[From The London Times, Aug. 16, 1914.]
_Some interesting sidelights on the events of the past
fortnight in Belgium are provided by extracts from the diary
of a young English girl, Miss Lydia Evans, who has just
returned from a convent school at Fouron, near Visé. The
following are among the entries in this graphic narrative,
published in The Evening News:_
Aug. 2.--All the people of the village passed down with cows, calves,
horses, hay, &c., which they were obliged to send in for the Belgian
Army near Liége. The first troop of Prussians came into the village this
afternoon on the pretense of having a horse shod.
Aug. 3.--Two more troops of soldiers arrived. The Prussians slept at our
convent, some in the park, others on beds in the recreation room. The
reverend mother put everything at their disposal. They asked nicely, but
gave the impression that if refused they would take more. We all went to
bed at 10 o'clock. Everybody got an alarm to dress half an hour
afterward. We came down and found the place full of Germans, who were
exceedingly polite. They are magnificent. The meanest soldier is
perfectly equipped, everything perfectly new, and splendid horses. They
are like theatre soldiers, they are so perfect. They were awfully nice,
and talked a lot.
Aug. 4.--Between Monday and Tuesday there was a terrible fight between
the Germans and Belgians at Visé because the Belgians would not let the
Germans pass to get to Liége. The Belgians blew up several big bridges
between Visé and Liége, also the one at Visé.
Aug. 5.--One man told us all the villagers had left except himself. The
German soldiers were here all day, but are very polite. They always bow
and salute. We hear a terrible noise at Visé of bombardment, and a great
fusillade in the convent. A wounded man was brought to the convent.
Aug. 6.--A curate near here has been shot. The Germans are very nice if
you give them what they want, but if they are refused the pistol comes
out. Old Mother Thérèse was at the door when a soldier asked her for a
kettle. She refused, and he nearly shot her.
Aug. 7.--A most fearful noise was heard about 2 o'clock. They say that
it was a fort blown up. A German aeroplane passed yesterday. The
soldiers are camping in the woods. There are seven wounded here. Nearly
all the others are taken to Aix-la-Chapelle.
Aug. 8.--Went to mass in the village. A man told us that the Germans had
burned two big farms at Warsage (the next village.) Two women and two
men arrived from Liége. They said that the people had been living in
caves for the last two days and nights. These poor people saw awful
sights in coming across the fields, which were covered with dead. We
have heard that Berneau is burned and the women and children hung. The
Germans are furious at having lost such a number of men before seeing
the French. A soldier passed last night, and Maria lifted up a corner of
the curtain. In a minute he had out his revolver and threatened to shoot
her. Some of the soldiers opposite the convent were drunk.
Aug. 9.--An aeroplane passed right over us, and seemed to drop something
white. The soldiers are going about in bands destroying and laying waste
every house and garden. They pass with bottles of wine and their pockets
bulging out with things they have stolen. They set a house on fire just
near the convent. There are 40,000 soldiers between here and Niouland.
Aug. 10.--There was a terrific crash at the door. Four German officers,
who had come in a motor, pointed their revolvers and asked for wine.
They looked as if they had been drinking. We had a fearful fright after
dinner. An officer, followed by a soldier, came to ask us where the curé
was, and threatened to shoot us because we could not tell him. Miss
MacMahon had to lead him to the rector's house, with a revolver pointed
at her back all the way. The houses on either side are burning. The nuns
asked the German officers if they would spare the convent. They laughed
and said they would make it a cemetery for their dead. They took away
the wounded, and as soon as they had gone the nuns woke us up, and we
started out, following all the back roads.
* * * * *
A postcard has been received from Miss Agnes Holliday, daughter of a
Hammersmith builder, who is at a convent school near Liége, in which she
states that on Tuesday night last "the convent was full of German
soldiers, to whom we spoke. At Fouron they have had a terrible time."