The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-24 00:00:00

A SOLDIER'S RELIC.

"On returning to hesclaronters at Vaux. PO occurrence
took place than I cannot but relate," snits s the Special Car-
respondent of the Daily Telegraph, and thus t rocectia
"We had just finished dinner, and were smoking the post-
preadial cigar, when an orderly came is to say time a &emir
man desire Ito spank with the Cemmandent of Valls This
respoesible po-ttion Is held by Lientevaut-Colonel von lie n-
Mog, commanding the 33rd Regiment, en outpost enty In
this town. A kiladarbeartod and mora 5 °eh, irinclett told cc
and gentleman :tree redo al the head of a Prussian reel-
rant. Ile canto from the 401 k. or the • 1141filnet 40th: oat
have called it, onti although he has beflt In eammand of the
33rd Furitiera only piece tie regiment left eambructer, he
Is as much respected and beloved by his new comrades ci he
we' in hie old soaps. is herever henget soils quartered, the
Inhabitunts of tee villages never have to ennplain of revere
measures, aid many a time have I seen their miseries so-
bered by doe:triers /nen his Faroe. Strict in the disciplisse
of his reel:train, kind and affectionate to hie disposition,
ever ready to di his duty, no matter abets :a obese:, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel von llon.log teat mice a bright esanple oft
Prussian soldier and a German gentleman. 'the orderly
ushered into the room a person whose appearance at cane
took us entirely by surprise, so much so that, ey a aeirersal
impalas, an all rose from our seats end bowed. Ins ine a
tall man, somewhat bent with the weight of years, but 'till
striving to be erect untie!, hatanding his feebleness, neatly
bat plainly dremed, with the badge of Yraneete chivalry, the
Mimed of the Legion WM enneur; in Ids butttoschole, a face
noble In emaciates', a high c +nineauditie forehead, eyes still
spackling with lire anal entrey, eas aqatius meta a white
monateche zed I-trg Impalat hair 33 shim as mon, atm' ins
though dignified expression, and you have before you
Capitane do la Moriciere, into an ofic. r in the army
of France. I can do no better Van repast Ida
simple nosy. ' Monsimo le Contmandaet,' said he,
• and Mersions lea taunters, I bag cif yon to be
seated aed if Mona tem le tout el .111 greet me a
few moments, I will rot de Ma Hoe k us.' A cider eat
ImmedLth ly hat de I flu, when in cos:tiered "Monsieur
le Colonel, Ins,, at you pereeit co en alt se-Idler cf Faanee,
albeit Ail an. rry to Fay that soy years and nsa host service
COM tile t n e to g since to Win': ill any pr fessitta and is
blue to tees peaceful %Olsen of Lerraire, mat t afar di far
The t' hits tt e u,veille and re' r:at tome time m :rein and
eeenieg tram Metz, and reminding net f days gene by. hiy
pow country is in your hada. I urn t mud' sin sit tier
not to reagent ead,rs. I had the pro I mulcts brouset to
me that the inhaidtsnts of Vane Monad at once bring all
their , mine to the guard-lowa. Mine c a it'd of a fowling-
pie m anti a dagger. It is on the subject of this dsegt r that
100 w tome to disturb r u Gentame a, you all know tem
an old soldier grata the reline sf by•cone glory, or tee
presents of some dear comrade who has fought mei tic tl by
his side. 1 c ,me to claim year tonna ante suet your tini-
ness in sneh a cause. That dagge was glean to my f Maar
by the Emperor Napoleon the First en the lalocaly
told of Austerlitz. I have worn it at my slde in misty a
hard-foeght notion, and now I seem to mlus my old comrade
from the [sell where be used to hang, Ind I conic to beg you
to give the old soldier bark a memento that to yen la use.
less, but that serves to reiniaal him of comrades dead and
gone, of hard-iought stet lonely bivouacs. If I have
asked too numb, encase tee tenable I have given you to
Itse.nieg to my , tory ; but if It Ii possible for yen to greet
my reclean, accept the thanks of an old enalier who, Mayon
all his fonght stud hied for his country.' I steed herb
add what use the sequel. An erdesiy was tmenollately dea.-
patched for the muck-prized dagger ; tlict old Freoch eo,
man smoked a el car and dunk a glare of 'A 111 Q ; art who
his much-prized weaveu was returned to him by the Colonel,
a tear glittered in his me. so lee drew up Ills tell figure at
the dcor, and with a Olen eons Denise, Moslem' ebe
bowed and lift sta."