Ellsworth American., 1878-10-03
Correspondence.
Paris Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent }
The Field Of Waterloo.

From our Regular Correspondent
The Field Of Waterloo.
Perhaps the reason why the field of Wa
terloo is so impressive Is because there Is
nothing to indicate the terrific strifes and
mighty destinies that were decided there
| Nothing but huge bronze lion in whose
open mouth q bird has built its nest. The
visitor stands alone 10 the midst of porten-
tous memories, undistracted by the made
quate monuments with which men have
essayed to mark less important climaxes
and anti-climaxes In the affairs of nations
IL General Bonaparte," as the English
guides about Waterloo persist in calling
him, had been favored with the fine wealth
er that your correspondent had on his visit,
he would have opened the engagement five
hours earlier, his artillery would not have
stuck in the mud, and he would have per-
haps annihlated Wellington before the
Prussian came TO his assistance. If the
abundant harvest that stands on the field
to-day had been there then, neither army,
even If they had been all cavalry, need
have been encountered or weakened by
subsistence or foraging trains.
No field could appear less favored by
nature for vantage Of contendlng armies
The slight elevation occupied by the Eng
glish was naturally no stronger than that,
three-quarters of mile distant, held by
the French. Neither elevation was high
enough, nor was the Intervening or sur
rounding ground anywhere so uneven as
to prevent the rapid, easy movement, In
any direction. OF infantry, cavalry, and ar
tillery. The desperately contested walled
garden Of Hugemont was strong only In
the fortitude Of the men who held it.
We started from BRUSSELS at A. NJ,
taking an excursion ticket for Braine ! Al
lend, which IS the railway station nearest
the field, and only forty minutes ride from
Belgium's Capital. This is a cheaper,
more comfortable, and much quicker way
10 see the field than the route frequently
taken by diligence from Brussells. Arriv-
ing at Btaine / Attend, we started on foot
for the field. and were soon encountered
by numbers of small boys with pockets
fun Of bullets which they were willing to
sell cheap. Genuine relics are still occa-
sionally turned up by the pillow; they are,
however, becoming very rare; but the sup
ply of bullets, scraps OF she'll, buttons, etc,
in the hands of these little pedlers of the
field is never exhausted. | met three
women who were able to carry on the traf-
fc In three languages; each of them had a
basket containing Photographic views OF
the field, and relies which they were trying
to sell; when ! expressed doubt of the
genunencss of the relies, they hattered
me by saying that had no green in my
eye. aud before could recover from the
sweetness of that surprise, piled me with
their photographs. My friend bought a
bullet for four cents which he dropped on
the field and picked up again in order to
make it more plausible and interesting.
There is a constant stream of visitors to
Waterloo. We met on top the mound that
is surmounted by the bronze lion, English
Germans, and Belgians, but more Ameri
leans than of any other nationality. The
number of Americans travelling on the con-
tinent this year must be very large. |
have met them on almost every train in
France, Belgium. Switzerland, Germany,
Holland. and England, They are all more
or less homesick. The first questions are,
When did you arrive?" and, when will
you return?" The general verdict is that
Europe will DO to visit, but that It is not a
country to live in. or course this is the
old refrain OF every exile whether his ma
tive land be Alaska or Florida. There is
no place like home" and he must be Bo-
hemian, indeed, who viii not sometimes
long for the repose which no one can find
amid strange, unsympathetic faces, and
manners, dress, customs, and ideas, differ
ent from those Of his fathers. But think
there is something more than prejudice,
and mere love OF home, that makes Ame.-
leans prefer their own country. Else. why
is ii Il at our naturazed citizens, who have
spent their youth, or perhaps earlier man
hood, on this side, express the same seut-
ment, and as anxious TO return to the new
world, as those of Us who have been but a
few weeks in the Old? It is because ii is
New World, great and noble field for a
rejuvenated humanity. If high protec-
tive tariff could have been long ago im-
posed upon some of the manners. habits.
institutions. laws, and ideas, that have
been imported from Europe, we would
have had more reason TO admire the wis
dom OF the founders. But our country, in
spite of importatons, is so much freer and
fresher, our life and aspirations so much
broader and higher, that ''All Denmark is
a prison to him that thinks it So
began 10 write about Waterloo, but got
off on an old refrain. trust the reader
will pardon me for not describing Huge
muut. the road of Chain, and other points
OF this Inuch-bewritten field; he will find
them all IN history, or encyclopedia
Victor Hugo in his Les Misera5les, has writ
ten the best and most chaotic description
of the battle. The entire field is now COW
cred with dense, ripe growth of wheat.
oats, and clover, while bird has built its
nest in the mouth of the rampant lion with
which the British have crowned the tumu-
Ii OF their dead. c. A. 5.
PRESQUE ISLE, AROoSTOOK Co.
September 10, 1873.