Show procession RIVAL OF PIED PIPERS five hundred little children refugees from belgium tramp into allied village BY 01 trumpeters TRUM PETERS worn by hunger tired all sing na anthem big celebration at ehtan for them glad to escape germans rive hundred lit tie children a trifle tired looking per haps a little hysterical because worn by the strain of three daya on the train tramped joyously up the street their wooden labots sabots pattering a triumphant tattoo on the hard pavement skipping some of them to the blare ot the trumpeters trum peters who led the way and cry ing vive la france at every welcoming tri color they rushed up by doz ens to shake hands with anyone who was on the street to see them at five clock in the morning each of them was dressed in his or her sunday best and toting a homemade pack all the time the six old ex tooted away on their trum pets as they led the bobbette bob betty procession it reminded one 0 the pied piper who piped strange tunes in alln and led away all the village ahll dran when their elders refused to pay him tor ridding the town of its rats these trumpeters trum peters were leading bel glan children to a warm meal at ediin five hundred children who had left their mothers and fathers in the land where food Is scarce were on way to a big refuge in the old chartreuse monastery at le Gl andler there the belgian government and the american hod cross have fitted up a home for a thousand refugees not enough to eat they were not orphans just ahll dren who were not getting enough to eat back in belgium a belgian corn buttee had picked them out as undernourished and asked their mothers to let them go to france where wheat and sugar are not too plenty but where the rations are more liberal the commission for relief in belgium brought something to them in bel glum but especially since the americans left it bad to be stretched a long way arent you hungry some one asked one of the belgian children why no the kenyear old replied 1 I ate yesterday the trumpeters trum peters piloted them to the casino where the women ot avian had laid out a breakfast elx or seven children too weak to stand the mile walk were carried in the big american red cross ambulances that trana port the old men and women week dais when the trains bring in the french repatriates 1 there was a big celebration in the casino the mayor of avian made a speech but most of the children were obviously much too tired to try to puzzle out his big words they were much more interested in the band the band played the savoyard the anthem of evians mountain province and then it played the Braban conne the national thymn of belgium those children stood up on the tabes to applaud and wave their handkerchiefs t they knew it every one of them although they had not been al lowed to sing it out loud for three ears some of them were so small that they must have learned it behind closed shutters off in a corner halt a dozen little girls joined bands and danced too tired for candy but they were tired out there were one or two who were too tired to eat the candy placed beside them and that Is very tired and in the middle of the second verse of the braban conne one smallS son of belgium laid his head on his arms and went to sleep and before the marseillaise Marseil laise was sung there were sleepy little groups oblivious to the noise about them at every table it was dark when they entered the casino much too dark tor the alc plc tures eliat ought to have been taken of them and it was still ery gray twilight when they came out one of the american bed cross nurses who was helping care for them saw two little girls arguing sleepily about something or other est ce pas the tinier of the two said as she came up est ie matin est pas ie coir it Is morning it its not evening later when the children were pass ing the american lied cross doctor who them for contagious diseases the nurse learned more lu and louise sisters came from kamur their father bad in a belgian factory until the Gern iani took it over then he quit did not get enough to eat and last winter he died their mother worked in one of the municipal kitchens and made a bare living so but not quite enough tor all three so she sent them out to france to grow fat and happy while she tolls on in the soup kitchen lucyenne Lu clenne and coulso seemed a bit weepy as they told their story but they brightened quickly it Is always mo i ing it one Is young enough were going to good frienza frie nua they an db you know where acy ure going 0 o they said buts sure to be like this and they re to be good friends |