The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-07-21

n% sss1 PwSen the news of the battle came.
mt Gredel running to the postofice every
az to learn something of me, and Catherine eat M
ray ou{d e read in the gazette how the
bird corps suffered more heavily tnan !ne
thers rs he paced the room with dropping
cad. and at last sat dream,ly at ny so1 M0r
Aunt Gredel to the postofice, and returned
With her all sadly to the village, and there it
aw Catharine in her despairing grief:
It Ouatre-Yents. He opened his leathern sack
md handed a large paper 70 cum GIe Ser'
while Cathnrine stood pale as death oesde her;
Il the official notice OF my death. III nea ssi
wooning to the ground, and Aunt Gredeis
naledictf as, with her gray hair streamins
about her head, she cried that Justice was NO
longer to be found--that it were better that
We Rad never been born, since even God seemed
to have abandoned u.s.. GOOD fatnet oo ;l ton
came to console them, but could only sou 700
All wept together, in their oeso'a''0n 'fS'ns'
"Josephi Poor Joseph !"
My heart seemed bursting:
Tie Thought came that thirty or forty thou
sand families in France, in Russia, in Germany,
were soon to receive the same a%s
and this WAS horrible to think Oft seemed as
if o vail from all human kind were rising
Then I remembered those poor women OF
phalsbourg, praying in the church when we
heard of the retreat from Russia and'l unaer .
hon. their 90 and
after year she would pray,,thinking OF me.
Yes. for knew we had loved each other from
childhood, and that she could never forget me-
and tear after tear coursed down my cheeks.
| This confidence soothed me In my grlef-tne GER
tainty that she would preserve.her love ior me
until age whitened hex hair that should DC
ever before her eyes, aud that she would never
Toward morning shower began to fall ant
the monotonous dropping on the ne, roo TOOL a noa
whose power and mercy are iimitless. ana
hoped that He would pardon my sins In con
alteration of my sufferings..
l. The rain filled the little trench IN wHicn
had heen living. From time to time wall fel
in the village, and the cattle, scared away o:
tho battle, began to resume conndenee anu re
turn. heard goat bleas Ia neign9os., aI
stable. great shepherds dog wandered 1eaI
Suiiv among the heaps Of dead. The horse see
, ing him, neiahed in terror-he took him for
wolf-and the dog fed.
remember all these deteiis, for when we ar
!. diving We see everything, We hear everything
for we know we are seeing anu neatins W
last. u:., :,
when, at the corner of the etrest, l thought
beard the sound of voices! How eagerly
, listened! And raised myself upon my elbo,
and called for help: 1t was yet night; but 20
= in the east, and afar of, through the failin
rain, saw light in the fields; now comm
onward, now stopping. saw dark forms DenG
ing arennd it. They we're only con h E@h s -
| on all sides arose groans and piaintlVe cE!e'
1 from voices so feeble that they seemed lik
those of children calling their mosness T., -ss
!, a micef This miserable existence, so full {
Z pain and sufferingf Why do we SO cling to !
and fear more to loose it than ought else IN e.
that makes us shudder at the mere thought
4 DEATH who knowsf For ages and ages a
n have thought and thought on the great qne
; tion but none have yet soiyed IT, Mrht IN -
y drowning man looks to the shore: conld NJ
i, take my eyes from it,. and my heart thriile
with hope tried again to saoT1, D "f 4
r rain on the ruined DIV ellings, and on the tree
@ and on the ground, drowned all other SOUND
!, aud although kept repeating, ihey pear "a
t seemed to grow larger and larger, after wa
q dering for some time over the field, 1t slow
II disappeared behind o little hill:
q fell once more senseless to the ground.
XIV.
!! When returned to myself, LOOKED arouu
d 1 was in a long hall, With posts all aronu
D. some one gave mo wine and water to drin
and 1t was most grateful. I was in bed, a
beside was an old Sfee nS
~ "Weii," said he, cheerfully, " well! we
N better"
L
~ yet among the living My chest and arm We
;r stiff v it'll bandages felt as II . hot iron ~
an burning me there but no matter; lived!
ba gazed at the heavy rafters crossing
No 40 space above me; at the tiles OF the 70
~" through which the daylight entered In IN,
~, than one spot I turned and looked TO
on other side, and saw that was in one of thu
TO- vast sheds used by the brewers of the count
' I as . shelter for their casks and wagons.
ell around, on mattresses and heaps OF etra
numbers of wounded lay ranged aud in
middle, on q large kitchen table, surge
all major and his two aids, their ehirt-sleeVes n
nv ed up, were amputating the leg of sold
on who was shfiek,ng in agony. Behind tn
nd was IL mass of legs and arms. turned aN
Ily sick aud trembling. 49,
80 Five or six soldiers were walking about, s
yea ing bread and drink 10 tho wounded;
in But the man who impressed himself most
he INV memory was a surgeon with sleeves Iol
cir up, who cut and cut ~Ithout paying the slig
est attention to what was going on AROUND;
in was a man with largo nose ana wrlnk
tir; checks. aud every moneht Ne" lhto pass
nv at his sssIst ants, who could not give him