Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-17

" ~, lt thti~ Pu INV
She made me another little courtesy, and
ran away, asst she thought she had already
detained me too long.
'What an absurd commission. - | SAID
within myself. rs eyed the basket with
some discomfort. The idea of making
me a messenger to carry love tokens But
these Ardennais peasants trouble them
selves little about the fitness of things.
At Liege hired a fly and drove up to
the barracks with my galettes and the va
riegated Easter egg reposing on the cuSh-
ion beside me. At the gateway found an
old Sergeant. gray-headed and grim.
smoking surrepttious pipe with an air
of fierce satisfaction.
''Can see a young soldier named Felix
Roussel. ofthe Fourth Company | asked,
putting my head from the window.
The old Sergeant Withdrew his his pipe
from his lips slowly, and shook his head.
The poor garcon is in hospital, he
said. You cannot see him without an
order from the Colonel. And As this i.
not visiting-dav. Won won't get one.
Deliberately aS he had withdrawn the
pipe from his lips he restored it. and
smoked on stolidlv. with Flemish phlcgm
sorey aggrayating to a quick tempera-
ment. Now. while it appeared to me per-
fectlv easy To see Felix Rou~Sel. | had not
cared much about my mission; in fact, the
affair had presented itself To me in a ri
diculous light. and had once or twice
felt tempted to give the fair Filine' ga
lettes To some hungry street dog. and pelt
him atterward with the Easter egg. But
10 difficulty springs up; a piece of mil
itary routine and stolid Flemish Sergeant
stand in my way. and Immediately my
spirit is reused. and feel bound in honor
10 overcome all obstacles. and deposit
Mademosele .Josephine's offering in the
hands of her eXpectant lover.
Where does the colonel live, my
friend %
The Sergeant did not trouble himself to
answer. Lifting one hand, he pointed to
a house near. and then, with extreme
slowness, he permitted his hand to sink
again into the pocket of his baggy trou>-
ers.
"You are Flemish, think o.
An almost imperceptble nod was the
only reply I received. His first speech
being long one. had evidently exhausted
him. Nevertheless, | was resolved to
make him talk.
what part of Flanders do you come
from friend Pr
He looked aggravated, yet with the
pipe between his teeth, he condescended
to say. Jabakkuk."
"Ah a delightful village - cried,
cheerfully. Il know it well. Smooth and
fiat as table. No nonsenscal trees and
rocks there to hinder tllage. No hills to
tire men and horses Not tree to be
seen, except a stray pollard willow, or
here and there "A straight line of poplars,
standing like soldiers at drill. And plen-
ty of fine wholesome water in the ditch
es.''
Was mistaken. or did CLEAN OF sat
isfactiOn shoot from those small boiled.
blue eyes? Yes, and the pipe comes ont
of the mouth now
ia ia! Jabakuk is fine place."
What corn exclaimed
.'What grass - said the Sergeant.
''What horses thick as elephants |
continued.
what tobacco All =
you are right. What splendid land
for tobacco
"And himmel. what beer" said the
Sergeant
"Petermann and Faro | cried.
Come and have Il glass now
The Sergeant was won. He came he
drank, he thawed he condescended to in
itiate me into certain military rules and
ceremonies, which satisfactorily fulfilled,
| might pierce the sealed doors of the
hospital, and see Felix Roussel
Enough that | Got safely through them
all L., Al.
himself into long and exquisitey-clean
ward, lined on either side by white beds.
To my surprise, he passed silently through
this; as ! glanced at each sickly face,
thinking first this, then that was Felix
Roussel, and coming at last to a small door
at the end, he opened it softly. LAYING at
the same time his finger on his lips, and
whispering. in a strange voice, "IIush :"
The door was shut again Immediately.
and to my intense astonishment found
myself in darkness.
This is the blind ward" whispered the
Sergeant as ] stood silent, cropping willis
my hands, and wondering where was.
The stiffness of the room was so intense
that the sound of his voice seemed unnat-
ural, and the echo of our own steps grated
harshly on my ear.
In moment or two my eyes got accus-
toned to the obscurty, and | perceived
the darkness was not 30 great rs | had
imagined. And | now saw dimlv many
a weary figure living or sitting listlesS.
with brooding head, and hands clasped
idly on the knees. Some were in bed
with faces hidden on the pillow. as though
even the scanty light admitted here was
too great pain for the vexed ewes to bear.
1t struck me at first as cruel to place these
melancholy patients together in their dis
NAL darkness but then, if their aillction
obliged them to shut out the sunshine. il
was easy to comprehend why the hospital
authorities had assembled them in one
ward.
Scarcely figure stirred at our entrance
the pltiiul patience of blindness seemed
to weigh down every head in hopeless
apathy. Through the long length of the
dismal room, the Flemish Sergeant led me
silently, till we reached bed on which "A
young man sat i'll AN attitude Of patient
WEAKNESS. His ewes were brndared by a
thick handkerchief, leaving visible only
his pale, haggard cheeks and bearded
mouth. One hand, white and thin with
long sickness and unrest. Law on the unil