A BATTLEFIELD FOUNDLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 143, 16 June 1917, Page 15

A BATTLEFIELD FOUNDLING.

The kindliest or I lie Krom-U wounded to one another i< luexhaustlble, as also i* ' !l( ' ir londernetw to uuy helpless erpaiwe from mi animal 1.1 a l/:»)i.v. or this Mi-s Kath- !,.(.„' 'Burke- gives "ie following loiiehliiß liluslruUou In her book "The White lioad 1,, Verdun":-"Uoufi to light, ever ready i.i answer 10 the call of t'.ie defence of tnelr "try. yei Uii'se men or France on- tender ""'I gentle. '» on.. lieepimi' tliroiixh wlil.h I Bussed mere was a baby. It na< n military hospital, and nu civilian bail any rlglil there, but 1 lie medical officers who Inspected Hie hospital were remarkably Wind -norm or them -ould ever see the baby. One «t the soldiers passing tlirough ii bombarded vlllßire saw a "ttle bod v in tho mud. and although he helleved Hie ''Mid t.i be dead he stooped ■ lowii and picked ii "P- At Hie eraouatint; smilo'i t tic baby and the soMier werej smil in tlie boapltn! together: the doctors operated upon Hip baby and look a pid'e of slirapnol from Its back. and. once well ■m<l strong, it constituted Itscir lord and master and king of all it surveyed. When] it w..ke In (lie morning It 'would rail 'papa. , and twenty fathers answered to its coll. All Hie neut-up love of tli ( . men for their owu little ones from whom ilwjr had been parted for so long tbey lavielied on the tiny stranger, but all his affection and his whole heart belonged to the miner soldier who had brought him In. * As the shadows fell one saw tho ninn walking up and down the ward -with u,e child In his arms, crooning the "Marseliaise" until the tired lit tip eyes <-losed. Tie lintl Obtained permission from Ihe authorities to adopt Hie child as the parents oould not be found, and remarked humorously: •Mademoiselle, it Is so conre-nient to have a family without the trouble of belny married!"