MY LIFE IN LILLE
• (By An EngliahGirl.). . .. ''.-■ . ■■.'..'■'•' ' ' ■ LilleAfter so many stories of Hun xrueltv my experiences here- in Lille, more' cr less amusing, may be I change. A good knowledge of German combined with' British stubbornness proved in more cases than one my great _ safeguard. Moreover, however afraid I may lave folt on different occasions, I never allowed" thoniask of extreme indifference to fall. ■,■■■•.■■
■ ■ The-first German officer tcvspedk to me. was an TJhlan—a strongly-built man who had been "a'student at .Leeds.'University .for several years. His -'-'Hullo I .You're, an. English: girl!" , greeted me"ono morning,- He informed mo that they .were marching oit Calais, from where they 'intended tobombard and Jie had. the coolness to ask mo-if I had any'-.message to send to my -parents. I told him that if ever/.ho pnfcered London it "would bo as a prisoner of war. Our -troubles ..began when , informed that it would- be necessary" to have a passport, to enter-Lille. Only six persons were allowed in. the-office each day' . The result was everyone, tried to bo in, the first-six. -.We were forbidden to leave our houses before 6a,.m., and yet to obtain the jmicli--coveted passport many crept oiit at five,overy footstep giving a shock of fear and causing ono to hido behind a hedge or outhouse until six. o'clock.. Inside one had to face extreme-in-solence.* One' lady applied for'.permiesion to attend the funeral . of. her mother-in-law. "YouougM to" b'e/con-.. , tout your mother-in-law is dead-with-out going to her fuhoral," was the- impudent reply. . Another misery: Our chickens wererequisitioned, and each possessor had to send a list of-his poultry. ■ Some HJisely. wrung their necks... Then each.l hen was expected to give -three-eggs pet week. When moulting time camo we , were obliged to continue supply of eggs, for-which we were paid 2jd. each by the Germans, but if the number failed we had to buy at Is. 6d. per egg! • .' ..-,:: I offered our bens to the Kommandaliir, nnd.told them that if iii Ger-: many they could make moultinc hens and brooding hens lay I should like them to try it on ours. I was informed that if I were not more polite I sTiould. lihvo a heavy fine. '-.-/. It was forbidden to pass , tlie city gates with meat or potatoes, and s* we became adept smugglers. Frequently however, we were obliged to leave the tramway-car and werq searched, every tiny scrap of paper being read. Often, too, we were stripped, and woe betidethe -unfortunate person who had. a seoret letter .or any : printed matterdropped, by the aeroplanes!'.' ■'■■'■ Once while .crossing the-common I saw recruits being drilled in the. wonderful goose step, and. at. a given command they all fell flat. I burst into loud laughtor, and the officer came fiercely up and told me that those who mooked at fho. German Army would be imprisoned. One evening I lost my way and arrived near the station square, wliere I was much annoyed to iind my way barred by « eontry. I wanted to cross the square to find my tramway-car. "Niclits passer, madaine;" said the sentry. Whoreon I asked him in German why'l was not allowed to pass. "Excuse me, Fmilein, I did not know you were German," said he, and, much to my astonishment, I was allowed to pass. But now all our troubles are over, and we have '-'Tomniy" with his cheery face and merry whistle; and you should sec him grin when, after trying his best to explain something to you in-murder-ed French, ho finds he is addressing a fellow-countrywoman!—" Daily Mail.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 2
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587MY LIFE IN LILLE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 2
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