Peace; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
It was Tuesday afternoon that our special train was ready at five
o'clock to take us from Berlin into Holland. Though the train was not
ready much before five, hundreds of anxious Americans were on the
platform by three in the afternoon. Most of them had plenty to do in the
two hours before our train pulled out. Some had to look after their
trunks, make sure that they were being placed in the baggage car, while
those who were not fortunate enough to have trunks with them discussed
at length the probability or lack of probability of ever having their
luggage again. There were many people lost in the crowds; mothers had to
look for their children, wives for their husbands. A large delegation of
newspaper men and publishers appeared with high mounds of literature on
the war, begging the Americans to see that this reading matter should be
scattered broadcast in our country. Even more interesting were the
crowds of American women left behind, who brought all the way from one
to a dozen letters, asking us to post them when we reached New York.
Many had tears in their eyes as they asked this favor, and not a single
man or woman on that special train was hard-hearted enough to refuse.
Among the number of women who came to me with letters was a sweet-faced
brunette about thirty. She said that she had just made her début in
Berlin with much success as a singer. This was what she had told her
husband, along with the fact that she was living in a nice pension where
she had become acquainted with a well-known tenor and his family, who
were taking good care of her until she would be able to come home. She
gave me all this information because her letter was written in German,
and she feared I might not take it unless I knew its contents. In less
than a quarter of an hour's time she returned with a large bouquet of
roses, saying this was a mere expression of her appreciation.
Our train pulled out at five o'clock sharp with much yelling and waving
of handkerchiefs and fans. Out of this noise one heard the cry,
"Godspeed!" "Give my love to all the dear ones at home!" "Good luck!"
"Auf wiedersehen!" which was answered by the refrain of the song,
"Deutchland über Alles!"
This special train was packed with anxious-looking men, women and
children. They seemed so happy to get out of a land of war into one of
peace, that they never grumbled at the thought of sitting in a day coach
thirty hours without any sleep except what they got napping.
All along the line we saw beautiful fields waiting for the harvest to
be taken in by the women and children. They were doing their best to
supplement the work of their fathers and older brothers. Whenever they
noticed our train pass and realized that we were Americans they waved
their hands and shouted in friendly greeting. Our coupé had four seats,
so by taking turns every one got a chance to rest an hour or two.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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