The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-10

3 for prov isions, aud bring in cattlo from th
surrounding villages for tho supply of th
o city, prevented me from thinking Of my mil
d fortune
had also to think of my own life, for, i
receiving such sn order, we supposed, Of course
/ that the peasants wonld resist, and it
Q abominable to have to fight the people you az
robbing.
was very pale as I thought of all this.
! But when the Commandant Thomas erie
out, Charge !" aud tore off my first cart
/, ridge, and put Il in the barrel, and, instead @
hearing the ramrOd f3lt ball ut the bottom
when they ordered US; "By fiIe-left left
, forward quick step! march y and we Sci
out for the barracks of the Bois-de- Chenes
while the first battalion went on to Quatre
Vents and Bichelberg, the second to WecherI
and Netting; when / thought that we wert
going to sezs and carry away everything anC
that the conrt-martial was at the mayoraltJ
To pass sentence upon those who did not dc
their duty all these new and terrible thingt
completely upset me. was troubled rs saw
the village in the distance, and pictured to
myss slf beforehand the cries of the women and
| children.
You sse Fritz, to take from the poor peasant
all his living at the beginning of winter; to
| take from him his COW, his goats, his pigs,
rything in short, is is dreadful ! and my
own misfortune made me feel more for that OF
| Others
| Aud then ns we marched thought of my
daughter Zsffen, and Baruch, and their child
| ren, aud exclaimed to myself:
Mercy on usl if the enemy comes what
will they DO in an exposed town Ike Saverne
They will lose everything. We may be beg
CARED any day "
These thoughts took away my breath, and
in the midst Of them i some peasants,
who from their little wiudows, watched our
approach the fields and along their
street without stirring. They did not know
what we were coming for.
Six mounted soldiers preceded us Com
mTud1Ut rUrrTTs CruBrUd tfTCTH TO T1gs to tho
right aud left of the barracks to prevent the
peasants from driving their cattle into the
woods, when they had found out that we had
come to rob them.
They set OIL on gallop.
We came to the first house, where there is
the stone cruofx. We heard the order:
"HRltp
Then thirty men were detached to act as
sentinels in the little streets, and was among
the number, which 1 liked, for preferred
being on duty to going into their stables and
barns.
AS we filed through the principal street the
peassnts asked us:
What is going on 7 Have they been out
ting wood Have they been making arrests 7"
and such like questions. But we did not an
swer them, and hasteAed on.
Monborne placed me in the third at -eet to
the right, near the large house of Father
Franz, who raised bees on the slope of the
bleating and the cattle lowing that wretch
of o Monborne said, winking at me-
1t will be jolly We will make the Bara-
quois open their eyes"
Moses, thou must stay there. If any one
tries to pass, CROSS yonr bayonet. If any one |
resists prick him well and then fire. The law
must be supported by force"
i don't know where the cobbler picked M |
that expression; bnt he left me- in tue street. |
between two fences white with frost, and |
went on his way with the rest of the guard.
| waited there nearly twenty minutes, con-
sideripg what l should do if the peasants tried |
to save their property, aud thinking it would |
be much better to fire npon the cattle than up
on their owners.
l was much perpexed and was very cold
when heard great shouting; at the same |
time the drum began to beat. Some men went |
INTO the stables and drove the CATTLE The |
Baraquins swore and wept somo tried to
defend themselves. Commandaut Thomas
cried out
ITO the square! Drive them to the
FQnareN'
some cows escaped through the fences, and
you cant imagine what "a tumult there was
l congratulated myself that l was not in tho
midst of this pilfage. But this did not last
long, for suddenly herd of goats, driven by
two old women filed down the street on their
way to the valley.
Then had to stop them with my bayonet
and call out
Halt !"
mo; she had pitchfork. and was very pale.
% Let me pass Moses" said she.
saw that she was coming slowly toward
ne, meaning to throw me down with her
pitchfork. Tho other tried to drive tho goats
nto little garden at the side, but the Stats
we're too near together, and the fence too hi gh
should have liked to let them go by and
ieny having seen anything but, unfortunate
y: Lieutenant Rollet, came up and called out:
"Attention p
Aud two men of the company followed:
haory and Schweyer, the brewer.
Old MinGneTon, seeing me cross the bayonet
began to grind her teeth, saying:
Ah wretch of q Jew, thou1t pay for
hs," F'
She was so angry that she had no fear of my
nusket, and three times she tried to thrust her
'itohfork into me; then found the benefit of
ny drilling, for parred all her attacks
Two goats escaped between my legs; the
eat were taken. The soldiers pushed back
he old women, broke their pitch hforks, and
ioally regained the chief street, which was
ull OF cattle lowing and kicking.
Old Migneron SAT down on the fence and
ore her hair.
Just then two COWS came along, their tails
n the air, leaping over the fences aud upset.
ing everything, the baskets of bees and their
I'D keeper. Fortunately, it WAS winter, the
'ees remained as if dead in their baskets or
'lse believe they would have routed our
whole battalion.
The horn of the herdsman sounded in the
'illage. He had been summoned in the name
II the law This old har5aman |