Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-05-22
Miscellany
Written for The Newsletter.
Karl.
An INCIDENT OF TuE FRANCO OERNAS WAR.

OF E., IN Saxe Neimar.
The rays of the declining sun light
with rudy glOs the village streets. re.
vealing frequent knots Of young men and
sturdy old burghers, cOugregated about
the Linden Strasse, aud cOuversing with
unwonted excitement There is. indeed,
al exciting topic for discussion; Tor the
news has come from Berlin that war is
declared with France, aud all Germany
is arming for the defense of the Father
land.
Ou a pleasant avenue, leading out
from the Linden Strasse, is a pretty cot
tage, the residence of honest Gottlieb
Werner. lie sits on the broad yerandah,
composedly putting an immense meer-
schaum, and near him sits the Fraulein,
his wife. AT little distance, now and
then looking expectantly down the street,
is pretty Mena niece of old Gottlieb,
aud type Of the Vandyck school Of
TeutoDic beauty. 1t is evident that they
expect un arrival. They do not walt
long. A boyish form approaches with a
quick graceful tread, and in a moment
he joins the group upon the vcrandah.
/: is Karl, the sou Of Gottlieb, and the
admiration Of half the maidens in the
hamlet. One canuot wonder at this, for
he is, certainly, as well-looking young
Bavarian as you would meet i, days
journey.
"Well, my Karl" asks Gottlieb, pres
entity lis there news from Berlin"
Yes, father. We are to march in
two days, to the frontier, and join the
forces Of Won Molikc." For our Karl
is enrolled in the Landwehr, and, like a
true German, is ready to fight, and if
need be, to die for the Fatherland
Yet when the parting came, it was
sad to leave the good old father, and the
kind mother, and sadjer yet, TO part
with pretty Mena for, be it known,
Karl and Mena had been betrothed from
childhood according to German custom
which is intended TO save young people
the trouble of courtship, and they loved
each other tenderly. But Karl bravely
snothered regrets, and in company with
the rest, marched to defend fair Ger
mania against the French invader.
Then the days passed monotonously in
the home OF the Werners. Once or twice
they heard from Karl; he was getting on
finely, and his sergeant, the old soldier,
krause, who had fought with the Allies
against the First Napoleon, sent word
OF commeDdation of the young soldier to
Gottlieb. There was no fighting yet,
and SO the days wore away. What with
the absence OF friends, and fears for the
future, it was very lonely in Weimar.
BY and by. in swift succession, came
the struggles at Metz, and Sedan. And
the German arms being victorious, great
was the rejoicing throughout Bavaria.
Yet, rejoicing was not wholly unmixed
with grief. Soon the report Of the dead
and wounded came. and 1t reached the
home of the Werners. Old Gottleb read
1t tremblingly, for Karl had not yet been
heard from. Soon, he calculated "Mein
lieber Gott," convulsively, and dropped
the paper, for near the last he had rehd
the fatal words, Killed at Sedan, Karl
Werner"
The Fraulein read, too, and burst into
food of tears and torrent of German
expressions of grief; "Ach, Gott! That
it should be my KarI--the hope of my
age-the pride of the village!" Like
Rachel. Of old, she wept. and would not
be comforted.
AS for pretty Mena, she bore her grief
very quietly, yet, day by day she seemed
to fade beneath its weight Of constant
sadness. Old Gottlieb devoted himself
to the big meerschaum more exclusively
than ever, and rarely spoke, except in
monosyllables. The weeks and months
wore en-, and soon the war was ended,
and the soldiers were coming home,
crowned with laurels. 5 $50 Is lg4i <
1t was gala day in Weimar when
the Uhlans and the Landwehr, what was
left Of them, came home. The staid old
town had not known such rejoicing since
the days of the great Friedrich. But
old Gottlieb smoked grimly indoors, and
the Fraulein and pretty Mena wept; all
thinking of poor Karl, who would never
come home any more. aai ie
Not very long afterward. ono evening
there was tap at the door Of Gottlied
Werner. He opened it and looked out
In the clear moonlight stood soldier IN