The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-11
The Story of n Frcnchman Hunted by the
1854" Germans.
CHAPTER XIII.

alone, among strangers in his little room in
the inn watching for whole hours the snow
driving against the windows, listening to the
noise outside-a cart passng-a squad OF
Prussians going their rounds dog barking
men dlsputng without any other distrac-
ton save his memories and dreams.
s'What are they doing in the valley? Is
grandmother still alive? And Marie Rose,
what has become of her? And Jean? And
all the others?" Always this weight on my
heart. .s- #.a Itn
No letters came-"So much the better. In
case of misfortune Marie Rose would have
written to me. She has not written. Perhaps
she is SICK" c--
So il was from morning till evening. Some
times when voices echoed in the room below,
l went down to learn the news. Hope, that
great illusion, is so deeply rooted in
our very souls that we cling to it even to the
last. / found there seated at the table and
around the stove men of all sorts-merchants,
peasants, wagoners, talking of the battles of
the North and East, Of pillage, incendaries,
forced lines, hostages, and know not what
Paris still defended itself they said; but
from the banks of the Loire, our young troops
had been forced to fall back; the Germans
outnumbered them. This befell us on all the
lines of railroad, and then our munitions and
arms failed us. This young army, thus gath
cred in haste was forced to carry on this rude
war, and the weight must break them at last.
The bombardment of Belfort continued. The
weather was fearfully cold. Hail and snow
fell. One would have said that God had set
himself against us. /, George, must confess
it, after SO many misfortunes l was detected.
The least rumor made me uneasy. l was al
ways afraid of hearing some new disaster.
Sometimes also my indignation got the best of
me. | would go in spite of my old limbs, to
fight no matter who, if We could only make
an end of it. WEAKNESS and dependency
overcame all hearts. One morning received
letter from my daughter. Grandmother
was dead Marie Rose was coming to join
me at Saint DE. She told me to hire a small
rent, wishing TO bring some of our furniture,
linen and bedding, and sell the rest at Grauf-
thai, before her departure. She wrote me al
so that Starck had offered to take her in his
cart by way of Sarrebourg, Lorquin, Raon-
pEtape; that the journey would take nearly
three days, but that we should see each other
by the end of that week. 1898
So the poor grandmother has ceased to
suffer- She was at rest by the side of
Catharine, her daughter, and Bruat, whom l
had loved SO we'll; said to myself that they
were all more fortunate than I they all slept
among their friends under the shadow of our
mountains. tH5N
The thought of seeing my daughter made
me happy again. thought we should be no
longer alone and that we could live without
great expense until the end of the invasion;
and then at the return of Jean, when he
should be replaced somewhere, we could re-
build our nest in the heart of the woods; that
should have my pension; and that in spite
of all our miseries, should finish my days
calmly and quietly. surrounded by my grand
children. 1t all appeared natural. 1 said to
myself that God is just and order would be
soon restored.
January 9Th, 1871 Marie Rose arrived. I
udu ulItu lOI GWclNG lIduCS u luOulu IulSC III
tie rooms and kitchen in the second story of
house next TO the auberge belonging to M.
Michel, gardener. very kind man who rem
dered us afterward many services.
Thursday was very cold; Marie Rose had
written that she should come, but without
saying whether she would arrive morning or
evening. So I was forced to wait. Towards
noon saw the cart of Starck at last, ct the
end of the street, all covered with furniture
and bedding. Marie Rose wis on the wagon
wrapped in her mothers great cloak, and the
tall collier was ahead leading his horses by
the bride. I went down and ran to meet
them. embraced Starck who halted, then
my daughter, whispering that had news of
Jean. He had passed through st. Die,
M. d Arence had given him the means to
cross the Prussan lines or rejoin the army OF
the Loire. She did not reply, but as I spoke
felt her bosom heave, and her arms clasped
me with extraordinary force. They moved
on, and soon we were before our lodgings.
Starck led his horses into the stable of the
Lion dor. Marie Rose went into the recep-
ton room of the inn, and good mother Dry,
who was waiting for us at the door, made her
drink cup of tea to warm her, for she was
very cold. During the day Starck and car
ried up the furniture, and at four O'Clock ev
erything was in place. A fire had been made
in the stove, but Marie Rose was so fatigued
that it was almost necessary to assist her to go
up stairs. / noticed at first her pallor and
brilliant eyes, and was surprised, but attrib
uted the change to her long watching, grief,
anxiety, and above all to the fatigue of three
days journey in an uncovered cart in such
fearful weather. Was it not all natural after
so much suffering? l knew she was strong.
Since her infancy she had never been
sick l said to myself that rest and quiet
would restore very quickly her beauti
full complexion. Once up stairs in front of
the bright fire seeing the roo m neat and
clean, the old chest of drawers, the old pie
tuses of the forest house suspended from the
walls and our old clock ticking in the corner
at the right, behind the door, Marie Rose ap-
peared content and said to me. D..
''We shall be- very comfortable here my
father. We can remain quiet, and the Ger
mans will drive US no farther. Provided that
Jean comes soon we shall live peacefully"
Her voice was husky. She wanted to see
the little cook room in the court. 1t was
dimly lighted and little gloomy, but she
said it was all right. As we bad no provis-
ions yet, had our driver bring in from the
Auberge two bottles of wine.
Starck would not receive anything more
than his expenses on the way. He
said that at this season there was no work in
the woods, and he would rather come than TO
leave his horses in the stable. But he could
not refuse good dinner and he loved good
glass of wine. AT the table Marie Rose told
me the details of grandmother's death, how
she died after having cried necessarily three
days and nights in her dreams ''Bruat! Fred
eric! The Germans! Frederic. !! Do not aban-
don me. Take me with youp' At last God
in his Kindness took her to himself, and half
of Graufthal accompanied her through the
snow to Dossenheim in order to bury her
with her own. In repeating these sad things
Marie Rose cOuld NOT rasi ro bap foo and