The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-27

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but let me take my pleasure out Of existence
| first
But, Martel, said Evariste, 'it is not in
old age, for the most part, that we can make
a sacrifice. Life has come to an end by that
time anyhow"
Sacrificed old age! DEATH" exclaimed
Jules; ''why, Evariste, you are worse than
they are only ideas after all. With all these
fine sentiments, mon ami, 1 think know
pretty well what will be your fate-you will
| be bon pere de fd1ailLe like your father be-
fore you. Do you think 1 did not observe
Leonie Michens pretty blue eyes elancinp
your way all through Benediction this even.
ing? And you love her, Evariste. You need
Lot deny it."
'T do not wish to deny it," he answered
quietly. 81 do love her better than my life
Still think I could give up love, with life, if
1 were chosen by Heaven to be a hero or
martyr"
''But if you are not so chosen, which does
not seem likely in these commonplace times,
you will marry Leonie and rock the baby's
cradle in due course, will you not?" said
Jules, looking at him laughingly.
II dare say SHALL" he answered with a
bright smile, land be thankful enough that
was allowed to be happy in life, instead of
glorious in DEATH"
$50! we are all three provided for, in spite
of the cure, said Martel, ''etp pas NAL, must
say" and after little more conversation on
Indifferent subjects, the three friends sepa-
rated, and walked away to their different
homes.
A few more days-during which the birds
still sung among the sunlit trees, and the
grapes ripened on the vines, and the inhabit-
ants of Vaux Vilaine went to and fro in happy
security and talked of the prospects of the
harvest as the most important subject in the
world-and then the pastoral quiet of even
that most peaceful home was awfully broken
by the stunning thunders of the great war
news, which all knew to be, in truth, the
death-knell of thousands upon thousands of
the bravest hearts in France.
Was there spot in all that fair and plea
SAINT country, however secluded and remote
to which the dreadful tidings failed to bring
anguish and terror, even before shot had
been fired or single life sacrificed? Surely
not one; and Vaux Vilaine was no exception.
though for the first two months, the tide of
war rolled far away from its green fields and
tranquil homes. But there was scarcely q
family who had not relation with the army;
and day after day brought tidings which told
Of beloved faces that would be seen no more
of national disasters, and heroic self-devo-
tion that courted death, but failed to retrieve
the terrible disgrace
brother in the army, but they themselves, for
various reasons, had as yet been held exempt,
greatly to their indignation and annoyance
for even the special ties which bound Mar
tel and Evariste to the homes that held
Vevette and Leonie did not prevent them
feeling quite as strongly as Jules did the
burning desire TO throw their young lives
into the balance, and help to turn the scale
in favor of their beautiful and unfortunate
From irx 10 Il
they could not cease to believe, in face of the
worst reyerses.
Still, though there were Iamentation and
disquiet in Vaux Vilaine, and many a signif-
cant notice on the church door asking the
faithful, of their charity, to pray for the soul
of some brave soldier lying in his last cold
sleep on the blood-drenched soil of Woerth
or Weissenburg, yet the ordinary life of the
villagers went on much as usual no one pre-
vented them from continuing their accus-
toned employments; the harvest and vintage
were gathered in with a little additional toll
because the numbers of the men who re-
mained to accomplish that pleasant task were
SO much fewer than they had ever been be-
fore. And the domestic events in the vari-
GUS families proceeded as they had ever done;
children were christened, young maidens
given in marriage, and old men peacefully
buried, whose last sigh had been for their
dear and fair France, so sorely worsted in the
gigantic conflict
Among other plans which had undergone
no alteration, the marriage of Martel was still
to take place on the day originally fixed; but
he and Vevette were not alone in their happi-
ness now. Evariste and Leonie were to be
united on the same day; and Jules often de-
clared that of the three he was the only vic
tim of the war, as it was, to say the least, very
doubtful whether he would be able to Join his
uncle in the besieged capital at the time he
proposed; though, with the irrepressibIe
buoyancy and confidence of Frenchman, he
declared that Trochu and his brave soldiers
would have broken through the Prussian lines,
and utterly routed the enemy long before No
vember came.
After the investment of Paris had taken
place, however, the surgiDg waves of the
great combat that was flooding France began
TO draw nearer and nearer to Vaux Vilaine.
Prussian troops, fastening down to join
the besieging army, constantly passed quite
close to the village. Occasionally some of the
nondescript stragglers who followed in the
rear would make raid upon the little shops
in the main street, and carry off all they could
lay their hands upon. This exasperated the
peasants, already furious at the national dis
grace; and the cure in vain preached patience,
and impressed on his people that the forgive
ness of injuries was the noblest of Christian
virtues. There were not few turbulent
spirits who declared that if they could get the
chance, they would have their revenge on
these ''mGuditS PrusSienS," and knock the
life out of SEINE of them, at least. These
threats gave great anxiety to the wiser and
more experienced inhabitants; for rumors had
reached the village of the terrible reprisals
exacted by the Prussians, for every attempt
at defense on thepar of the peasantry.
At length one evening, when the autumn