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

IContinued.l

thought that perhaps should be buried in
the morning with the others, in the garden op-
tharine the tears ran down my cheeks, and
could not help murmuring, Now all Is inoeeo
ended"
uh Ss g yougs said Kindly Whst is
matter with yon, copscript
IA ball in the shoulder, mon sergeant
'In the shoulder! That is better than one
through the body. You will get overit:"
Aud, after moments thought, he continued,
Fear nothing. You will see home again
thought that he pitied my youth ana wls9-
The sergeant said no more only from time to
time he raised his head to see ii our columns
were coming. He swore between his tee .,
and ended by falling at length upon the
z sissain h ssy paea for ny Il business
prnssisn grsnadier was stretched, cold and
stiff, the old sergeants ba!ones Se' III LIS
body. A., .,,o,;,r
The enemy filled all the houses, gardens 9roa-
ards. the main streets and the alleys. l was
eold, aud had dropped my head torwaru upon
again to my senses: The two pieces in the
garden and many others posted behind them
THEW their broad flashes through the dark,
ness, while Russians and Prussiahs crowded
through the street. But all this. was as moth
inc in comparison to tho ise Of the French
from the hill opposite the village, while toe
CO st Tie ndoubie.unick, generals and cooneis
an horseback in the nidss of the bayonets,
waving their swords and cheering them on,
while the twenty.four guns the Emperor nad
ssnt to sunport the movement Numbered be-
hind. The old wall against which leaned
shook to its foundations. In the street the
balls moved down the enemy IKE grass Ue' %, .
the scytls. 1t was their turn to Close up Inc
ranks.
also heard tho enemy's artillery replying
sS se French win the day; then their suffering
wounded will be taken care Of instead OF these
Prussians and Cossacks first looking after their
own, and leaving us all to perish"
paid no further attention to the sergeant,
only looked at tho Prussian gunners loading
their guns, aiming and firing them, cqrsinR
them All the time from the bottom S Ss
shouts of "Tire PEmpereur" ringing out in the
momentary silence between the reports OF the
guns. -
Prussians were forced to fall back; going in
crowds by the narrow passage where we were;
the shouts of "Firc rEmpere| ~ grew nearer
and nearer. The cannoneers at the pieces be-
fore me loaded and fred at their utmost speed
when three or four grape shots fell anon
them and broke the W heel of one OF their guns
besides killing two and wounding one OF thetI
men. I felt a hand seizc my arm 1t was the
old sergeant. His eyes were glazing in death
but be laughed scornfully and savagely. Inc
we cared not, we only saw the defeat OF the
enemy and beard the shouts OF our men nearel
and nearer, when the old sergeant gaspeu IL
my ear, Here he is"
"H4r0se to his knees, supporting himsel
with one band, while with the other he wavet
his hat in the air, and cried in ringing voice
"Tire pETpereur !"
Then he fell on his face to the earth, an'
moved no more.
And / raising myself, too, from the ground
saw Napoleon riding calmly through the hal
of shot-his hat pulled down over his iarg
head-his gray coat open, broad red riono
crossing bis white vest-there he rode, cali
and imperturbable, his face liz up with the II
lection from the bayOnete. None stood the
ground before him /; the Prussian axtilleryme
abandoned their pieces; aud oprang over til
garden-hedge, despite the cries OF their omoe'
who sought to kesp them back.
AL THE l saw-it seems graved with hre
my memory bnt from that moment can +
member no more of the battle, for in that ce
tainty of victory lost consciousness, and tic
like corpse in the midst of corpses.
XIV.
When sense returned it was night, and s
was silent around. Clouds were scuddit
across the sky, aud the moon shoue down uPt
the Abandoned village, the broken guns al
the pale, npturuca faces of the dead, as calm
as for ages she had looked on the flowing W
ter the waving grass and the ruetiiug leav
which fall IN autumn hvn are but Iusrcts
lIs TnffET NJ cTrTrrU"NT drops i'll I'll
ocean of eternity, and none so truly feel the
inslpniGcance as the dying.
L could pot m"ve from where Lay in the
tensest paia. My right arm aloue could st
raising myself vi h difficulty upon |
elbnw I saw the dead heaped along the sire