South.

Ohemia, in the house of an ancient Italian family,

in certain second-hand bookstores, in out-of-the-way towns he found
treasures as precious as pearls and diamonds raked out of the muck-heap.
When death took away his only son and left his little
grandchildren dependent

upon himself the old book-lover looked forward serenely into the future.

He knew that every year his treasures were growing more and more
valuable.
Living in his home in Louvain he received from time to time visits from
experts, who came in from all the cities of the world
to see his treasures, and if possible,

to buy some rare book. Then, in August, 1914, came the great
catastrophe, as came the explosion of Vesuvius that buried Pompeii under
hot ashes and flaming fire. One morning
the old scholar was startled by the noise and confusion in the street.
Looking down from his window
he saw German soldiers, German horsemen, German cannon. He beheld women
and children lined up on the sidewalk.
He saw German soldiers assault old men. He saw them carrying the
furniture,
rugs and carpets out
of the houses. He saw the flames coming out of the roofs of houses a
block away. A moment later an old university professor pounded upon his
door and
called out
that they must flee for their lives.

There was only time to pick out one satchel and fill i