The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-08-23
THE SOLDIERS son.
gG THE CAPTAIN.

hduN uinHN Ntuto deb, NJ buc Etbec
of sultry summers day. a man OF
middle age was slowly toiling up a
bill in the environs of the pleasant
village of Aumont, a small town in
the south OF France. The wayfarer
was clad in the habiIiments of pri-
vate of infantry of the line; that is
to say. be wore q long-skirted, blue
coat, faced with red, much soiled aud
stained : kerseymeyer breeehes that
were once white, met at the knee by
tattered CATERS of black cloth, an old
battered chapeau, and a haversaek,
which be carried slung over his
right shoulder, on Il sheathed sabre
From time TO time, he paused and
wiped the heavy drops of perspira-
tion tha, gathered constantly upon
his forehead
Courage. Francois, courage" I"
said the soldier to himself; "a few
PAGES more and you will reach home
Alb, this is sufficiently fatiguing. but
nothing TO the sands of Egypt May
heaven preserve my eyesight long
enough to see nv home-my wife
my brave bov, Victor, once more
Grant me but that, kind Heaven, and
| think ] will repine at nothing that
NAV happen farther"
Ii will be seen from the above that
Francois Bertrand belonged to the
army which bad recently covered it.
self with glory in the Egyptian cam
paign, under the command of Gen.
eral Bonapart, a name already famous
in military annals He bad fought
like q hero in the battle of the Pyra-
mids. when the squares OF French in
fantry repulsed the brilliant cavalry
Of Murad Bay, and DESTROYED the
flower Of the Mamelubes BY the dead
" FIRE of their muske;ry. Wounded
in that memorable battle. he was
afterwards attacked by the opthalmia
Of the country; bat his eyesight
though impaired, was not vet utterly
destroyed Honorablv discharged,
be bad just arrived at Marseilles.
from Egyp', and was now on his
way home, eager to lie folded in the
arms of his beloved wife and his
Young son. So the soldier toiled
brarely up the bill, for he knew that
the white walls of his cottage and
the foliage OF his little vineyard
would be visible in the valley COM
mauded BY the summit.
At length he reached the brow Of
the bill, and gazed eagerly in the d.
rection of his humble home but O,
agony il was gone, 10 its place a
heap Of blackeued ruins lay noul-
dering in the sunlight that seemed to
mock its desolation Fatigue-weak-
ness-weEe instantly forgotten, and
the soldier rushed down the brow of
the bill TO the scene of the disaster
At the gate OF his vineyard be was
met bv little Victor. boy Of ten.
4 soldier i1 cried the boy, who
did not recognize bis father. 30.
sir. you come back from the wars
don't yous Perhaps You can tell
me something about nv poor papa :"
Victor, nv boy, my dear boy
don't YOU knox me yn cried the poor
soldier; sud he strained his so1 con
ynlsively in bis arms
%, ] know you now, my dear,
dear papa, said the boy sobbing.
Il knew you by the yoiee-bui how
changed you are. Why, your mus
taches are turned gray"
Victor, Victor. where is your
mother :" gasped the soldier.
Poor mamma. said the boy
Speak charge you. boy"
She is dead"
Dead :" Francois fell to the
ground as If bullet bad passed
through bis brain. When be reeov-
cred his senses, be saw Victor kneel-
ing beside him and bathing his head .
with cJld water, which he had
brought 10 his bat from a neighbor- I
ing spring. In few words. the child /
told HIN their cottage asa taken hre
in the night, and been burned TO the
ground aad bis mother had perisbed
in the fame.
A kind eoitager soon made his sp-
peara0ee. and Conducted the anfor-
tuuate father snd son TO his humble /
cabin Here they passed the night
and one or Two days following. Dur
Ing that time Francois Bertrand neith- 3
e. ate nor slept, but wePs over his
misfortune with an agony that re-
fused all consolation On the third
day only be regaiHed his composure ;
bGI il was OalE 10 be conscious OF
new and overE helming misfortune.
His eyesight was gore. The agony
of mind be had suffered. and the
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