Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-21
NO. $50.
Gales ano Skettbes.
A DEADLY FEUD: ArALE FROM FRANCE.
BY RuDoLPH LINDAU.

|
| When the lecture was over, the Colonel
liked to have talk with the Professor
oieen asking for explanation of some OBJ
scure point. The Professor would offer it
with a pleasant smile, and with an air of
innocent gentle pride. Now and then the
Colonel would quote some Latin sentence,
in order to show that he, too, was not de-
licient in classical knowledge "Alea jac-
tas est, '''Dulce est pro patria mori." I'm
vino veritas," and other sayings of that
sort. On such occasions the learned Pro-
iessor was wont to look little embarrassed,
though he smiled approvingly, and he
would change the conversation. But when
the old soldier spoke of his campaigns, the
| Professor, in his turn, would listen for
hours. and put encouraging questions, 80
as to induce the narrator to continue his
story.
The friendship of these two old gentle
| men had become proverbial. The Profess
sors daughters we're perhaps the only
beings who did not look upon it favorably.
They complained OF the fearful profanity
of tie Colonel's speech. and of his poisor-
ing the whole house with that horrible
short pipe of his, which he smoked indis-
criminately in every room OF the house.
But papa approves of everything the Col
onel does, they said. LET us hope that
he will have no cause to repent some day."
This remark was not quite correct, how
ever Their father was far from approving
entirely the views and the mode of life of
his friend. The Professor was an earnest
Catholic, and, like most members Of the
upper classes in the South. staunch Leg
itimist. Coste, on the other hand, pos
! sessed an inexhaustible stock of rather
scandalous stories, in which priests monks
and nuns were not always mentioned with
the respect that TissOn thouhgt due to
them. In politics he was liberal, inclin-
ing toward Republicanism. Tisson would
sometimes call Coste .Charras," and the
Colonel would retortby ..Polignac." Their
discussions, which were long and frequent
were generally brought to close by one
of them reminding the other that the time
for rubber or game of golf was come.
! Then the excited countenance of his oppo-
nent would at once assume calm ex-
preston both would take their hats and
sticks, and walk to the club or to the
Links" chatting cheerfully by the way,
as if nothing had ever disturbed the per-
feet harmony of their intercourse,
The terrible year-l'annee terlible-of
1901 put an end to these discussions be-
tween the two friends. Both were true
patriots, and in their grief for France they
forgot all differences of opinion. Both
| blamed the Emperor and the Empress, the
Ministers and the Generals with same sew
Gritty. They believed with the same im-
plicit confidence all the stories which were
told OF the heroism of the French soldiers
and the barbarity of the Germans. They
felt the same Indignation toward Russia.
which did not hide its sympathy for the
enemy; the same disdain of the English,
"that nation of shopkeepers, who had for
gotten Sebastopol; the same contempt for
those ''ungrateful" Italians, who aban-
doned their old ally in her distress. and
they shed tears together when the news
of Sedan reached Montpelier.
About this time peculiar kind of fever
ish. nervous excitement had taken possess
sion of TIE whole French nation. Our two
friends did not escape the contagion.
The cheerful equanimity of former years
was gone. They never touched card,
and dust gathered on their golf clubs and
balls lying unheeded in the hall. They
read the papers with passionate eagerness;
they made stragetical plans, and discussed
them as earnestly as if armies had been
Ut tHtlT tiltN HOpcu dStIHsb
hope they believed that the fortune of
war would take another turn they never
despaired. for it seemed to them simply
impossible that France, their proud,
mighty, beautiful country, could succumb
in war with any nation-and they
telt almost crushed when the dreadful
truth at last dawned upon them. when
| they knew that the power of France was
| ,1..1 80
dust ut the mercy Of the conqueror.
! Coste and Tisson spent day after day
together, silent and mournful feeling that
| their common sorrow had drawn them
even more closely together than the peace
full happiness of former years. But as, in
spite Of their advanced age, they had
preserved Il good deal of that livliness and
elasticity of mind which characterizes the
| inhabitants of Southern France, they shook
Off after time, that dull oppressive sense
of gloom. Nervous irritability and great
bitterness of feeling remained, however,
and showed themselves in frequent and
violent explosions of anger against the
supposed authors of the great national
misfortune.
| Then the papers brought the news that
revolution had broken out in Paris, and
|
of government. At first the two friends
heard these reports almost with indiffer-
ence The wounds inflicted by the for
eign foe were still so fresh that they were
unable, so to speak, to feel any new pain.
But soon the civil war compelled their
attention. 1t became the principal theme
of conversation. The interest in the
struggle for the possession of Paris, where
Frenchmen fought Frenchmen, soon alb
sorbed every other feeling.
1t was on the Sd of jane, 1871. The
day had been hot and sultry. Dark
thunder-clouds had gathered. and threat
ened a storm at every moment. The air
was heavy.
The Professor was pacing up and down
the dining-room in an agitated manner,
waiting for the Colonel to sit down to
dinner At last Coste arrived half an hour
after the usual time. He held some halt
opened, crumpled newspapers in his hand,