The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-04-16

built, sleeping in the good beds OF the pre|ets,
sous prefets, judges and other personages.
After having levied taxes on the fruitful
lands which they had never sown, and laid
hands on all the registers of administration
which they had never-estahlished, seeing the
good money of the rich Alsace enter into their
tills, then George, they really believed them
selves presidents of something, inspectors,
receivers, comptrolers, and the German
pride that they could hide so well under their
meanness, this brutal pride pulled ont their
cheeks. The meanest cobbler among us
would been ashamed to show such meanness
as did those new functionaries, who promised
us all so much good in the name of the Ger
man fatherland, and showed such avarice and
even abominable duplicity. That shows
what kind of race we had to deal with.
CHAPTER VII.
One day at the close of the month of Oc-
tober, one of the gen-d'armes of Bismarck
Bohlen who passed every morning through
the valley, halted at the door of the forest,
calling:
'sHo! therev'
/ went out
''You are the Brigadier Frederick" said
this man TO me.
eyes," replied, 81 am called Frederic,
and am brgadier forester.'
"Well," he said, reaching me letter, "this
is for YOU"
Then he turned away and Joined his COM
\ -. c. oF
l went in. Marie Rose and the grand
mother watched me in silence.
"What can these Prussians want of me?'
1t was an order from the head forester to re-
port to him with all the guards of my brig
ade, next day. read the letter aloud. The
women were frightened.
"What shall you do, fatherP" asked Marie
Rose, after moment.
81 am thinking what to do" answered
s.These Germans have no orders to give me !;
but they are the strongest now; they can
turn us out of doors tomorrow; 1 must re-
fleet"
walked back and forth terribly annoyed,
when all at once Jean Merlin passed before
the window with long strides, crossed the
three steps at one bound and came in.
"Good morning Marie Rose," said he,
s'good morning grandmother, you have re-
ceived the order of the head forester, Briga-
dier?"
Eyes,"
.sAh hap said he, ''these men have no
confidence in us: All the generals have re-
oeived the same orders. Shall we go?"
II must see," answered, "You 60 at once
to Petite Pierre and ask the advice of our In
spector."
It was eight o'clock. Jean left at once, and
at noon precisely he returned to say that M.
Laroche would see what the Germans want
ed of us, and let us know-It was decided
that we must go.
So sent off Jean to give notice to all his
comrades to be without fail the next day at
he forest house in uniform, but without their
badges, land we would leave together for Zorn-
stadt.
The next day, all having arrived, we start
ed, and towards noon we reached the vesti-
bule of the mansion where Monsieur Ober
forester had installed himself with his family.
1t was a gala day at Zornstadt for the Prus-
slams. They had learned of the capitulation
of Bazaine, and were singing in all the ale
houses. Naturally this sad news made us
gloomy. The other brigades were already
gathered around the entrance. the brigadiers
Charles Wenner, Balthazar Roeding and
Jacob Hipp at their head.
After we shook hands we decided that we
would listen to the observations of Monsieur
Oberfotester in silence, and that as the old
est brigadier should speak for all-if there
was any thing to be said.
We waited there nearly an half hour, for the
fete was not yet over. They joked, laughed,
drinked their glasses, they stTummed the
piano, singing the Yacht am Rhein.
In spite of their singular vanity these peo-
pie had not expected such victories, and I
think that with other generals, in spite of
their preparations and their superior numbers
they would never have had the chance to
joke in any such manner.
At last after two hours, German in felt
hat ornamented with three or four ostrich
feathers, wit smiling face, and cheeks red
even to his ears, for he came out of the kitch-
en-, opened the door for us, saying.-"You
can enter"
And crossing large apartment we found
Monsieur Oberforester alone, sitting in his
chair at the end of long table still covered
with the dessert and empty bottles, his face
red and his hands crossed on his stomach
with satisfied air. He. was handsome in
his short cloak of green cloth trimmed with
sable. Yes, George, he was very handsome,
tall, well proportioned, large head, short hair,
heavy jaws with long moustache and thick
brown whiskers which covered, so to speak,
his shoulders. But his great red nose aston
ished you at first and forced you in some sort
to turn away your eyes out of respect for his
grade.
He watched us enter, his little grey eyes
wrinkled almost to his ears, and when we
we're all ranged around the table, caps in
hand, after having observed us all, he drew
down his vest, coughed little and said to us
with an air of tenderness,
~ gu are brave men, you Lave dill Vi you
good German faces. That gives me pleasure
Your bearing is also very good. am salts
fled with youP'
In the side room the guests were laughing,
which compelled Monsieur Oberforester to
stop.
civilian, close that door," he said to the
youth who had opened the door for US.
The boy obeyed and Monsieur Oberforester
continued.
eyes you have good German faces! When
think that you have been held in bondage
so many years by this race of blusterers,
am indignant. But thanks to God, and
thanks TO our arms and our glorious King
William, the hour of your deliverance has
arrived, the reign of Sodom and Gomorrah is
passed. We shall see only honest fathers Of
families, and good servants, doing their duty
with loyalty and exactitudo and preserving
the peace of His Majesty. We shall nc
longer see such men reduced to live on five
or six hundred francs salary, while these
adventurers, these violators Of laws, these
gamblers, these beings riddled with vices
L. e.