Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-22

d pan over the fire the pan shook aud tremblec
and feared for the fate Of the milk as Mari
turned her eyes so full Of lustrous light.
. the door was feeling little shut out. an
9 aggrieved about the probable loss Of the mil
destined FOR my cup, as | noticed Maries di.
3 traction, whcn-thudi thud came aon
5 the passage and--thud, thud, echoed throue
= the room. As looked at her, | saw tha
D suddenly the loye.it eyes waned and paled
$ aud from her clcnchcd white lips came an az
onlzed Shrek She staggered forward. an
8 fell into her husbands arms.
"Marie mignonne, c'est moi rorardez ton Jac
: ques, and he tried to lit up the blanched fac
to his. " All it was you who saved me- h
went on turning and recognizing me. How
much owe to you Figure to Yourself m
I Marie, party Of five were brought from tb
hed and had to undergo amputation, and
alone survived the surgeons knife. 1t houpht /
was all up with me, when | lcll pierced b.
two balls, and with those riderless horses ca
reering over me, and knew nothing NOR
until woke to find myself ia an ambulance
without my leg and now walk will
my head as high as any Of those scelerat
de PrU0ieas."
| looked round bewiIdered and saw Helm
rich in the doorway he stood like one petri
ned, holding the loaf Of bread listlessly in hi
hand his face and form seemed to shrink
aud all strength appeared to have left him
he gave one dcspairing look at the bent head
crowned with its glsteuing braids Of black
hair and silently quilted the room.
laid Marie upon her bed and watched be-
side 1t for many miserable hours while she
passed out of one faintng fit into another. II
was totally different homecoming to whal
poor Jacques had anticipated he had meant
1t TO be trlumphal entry; an unexpected un
alloycd pleasure-instead Of which it had
only been a scene Of coustornation and dis
tress. He found, however, a hearty welcome
from all his neighbors, who when Marie got
better, came hocking in to express their con.
gratuations
returned home that evening with a very
heavy heart on the road met Heinrich. -
am going to try to get other quarters in.
side the town, he said to me as | came up to
him. We walked together side by side, sad.
y and silently. A party of Prussian officer.
came riding joyously along the road they
were returning from securing the country, on
the pretense Of an alarm from Francs.Tireurs
All were noisy, ruddy and full Of life they
looked curionsly at my companion as he re-
turned their military salute Why should a
conquering German look so downcast they
seemed to say. A little further on came rat.
tling at full speed the Field.post bristlinp
with soldiers and bayonets, each cart driven
by sullen, scared-looking French peasant
As we passed them, the men called out friendly
greetings to Heinrich, but he did not raise hi
bent head, as with long absent strides he wad
ed through the snow. As we passed through
the gates leading into the town, with all th,
hustle and confusion round Us, he began ab
roptly 10 talk aloud his inmost thoughts.
" And now my mother will grieye for me.
he said. 4" have written to her from time
to time, telling her about my love for Marie
and she has SO well understood-she has all
a mans chivalry for women. At first sh,
wrote, DO not give your heart to a French
woman, my son, but 10 her last letter she said
I When the war is over, and if your life i,
spared, bring Marie with her babe and the
two old women to our valley of the Wisperth
all the house is roomy, and with US ther,
will be peace and plenty, and we shall togeth
er forget all that has been, and now h,
went on, hinging up his arms, it is all lik,
some wild dream that is passed You ar,
tired" he said, looking down at me with hi
kindly penetrating eyes, but you will sleer
tonight and get rest, while I-I-my liii
now will be one long restless night, wher
waking find her not
" y ou are a soldier you can fight"
said, feeling more pity for Marie
" Yes, | can do that" he said laughing
hoarsely.
Some days afterward was in the doorwa,
Of house opposite to that of Jacques, wher
my attention was attracted to a little GROVE
collected round his open door.
Two Uhans had come riding down th,
street and stopped to join Heinrich, who wa
mounting his horse and bidding farewell t,
his hosts. Jacques held out his hand an,
gave Heinrich a kindly shake, for the wound
cd Frenchman could afford to be polite to hi
enemy. The old mother had come totterinl
into the light, and while shading her eye
with her hand, was giving long earnest looE
at the departing guest. The bustling littl,
mother-in-aw was calling out her last fare
well to Heinrich, who though he was one o
the detested invaders, had proved himself
helpful and kindly inmate. Marie was stand
ing with her baby in her arms at an uppe
window she was full in the light, not partl,
hidden as girl might by looking her las
on the man she loves, She was gazing dow
with her Madonna face full of a high pur
pose and calm serenity; the war within he
had been sharp and fierce, but the struec
was over, and she had accepted her fate a
God had willed it. She had come forwar,
into the window to bring peace and encour
agement to Heinrich.
There was divine tranquility about he
whole bearing that struck him as he glance,
up with a sad, disturbed face into the cain
eyes above him; he looked again, long an,
earnestly, and the shadow of great grie
seemed to pass away, aud the drawn, hollow
lines about his face softened into repose. She
out Of the depths of her despair, had taugh
him that hard liie-losson, que le Hberie es
toJeisSance roliRtaire. We are not sent int
the world to rest in the haven of great love
to seek and win our individual happiness
love comes, as spring comes to renew all ife
to cover the hard, cold earth with soitness an,
sweetness, to bring the tender buds to bios
soming perfection, to fill their clear air will
fragrance and light. What if the sprin,
passes is there not the long summer of twi
light and peace? Marie had loved, and hel
love had made her stronger and better; She
had suffered, and the suffering had raised and
purified her whole nature she was going tC
A" live the life, not as she had planned il for
herself but as fate had decreed it. The beauty
of renunciation shone out Of her clear eyes
and in the majesty of her figure there breath
ed the resttul calm that follows upon the tn.
multi of storm subdued
They are not men, they are machines -
exclaimed young girl scornlully, as she
moved away from the little group at the door
She had threaded a red ribbon through her
ebony hair, and lifted up her bright eyes
laughing to look into Heinrich's face he
was adjusting his long gittoring lance iutc
the stirrup at the time, and had either not
noticed her glance or had gazed at her va.
cantly with his dim, grief-ful eyes.
1 aiond au1 IoaLoJ a.. Al.