The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-09


brandy left in my aasE will you share
1t Pn
Thanks, AuntOlo il is the last bite
or sup we shall ever share together
"What do you mean p
"That we shall be attacked to night,
and l shall fall"
"Balll my friend. You are hungry
You arc cold-yOu want sleep-you arc
lighting without chance Of winning
our cause Is lost, Reasons enough for
lew spirits, these"
"Tell me, have you no belief in pre-.
sentiments ?"
"None. believe In the liver, in the
stomach, even in tho spleen, though
science has not yet discovered the usO Of
it. / believe in the nervous system also,
and the hnllucinations Of the BRAIN"
"Abl | need not have asked you;
know what materiulist you are, aud I'M
not clever enough to argue with you.
Yet, soy what you will, / am convinced
that my time has come. do not care
I am an outcast, md my life is Of no
value /; lat il 40. Yet I should like my
people to know that thought OF them ;
will you take my message, Anatole
We have been fast iriepdi for years."
"of course I will, even II I have to
brave the fogs OF your England. But as
for your life being OF no value, I'll
wager that there Is Rome little blue.cyed
mess over the Channel, who holds dii.
iereut opinion. What! Pardon my
friend / see that / have touched lightly
on sSnC painful memory. How should
l know? have never seen you in this
mood beiore.n
"Nor am much subject to low
spirits" replied the EngliShman "but
tonight is Christmas Eve, md it has
always been the custom.of my family To
meet together to-day. This is tue first
year that one has missed, and / am TINT
ono: what is verse, should not DC
welcome il were there"
"Bahl Is your mother living9"
eyes"
"Thcn she would Welcome yen, my
word for It,"
"Dut my fathcr would not, be is q
hard man. Look here, Anatole, | have
beon fool. 1 might be in good posi-.
ton rich, comfortable, with the choice
of my own career. was loved by the
dearest girl-Only Of that my parents
knew nothing /; they would not have mp
proved, for she was pOor-a goycrncss.
Still, that might have been got over.
Well, / threw all away, and for nothing;
ont OF sheer stupidity and hcedlessness,
thinking only Of tho fun OF the moment.
And tonight think and feel as I never
did before. What nm doing lore9 l
love your cause-your nation, Anatole,
but the quarrel is nonc Ot niue. Iiyou
fall, yot, die in the patl. Of duty you
arc IL hero ; but I am meddlisg intru.
der, and deserve my fate. YOU have
often called mo rattlepated, but my head
Is quito clear tonight; that is whit
makes mo sure am going to die. You
will laugh ut me, for you Frenchmen be.
lieye in nothing, reverence nothing; but
| tell you that | have been praying; aye,
repeating the prayers learned years ago
at my mothers knee. But enough Of
cgot'sm; IL I do fall, and you havo time,
there Is q packet Addressed in my knap.
sacl; and inside my shirt 1 wear
locket-" ..
A shot interrupted tho speaker-a Sc.
cond-a volley-a vOlley. All were at
their post in moment. The EDglish-
man bad no time for further speech or
thought. Memories, regrets, hopes, were
all swallowed up in the one absorbing
interest Of the present moment the in-
slinct Of self-prescrvation; the intoxica.
ton OF strife. 1t was prosaic fighting,
with none OF the battle.gilding aboutit;
mo plumes, no fash Of steel, no prauc.
ing steeds, no blare Of trumpets, no
emulation. no gloiy--a fight III the dark,
where the craven could not bo distin-
guiSed from the hero where o BAyard
lad no more chance Of winning luurGls
than n Falstaif. Yet men fought stoutly
on both sides widely, vaguely indeed at
first, without much execution, though
with fierce arlor to inilict it, But nc
curncy Of aim was impossible; they
fired principally ut the flash of their
enemies rifles, andstle struggle threat
encd to bo long and undecisive. This
did not suit the officer in command OF
tho attaching party. The ruins were
wanted by the engineers suddenly, for
some operation connected with their
purpose, and lad been told 10 SEQ if they
were held, aud it SO to clear them. This
was not to be done by skirmishing
vaguely till tile main body of the enc
mies' outpost came up, so hc soon cried,
"Cease firing, fix bayoncts, and push
them ont of that"
Hand-to.land contests arc very rare in
modern warfare but in cases of sur
prise, or night attacks by small bodies OF
n,en, they will occur. The attacking
party advanced slowly, keeping as much
us possible together, for il they were
once scattered it would have been diff.
Ecult to distinguish friend from foe, aud
alowly but surely they drove tho deiend-
ers before them. Tlcse were posted be.
hind broken masses OF wall; in door
ways, or wherever cover was atlainablc.
Wien tho serricd rank came upon them
there was q shot or two, thrusting,
shouting, curSins and the waye rolled
onwards.
The Englislman and his friend were
still unwounded they had ietreated
fighting desperately, from post to post
and we're now driven with the last de
Tenders, to the further end Of the street
There was nothing for 1t buttoretire in
70 tie darkness; they had done tlleil
duty, aud were outnumbered. Suddenly
the voice Of Anatolo cried, IA moil'
The English lad turned round again, ant
rul ming to the spot, found his frient
down, and clinging to the legs Of a maj