Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-04-27

A
greasy cap, and there was great laughing
as the soldiers saw the children pass by.
In one corner was gardeners house,
casemated with the trunks Of trees, the
lower part of which was full OF soldiers,
who were playing cards and making soup
over clear. bright fire. How good the
cabbages and bacon smelt, and what
difference to the sharpshooters bivouac!
Up stairs were the officers, and they heard
them playing on the piano and opening
champagne bottles. When the Parisians
entered the room hurah Of joy greeted
them. They gave up their newspapers,
and the officers gave them something to
drink and made them talk. They all
had proud, hard look, but the large boy
amused them with his Partisan gayety
and grim slang. They laughed and
repeated the words after him, and seemed
to wallow with delight in the Partisan
mud he brought them.
Little Stenne, too, would liked to have
talked, to prove that he was not stupid,
but something embarrassed him. Oppo-
site to him, sitting apart, was Prus-
sian, older and more serious than the 9TH
ers, who was reading, or rather seemed
to read, for he never took his eyes of lit
tie Stenne, and there was in his eyes both
tenderness and reproach, as though this
man might have had a child of little
Stenne's age at home, and as if he were
SAYING to himself: II would rather die
than see my son doing such thing
and as he looked at little Stenne, the boy
felt as if hand were clutching at his
heart and keeping it from beating.-To
escape the anguish he began to drink,
and soon everything turned around him.
He heard vaguely amid loud laughs his
comrade making fun Of the National
Guards, of their way of going through
their drill, he initiated an assault Of arms
in the Marais. and a surprise at night on
the ramparts. Then the large boy low
cred his voice, the officers approached
nearer to him, and their faces grew more
solemn. The miserable fellow was tell
ing them about that nights premeditated
attack, Of which the sharp-shooters had
spoken. Then little Stenne rose, furious
and completely sobered: Don't tell that,
fellow, won't have you" But the 9TH
er laughed and continued; but before he
had finished, the officers were all on their
feet, and one Of them. showing the door
to the children, told them to ''Begone"
and they began to talk hurriedly together
in German. The large boy left the room
as proud as dog, clicking his money.
Little Stenne followed him, holding
down his head, and as he was passing the
Prussian whose look had so disturbed him,
he heard sad voice saying to him, mot
nice, that-not nice" and the tears came
to his eyes. Once more in the plain the
children began to run, and returned to-
wards Paris quickly. Their sacks were
full of potatoes which the Prussians had
given them, and with these they passed the
sharpshooters' encampment without any
trouble. They were preparing for the
night attack. Troops were arriving ST.
lently, and were massed behind the wall.
The old sergeant was there, busily engag-
ed arranging his men with such happy
look. When the children passed near
him he recognized them and smiled kind
ly on them. Oh! how badly that smile
made little Stenne feel. For a moment
he felt as if he should burst out crying
and say to them: Don't 60 there. =
= e We have betrayed you" But
the other boy told him if he spoke a
word they would be shot, and so fear
kept him silent.
At Courneve they entered an abandon
ed house to divide their money.-Truth
compels me to say the division was hon.
estly made, and when he heard the fine
crowns sounding under his blouse and
thought Of his future games Of galoche,
little Stenne felt his crime was not so
dreadful after all.
But when he was alone, the unhappy
child, when at the gates Of the city the
large boy left him, then his pockets grew
heavy and the hand that had been grasp
ing his heart held it tighter still. Paris
seemed no longer the same to him; the
passers by regarded him severely, as if
they knew from whence be had come,
and he heard the word "spy" in all the
sounds of the street, and in the beating
of the drums along the canal where the
troops were exercising. At last he reached
his home, and, glad to find that his father
had not yet come in, be hurried to his
| .nJh;d tka cro,vna that uere WEIGH.