THE WOMEN OF FRANCE IN WAR-TIME

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 2

THE WOMEN OF FRANCE IN WAR-TIME

AN INTERESTING IMPRESSION. . [Mrs, Madge Donohoe, tho" writer of this article, whio'h appeared' in "Tho Queen," is the wife of Mr. M. H.' , Donohoe, the well-known war correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle," who is at, present in Brussels.]

Ten years ago, in August, 1904, at the Tokio railway station, from tho vantage ground ;of-:" v :a*f rjcks'hav, "I watched the Japanese troops entraining for Manchuria, and I marvelled at the stoicism, not to say cheerfulness, of tlipir. womenfolk. . On: tliat. occasion, so 'far as I know, no,tears were.shed savo those" that my own wet eyes ..-refused to hold. Flowers were thrown to their 'sweethearts by laughing girls; babies were held up to crow a good-bye- to fathers; mothers, apparently unmoved, sent off their sons as if to a holiday fflast Only those who know the patient Oriental training in tho etiquetto of a smiling face to cover a breaking heart could guess at the tragedies which underlay that apparent brightness.*

The Japanese have often been called "the French of the Far East." That simile recurred to me when ten days ago here in Paris I was present at the opening scones of tiie mobilisation of tho French Army. I have always admired tho Frenchwoman, holding her to be the cleverest, wittiest, gayest, bestdressed, and most energetically practical specimen of her sex. Having watched her during the time of trial through which sho is now passing, I admire her more than ever. She is wonderful. Like her menfolk, she looks upon the present as a holy war, and she sends her heroes forth with a dauntless courage and a high sentiment of patriotic idealism to conquer or to die. , "Mother, my • sword is not long enough," a Spartan youth complained. "Add a step to it, my son!" was the rejoinder. The sayings of some of our Frenchwomen just now are in this spirit. "If your gun won't a femme du peuple- shrieked after ner husband the other day as the train began to move, th"o while she threw him a final kiss, "don't forget you've got your fists —and your teeth, .tool" she added in a voice of concentrated rage

■Within a few hours of the affixing of the mobilisation order at the post offices on August 1, I met a French lady of my acquaintance Teturning from teeing her four eldest boys off. Her husband and her youngest son were with her. , The seven form the cleverest, tallest, and handsomest French family 1 know. I commiserated with them. Tho father, too moved to speak, turned his head aside. But tho mother, with a wonderful light fan her face, said: "Should the war last a long time, my Benjamin must go too; ho will bo old enough.' In spito of my heart's pain/ sho/continued, "I am a proud and a happy woman to-tlay, because my sons bavo' gone forth, in heroic mood to fight for France." On the afternoon of the next day, Sunday, I formed one of a crowd in the Place de I , Opera to watch the troops pass' by. They sang. and crackod- jokes .13 they went. "Is it real, this exultation, or is it kindly acting?" I asked of a, woman standing beside me. "A little may bo feigned, but for the most part it is ioall".she answered. "They look glad becanso they are glad to bb going at last to strike a blow'for the freedom of Alsace-Lorraine. I know with what joy in their hearts my thrco brothers, and two cousins have gouo. I hivvo just said good-bye to them. And my gaiety at the moment was noting, I assure you," she said, with a pathetic little smile. "But what will you ? When they are so brave we musfc be. bravo too] n'est-co pas? They must not carry away a sad memory of us to add to the horrors of what they are to 6eo and endure,", .