The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
THE INVASION :
OK,
YEGOF THE FOOL,


From Il 9 French of EICkmann and ChatTian. I
CHAPTERI
If you would know the story of the great
invasion of 1914, even as the old hunter
Frantz of HoDgst, related it to me, you must
accompany me to the village of Cbarmes, in the
Vosges. Thirty cottages, ranged along the
bank of the Sarre, and rooted with slate and
dark green moss, compose the hamlet You can
see the gables garlanded with ivy and with
cred honeysuokle-for winter is approaching
and the leafess hedges separating the little
gardens from each other.
To the left, browning lofty mountain, rise
the ruins of the ancient castle of Falkepstein
a fortalioe, dsmantled and demolished two
hundred years ago by the Swedes. 1t is now
but a scattered heap of stones. only approached
by an old schlitte, road for transporting
felled trees, which pierces the forest. To the
right on the mountain side, is seen the farm
of Bots de- Chenes, with it's barns; stables, and
sheds, on the fiat roofs of which are placed
great stones, to enable them to resist the
furious northern blasts. few cattle stray
upon the heather, and few goats Chamber
among the rocks.
Everything is silent. Children in gray
trousers, bare headed and bare-footed, are
warming then selves around little fires, kindled
near the edge of the wood, and the blue smoke
curls slowly through the air; heavy white and
gray clouds hang motionless over the valley,
aud far above these rise the sterile peaks OF
Grosmaun aud Donon.
You must know that the last house of the
village-that with two glazed dormer windows
upon the slanting roof and the low door open
ing upon the muddy street-bsloDged, in 1913,
to Jean Claude Hullen, an ancient volunteer
of 90; but since his return from the wars, the
shoe, or, rather, sabot-mAker of the village
and enjoying a large share of the esteem of the
mountaineers. He WAS stout, strongly built
man, with gray eyes, thick lips, short nose
and heavy Rrizzled eyebrows. He was jovial
and tender-hearted, and unable to refuse any
thing to his adopted daughter, Louise, whom
he had obtained, when an infant, from band
of those miserable gypsies who, without hearth
or home themselves, wander from door to door,
soldering spoons and pans, and mending
broken china. He, however, looked upon her
as his own daughter, aud never remembered
her the child of strange race.
Beside this, his affection for his little girl,
stout Jean-Claude had few others. Next in
order, he loved his cousin, the venerable
mistress of Bois-de. Chenes, Catherine Lefevre,
and her son, Gaspard, find young fellow, be-
trothed to Louise, but whom the copscrption
had carried off, leaving the two families to
await the end of the campaign and his return.
Hulln often recalled, and always with en-
ihusiasm, his campaigns of the Sambre-an and |
Meuse, Of Italy and of Egypt. He often naused
upon them, and sometimes at evening, when |
lis days work was done, he would wander to |
he saw-mill of Valtin, n gloomy building, |
ormed of logs covered with the bark, which |
'ou see youder at the bottom of the gorge |
here he would sit, in the midst of coal burners
nd wood tiers, before the huge fire made of |
urning, the sluice laundering, and the saw
utting, would he discourse of Hoche, of
,leber, and of General Bonapsrte, whom he
ad seen a hundred times, and whose thin face,
iercing eyes, and aquiline nose be drew over
nd over again.
Such was Jear-Claude Hulln, one of the old
allie stock, loving strange adventures and
eeds of heroic emprise, but bound by the feel
~ of duty to his toll from New Years day TO
amt Sylvester's.
Louise, his gypsy daughter, was slight and
raceful, with long, delicate hands, and eyes
so tender blue that their glance seemed to
elt their way to the depths of your soul
er skin was white as snow, her hair a
old-shOt flaxen, soft as silk, and her shoulders
rooped like those Of some sweet sculptured
lint at prayer. Her guieless smile, her
using brow, her whole form, seemed to recall
le antique lay eff Erhart the Minnesinger,
herein he says: "I saw ray Of light fash 1