Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-29
The StOryot a French Lieutenant.

In 1905 OIV1of + OnCa1n6 was I6uCoQ-
ant in a light infantry regiment stationed
at Mates. He belonged to an old
Toulous family His mother, to whom
he was devoted, had educated him in the
most orthodox fashion. He fulfilled his
religious duties in the regiment as re-
gularly as though he had been tied to
her apron string. The Bishop of Mates,
who, in his youth, had been a cavalry
officer, used to say that Lieutenant
Fontaine would have made better
Bishop than himself He was a good
amiable companion, as well as a loyal,
active and dutiful soldier. He was
idolized by all his fellow officers but one
Lieutenant Trouillefou, who owed his
commission to the revolution of 1S49.
Trouillefou was perfect type of vulgar
ity and ignorance, and a declared enemy
of all that was noble, delicate and re-
fined. He continually boosted of a slight
wound received in a fight at the bar
ricade. In his eyes there was no glory
beyond the gained in the revolutionary
wars. Like most ignorant men,
Trouilefou wanted to pass as a learned
man. His historical plumbers were
without parallel. One day, while the
glories of the French army before the
ICNOlub1Un vi lou W0IG USllS lt1SCuSS6tl
group of officers seated at table of a
cafe, the name of Marshal de SAKE was
mentioned.
"What do you talk about ?" interrupt
ed Trouillefou; 'sthe Marshal de SAKE
was not before the revolution The
officers looked at each other In astonish-
ment. "Don't you know that he was
killed at Marengo?"
-o,oi:oJ l,,4 "a
Marengo the name of Marshal de SAKE
was pronounced Desaix."
From that day Trouillefou's hatred for
Fontaine increased. He never missed
an occasion to insult the religious feel
ings of his comrade. He called him a
canting priest, nun, and similar names
Fontaine for time bore good-naturedly
these idiosyncracies, but at last request
ed Trollillefou to stop them. Trouble
fou complied with the request, and
Fontaine, forgetful of his unpleasant re-
marks, treated him with cordiality. Two
months later several officers were gather
ed around a table in the same cafe.
One, recently returned from a trip to
Switzerland, and was speaking of Thor
waldsen's monument at the martyrs of
the Swiss revolution of 1772.
"Poor Swiss 70 exclaimed one of the
party. "Really they have always had
bad luck. Even in our revolution they
generally received our first blows -
cit is true" added Fontaine at is
also against them that, in 1868, the
Parisians, under the Duke de Guise,
constructed their first barbados. y
Lieutenant Fontaine had hardly ut
tered the word barrieades," when
Trouillefou, who was smoking at the
next table and apparently persuing a
newspaper, arose from his seat and
struck the speaker in the face There
was great excitement. Trou1llefou was
asked why he had struck his comrade.
With flushed face, bloodshot eyes and
foaming lips, he said: ''He has spoken
disrespectfully of barbados for the pur-
pose of again insulting me. Noone shall
insult me without a blow
Fontaine was as white as a sheet He
trembled. Two large tears stole down
his cheeks. He kept his eyes on Trouil-
lefou At his nonsensical remarks he
wiped them, covered his head with his
military cap, hurled at Trouillefou the
words, You are an ass and coward, :"
and left the coffee house. Comrades
offered to accompany him, but he de-
clined their offer He went to the
church of ST. Peter He walked straight
to the chapel of the Virgin, fell upon
his knees, and buried himself In prayer.
There he remained two hours. When
he left the church he was as calm as
though nothing had happened. Nearly
all the officers of the regiment offered
their services as seconds. He thanked
them, but declared that he had sought
advice from one "whose wisdom and
love Lad never deceived him." and that
he had irrevocably determined not to
challenge Trouillefou The officers
were astouDded. Some remarked that
military honor required that he should
fight He replied that christian honor
forbade it; that Jesus had set an ex-
ample of forgiveness that DO christian
ought to disregard. Warned by others
that he would pe suspected of cowardiee,
he answered that he believed he could
offer better evidence of his courage by
obeying God than by yielding to human
prejudice. If the army and the world
misjudged his motive, he did not care,
for God read his heart.
Although esteemed and loved by all
his comrades, Lieutenant FOntaine
could not convince them of the correct
ness of his views. His refusal TO fight
created such commotion In the regi-
ment that the Colonel deemed it prudent
to interfere. He summoned the officer
to his presence. Is it true,'' he asked,
that you have been slapped in the face
by Lieutenant Trouillefou ?"
eyes, Colonel, - he replied.
Have you asked for satisfaction 90
"No, Colonel"
"You must ask for it without further
delay" the Colonel said.
'I shall not, for three reasons" was