Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-09-12

l. A1S 0Iah AoNA AOo " eOP PCoAS W III e"A
his majesty behind the mountains er'
the trumpet signal called the officer
to their regiment. The Dumot fami
ly hastily assembled in their sitting
room, while the cook prepared warm
breakfast for the soldiers. Heinrich
stood at the window, hand in hand
with his betrothed, endeavoring tc
cheer her. Finally, the parting could
no longer be delayed; with one kiss
for his beloved, and pressing the hands
of the parents and brother, he was
gone.
The little city, in which for short
time one could scarcely move, being SC
thronged with soldiers, was now quiet
as the grave. Those who had accom-
panied the marching troops had re,
turned to their labor, to forget the
bloody work that death was soon to
begin.
Bye-and-bye the church began to
fill, and Marie, though Lutheran,
knelt in the convent chapel to implore
God to keep her beloved.
An hour after the line of Prussians
had departed, the thunder of the can
non could be heard in the distance
Through messengers and country peo-
pie, whose business led them that way,
it was reported that the Prussians near
Hundheim had met band of troops,
and there had been a bloody encounter.
Marie's nature was not communica-
tive. For long years she had loved
Heinrich in the secret depths of her
heart, without her mother having the
least suspicion of the fact. So, to-day,
the dear girl, in her joy and sorrow,
was equally undemonstrative. But, as
later in the afternoon the thunder of
the cannon ceased, her usual self-pos-
session forsook her, and she went to
seek her brother. She found him in
his room preparing to 60 out.
"Moritz, dear Moritz," she began
with trembling voice; eff you knew"
GAS if [ could not read your soul.
[ know you, my good, faithful sister,
as well as my own self. You are anx-
bout Heir h. am. .stl1aelds-4e..a-
my way to procure intelligence of
him."
''Moritz, am sick with anxiety. l
beg of you to let me 60 with you.''
The brother shook his head and said
gently: 81 cannot consent to that
You have ever been our self-reliant
Marie; deserve this praise to-day, in
this trying hour. Remember, that a
surgeon is not surrounded by as much
danger as the combatants; that the bit
terest enemy will not injure the one
who can help him. Your going would
only hinder me, dear Marie. A forsa-
ken battlefield is no sight for a woman.
You know I am a good walker, and l
will return to you tonight with intel
ligence Of Heinrich"
CAT least take bandages, and strong
essences, and Patient"
81 will, I have all prepared, and
here comes Patient. Adieu."
"God go with you, Moritz.''
The sister pressed his hands, and
the young man hastened away.
There is no more shocking sight
than a battlefield Immediately after
the conflict. Although it was late
when Moritz reached Hundheim, the
light of the moon was sufficient to
show him the field torn by the horses
hoofs, broken arms, fallen horses, lost
caps and knapsacks, and unburied
dead. The wounded had been taken
to the hospital, and the Prussians had
buried their dead. A pioneer
had dug a large trench, and men from
the vicinity, apparently day laborers,
were engaged in placing the dead there
in. They emptied the pockets of the
fallen. The living took what they
could find, for which the dead had no
further use.
Moritz enquired Of these men about
this and that one, but they answered
curtly, they knew nothing but there
had been bloody contest, and the
troops had gone on; that there had
been a hospital hastily constructed,
that some OF the wounded had been
carried on to the next city.
Moritz heard the pioneer say, "Let
us look behind every bush, Buckman,
that none of our people be left. The
Prussians have removed all their
Involuntarily Moritz followed these,
men. Now his eye would fall on the
dead, on whose young faces the moon
light streamed. Moritz folded his
hands and breathed a prayer. Behind
him moved the dark figures of the pio-