The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-10-02

k'SN'-NNtFN'A
burgers had been careful, saving and
close-monthed race for generations.
And when the sales had all been com
pleted and the transfers duly made, and
Conrad stood in the moonlight one fine
spring evening and gazed at the home
that was no longer his he said to himself:
{" think | could almost break nv heart
now, after all, for | did love that house
and loved the shop. but could not STAY
there with the empty places. There were
too many voices there that did not speak
That was it. But what shall do now -
Conrad'S question was answered for
him by the great French Emperor and bv
the King; for NAPOLEON had determined
that he must fight ,he 1ermans, and 50
great many quiet people had to march
away from their somes to be shot at
without the wisest man in the village be-
ING able to give them a good reason.
1t was sad thiag to many, but Con
rad Milhnrgerfelt s.r if he was almost glad
10 90. lie was suf he loved his " vader-
land > in every ho'>'- Of his BODY, and if
the King called him he was ready. Still
as they marched away from the sleepy
village, Conrad said to himself:
There are the old house, and the shop.
And the church stocple. and the trees, and
fhc graves in the ch1rchyard I did not
Nnow my heart was 50 big, for I'm sure
love about everything | see"
lie c9ul! not see anything very clearly
Just thcn, however, for bis eyes were
strangely dim No doubt the sun was
N them, and the CLINT and glitter Of the
hay0netS, but If any one had looked in
the young mans face he might have said:
8 1t is very thoughtful face, and there
are lines Of strength beginning to show
in it,
And then there followed swift march
ing, comtortlcSS camping. all kinds of Sc
we're and trying soldier work ana good
deal of very hard fighting Whatever
the newspapers and reports might say
about it, Conrad Midhurgcr and his com
rades learned that tie Frenclmen were
brave fellows, and that the glory Of beat
lng them VAS never Very cheaply won.
Being big and strong and brave, a good
! Sword>man, and oTcrg day growing more
anu more intelligent, Conrad himself won
siory--;hat is, three or four Slight
wounds, a medal, promotion from the
/ ranks. til" compliments Of his command
inc officer and the envy Of his comrades.
Bein4 man If property, Of respect
able parcnt1gc, of fair education, Conrad
/ might have looked forward 10 almost any
thing attainabe in the German army by
a man Of less than noble blood. il the war
/ had not been 50 very brief and if the corps
to which he belonged had not been among
/ the first to be ordered home. Before
/ great while he found himself almost his
own master again, though still within the
scope and control OF army regulations, for
no German Of Conrad'S age is ever beyond
! them. and he said to himself: :" W ell, /
I love the army; | almost loved fighting.
/ | know | could love glory with all my
heart know am ten times as much a
soldier as that little White-moustachel ape
/ 3t :. baron Chat commanded mv company
I That is il. ! think | could love a coun
/ try where there were no barons. Let me
see think my heart must have been
growing a good deal during this war
! There is more room in it than knew Of,
anl vet il is always full | think there
! are some things in it that | never saw
there in the old times. | will 90 and
take look at the village first, and the
! the house, and the shop, and ] will listen
/ AGAIN - see If | can hear Christine call
! Ter father home to dinner Then If |
1 don't hear her, what then Well, |
think will Just ask my heart about it. ,
Now all this time old Franz IToterdahl
and his daughter had known very little
uf what had taken place i'll the village
they left behind them. They had found
heir pilgrimage long and weary enough
and they had 70 nd resting place at
last, and they had written home to their
4 old neighboIs, as all Germans do, but
very little information had come back to
them. They knew that old Gottlieb
Midburger was dead. and that Conrad
had given up the home and the shop, and
that he had gone to the great war with
the French, and that was nearly all.
Franz IEoferdahl had not landed on the
shores Of the new world pauper in any
thin- but youth and strength, and he
found friends readily enough to take the
place of the old ones as far as might be,
and. after he had got over his first daze
I and bcwilderment, and became somewhat
accustomed to the racking changes in all
his habits and ways of life, he tried to
settle down as a man Of property and sub
tance, and be happy.
{" Ii only old Gottlicb Midburger were
here with me-" he said to Christine,
think could do it. Iwould give good
deal lust to see the old fellow lay down his
pipe and look into dirty watch"
Christine said very little, but her bright
American home became drcary enough at
times. when she shut her eyes and lei her
thouehts 90 back to the Old sleepy Ger
man village She read all the accounts
of the great war, too, wondering il any Of
her old neighbors had been in this battle
or that. and she listened very silently
when her father said:
"If Conrad Midburger was in any of
that fighting, I'll be bound he behaved
himself we'll There's good blood in the
Midburgers, and Conrad is fine boy"
He must be man by this time," said
/ Christine.
And then she thought what very tall
tine-looking man he must be, and how well
he would appear in his uniform.
But when, after awhile, there was news
of peace. and they heard that the army
was going home to be disbanded, old
Franz Hoterdahl grew strangely thought
ful, and Christine tried all in vain to
arouse him, to amuse him, until, one au-
tumn morning, he said to her:
"All the other old soldiers are going
home think it is pretty near time for
me to go, too"