The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-05

The following description of French soldiers
marching through Paris on their way to the
frontier, is given by a correspondent of the
London Daily Telegraph:
Yesterday, as a regiment of the line was
marching through the Faubourg st. Antoine,
the crowd espied the uioandiere bringing up
the rear of the battalion in vehicle remarka-
lily like washer-woman's cart-the horse
attached to which she was driving with her
own fair hands, which were as brown as ber-
lies. The cart was as full as stewards cab
10 on board steam packet with good things,
from Lyons sausages to brandy, from sardnes
to kirschwasser. There are not many florists
shops in the Faubourg st. Antoine; but in the
twinkling of an eye the crowd began to pelt
the little woman in the cart with bouquets,
and great hulking fellows in blouses came
presently to the shafts to pat the horse and
Shake the uicandiere's hand. She took off
her little glazed hat-a man-ofwar's hat,
with broad brim and low crown, decked
with tri-colored ribbons, and beneath which
grlve, for The sake of the picturesque to say
that she wore mob cap-and cried out: !:
"Vioe PEmpereur! uioe la France !" in a
voice so grutf that it would have done honor
to a drum major. A kindly hearted little
woman this, for in the front of the cart were
at least seventy knapsacks, which she was
regimental pets. A gallant little woman, as
suredly, and with a stirring history of her
own, perhaps. Her grandmother marched
into Granl Cairo, and when the battle day
was done administered comfort from her
brandy keg to those who lay fainting in tie
Pyramid. Her mother marched into Madrid,
into Rome, into Vienna, into Berlin, and was
bayonetted by Prussiau in the bloody flight
from Waterloo; and the uiuandiere herself
has been at Malakof, at Magenta, at Solfer-
ino, at Puebla. L fancy that 1 saw her there,
with her brown face and twinkling black
eyes, driving her little vain as cheerily as
now. Why not? Who does not remember
Beranger's stirring refrain, "Ratapan, plan,
plan! Soldats, VOLTA Catinp And Catin, the
cdntiniere, is the only woman, / take it, who
is not out OF place on a battle field.
As these regiments march through the
streets on the way to the railroad termini,
some peculiar features of the French military
system are visible. That discipline appears
to be combination of the very strctest rules
in material points, combined with the utmost
toerations in minor matters, and the prac-
tcal working of the system would appear to
be eminently successful. There is a plent-
tude OF powder, but a wel-nigh total absence
OF pipe-clay. The soldiers are allowed to
march anyhow-arm-in-arm with their rela-
tlons, friends and sweethearts, who insisted
on carrying the packs, the shelter tents, the
intrenchng tools and cooking utensils. Nor
IN many cases does any breach of discipline
seem to be committed when a eray-haired
grandfather, the tears streaming down his
face, trudges by the side of the lad who is
going to the front Tor the first time and actu-
ally shoulders the musket which the boy is to
WELD before the enemy. Nor is authority
shocked when private Y wears billycock hat
rakishly on one side of his head, while civ
ilian friend in a blouse is crowned with KS
shake, which is much too large for him. Nor
do sergeants frOwn at any amount OF hugglnS
and kissing en- route. The principle adopted
seems to be that the soldiers are gong In Tor
real hard work. and that to the childish ped
aptry of the drill ground and the orderly
room. there may be a temporary surcease.
The shopkeepers on the line of march press
on the troops, and load them with bottles of
wine, bundles of cigars, and strings of san
sages. You may see one gallant defender of
country with an entire sugarloaf tucked be-
neath MS arm, which some patriotic grocer
has bestowed on him, while another hugs a
huge melon; for M. Prud'homme, the epicier,
has heart and very warm one on occasion.
As for tobacco, the outgoing regiments seem
to be supplied with sufiicicncy TO last them
six hours at least. Let us hope that they
will be enabled to capture an adequate supply
of meerscbaums in Rhineland. Arrived at
the railway station, a full half hour is given
loteIers to come up; and then sudden
transformation scene occurs. The free
and easy warriors become as solid and well
"dressed up" as Roman legionares captains
and adjutants are stern, and sereeants and
cOrporals look black as thunder; only the
kind old colonel-say that it is the iorty fourth
of the line, and that the commanding officer
wears by his side, en- sdutoir, the traditional
oOurJ which is tha pallodium of the reoimp MT