The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-28
A FRENCH "LTVRET."

soners. Strangely enough, they very rarely
: bear any traces of bloodshed, though they
look otherwise dirty and grimy enough. If
we are entitled to draw any conclusions from
those we have examined, their owners do not
seem to have acted unwisely in getting rid of
these documents, which often tell the story
of their military lives but too faithfully. Per-
chance, when they return from their capti-
witty, they may with a new livret turn over
new leaf
1t will not be very indiscreet probably to
give brief analysis of one of these docu-
ments now before us. 1t belonged to Pierre
Nicolas Page, born in 1928 in the vosges,
an orphan, l metre 600 mill. high, with grey
eyes, a round forehead, and belonging at the
time of his parting with this booklet to the
34th Regiment of the Infantry of the Line.
But he did not always belon g,to it, There is a
certain page prefxed telling very minutely
what were the divers services and positions
before his last incorporation. And they
seem to have been very diverse and very
chequered. "Entre au service" on the 2lst
of February, 1850 in the 9TH Regiment of
Infantry. In December of the same year he
has already advanced to a corporalship. Pro-
motion follows promotion. He is Corporal
des Voltigeurs year after, sergent in two
years more; he is sergent-fourrier at the end
of 1854. But, alas for the instability of fate
Whatever may have happened we are not
told-only this much we learn, that he is
in August following "casse ct remis
fusilier;" which seems to have disguised him
so much that he went away-to re-enlist for
seven further years the very next month.
Within a short time he again becomes cor
poral, few months see him a sergeant;
brief year after "casse ct remis fusiGer." He
thereupon ''is passed on" to the 1st Regi-
ment of Zouaves, and in three years time, in
1862, he is promoted to be a zouave of the
first class. At the end of his seven years he
ic wit of
Three weeks after he is readmitted into the
same corps for another seven years; and now
he rises steadily, fights in Agiers in Syria,
in Algiers in Mexico, in Algiers again, when,
of a sudden, 'casse de son grade ct remis
fusilier." This, however, does not prevent
him, after two years civil life, from re-en-
listing in the beginning Of 1870 for three
years more.
Of smaller details about M. Page, we learn
that he was vaccinated au corps, Z" with
certain success" that he could read and write,
but the question as to the progression of
his military education" as we'll as of the
''Gymnase, are peremptorily answered by
''ancien soldat" Next are registered his
achievements at the Stir. These are fol-
lowed by an enumeration of his 'effets," and
the time they are expected to last Epaulets
two years, hvret seven years, two collars
six months, pair of gloves three months,
two Observation-Disclosures six months, and a
'pompon' two years. Follows his debit aud
credit or. as it is officially called ''compte
de la masse individuelle" The first item we
encounter in nj. Pages case is ''Venu avec-
une chemise, un livret," which, as he had
wisely got new diary in going to Algeria,
seems neither too much nor too
little luggage But he there soon runs
up a goodly bill, and his expenses
exceed his receipts by sums varying from five
to ten francs quarter He seems to have
been especially lavish in cravats, in hand
kerchiefs, mattresses-even in shirts. And
there is one item which, we believe, contains
hint as to his periodical cashierings. There
are forty centimes against him for degrade
ton to the furnitures of the saloon of the
discipline" which, we fancy, means that in
his ire he smashed chair or even a.window
in the saloon of the discipline. The last
entry is dated August Z, 1870, when he spent
thirty-five centimes. Seventeen blank leaves
follow, after which comes the account of his
regular army pay from 1868 to 1870, being
eighteen francs and from twenty to
forty centimes quarter. The end
of the livret consists Of ten most
formidable pages-in small type-containing
the regulations for the soldier, and dwelling
very particularly upon the marques ex-
terieurs due to the superior officer and to
good many more people. There is also most
formidable alphabetical list of the punish
ments for military crimes and derelietions of
uuty. Dedtu anu anu puOlC
works, and ''destitution, and death with
military degradation, and detention for life,
and 'seclusioD," and death, and death, and
death. How those noble children, genuine
or adopted, of Zuavia Ca district of the pro-
vince Constantine, in Algiers), or the Turcos,
or Zephirs, or Sipahis, or any of those
'beare1s of civilization and culture" ever
managed to preserve their lives under these
regulations for three days together passes
understanding.
We cannot dwell upon the 'catechisme"
with which the livret closes, though it is
curious and characteristic enough. One
point is constantly insisted upon, as if it
were the one end of the soldiers calling, and
that is the ''salutation. After going through
all the ranks of military and civil dignitaries
down to the lowest, the catechism proceeds: -
"Ought one to salute also other persons be-
sides those indicated above 2" and the answer
is, ''Yes; there are other persons to be
saluted, eminent persons; not only such as
senators, members of the Legislative Body,
prefects maires, etc., but urbanity REQUIRES
it in many other instantes 1t is, indeed
enough to remind ie miltaire that politeness
never compromises the dignity of him who
practises it; that, on the contrary, it gives 9
favorable opinion of his manners, his charac
ter, and the corps to which he belongs; anC
that finally, it is to the courtesy which dis
tinguishes him, as we'll as to his bravery, thai
the French soldier owes the high reputation
he enjoys among all nations.
A Coon WORD FOR THE GIRL OF THE Pc
RIoD-TO sum nm in half dozen words the