Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-03-07
EFrom the French of AIphonse Daudetl
THE ZOU AV +.

The tall blacksmith, Lory, of Sainte-
II arie- aux Mines, was anything but
sa tisfied that evening.
Usually, as soon as the fire in the
forge was extinguished at sunset, he
sea ted himself on bench in front of his
door to enjoy that thorough lassitude
Igp arted by heavy work and the heat of
the day, and, before Diminishing his APP
prem tices, drank with them long draughts
OF cool beer as he watched the workmen
3eavIEg the manufactures. But that
evening the good man remained In his
forge up to the moment of sitting down
at table, and even then quilted it as if
with regret. Nine. Lory thought, as
she looked at her husband:
What has happened to him? Per-
maps he has received from the regiment
some bad news, which he does not wish
to tell me? Perhaps oar oldest son is
iti2''
But she was afraid to ask any ques-
tons, and simply busted herself with
keep ing quiet three fiaxen- haired young
sters, tanned to, the hue Of ripe wheat
ears, who were laughing around the
board, as they ate excellent black radish
salad dressed with cream.
At last the blacksmith pushed away
his plate IN anger.
@sAhl the beggara, the dogsl'' he cried.
@sWho, Lory?" asked his wife.
he burst out with:
mean five or six wretches In the
uniform of French soldiers, who have
been seen, ever since morning, roaming
about the town, locked arms with the
BaVarians! They are more OF those rem
egades who haye-how do they express
It2-decided to accept the nationality of
Prussia; and to think that every day we
see these false Alsatians returning!
What have they given them to drink ?''
The wife strove to defend them.
. Ny poor man, she said, So it is not
altogether their fault. That African
Algeria, to which they were sent, is SO
far away They get homesick there,
and the temptation to return and be free
rs too strong for them. F"
Lory struck the table fercely with his
fist.
.'Stop, mother!'' exclaimed he.
q You women don't know anything about
it, By dint Of living always with and
only for your children, you get as child
ish as they are. Well, say to you that
those men are beggars, renegades, the
most cowardly of towards, and that if,
unfortunately, our Christian should
prove capable of such an infamy, as
1fEulY as that my name is George Lory
a2d that [ served seven years In the
caasseurs of France, I would run him
through the body with my sabre"
And, terrible III his Indignation, half
rising, the blacksmith pointed to his
long chasseur blade hanging against the
wall under the portrait of his son, the
portrait of ZouaYe painted in Africa;
but the sight of that frank countenance,
all bronzed and tanned by the sun, amid
Che whiteness and obscurity which were
bright colors Ii the daylight, suddenly
Gained him, and he burst out laughing.
g What fool I am" said he, 90 to let
nay anger thus get the better of me; as
If our Christian could think of becom-
ing a Prussian-he who killed so many
Prussians during the war;"
Restored to good humor by this idea
the good man finished his dinner gayly,
and Immediately afterward went to drink
3 couple of glasses of beer at the 'sVille
de Strasbourg."
Madame Lory was now alone. After
having put to bed her threefaxen-haired
youngsters, whom she heard cooling in
the adjoining chamber, like a nest of
birds going to sleep, she took her work
and began sewing before the door, on the
side of the gardens. From time to time
she sighed and thought:
8 Yes, yes; they are towards, rene
-gades. But, no matter, their mothers
are very glad to see them again!"
She recalled the time when her son,
before his departure for the army, had
been there at the same hour in the eve
ming preparing to look after the little
garden. She glanced at the well where
ne used to come to fill his watering
pots, in his blouse, and with his long
hair-his beautiful hair, which wa cut
off when he became zouave.
Suddenly she gave start. The little
back gate, thai which gave access to the
fields, was open. The dogs had not
bs-rked; nevertheless the person who had
Just entered crept along the walls like
robber, gliding stealthily between the
hee-hives.
How are you, mother!