<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Smile of Rheims</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">"The Smile," they called her -- "La Sourire"; and fair --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">A sculptured angel on the northern door</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of the Cathedral's west façade -- she wore</p><p class="line">Through the long centuries of toil and care</p><p class="line">That smile, mysteriously wrought and rare,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">As if she saw brave visions evermore --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Kings, and an armored Maid who lilies bore,</p><p class="line">And all the glories that had once been there.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">How like to thee, her undefeated Land!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Wounded by bursting shells, a little space</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Broken she lay beneath her ancient portal;</p><p class="line">But lifted from the earth with trembling hand,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Victorious, still glowed upon her face,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Thy smile, heroic France, love-given and immortal!</p></div><p class="byline">-- Florence Earle Coates.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> The Bellman. </p></body></html> · Great War