MISERY OF THE BELGIANS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 80, 8 April 1915, Page 6

MISERY OF THE BELGIANS.

STORY OF A BAKER'S SHOP. The utter misery, of the Belgians since the enemy has overrun this distressful country is told by a Boston merchant who has returned after a sojourn in Belgium. He says: One morning a friend and I went into a small bakeshop. It was early enough, so that a small amount of bread was still on hand. Through years of labour the baker had succeeded in getting two tiny shops. For the running of both those shops she is allowed to buy only 2201 b of flour a day. At the fixed price at which she is allowed to selMier profit amounted to nine francs, from which she had to pay her rent, her help, and keep her family.

Only a short time remained before she would have to give up. The odds were too great. While my friend and I were talking—and here let me say that American citizenship is an open sesame to the very hearts of the Belgians—two little boys came in, one about nine, the other perhaps seven. They came in silently, the older pushing the younger forward. We stopper talking. In a deathly stillness these hungry mites advanced. They came slowly, slowly towards us, their eyes on the bipod. Then thojy stopped. 'With 1 trembling lips the woman shook her head—she could not. There was only a few loaves. Three days at the most stretched between her own family and starvation. Slowly, slowly, without a word, the two little boys backed out. They understood. If she could have done it she would. They accept the conditions with the stoicism of necessity. Still with their eyes on the bread they went, silent as they had come, the big one drawing tho little one gently away. When they had reached the, door the woman, suddenly burst into sob.-, and, seizing two of the loaves from her tiny store, rushed after them and thrust a loaf under the arm of each of the children; Then she came back and cried and cried.