'A Memory of Six Years Ago From a Correspondent Early in the morning, such a fair morning in the fair old land of Normandy, my friends and I got up and cycled easily into Rouen. That was on the first day. of August, 1914. There was not much' stir in' the quaint cathedral city when we arrived, although the rumours of war were already abroad, and it was only when the banks opened and people of all denominations came pressing change their paper, that anything approaching to a panic was visible, Soldiers strolled about, young men' they were at that time, the fruit vendors settled themselves as usual! in the shade of the cathedral, a few pious citizens came and went, a wedding party wended its way gaily through the gardens behind! the venerable walls and the men that go down to the sea in ships lounged about the cafes by the banks of the Seine.
We rode through the rough cobbled streets of the city, crossed the bridge and made out to the country once again. The roads were lined with orchards, and the orchards laden with fruit, the chateaux, each on its little eminence with its own pee tints and small conceits of arch fecture, dotted the landscape, while! down in the valley the river Seine, 2 quivering stream of burnished silver, shimmered on its way to the sea.
Tue Suapow Fats.
With the shadows of evening fell also. the shadow of death upon the country-side.—Notic were being hurriedly posted in every smal] village, summoning the men with haste to the colours, tacitly Jeaving the women to the harvest. The last line in each notice held out its little ray of hope "Lo ion nest pas to guerre.
The following day being Sunday was apparently given up to preparations for father and sons' departure, there were few people; abroad. Wherever our little party, got to we were first put under arrest until we had satisfied the authorities that we were not German spies, and then having been reassured and knowing that we had come from the inland the anxious people began to question us excitedly as to what news we} had of the war. There was gtavej anxiety in every heart, they hadj not forgotten "70," but specially were they anxious about' England! and interrogated us as if we had the foreign policy of Great Britain) in our hands, "Fous seres avec nous, nest-ce pas?"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.