The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-28
MUM Der s.


CONFERENCE.-The. bronzed by exposure, full
of bluff frankness as well as of roguish shrewd-
ness-and his tall shake and gray blue over
coat, shoulder belt, and epaulettes seemed
part of himself. He marched up and down the
room, still rubbing his hands, while Whitman
filed him little glass of brandy. Hnllin
seated near the window, had, in the first place.
remarked the number of his regiment-the
sixth of the line. Gaspard, the son of Cathe-
rine Lefevre, was in the same. Jean-Claude
would, then, have tidings of Louise's be-
trothed but when he attempted to speak, his
heart beat painfully. If Gaspard were dead.
If he had pershed like SO many others!
The old sabot- maker felt strangled. He was
SILENT Better to know nothing" he thought.
Nevertheless, in q few moments he again
tried to speak.
Sergeant" said he huskily, you are Of the
SIXTH"
Even so, my burgess" replied the other.
returning to the middle of the room.
DO you know one Gaspard LefevreT
"Gaspard Lefevref Parbleu! that do /. I
taught him to shoulder arms; brave soldier,
i faith, and good on the march If we had q
hundred thousand of his stamp"
Then he is alive and well 7"
lie IL, my citlZen-at least ne was week
ago, when left the regiment ut Fredericstbal
with this train of wounded; since then, you
understand, there has been warm work, and
one can answer for notEiDg-one might get
his billet at any moment. But O week ago, at
Frederiosthsl, GsSpard Lefevre still answered
roll-call."
Jean. Claude breathed.
But, sergeant, can You tell rue why he has
not written homo these two months back"
The old soldier smiled and wiDked his little
eyes.
do you think, my friend, that a man has
nothing to do on the march but written
"No; have seen service. made the cam
paigns of the Sambreand- Mouse, of Egypt and
Of Italy, but l always managed to let my
friends at home hear from me-"
lone moment, comrade," interrupted the
sergeant. g in Italy and Egypt too, but
the campaign just finished was in every respect
peculiar"
ut was n severe one, doubt"
Severe! Everything and every was
against us; sickness, traitors, peasants, citi-
Iens, our allies-all the world! OF COM
Dany, which was full when we left Pbalsbourg
he twenty fret of January last, only thirty
.wo men remain. believe that Gaspsrd .
Iefevre is the only conscript left living. The
poor conscripts! They fought well, but ex-
,osure and hunger did their business.
So saying, the old sergeant walked to the
counter and emptied bis glass at one gulp.
ITO your health, citizen. Might you, per-
hsnce, be Gaspard's father"
"No; am ouly a relative"
Well, You can boast of being solidly built
n your family. What a man he is for youth
( twenty! lie held firm while those around
vere sent by dozens to mount guard below
"But," said Hullin, after a moments silence,
do not yet what there was so extrsor-
mary in this last campaign, for we, too, had
nr sickness and traitors"
Extraordinary cried the sergeant;
everything was extraordinary. Formerly
on know, Q German war was finished after .
ictory or two; the people then received You
ell; drank their white wine and munched
leir sauerkrout with you; and, when the
,Riment departed, every one oven wept. Bat
ais time, after Lutsen and Bautzen, instead Of
good -nstured, they grew fercer than
ver: We could obtain nothing except by
,rce /; it was like Spain or La Vendee. don't
now what made them hate ne But If we
ere all French, things would after ell have
It gone we'll bnt we had oar Saxon and
her allies ready to dy at our thrOsts. We
uld have beaten the enemy, even II they
ere five to one, bat for our allies. Look as
Ell psic, where in the middle of the fight they
Irned against us--I mean good friends the
axons. week after, our other good friends
,e Bavarians tried to cut of our retreat; but
icy rued it at Hanau. They next day, near
rank fort, another column of our friends pre-
nted themselves, but we crushed the traitors.
We only foresaw all this after Austerlits'
ma, Friedland, Wagram y