St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-09

each other; but the horseman makes no
sign. Silently he dashes on through the
laughing, chatting crowd, but wherever
he passes, laughter and smiles disappear.
and speech is silenced.
1t seemed as if the angel of death had
touched his brow, and the happy ones
shuddered at his untimely presence. Now
he has reached the castle he descends
from his horse. In breathless silence,
paid, trembling, they know not why,
those who have seen this dumb messen-
ger look up shudderingly to the balcony.
At last, after long waiting, the minister
Herzberg appeared once more.
But, o God what means this He
Is pale, his eyes are filled with tears He
opens his mouth to speak, but strength
has left him. He holds on to the bars
of the balcony, otherwise he would sink.
At last he collects himself 1t is not
necessary to ask for silence the silence
of the grave is upon the torpid men. He
speaks. his voice is faint and weak, and
trembling-oh, so fearfully. only a few
in the first rank can hear his words.
'sIhe battle is lost! The Russians
have conquered! The Austrians came
to their assistance! The presence of the
Austrlans was not known. They had
their tents in holes in the ground, As
our militia rushed upon the last intrench-
ment at Gudenburg, and were only Il
hundred steps distant, Loudon suddenly
ADVANCED with his fresh troops against
the worn out and exhausted victors. He
received the Prussians whth so murder
Gus fire that their ranks faltered, way
cred, and, at last, broke loose in wild
flight, pursued turIously by the raging
enemy. The fortunes of the day had
turned; we lost the battle. But all is
not lost. The king lives, he is slightly
wounded; three horses were shot under
him. He lives, and 50 long as he lives
there is hope. In the far distance. in the
midst of the terrible disasters which have
betallen himself and his army, he thinks
of his Berliners. He sends you a faith
er's greeting, and exhorts every one of
you to save his possessions, as far as pos
sible. Those who do not feel safe in
Berlin, and who fear the approaching
enemy, the king counsels to withdraw, if
possible with their money, TO Magde-
burg, where the royal family will take
refuge this evening
The minister was silent, and the peo-
pie who had listened, dumb with horror.
now broke out in wild cries of anguish
and despair. Terror was written in
every face; tears guShed from every eye.
Cries of unspeakablc agony burst from
those lips which, few moments before
were eloquent with hope and gladness
AS il it were impossible TO believe in
those mistortuneS without further con-
iirmatlon, some men called loudly for the
messenger, and the distant crowd, as il
inspired with new hope, roared louder
and louder
"The courier, the courier, we will
ourselves speak with the courier ~
The demand was SO threatening. Sc
continuous, it must be complied with
Herzberg stepped upon the balcony. and
informed the crowd that the courier
would al once descend to tie public
square.
A breathe>s silence succeeded; every
eye swas fixed upon the castle gate,
through which the courier must come
When he appeared, the crowd rushed
toward him III mad haste. Cries OF wo,
and suffering were heard, The people
wild-mad with pain, beside them>eIve:
with despair-hat no longer any mercy
and pity for each other. They rushec
upon the messenger of misfortune, with
out regarding those who, in the midst o
this wild tumult, were cast down an,
trodden under foot
, The messenger began his sad story
| He repeated all that the minister hac
said he told Of the deadly strife. the
| bloody havoc, OF the raging advance O
/ the Ausirians, and of the roar of ven
geance of the reassured Russians. II
told how the cannon balls of the enem'
, had stricken down whole ranks of Prus
slams; that more than twenty thousan,
, wounded Prussians lay upon tine BATH
t field that all the cannon and all the col
5 ors had fallen into the hands of the en-
| emv
The people received this news wit
e tears, cries and lamentations. The cou
e rier spoke also of the king. He, himself
t had belonged to the body guard of tn
4 king-had been ever near him. He ha
seen the king standing in the midst Q
/ the thickest shower Of balls, when hi
t two adjutants fell at his side. At last
ball came and wounded the kings hors
3 the Vogel-so fearfully that the BRAY
0 steed fell Frederick mounted anothc
: horse but remained upon the same spot
5 Il second ball wounded this horse, an
c the king quietly mounted that of Captai
t Goizen. AT this moment 4 bullet struc
o the king in the breast, but the golde
Q etm which the king carried in his pocke
e had turned it aside, and thus saved hi
Y life In vain had the generels and adju
it tants entreated him to leave the place
r and sthink of his personal safety. Hi
e answer was: ''We must seek at thi
n time to win the battle. / must do m
duty here with the rest"
e Many voices cried out-''Where is tn
II king W.
a The courier did not answer, but til
It question was SO fierceiy, SO stormiiy II
g peated, that he was compelled to 60 Oh
" ''The king, in the midst of the confr
: sion and horror of the flight, had calle
e him, and commanded him to gallop t
d Berlin, and bear the fatal news to mini.
ter Herzberg. He had then galloped b
1t him, exactly against the enemy, as if /
? wished their balls to strike him. A Ii
y tie troop of his most faithful soldiers ha
e followed ~