New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-05-08


light. The sight Gained HIM suddenly,
and he laughed at himself.
81 am a good one to worry myself in
this as though our Christian would
think for moment of turning Prussian
he who brought down so many during
the war.
His good humor being restored by this
thought, he gayly finished his dinner and
then went to La Vile de Strasbourg, to
drain a couple OF glasses of beer.
Now Mother Lory is alone. After hay
ing put the babies to bed they are still
heard in the next room, prattling like a
nest Of young birds going to Sleep, she
gets her work and begins to mend, sitting
in the garden, just outside the doorway.
From time to time she signs and thinks:
eyes, l suppose for they are towards
and renegades, but nevertheless their
mothers are very happy to have them re-
turn" She remembers the time when
her son, before he lett for the army, was
on that spot at the very same hour Of the
DAY, attending to the little garden. She
looks at the we'll where he filled his water
ing pots, in his blouse, his long hair on
his shoulders the beautiful, bright hair
that was cut off when he joined the
zouaves. Suddenly she starts. The door
in the corner Of the garden wall, which
opens into the fields, is open. Still, he
who enters creeps along the wall like a
thief, and slips between the trees and
beehives.
Mother!:
Her Christian stands before her, his
uniform disordered, shamefaced, confus-
ed, and with thick utterance. He had
returned with the others, and for the past
hour had hung about the house waiting
for his father to go out before he dared
toventure in.
She should scold him, but she cannot.
It is so long since she has seen him, and
kissed him Then he gives her such
good reasons for returning; He was so
unhappy away from the forge, from his
country, spending his days SO far away
from those beloved ,and the discipline be-
coming more rigid from day to day, and
being called 'sPrussian !" by his COM
rades because of his Alsatian accent.
She believes every word he utters. She
need but look at him to believe.
Still conversing, they go into the low
studded room. The little ones, awakened,
come in their white dresses, with bare
rosy feet, to embrace and welcome the
big brother.
His mother would have him eat, but
he is not hungry; still he is thirsty, and
gulps down great draughts of water, over
all the beer and white wine that he has
been drinking since morning at the inn,
to give him courage to face what he
knows will be his fathers anger.
They hear steps approaching the house.
It is the blacksmith returning.
| "Christian, it is your father. Quick
hide yourself, to give me time to speak to
him-to explain
She pushes him behind the huge por-
celain stove. and with trembling hands
takes up her work.
In her haste, the zouave's cap has been
| left upon the table. It is the first thing
that Lory sees as he enters. THE mothers
paher and her agitation betrays her. The
truth flashes across Lory's nind-he sees
| it all.
christian is here,:' he CRIES furiously,
and grasping his saber. With wild
gesture he rushes toward the stove, be-
hind which covers the zouave, pale and
sobered, leaning against the wall for fear
of falling.
! The mother throws herself between
them.
Glory, Lory do not kill him! It was
who wrote him to come back-that you
needed him in the forgew
| She clings, to his arm, weeps and en-.
treats. In the darkness of their room
the children are crying, frightened by the
voices, SO changed by passion that they
do not recognize them.
The blacksmith stops, and looking at
his wife: "Ah! you wrote him to come
back? Very we'll let him go to bed; to-
morrow will see what is to be done;'
On the morrow Christian, awakening
from a heavy sleep, full of nightmares
| and causeless terrors, finds himself in the
room that had been his in childhood.
The sun is shining warmly and brightly
through the loaded, diamoned-shaped
panes, over which a hop-viHe makes a
yerdant network; below the hammer
sounds on an anvil.
The mother is at his bedside; in fact,
so much did she fear her husbands anger
that she had not left her son during the
night. Lory has not slept, either; till
morning he wandered through the house,
weeping, signing, opening and shutting
the clothes presses. Now he grayely en-
tiers his sons room. He is dressed as for
q journey, with high leggings, a broad
hat, and heavy IRON bound stick; he
goes directly to the bed.
"Come, get up
Christian, somewhat confused, is about
i to mt on his uniform emo. not that ;,