The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-04

and came shivering, their hands thrust into
| their pockets up the elbow. I knowing that
a crowd of sick encountered the military hos
pital, and the college, asked myself where
should find a physician who would go to
Graufthal to visit poor old woman in dam
| ger OF death. Sadness and doubt oppressed
me, knew no one to ask, nor what to do
when an old friend of the forest house, Jacob
Bance, the best angler in the valley, called,
''Ha! is that Father Frederic! you are still
| alive then?' He shook hands with me and
seemed rejoiced to see me.
eyes," replied, 1--WE escaped, thank God.
| "When we meet each other now, it seems
like resurrection! Unfortunately grand
mother is very i'll and know not where to
| find physician in the midst of all this con-
| fusion"
| He advised me to 60 to house of DR.. Sem
| perrin, who lived next door to the Cafe Va
cheron, saying that he was a skillfu], devoted
man, and good Frenehman, that he would
not refuse to accompany me in spite of the
distance, and the calls he had in the city, in
this moment of extraordinary pressure.
1 went up and found DR.. Sempcrlin, who
was seated at the table and promised to come
with me after dinner. / went down stairs a
little more at ease, and entered the dining
room of the cafe to break crust and drink a
| glass of wine while waiting for him. The
room was full of ldnd,gehr, stout civilians in
| uniform, brewers, architects, farmers, land
| lords, come to take possession under the pro-
| lection of the Prussian chief who compelled
them to keep step like puppets.
| l sat down in a corner near my wine,
| watching the smoke of the tobacco curling to
| the ceiling, the servants carrying what was
called for, and dreamed of grandmother sick,
the ruins that had seen; listening to the
| Germans, whom / could not understand, for
| they all spoke another language than that of
Asace. At the other extremity some citi-
| zens of Phalsbourg were talking of relief
| society about to be formed at the City Hall,
| of soup house that they wished to estab-
| lsh in the old cavalry barracks for the relief
| of the poor, of indemnties promised by the
Prussians on which they did not count, &c.
| The time passed slowly. 1 should have for
gotten to listen, absorbed in my own trodbles,
when a voice louder and coaIser than the
rest attracted me, and looking up l saw
Tourbac the cantonnier, who mingled in the
conversation of the Phalsbourg citizens, and
cried out impudently, striking his great fist
on the table,
SIT is very well of you, you people Of the
city, to talk thus of the miseries of the war.
You were behind your ramparts, and when
the shells came. you could run into the case
ments, where nothing could touch you.
Those whose houses are burnt will receive
more indemnity than they were worth. The
old worm eaten furniture will be replaced by
new, and more than one who went begging
through the country, will rub his hands and
grow fat saying the war has made me good
citizen. have paid my debts and pass fer
famous warrior, because my cellar was
bomb proof; 1 shall take my ease in the
country, purchase cheap, the property of
those who have gone off, with my indemnity
money. 1 shall sacrifice myself until the
last moment just as have done since the be-
ginning; yet, war after this fashion is agree
able. Behind good walls all goes well; while
we, poor peasants, we have been forced to
feed the enemy, to lodge them, give them ouI
hay, fodder, grain, even our cattle; do you
hear, even our last resource. Even me-they
have taken my two cows, and now who will
assist me?'
That was too much. When he said that
the shamelessness of the rascal made me so
indignant that could not help crying out to
him,
"Oh you contemplate sec undrel! Boast
of your suffering and your patriotism in oul
misfortunes! Tell of your sacrifices, and
how after having searched the country with
picket of German soldiers who gave you
the choice of all the animals of the plain
and mountain to replace your miserable
beasts; after having by this means stolen my
two beautiful Swiss cows you are not yet con-
tent! You still dare to complain and find
fault with men who have done their dutyp'
In proportion as 1 spoke, thinking that
this knave was the cause of grandmother's
illness my anger gained upon me more and
more I would have restrained myself but it
overpowered me, and suddenly clutchng my
stick with two hands rushed upon him. I
would have killed him. Fortunately Fxair,
the baker, sitting by the side of the scamp,
seeing my stick appraised, parted the blow
with his chair, crying:
"Father Frederic, what are you thinking
about?'
That produced terrible uproar. All the
crowd were on their feet and separated us.
He, the bandit, finding himself behind the
crowd, raised his fist and cried,
cold fool, you will pay for this! "The
Germans will not have you. Monsieur Ober
forester has thrown you out; you would have
been very willing to have taken service witt
him, but he knew you, and shut the door il
your face. That makes you mad. You in
suit honest men. But look out; you shall
hear from me againn'
These wicked lies made me still more furi
Gus. 1t took five or six to hold me back, and
| should have succeeded In hurting them of
if the ldndacehr had not called picket OF thu
guard which were going their rounds. Then
hearing the butt end of the guns at the door
and seeing their caps at the windows, sal
down and all was quiet The corporal en-
tered. Madame Vacheron invited him tt
take glass of wine at the bar, and as the
noise had ceased, after wiping his moustaches
he went out, making the military salute
But Tourbac and watched each other with
swapping eyes and trembling cheeks. He I'M
derstood well now, the miserable, that bis
shame would be spread all through the city,
and he was almost beside himself.
| thought, "Dare to come in my way going
to Biechelberg, l will settle your account fol
long time. Grandmother shall be avenged
He had, no doubt, the same thoughts, fol
he watched me slyly with his hateful rascally
smile. 1t was all 1 wanted when DR.. Sem
perrin appeared at the door of the room and
beckoned me to come. l went out immedi
ately after paying for my wine, and we
started for Graufthal. 1t hailed, and the
great ruts in the road full of water shivered
DIR. Semperlin and walked for long time
one behind the other, in silence, taking care
to evade all the pools where one would
plunge to the knees.
hi sa1I ,aV