SenlisSenlisThe Curé of SenlisThe German OccupationAugust 30th, 1914Germans in

SenlisGerman BrutalityA Savage RevengeA Burning CityMurder of the MayorThe Curé in the CathedralThe Abbé's NarrativeFalse ChargesWanton DestructionA Sudden ChangeReturn of the FrenchErmenonvilleScenes of BattleVareddes.

FuneralA Five Days' BattleLife-and-Death Fighting"Salut au Drapeau"Meaux VareddesMurders at VareddesVon Kluck's ApproachThe Turn of the TideThe Old CuréGerman BrutalitiesTorturers The Curé's Sufferings"He is a Spy"A Weary MarchOutrages VictimsReparationTo Lorraine.

How fiercely they had set their hearts on it, the old Curé of Senlis, who is the chief depository of the story of the town, was to make us feel anew.

Of this abnormal excitability, the old Curé of Senlis gave one or two instances which struck me.

What can I do for you?" Something was said about English ladies, and the Curé courteously turned back.

If you had seen them!" The old Curé raised himself on his seat, trying to imitate the insolent bearing of the German cavalry as they led the way through the old town which they imagined would be the last stage on their way to Paris.

In his written account, the Curé specially mentions the brightness of the harvest moon.

Meanwhile the Curé, knowing nothing of what was happening to the Maire, had been thinking for his parishioners and his church.

The conversation here between the Curé and the officer of high rank who spoke to him is worth repeating.

"'Better stay here, Monsieur le Curé.

What was happening?" All that the Curé knows is that in a house belonging to persons of his acquaintance, where some officers of the rear-guard left behind in Senlis are billeted, two of the young officers have been in tearsit is supposed, because of bad news.

And the Curé goes on to compare Senlis to the sand which the Creator showed to the sea.

This combination of the Curé's written and spoken account is as close to the facts as I can make it.

We parted with M. le Curé just in time to meet a pleasant party of war correspondents at the very inn, the Hôtel du Cerf, which had been the German Headquarters during the occupation.

The old Curé, the Abbé Fossin, at the age of seventy-eight, spent himself in devoted service to the wounded Germans who filled it.

The Curé has been signalling from the church.

So on the evening of the 7th, the old Curé, who had spent his day in the church, doing what he could for the wounded, and was worn out, had just gone to bed when there was loud knocking at his door.

In one of the local accounts there is a touching photograph, taken, of course, before the war, of the Curé among the boys of the village.

"This morning the curé passed before our door on his horse, Piero.

"Now," he finished up by saying, "if the curé were to return he would find plenty of people to bury!"

An interesting circumstance had been related to me of the curé of this village, M. Détruissart; and on asking permission to visit his rural habitation, I found the story to be true.

PEINE PERDUE Dans un temps de sécheresse, un curé des environs de Choisy, près Paris, est invité par ses paroissiens à faire une neuvaine pour obtenir de la pluie, ainsi qu'avaient fait tous ses confrères circonvoisins.

" Quel temps faisait-il?Quel mal pouvait en résulter?Par quel moyen espérait-on se délivrer de ce fléau?Est-ce que ce pays-là était le seul aux alentours à souffrir de la sorte?Pourquoi le curé croyait-il inutile de recourir aux prières?Son idée était-elle pratique?

Cette liqueur prétendue de Nicolas etoit même un objet de culte; et nous lisons qu'en 1651, un curé de Paris en ayant reçut une phiole, il demanda et obtint de l'archevêque la permission de l'exposer à la vénération des fidèles, (Hist.