Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-01-15

"You are a very agreeable compan-
ion" said George Dickson, "but to tell
you the truth / am in no humor to talk
business. What has happened Is so
ghastly and horrible that | can think of
nothing except the awful misfortunes."
Our people were not prepared for it,"
said Delaval. "See, your friends are
calling US up" The two left off speak
ing and hurried after the officers and the
Belgian war correspondent.
They had crossed the frontier for some
time now. The road through the forest
continued to be very beautiful and the
weather was heavenly But in turn of
the road, az q place where the two Off
GERS had paused, there were the first
signs of war-eight dead horses and a
numbering van standing across the road,
on which some German wag had chalked
"a Berlin"
Then they all walked together. The
road still wound up the hillside above
flashing trout stream, seen far below
them in the valley through trembling
leaves Then there came turn to the
right, and they passed through the soli-
tary street of La Chapelle.
The sight of La Chapelle was not reas-
suring. 1t was noticed that the two
English officers talked more persistently
lent In the lanes beyond they were all
silent; and when the real horrors began
| the Frenchman was missing
! Had the Belgian disappeared the mat.
ter was explicable. But that a gallant
young Frenchman should be frightened
at the sight of the most terrible slaughter
which the world has ever seen was mex
| plicable. Still, when they got in that
awful potato field the Frenchman was
not there.
| To describe the field of a great battle
| is almost impossible. The land seems to
be ripped and torn in every direction in
some horrible, unnatural way. The
brown earth is turned up in CHASTITY fur
rows under the withering trees. The
only beautiful things left are the dead,
who chequer the wasted land in groups.
No one has ever made even decent at
tempt at describing the reality; we pass
the description of it by as being utterly
| beyond our powers.
George Dick son stood among the dead
and looked around him. The place must
have been beautiful at one time, and
later travellers have told US that it is once
more beautified by nature, though to our
eyes it will remain horrible Charnel-
house until death. The Seventeenth of
the French line lay in ruins, motionless
except where they were being dragged
to the trenches by German soldiers.
"Why does God allow such things?"
he said aloud
There spoke civilian" said the Ben
gal officer. II bet you ten rupees that
you see some nature ennobled by this
horrible business before the day is over.
What do you feel yourself?"
Il feel a terrible, inconceivable pity
feel as if l could lay down my own life
to mend this?"
"Then hand me over ten rupees" said
the Bengal officer. For your nature
has been ennobled. War is utterly evil
but God brings good out of it somehow
Look at that man; there is woman
on the field looking at the dead men;
faces.n
"And there is that Frenchman, Delaval
with her." said George. "That must bC
his sister. He said she was in the town
but he has told me more lies in one wall
than could believe in twelvemonth. .
Really" said the Bengal officer. "AnC
yet he does not look like liar"
No liar ever does, my dear soldier,
said George. eff you were lawyer yor
, would know that"
There were about 10000 German mer
in sight on their left, and they expected
the retreating French would make some
sign. But they made none.
How clearly one sees 1t; hot, trod
den plain of clay, brazen sky overhead
town down below in the valley, and th'
! French dead lying all around like fade(
, tulips, cut and thrown down. 4 blacl
! figure managing the death pits, and
graceful girl, bending down and peerinl
r into every dead mans face.
/ 81 found my sister at Fonde d,
Givonne," said Delaval, approachin!
, George. She is looking for some on
: whose death might be important to yol
-Aime Hebert."
but you said he could pay me-" salt
, George, astonIshed.
My dear sir, l required your assist
ance in getting on, and l forgot what
| told you. If any part of it was true
must have been great fool. My objec
was to deceive you. Do me the compli
, ment to say that succeeded, or l shal
be extremely angry with you"
George felt extremely inclined to kicl
. the man, but it was not a place for an,
demonstration of the kind. He said
never before knew Frenchman tel
such falsehoods as you have done, sir.
} man." said Delaval.
can possibly speak the truth, sir"
I But she is not my sister," said Dela
l val.
: She came toward them and raised he
veil, In one instant the great passage il
q George Dickson's life was over. Ami,
o the horrible ruin and desolation he say
i the only woman he had ever cared for
: the woman he had so seldom seen in hi
S life but so many thousand times in hi
I dreams.
< Miss Milton, of Milield Lane. N
n other person in the world. He had me
c her twice at parties in Highgate, an
:, about there and had fallen in love wit
1 her. He had also dared to walk with he
in Milfeld Lane, but she had been colo
I almost rude, to him. He had tried to fol
get her but il had been useless. For tn
, last time, as he believed, he had met he
J. in Miltield Lane and laid his love befor
: her.
d She told him the plain truth. All he
r people were French except her father
Y whose name she bore. She was fiance
.. to Aime Hebert and could not listen t
- him. He then committed an awful &C
of folly; he made the acquaintance O
!. that young Frenchman so that h
! might see her sometimes even whe
,. anOthers arm was round her waist.
There are few VINO possess the power
of concentration which Heine had, VIII
9 can give US tragedy in a sonnet. w
: will, however, be as brief as we can. II
followed Aime Hebert about, and, a
/ last, went security for him-a deb
which Hebert neglected to pay, an
e which for time nearly ruined George
Who can tell what madness has bee
committed by men and women when the
V have seen the object of their love in al
: others possession? George habituall
/ saw the only woman he loved receivin
attention from another man, for whor
o she did not seem to care very much.
r the end it made him almost careless {
his life.
' He would not be rich before hi
fathers death. His father was penuriou
n and mean, keeping him poor and tellin