The Portland daily press., 1875-05-10

| being fall of PTussian officers, he gave me a
place in the barn where slept on a bundle
of straw. 1t was freezing cold outside, but
| the barn was near the stable. 1t was warm
there. slept well, overcome with fatigue.
Sleep George, is the consolation of the unfor
tunate. If were to speak of the goodness
| of God, l should say he that he calls us ev-
| cry day for some hours near to Him to make
us forget our mseries. The next day KIND
| of calm replaced my depression. L started
with firm step hurrying across the PLAIN in
| order to reach Rathau. The thought OF Jean
returned to me. Perhaps he had followed the
| same rout, it was the shortest. What joy it
| T should find some news of hin on the way,
and send il to Mare Rose. What a comfort
in our misfortune. But we must not hope so
many others had climbed from Rotheau to
Provencheres, Frenchmen and Germans,
strangers To whom no one would have given
a thought.
While walking on with quick step adj
mred the beautiful forests of this mountain,
the imense frs which bordered the route, and
which recalled TO me those of Felsbury near
Saverne. The sight of these touched me-
1t was like old comrads who 60 with you for
few hours on yor journy before the last
goodbye.
The exercise, the bracng air Of the mount
aims, the warm reception of these brave men,
the hope of finding again my guard general,
M. FArence, and above all, the wish to keep
up while my daughter and grandmother had
so much need of me, all inspirited me, and 1
said to myself at each step, ''Frederic, cour-
age! All the French are not dead! Happy
days will yet return, perhaps. Those who
despair are lost, the poor little birds that the
| winter drives from their nests, and who 60
far away to seek the grain and insects which
make their life, suffer also, but the spring.
| time brings them back again. They ought
| to serve as an example to us. One more hill
| and you will be ON the plateau. From Pro
vencheres you will have only to descend"
So climbing, clinging and encouraging my
| self, tired as 1 was, l reached Provencheres
at noon, and halted there. drank good
| glass of wine at the auberge of Deux-Ces
| and there learned than NJ. d'Arence was al
| Saint Die, as inspector of rivers and forests;
| that he also had command of the national
| guard in these last events. This news gave
me great pleasure. 1 started again full of
hope, and in the evening having reached
| Sainte Marguerite, in the heart Of the valley,
| I had only to follow the national highway to
| the city, where l arrived so fatigued that
| could hardly stand erect. I halted at the
| first little inn on the street Faubourg Saint
| Martin, and had the good luck to find bed
there, where I slept still sounder than in the
| barn at Shirmeck.
The trumpet of the Prussians awakened
| me early. One of their regiments occupied
the city. The colonel lodged with the bish-
CD, and the other officers and their soldiers
| were CHARTERED On the inhabitants. The
acquisitions of fodder, straw, meat, flour,
wine, tobacco etc., followed in their train as
everywhere else. took from my bundle
clean shirt, and put on my uniform, for re-
membered that M. ID Arence had always paid
great attention TO the appearance of his men.
Character does not change. One is at fifty
what one was at twenty. Then I went down
into the bar room and inquired for the lodg-
ings of the inspector of forests. A good old
woman, mother Dry, who Kept the auberge,
told me that he lived at the corner OF the
great bridge at the lett; on arriving at the
station.
The weather was clear and cold. The prin-
cipal street which leads from the station to
the cathedral was white with snow as well as
the mountains around the valley. There
were few German soldiers in their long dirt
colored cloaks and fiat caps moving away in
the distance. Before the mayors house were
a cart load of provisions and two or three SER
wants filling their buckets at the pretty
little fountain of Meurthe. No one else was
stirring.
Near the inspectors door stopped for
moment or two to reflect. l was going up
when tall, handsome man, wearing the
pantaoons of an hussar, an embroidered
coat, a green cap with silver lace, tipped
little on one side, came down the stairs. 1t
was M. d'Arence, always erect, with brown
whiskers, and complexion as fresh as at thir-
ty years. recognized him at once. Save
his gray hairs, he had not changed. But he
did not recognize me at first, and only when
I recalled to him his old guard Frederic, he
cried,
''How is this9 You my poor Frederic!
Really, we are no longer young"
"No, I was not young, and these last
months had made me still older. knew it
well. But he was glad to see me all the
same. ''Let us go up" said he, 1--WE can talk
more at our ease" And we went up stairs,
and entered large, dark library. The blinds
were closed, but in his Office good fire was
burning in the CRATE.
Having asked me to be seated we talked
for long time of the country. l told him
of all our miseries since the arrival OF the
Germans. He listened to me with COM
pressed lips, his elbow resting on the edge of
the secretary, and said to me, "Yes, it is ter
rible! So many honest men sacrificed to the
egotism of "a few miserable menl We ex-
plate cruelty our faults, but the Germans will
have their turn. But while waiting, that is
not the question. You must need money.
You are doubtless at the end of your re-
sources"
1 told him the truth; that must leave
something for the family, and that wanted
work. Then he quietly opened a draw and
said that had right as the other brgadiers
of Alsace to my last quarter, that he would
advance it to me, and could pay him back.
have no need to picture TO you my salts
faction in receiving some pieces of a hun
bred sous in a moment of such pressing need.
1t touched me so much that tears came into
my eyes and knew not how to thank him.
He saw quickly in my face what 1 thought,
and as endeavored to thank him, said, CAN
right; that's all right, Frederic. Do not speak
of it. You are brave man, good servant
of the state; am glad to render you SER
vice."
But what gave me greater pleasure than
all else beside, just as l was rising to 60 he
inquired if many of the guards OF our in
spection had not joined the army OF the
Vosges. In moment the idea OF Jean
came TO me. thought that perhaps he had
some news of him. In spite of that men
n TT nanodinn