The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-04-27
NEWBERRY S. O. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 1881.

! were too many voices there that
didn't speak. Alas ! what shall l
do now?'
HiS question was answered for
bin. Napoleon had determined,
in his old age, that he must fight
the Germans, and the king had
made his call for troops. Will
helm was sure be loved bis Va
derland,' and so was ready to leave
the sleepy old village, but not
without sadness, for he had been
so long in the locality that it
was not surprising he had learned
to love it.
There followed swift marching,
comtortIess camping and a good
deal of very hard fighting. Be-
ing big and strong and brave, and
every day growing more and
more intelligent, Wilhelm himself
won gIory-tbat is, three or four
slight wounds, a medal, promo
ton, the compliments of his COM
manding officer and the envy Of
his comrades. The war was brief,
and before a great while he found
himself his owu master again,
though still within the scope and
control of army regulations, for
no German Of Wilhelm's age is
ever beyond them, and he said to
himself:
well, I loved the army. l know
I could love glory with all my
heart. think it must have been
growing a good deal during the
war. There is more room in it
than I knew of, and yet is always
full. l will 90 and take look at
the old village, and the house and
the shop, and will listen to see if
I can hear Christine's voice if |
DONE hear her, what then ? Well,
I think [ will Just ask my heart
about it,
All this time old Hans Hofer-
dahl had known very little Of
what had taken place in the viii
lage they had left behind them.
They had written home to their
old neighbors, but very little in
formation had come back to
them. They had heard Of old
Ecsburger's death, and Of Will
helms enlistment in the war, and
that was nearly all. Hans had
not landed on the shores of the
new world pauper, and tried to
settle down as man of property
and substance, and be happy.
If poor old Ecsburger were
with me- be said to Christine,
4 would be so happy
Christine said very little, but
her bright American home be-
came dreary enough at times,
when she shut her eyes and let
her thoughts 60 back to the old
sleepy village. She listened very
silently when her father said:
L believe Wilhelu behaved
himself we'll in the army. There's
good blood in the Ecsburgers, and
Wilhelm is fine boy
He must be man by this
time,' said Christine. And then
she thought what a very tall, fine
looking man he must be, and how
well be would appear in his uni
form.
But when after a while there
was news ofpeace, and they heard
that the army was going home to
be disbanded, old Hans Hoferdahl
grew strangely thoughtful, and
Christine tried in vain to arouse
him. One autumn morning be
said to her:
All the other soldiers are going
home. 1 think it is pretty near
time for me to 60 too
TO Germany, ,father?' exclaimed
Christine, with a sudden light in
her eyes.
No. solemnly replied the old
man !; Germany is not the only
fatherland. I am a very old SOL
der, and think this is my last
campaign.'
Christine understood him then.
A few weeks later she found her.
self sitting alone IN the house.
while the chilly wind that whistled
past the windows was freighted
with the first white harbingers OF
the winter. To her it seemed a
cold, forlorn and empty sort OF a