The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1874-09-02


was insuferably oppressive, while
again and again he started up and
dropped his file or his hammer in re-
newed astonishment at the continued
absence of these two old men.
eff only Christine would come" he
said to himself, "and call old Franz
home to dinnerI''
But she did not come and the silence
and loneliness grew more and more
irksome; and SO when, by-and-
by, a good customer opportunely
made his appearances, Conrad Midbur-
ger almost gladly closed with his offer
to purchase the shop and the hence.
He sold, too, everything else that his
father bad left him, except the old
mans pipe and sword, and the medal
his father before him had won in the
lold wars with the French. Neither
did Conrad, any more than Franz Ho-
ferdahl, tell any of his neighbors how
great or how small was the golden
store he found himself possessed of;
but the Midburgers had been care
ful, saving and close-mouthed race for
|generations.
And when the sales were all COM
pleted and the transfers duly made,
and Conrad stood in the moonlight, one
fine Spring evening, and gazed at the
home that was no longer his, he said
to himself:
81 think | could almost break my
heart now, after all, for did love that
house and loved the shop; but / could
not stay there with the empty places.
There were too many voices there that
did not speak. That was it. But what
shall / do now? p
Conrad's question was answered for
him by the great French emperor and
by the king; for Napoleon had de-
termined, in his old age, that he must
fight the Germans, and so great
many quiet people had to march away
from their homes to be shot at, with
out the wisest man in the village being
able to give them good reason. I
1t was sad thing for many, but
Conrad Midburger felt as if he was al
most glad to go. lie was sure he loved
his "Vaterland" in every bone of his
body, and, if the king called for him,
he was ready. Still, as they marched
away from the sleepy old village, Con-
rad said to himself: il3
"There are the old house and the
shop, and the church steeple, and the
trees, and the graves in the church
yard. / did not know my heart was
SO big, for I'm sure love about every
thing can see." .ie4
He could not see any thing very
clearly just then, however, for his eyes
we're strangely dim. No doubt the
sun was in them and the CLINT and
glitter of the bayonets; but, if any one
had looked in the young mans face,
he might have said:
"It is very thoughtful face and
there are lines of strength beginning
to show in it. l ,,3. ,,,,.
And then there followed swift march.
ing, comfortless camping, all kinds oi
severe and trying soldier-work, and a
good deal of very hard lighting. What
ever the newspapers and reports might
say about it, Conrad Midburger and
his comrades learned that the French
men were brave fellows and that tbs
glory of beating them was never very
cheaply won. bra
Being big aud strong and brave, 6
good swordsman and every day grow
ing more and more intelligent, Con
rad himself won glory-that is thre,
or four slight wounds, a medal, pro
motion from the ranks, the compli
ments of his commanding officer ant
the envy of his comrades.
Being q man of property, Of respec
table parentage, of fair education
Conrad might havc looked forward Il
almost anything attainable in the Ger
man army by a man of less than no
BILE blood, if the war had not been 81
very brief aud if the crops to whicl
he belonged had not been among tn
i first to be ordered home. Before
great while he found himself almos
his own master again, although still
within the scope and control of arm,
regulations, for no German of Conrad
age is ever beyond them and he sal
to himself: "Well, loved the army
| almost loved fighting. i know
could love glory with all my heart.
know / am ten times as much a. sol
dier as that little white-mustached ap
of baron that commanded my CON
, pany. That is it. l think l coul
, love country where there were n
barons. Let me see. 1 think m
| heart must have been growing a goo
: deai during this war. There is MOI
room in it than | knew Of and yet
} lis always full. Think there are SON
| things in it that ! never saw there
t the old times. / viii 60 aud take
I | loolx at tha liftla viila0a frat and III