say "yes." Say "yes," mother. I
want to be a soldier.'
"'I do not understand what you mean, my son,' answered the child's
mother.
"'I mean I wish to go to war; I wish to help my beloved France.
Believe me, mother, though I am but a lad I can do much, oh, so much.
And Jean shall be so very careful that he may come back to his home,
and who knows but that he may some day come back a big, big general or
something like that.'
"'Please my child, do not think of such a thing,' begged the mother.
'You know you might be killed.'
"'Should not a Frenchman be happy to die for his country, my mother?'
"The argument was a good one, and Jean saw at once that his mother was
weakening in her opposition.
"'The monsieur lieutenant says I may go if you will let me. Please, my
mother.'
"'Yes, go, my son, if you will, and God be with you,' agreed the
mother finally, clasping the little fellow in her arms and kissing him
again and again. 'Go before I forget my duty to France.'
"Jean ran. He did not stop running until he had reached the camp of
the detachment, where preparations for marching were in active
progress. But Jean hung about at a distance. When the detachment
started away, he, like Remi, fell in behind and followed. Perhaps the
lieutenant--Lieutenant André--saw him, but if so the officer thought
best not to let this be known, either to the boy or to the men.
"That night Jean joined the company of Lieutenant André. A soldier
shared his blanket with the child. The next morning Jean made himself
useful by carrying water, by helping the cooks and by performing other
acts that relieved the soldiers.
"The march was resumed soon after daylight. The lad had a further idea
and this he worked out all during the day. Providing himself with
canteens, which he took from the soldiers of his company, he stopped
every little while at farmhouses and filled the canteens. These he
restored to their owners, and then, taking other canteens, filled
these as well, running to catch up with his company to give his
comrades water. That day and following days found the child the
hardest worked person in the company.
"Now and then a soldier would stagger from weariness. Jean was at his
side in a moment relieving the soldier of some of his burden which the
boy would carry until someone took it away from him.
"One day the colonel of the regiment discovered him and ordered him
sent home. Jean begged, all to no purpose, then ran to his friend,
the lieutenant, for help. The lieutenant took Jean back to the colonel
and explained the situation.
"'This boy,' said the lieutenant, 'is one of the most useful civilians
with this outfit. We shall miss him if he is sent back. And further,
it would not be safe for him to return home alone. In all probability
he would not reach there alive.'
"'Do I understand that you are willing to charge yourself with the
care of this child?' demanded the colonel.
"'I do, most certainly, my Colonel.'
"'Very good, then; the boy may remain. Watch over him. He is a
patriot, indeed.'
"Jean's joy showed in his face only. He made no fuss, but kissed the
hand of his faithful friend the lieutenant and went about his duties.
"There came a day when the regiment met the Prussians--when the
Frenchmen went over the top and the Germans came out to meet them.
Jean was with his beloved companions, but, strange to say, he carried
no rifle. One had been offered to him, but he shook his head. Instead,
he carried several canteens of water and his blouse was stuffed with
first-aid bandages. He knew what he wished to do and what he believed
he could do best.
"Soon men began to fall. The stretcher bearers were too few to give
quick attention to all, but Jean was there. With his bandages he bound
as best he could the wounds of his comrades, and quenched their thirst
from his canteens. Many were the suffering poilus who blessed the
little soldier of mercy that day.
"Jean's face was bleeding where a bullet had left a gash across it,
but to this he gave not the slightest heed. Time and time again he ran
back for more water; time and time again did he rush for the stretcher
bearers to get aid for a particularly badly wounded comrade. The child
seemed to be utterly fearless, or perhaps he did not even realize that
the air about him was thick with bullets and exploding shells. If he
knew he did not care.
"With nightfall the troops of both sides backed away to their own
trenches. Jean's work, however, was not yet done. He remained out on
the field where lay men who would never rise again, and many more who
were suffering and dying. All night long he worked with them, until
nearly daybreak, by which time the stretcher bearers had finished
their work.
"When day dawned his comrades found little Jean asleep on top of the
parapet of his own trench, with a storm of machine gun fire sweeping
over him. He was sleeping in a rain of steel. They hauled him in and
tucked him away in a dugout.
"Jean might have slept the day through had not a shell blown up the
dugout and literally blown the boy over the lip with it. He was
considerably bruised and shocked, but otherwise was unhurt.
"By the time he had collected his wits and got the dizziness out of
his head, his comrades were once more going over the top.
"'I must go,' was Jean's reply when an officer sought to hold him
back.
"Gathering up all the canteens he could carry, Jean filled them with
water and was over the top and out on the storm-swept field. His eyes
glowed with admiration when he saw his lieutenant leading and
encouraging the men of his company. Jean tried to keep close to him,
but this was not wholly possible, for the lad was still performing his
work of mercy.
"Suddenly he saw the lieutenant stagger and fall.
"With a little cry Jean sprang up from the wounded man he was working
over and ran to the side of his friend.
"'Where--where is it, my dear Lieutenant?' he begged anxiously.
"'Two times they hit me, child--in the shoulder and in the side. It is
bad. But never mind, lad, go to the others; they need you more than do
I.'
"'No, you shall come with me. Let me get my back to yours.'
"'You cannot carry me.'
"'Jean is stronger than he looks.' With that the lad got the officer
to a sitting position and, placing his back against the lieutenant's,
his arms under those of the officer, he straightened up. Of course, he
was not strong enough to carry the man, but he was able to drag him,
and with almost as much comfort to the wounded one as if he were on a
stretcher.
"In this manner Jean managed to get his friend to the trench, whence
the officer was taken to a first-aid station, then later in the day
placed in an ambulance and started for a hospital in the rear.
"The road over which they were carried, for Jean had remained with
lieutenant André, was shell swept, the Germans knowing very well that
ambulances with wounded men were there.
"To the hospital went the two, and there, side by side, they lay in
cots, for at last Jean had been struck and wounded by a shell that
wrecked the ambulance just before they had reached their destination.
The driver was killed but the Little Soldier of Mercy and his friend
escaped, with only a shaking up for the lieutenant and a slight wound
in the leg of Jean.
"Lieutenant André, on account of his wounds, was disabled for life,
but through his efforts Jean was appointed to the French military
training school, and the last I heard of him he was still fighting
heroically for France."