Women of Belgium: Turning Tragedy to TriumphKellogg, Charlotte
History
Women of Belgium: Turning Tragedy to Triumph
Kellogg, Charlotte
Commission for Relief in Belgium; World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals
One family of eight was content in its two rooms. They had had a
copper shop and a pension at Dinant; were very comfortably off, when,
suddenly, Dinant was struck. All their property was in flames, men
were being shot, their own grandmother, eighty-one years old, had
her leg broken, and, terror-stricken, they fled with her up and down
hill, over rocks and through brush till they reached Namur, and
finally arrived at Brussels where they heard of Madame’s “Home.” The
grandmother, whose leg is mended but still crooked, was sitting in
front of the red geraniums at a window, knitting socks. She knits one
pair a week and receives five cents for each pair from the clothing
committee. The young girls help Madame in various ways; the father
tries to work in copper, but if he earns fifty cents a week, considers
himself lucky. The particular struggle for this family is to get eggs
for the grandmother, who can not get along on the bacon and bread.
Eggs cost ten cents each. Happily, this is a kind of situation that
“special funds” from the United States have often relieved. Everybody
was courageous, trying simply to hold on till the terrible war should
be ended and he could go back to rebuild something on the ruins of his
home.
There was another Dinant ménage next door, but a ménage for one. I
quickly read this poor woman’s story on the walls. On one was tacked a
large picture of Dinant, beautiful, smiling, winding along the river,
as in July, 1914. Above it was the photograph of her husband, shot in
August; on the other wall a handsome son in uniform. He was at the
front. She stopt peeling her potatoes to go over again those horrible
days. They had been so well-off, so happy, father, mother and son.
When they saw their city in flames, they were too bewildered, too
terror-stricken to realize what it meant. Her husband left to help
restore a bridge—he did not return. The son hurried to follow his
King; she somehow reached Brussels.
There was a fine young chap of about fifteen, whose father had been
killed at Manceau sur Sambre. He and his mother had found this haven,
but now she was in the hospital undergoing a capital operation. Madame
was trying to arrange a special diet for her on her return. They had
been in very comfortable circumstances; now everything was gone.
And so it was—the same story, and from all parts of Belgium. They had
come from Verviers, Aerschot, Dinant, from Termonde and Ypres—the
striking thing was the courage, the gentleness, the fine spirit of all.
This “Home,” as I said, has now been subsidized, but along with it
Madame still carries on another admirable work entirely on her own
responsibility. Some friends help her, but she really lives from day to
day! On the ground floor of this same building she has a restaurant,
also known only as the word passes from mouth to mouth, where any one
may come for a good dinner at noon. There is no limit to what one may
pay, but the charge is a franc, or twenty cents. The majority pay less.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account