Page:Patriotic pieces from the Great War, Jones, 1918.djvu/163

Rh FIRST U. S. SOLDIER DEAD BURIED IN FRANCE

America's first soldier dead in the war have been buried. Their coffins were draped in the folds of the flag for which they died.

Comrades bore them to the center of a hollow square, formed by American soldiers and veteran French troops. From the massed ranks there stepped a French general. He walked straight to the three coffins, reverently hesitating at the first. Then he stiffened to the salute, doffed his cap, bowed, his face lined as though the mute remains before him were of his own children.

"Private Enright," he said softly, as he bowed before the nearest bier, "Private Gresham"—and he turned to the second—"and Private Hay"—as he turned still further to face the third coffin—

"In the name of France, I bid you farewell. Of your own free will, you left your happy, prosperous country, and took your place by our side.

"You fell facing the foe, in hard, in desperate hand-to-hand fight."

The general hesitated a moment, looked at each of the three flag-draped coffins, and then turned.