STARTED LIFE AFRESH.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 16081, 22 April 1924, Page 6

STARTED LIFE AFRESH.

A -BRUSSELS VETERAN

STORY OF BRITISH WOMAN OF 104. BRUSSELS, Fermary, 14. Climbing throe flights of narrow, uncarpeted stairs, M. Max, the famous Burgomaster of Brussels, to-day visited Mrs Baldwin, an Englishwoman, the oldest and one of the best known inhabitants of the Belgian capital. He was one of a long succession of distinguished visitors. Belgian and British, who called at the tiny room to congratulate the old lady on the celebration of her 104th birthday. Born at Bath on February 14, 1820, Mrs Baldwin, whose husband had died in Australia, came to Brussels twenty-eight years ago. She was then 70 years of age. PRESCRIPTION FOR OLD AGE She brought with her two little boys, her grandchildren. Responsible for their care and maintenance. she began life afresh—at seventy-six! With her needle as her sole asset, a foreigner in a country of whose language she knew no word, she earned the living of the family, brought up and educated the two boys, and was still sowing wln;n they bad.grown to manhood. When I found her in the tinv room at the top of tin* long flight of stairs. Mrs Baldwin was sitting at an open window, though the day was raw and cold.

“Fresh air and exercise,” she said. “That's why Urn still here at a hundred and four, though I’ve had a hard battle all mv life.

Then she told me something of her struggles and of her hard life in halt

fi dozen countries. To which she quickly added, “But 1 adore my own country,” and then pointed with pride to the chief adornment of. her little home, a large coloured photograph of King Edward Vli ..hanging over the mantlepiece. STORIES OF THE GERMANS. Mrs Baldwin remained in Brussels all throgh the years of war and the German occupation. With many almost girlish laughs she told me how “they” failed to get the better of her. “One day,” she said, “the Germans came for my two grandsons, because they were of military age, and were supposed to he interned. “1 knew they couldn't take them, because they were horn in Holland, and had Dutch papers, though they are as English as 1 am. But 1 wasn't going to tell the Germans that until I’d had my bit of fun out of it. “So 1 said. ‘Well. ! won't* tell you where they are; if you want them you must find them for yourselves.' “ ‘We shall find them,’ the officer said. “ ‘Well,’ I said ‘it doesn't matter if you do. Can you read? As I asked him 1 held the lads' Dutch papers in front of his face.” Another time Mrs Baldwin received what she called a “summons” to report to the German authorities. “I walked right up to a ’nig fat officer,” site told me, “ and just handed, him my birth certificate. It showed I was ninety-eight years of age. “The officer looked at the paper, and then looked at me, then looked ;u the paper again, and again look-; at me. ”lt seemed as if lm couldn't believe his eyes. At hist In* said, ‘You needn't have come here.” “ ‘1 know that,' 1 said, ‘and I'm sure I didn’t want to. But now I've come the least you can do is to drive me home.' “The officer said. ‘Very wed. i will.' “ ‘Thank’ von.' I said. ‘but on second thoughts 1 don’t think 1 like your company well enough.' And ! just walked out «!’ the room.”