Wilmington journal., 1872-01-05
Written for the JOuna'.
WHY MR.. BERNARD NEVER
LAUGHED.
by PROF. Ii. TALLICHET.

[ had an old friend. If, pcrchancc, you
should happen to go to the Cemetery Of
Rheims, you may read his name on q
marble slab, near Abbc CaStcl's monument.
My friend has been sleeping there nearly IL
score of years, unCcr the shade of two
Oceanica Expresses, planted by his grand
children. The wind and rain have, little
by little, filled with earth and dust the in
scription which tells the passer-by that the
earthly remains of Jean Bernard lie under
that stone. Moss and grass have grown in
! the narrow strokes of the en9ravcr's letters,
and the inscription may now be read in the
rcliefof beautiful green velvet.
My old friend, not unlike Il great many
people sleeping around him, was something
besides the dutiful husband and kind faith
cr, i'll favor of whom, Catholics generally
ask the prayers Of the passcr-by.
Brave, adventurous, he had Travelled Il
great dcal,--bccn SlipWrccllcd half dozen
times; yet, singular to say, though his char
acter was amiable, even gay at times. no
body had ever seen him laugh
MIR. Bernard was very fond Of Ioiatiu@
anecdotes, yet, even when his sayings eX-
cited around him the ncrricSt laugh, he al
ways retained his impasSbiIity. His face
frightened, the wrinkles around his eyes
went and came, his eyes sparkled, his en-
Joyment was apparent, yet his lips seemed
to be unable to produce even that silent cX-
p eSSiOn,-a smile.
One cvening,-it was on board the Eng
lish steamer ''Solent''-a nephew Of my old
friend took a seat by my side. "WelI,"
said l, abruptly addressing the young man,
''why is it that your uncle never laughs I? -
"fIOW strange you should also have
al lllf iu 4 "a,
that goes far back into Tire days Of his
youth"
Can you relate that story ?''
Eyes, on a single condition, however,
that you will never ailudc to it in my uncle's
presence"
L made the requisite promise; but now.
my old friend being dead, l am at liberty
to repeat the story.
Lii 1911, during the campaign Of France,
that most immortal, Of all NapoIeons i'm
mortal campaigns, Mr.. Jean Bernard had
just reached his fifteenth year. lie lived
i'll Nancy with his mother; his father had
been killed at Leipzig and his elder broth
Ell, d captain i'll the Young Guard, was one
of the 10000 heroes who disputed inch i,v
inch the soil OF France with the allies, and
who were vanquiShcd only when crushed
by overwhelming numbers.
1t was towards the end Cf JtuuaIy: tI,"
rain fell i'll torrents. The Prussias, beaten
the day before by Napoleon, in reratitg
through Nancy crossed hastily lhe almost
deserted streets Oh the city. BroE<en down.
covered with mud they hurried lrios,
Stanslas S4uare i'll which a few persons
had collected To see them pass. Suddenly
the gallop Of a score Of cavaIrjmcn was
heard. The soldiers looked obviously back
and cooked their pieces, thinking they were
pursued by those terrible clIirassierS, who
had shattered their ranks the day before.
''Ihey are afraid ~ shouted young boy.
a grey whiskered captain, of herculean
frame and of the hcSsian stamp, overheard
him, and, looking in the boys face, walked
up to him. My old triend-the young bOv,
l mean-became very pale, clenchcd his
fists, but waited for the PrrIssians without
fllnchng. The giant seized the child by
the throat, raised BIN from the ground, and
struck him twice ju the face. His revenge
satisfied, he let tn" boy drop, and, then.
without even turning round, hastencd to
DIN Gis company. The young LoIrain,
hardly on his feet, pale, brnathless, mad
With rage, threw himself upon Il PllIsSian
5rcnadieJ and tried to dsarm him. Knock
I'd down, trampled under the soldiers feet
he was soon stunned by blows from the
OldierS' dubbed guns, and received be
ides bayonet stab in the breast The
OOker5 on, afraid, had vanished at The be
inning OF the fray, and the enemy was
lrcady beyond the gates Of the city, While
oung Bernard still lay bleeding and sense
9Ss OH the paVeMc 1T.
lie was carried home; brain fl yer set I'm.
nd for weeks endangered his mind and his
te; the cares of Il mother alone succeeded
! TeSctIIl@ INN from the clutGlIej ofdeath.
lie never spoke OF his misiaD: he seomrJ
have tOrsGlttpn 10,
recall 1t to his memory. Ills character
as very much changed : from being open ,
eartcd and gay, he had become silent and
loOdy, and very seldom sInied.
NltcI IHl1, Jean bernard W.lb cIn,Io,ea
clerk III banking house. While his
r0theI, giving up bis commission. bol,,ht |
IaInl Ill the neiShborhOod Of MeItln. I
i'll.
Oli tIie list Of November, lS22. il rain
IN MAY from six in tle mornino y
nil midnight. On that day, about ei1L3 !
the evening, Major uassner gave Miss l
hariotte grand trot On his knees. cave '
ms m'lstaches to her, heard her say her /
enlng prayer, and laid her tendcrTv in y
Il "HiIe ilcst,-not, however, before hav
g been blessed with one of her bio child 7
4 Kisses. AS soon the iitae one ha closed I
II eyes, rocked by The mother, WHO was
lglng to her in low voice one OF those
adle songs which belong to all nations.
officer walked into the cozv paIlor' c
mere ms own mstlfer sat knitting by the il
mp. lie kissed her on the forehead as If
wanted to share with her the filial kiss "
had just received, walked several times II
and down the room, and stopped near o
ndow to look at the luminous lire made
tne drenched pavement by the flicker
3 light of a street lamp. g.
A 0rac afill yOIIn0 xUo,Uon ...
s. came out of the sleeping apartments =,
d on tip toe, approached the dreamer q,
10, commissioned major the day before,
Is stlu wearing lis captains uniform. Y