The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-03-24


peace, and which shall also be the epoch OF
solemn reconciliation bet ween all the States |
of the great European family, the Senate de-
crees Nopoleon Bonapsrte has forfeited me
throne; the right of eucoessicn 10 abolished
in his family; the people and the army are
released from the oath of allegiance TO him"
He had scarcely begun to read Then l
thought "If that goes on they will tear
down mp shop over my head"
In my fright, even sent Safel out hastily
by the back door. But it all happened VERY very
veterans despieed the Senate /; they shrugged
their shoulders, and the one who read the de-
cree shifted at it, and threw it under Ia the
the Senate A set of hangers on, set OF
sycophants that the Emperor has bribed. right
and left, to keep saying to him-'Go@ bless
"Yes, major" said another "but they
ought to be kicked out all the saIne.'
"Bah 1t is not worth the trouble" replied
the sergeantmajor 90 fortnight hence, when
the Emperor is master again, they will come
and lick his boots. Such men are necessary
| in dyDasty--men who lick your boots-lt has
paid thirty or forty thousand francs year.
| They will come back, and be quiet, and the
Emperor will pardon them, especially aimee
| he cannot hnd others noble enough to hll their
places"
Aud as they all went away after emptying
their glasses, l thanked heaven for having
| given them such confidence the Emperor.
This onfdence lasted till about the eleventh
! or twelfth of April, when some officers, sent
| by the general commanding the fourth mill.
| tsry division, carie TO cay mat the garrison OF
:reof, rtze;f tire Srtstfte and -felle~ed-its
orders.
This was terrible blow for veterans.
| We saw, thai evening by our sergeants lace;
that il Was death blow TO him. He looked
| ten years Older, and you would have Wept
| merely to see his face. Up TO that time he
had kept saying IAN these deorees, all these
| psoards are acts of treason The Emperor is
down yonder with his army, all the while, anc
we are here to support him. DON'T fear,
| Father Moses ~
| But since the arrival of the officers from
Metz, he had lost his confidence. He came
| into our room without speaking, and stood
up, very pale, looking at ue.
| has been kind to He gave Us his fresh
meat all through the blockade he loved our
little David he fondlea him On his knees. He
| loves Esdras too. He is good, brave man,
| and here he is, so wretched II
! 1 wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he
had friends, that we all loved him, that we
change his employ ment yes, l thought OF al
this, but as looked ct him his grief seemed
so terrible that could not say a word.
| He took two three turns and stopped
again. then suddenly went out. His sorrow
| was too great, ne would not even speak of it,
| At length, on the sixteenth of April, an
armistice concluded for bCcying the dead
The bridge of the C srmar Gate was lowered,
and large nrmbers OF people went out and
stayed still evening, to dig the ground a little
with their spades, and try to bring back
sick, we stayed at home.
That evening two new ficers from Metz,
sent as ENJOYS, csmein ct night as the bridges
were being raised They galloped along the
street tC the mead quarters. l saw them pass.
The arrival OF :neee officers greatly excited
the hopes and feors of every, one; important
measures ere expected, and all hight long
we head the sergeant walk to and fro IN his
room, get up, talking confuse'ly to himself.
The poor man felt shat dreadful blow was
coming and he had not minutes rest
Leard him iamentiEG, and his s'ghs KEEP me
, | from sleeping.
The next morning at zen the assembly was
, beat. The governor and tho membera OF the
conncil of defence went, IN full dross, TO the
infantry quarters
Every body in tie city was at the windows
, Onr sergeant went down, and followed l. III
|, II Is few ulInItes The street was thrruged
VIA Faafale.- -'Esr--+e-a'r-~ Trough -tht
crowd; everybody kept his place IN Il, trying
q When l came in front of the barracks, the
= companies bad just formed in a circle the
3 the quarter masters in the midst were reaG n
in oud voice the order of the day 1t was
0 | the abdicatioa of the Emperor. the andne
}, of the recruits Of 1913 aod 1914 the recoEri.
e tion Of Louis XVIII tho order to eeS mp tbs
e white flag AID change the cockadc!
d Not murmur was card from the ranks
g all was quiet terrible, frightful! Tnose ole
5 soldiers their teeth set, their moustachet
shaking, their browS scOwling tiercely, pre-
r. qnarter-masteFs stopping nuw-and then as !
s choking the stait-ofiicers of the place, at
s. distance unier the arch, enller, with thei
g. eyes on the ground the eager attention OF al
that crowd of meR, women. and children
a through the whole length of tire street, lean
,e irg forward on tip-toe. with open mo tbs anc
N listening all this, Fritz, woaid hav
1 N sde you tremble.
a. WAS on cooper Sohweyers steps, where
AZ could every thing AID hear every word.
So long as the order of the day was reat
m nobody stirred but ut the command, IS Brea
a, ranksw o terrible cry from al dire'
,y tions; tumult confusion, fury burst forth 6
10 once.
If People did not know what they were doinl
The conscripts ran in files to the postern gate
the old soldiers stood moment, as if roote
r tore off his epaulettes, another dashed h
I :; musket with both han ds against the pavemen
az some officers doubled up their ssbres an
of swords, which snapped apart WIN CRASH.
rd form the ranks again, but nobody heard hin
as the new recruits were already in all the room
n- at the barracks, making up their bundles