The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-03

thing rlODU WuCI VIC hdNO ga Pi"pSN wa 'os"ANS'
IT, cannot be otherwise. He takes the side
| of the Prussians to punish us. But their
time will come. We will invade their homes.
They will see if it is pleasant TO be invaded,
pillaged, destroyed. You will see-you will
| see. Each in his time" She spoke with so
saying to myself, it is very possible what she
says is true. Yes, justice will come sooner
| or later. In the end we shall reconquer
Alsace. But while waiting we are in sad
| position.
Margrede said they had enough rye and
| potatoes to last until the end OF the war, and
with few pennies worth of salt that would
be sufficient. Having seen the state OF
affairs at Felsberg, said good bye to these
old friends about eleven O'Clock, wishing
them all this world.
| evaded the path leading to the forest
house and went down the Graufthal hill
through the fir plantation and the rocks,
leaning on my stick in the steepest places.
But a terrible surprise a little farther on at
the bottom of the ledge, awaited me.
Just as was going out of the woods and
could discern the little matched roofs at the
foot of the mountain among the heather,
| saw at first some helmets sparkling in the
| little street before the wood-shed of Father
| Ykel; then looking more intently l saw a
crowd in rags, men and women, grouped
| around. Ykel at the door of the inn was
talking, Marie Rose behind, in front of the
stable, and the grandmother at her little
window lifting her hand as if to curse.
Naturally started on the run across the
heath, thinking that something serious was
passing Going down the little street past
the old cloister for short cut, I turned be-
hind the stable, at the moment when some
one going out dragged our two cows tied to-
gether by the horns.
1t was the Cdnt0nnier of Brochburg,
named Tourbac, short stubby men with a
black beard, whose tall handsome daughters
had been in the service of the Prussian cap
| tain ever since the beginning of the war. See
ing this knave driving off my COWS, called
"What are you doing there, thief? Let
my cows alone or will knock you down."
At the sound of my voice, the sergeant, his
squad of lnen with their bayonets in the end
of the guns, Ykel, Marie Rose, and the grand
mother herself creeping along against the
wall, went into the street. Marie Rose be-
gan to cry 'Father, they will take our cows"
And the grandmother in pitiful voice said.
'sMy God, why do we live? these cows are
our only subsistence. They are all that re-
main to us!'
The sergeant tall, lean, his body squeezed
into his uniform, and his sabre at his side.
hearing Ykel say, 'Here is the master, the
COWS belong to himv' turned his head as if
on pivot, and looked at me over the should
err. The crowd blocked up the street, and
the sergeant called "Back! make them leave
the place, and if any one refuses, fire.
The noise of the wooden shoes in the mud
and the tears and sobs of grandmother were
terrible to hear.
''These cows suit me-" said the cantonner
to the sergeant. 81 will take them. We
can CO."
Are they yours ?' said I, Indignantly,
grasping my stick"
in the tone of true bandit without honor
and without heart" have the choice of all
the cows Of the place to replace those which
the thieves of Phalsbourg stole from me in
their last raid. choose these; they are Swiss
COWS. L have always liked Swiss cows"
"And who gave you your choice?' 1 asked.
"Who can give you the property Of other
people?"
1.-THE Hauptman, my friend the Hauptman
(captain,'') he replied, raising the visor of his
cap with hypocritical air. Then some in
the crowd began to laugh saying, "The
Hauptman is generous man. He pays well
those who serve him." L was mad, and the
sergeant having given the order to his squad
to leave, at the moment the cGntonnier cried
"Jee no." dragging my poor beasts by the
horns. would have fallen upon him ike
wolf. But Marie Rose seized my hands, say
ing in low frightened tone. ''My father do
not stir. They will kill you. Think of grand
mother" My cheeks trembled, 1 clinched
my teeth, red sparks passed before my eyes;
but the thought of my child abandoned, alone
in the world, il these terrible times, and the
grandmother dying of hunger, gave me
strength to conquer my rage and only said,
Go, scoundrel! Take good care of your theft;
but take good care that we never meet in
any corner of the forestv' They pretended
not to hear, and he the knave, said 10 the SER
geant, ''These are worth more than mine.
By continuing our search we have succeeded
in finding two beautiful cows"
They had been in all the villages, visited
the stables, and it was upon us the misfor-
tune fell. Marie Rose, seeing these poor
creatures which we had reared at the forest
house driven away, could not refrain from
tears, and grandmother clasping her hands
above her old grey head cried.
ooh now, now we are ost!-now this is
the last blow. My God, what have we done
to merit all this miseryp' I supported her,
asking her to go up stairs, but she said.
'Frederic, let me only look one minute at
those beautiful animals-O poor Belotte!
poor Banchette! shall never see you again."
1t was a sight to wiring the heart, the
people fastened away, turning their heads,
for the sight of such iniquity is the most
abominable of any on the earth.
At last we must go up to our poor little
rooms, and dream of our desolation. We
must think of some way to live now that all