Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-09-15

And this, too" pointing to a decoration
on his breast Yes, | can hold up my
head proudly among all these Prussian
dogs, for fought wildly for France but
to what use is jtY What has come ofit2
We are betrayed first by our Emperor,
then by our generals and even our wo
men cringe and snigger to these loating
barbsrians. Few Frenchmen can, like me,
hold up their heads, and feel satisfied they
have done their utmost for their country"
And off stumped my quondam patient,
followed by a little troop of gdjnin ad-
mirers.
1.-THE wind is tempered TO the shoru
lamb" thought |, as watched the poor |
manned lad limping about so gayly.
l found things in progressive state in |
side the WALLIS the French came up to me, |
volube and hearty, recognizing in me |
friend whose pocket might possibly be fill |
ed with tobacco and cigars, if not the |
bearer of important news from the outer
world. The Germans were silently digni- |
fed, and gloomily hopeless about their
poem to a distant ladylove9" "No.'
"Well, would 1 ask the doctor to prevail
upon the cook to make some stronger
soups" "Yes, would do that" "Had l
by chance cold sausage in my pockets"
I" No; could do anything else? 1 in
quired. Yes, Madame might make
some"
Some weeks after my return home from
my visit, went again to see Marie had
heard she had been getting on well, and |
found her up, and much better, with new
and brighter expression on her face. Her
mother had just been discussing the advis-
ability of retiring to bed; she had tired of
her embarrassing and knitting, and the
afternoon was gloomy and cold. l helped
the totteriug old woman into an inner
room, where, in a sort of berth followed
into the wall, she lay down and soon fell
asleep. While | was with her the German
Heinrich came in, and went straight up 10
Marie. "Why don't you tell here You
eau trust her, and she might help US" /
knew he meant me. "Speak, Marie" he
went on, bending over her his great head,
with the strong, short or, pped hair. He
was all-powertul Marie would have done
| anything for him, d he knew it, and she
knew that he knew it; and yet he was
pleading and tender, and gentler than she
was. Her eyes had ia len uuder his gaze
and her lips pressed themselves together ;
she had struck pettishly the great big hand
that enclosed hers. 1t is only the strong
and the great who are gentle; it is the
weak who strike out cruelty and recklessly
to save themselves from falling. | came
out from the inner room, and sat down in
the old mothers chair, on the other side of
the fire. Heinrich came and stood before
me, erect and resolute. Madame,n he
began, AZ love this French woman, Marie,
of Villefrancne, and wish to marry her
but if we made known our intentions in
the village, either she or 1 would be torn
in pieces by the people, for at this hour
there is no love lost between the despoiled
and the despoilers. In loving Marie do
4 not forget my country, nor does she re-
nounce hers. l only find that love, when
it comes, triumphs over all other feelings
and considerations. Could you not speak
to the cure for us, and get him to marry us
privately?" But" l interrupted, sure
ly it is too short a time since the death oi
! Marie's husband" Il have been in the
/ house for months, and have to-day re
ceived marching orders, he put in. And
done everything for me, and 1 cannot beal
it any longer" added Marie, in her low
passionate voice. Then the big mar
: knelt down, and kissed and stroked tn,
pale hands that held with eIort her babyi
weight.
On my way home that evening I called
at the cures house. | gave my name, auC
he came shutfling along the little sardel
walk, with sabots pulled over his shoes
, so as to open the gate to me himself w
bowed and scrap; d to one another, and re
! marked on the dep.h of the snow as W,
: made cur way to his sanctum In tn
center of the room stood a writing table
, covered with greasy looking volumes, thil
letter-paper, ink, and sand; there was al
: open fireplace, filed with ashes, and tw
: logs placed ready Tor lighting. The cur
, Immediately stopped down and lit matcl
3 lthough protested), and the room wa
l soon lighted with the sparkling flames
On the mantelshe stood small, Dust
: images OF tne Madonna and the CrucifiX
4 ion, balanced by pipe and tobacco pouch
), a cupboard happened to be half open, an
on It's shelves were ranged TASKS of var
Gus sauces and spices, and mouldy oil
: bottles of sealed wines. He motionej m
/ to "a chair, aud drew little mat in fron
1 OF it for my feet; and with his snuff bo
s. in his hand, and his head meekly bOwe
e down, he listened to my tale. 1t was
g difficult story to tell, and suffered an
stammered over it; but the priest w,s a
Q attention. "That is all very right" b
!, said, in q resssuring way; there al
Il much more complicated ca es than that
y the village. And 80 you think they shoul
: marry ?" he went on lifting his sleepy ey,
is to mine.
"Yes, indeed l do; and any little e,
l. pense Marie may incur, shall most gla,
IS ly-"
T "Of course, understand" he inte
% rupted, waving his hand in deprecatir
~ way. Poor Jacques, he could neith
~ 20 read nor write, but, as he said that did n,
a prevent him from serving his countr
70 Well, we will try aud arrange mat ers in
~ quiet way, some time soon, and in IL
| xEh vi nd
5, keep quiet and bide their time"
10 And then l rose, and he, bowing 10y
= put on his sabots again, and accompanie
y, n me to the garden-gate.
y On the following day | called again
y Marie's cottage. She expected me, al
- had put the little coffee pot on the stow
80 and had sent Heinrich out to get some ne
10 bread for me, talking of everything but Il
"a one subject nearest to her heart. She w
% looking charming and was making gre
10 effort to be energetic. was being waTm
81 81 by her hot coffee, and we were waiting
- Heinrich and the bread, when the out
+ door opened, and great gust Of cold vii
= swept through the narrow passage. Mai
IL was holding a saucepan over the fire; 4
To- pan shook and trembled and | feared
~ the fate of the milk as Marie turned b
~ eyes, so full Of lustrous light, to the dot
Is l was feeling little shut out, and aggrev
y, about the probable loss of the milk d,
sc tined for my cup, as l noticed Marie's d
:, traction, when-thud thud, came along
), passage, and-thud- thud, echoed throul
su the room AS looked at her, saw IL
Is, suddenly the love-lit eyes waned and pale
2 and from her clenched white lips came
H. agonized shrek. she staggered forwal
and fell into her husbands arms.
Is "Marie, mignonne, c'est moi, regard
ed ton Jacques" and he tried to lift up t
Is blanched face to his. "Ah! it was y
re who saved me" he went on, turning a
Is recognizing me. allow much | owe
1t- you'll Figure to yourself, my Marie
or aau nod 10 ,ndaroo ororI,tot;or opd olo