The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-08-23
Madame Savage.

Ni NioOoIIiO OoC'Vo
When the war broke out, the son OF
Savage, who was then 93 years old, en-
listed, leaving bis mother totally alone.
Folks did not. however, pity the old wo-
man much because she had money
everybody knew that!
So she remained alone in her isolated
house, so far IRON the village at the edge
Of the forest. But sue was not in the
least afraid, being of the same stock as
the men of the couutry-a hardy old
woman, tall and gaunt, who seldom
laughed, and whom nobody presumed to
trihe with. Indeed, the country women
there do not laugh much. Laughing
is well enough for the menl The minds
of those women are melancholy and mar
row, for their lives are dismal and sci.
dom lightened by an hour of joy. The
peasant husband OF son learns something
of noisy gaity in the tavern; but their
helpmates and mothers remain serious
with yisages perpetually austere. The
muscles Of their faces bave never acqnir-
ed the movements of laughter.
Old Mother Snuyoge continued her
ordinary mode of life in her cabin, which
was soon coyered with snow. Once a
week she used to come to the city 10
buy little bread and meat, after which
she would return to her dwelling. As
there was q good deal of talk about
wolves, she never went out without O
gun slung at her back-the sons gun, a
rusty weapon whose butt was quite worn
awav by the mere rubbing of horny
hands against it, and it was really curl
Gus TO watch the tall old woman, little
stopped by age, sriding leisurely through
the snow. with the barrel of the gun
sticking up above the black covering
which surrounded her head and confined
those white tresses which nobody had
ever seen.
One day the Prussiaus came. They
were quartered upon the inhabitants OF
the place, according TO the fortunes and
resources Of each family. The old wo.
man had TO receive four, because she
was known to be rich.
These were four big lads with fair
flesh, fair boards and blue eyes-who
had remained stout in spite of all the
fatieues they had endured, and who
seemed TO be right good fellows, although
conquerers in conquered country.
Finding themselves alone with the old
woman they took pains to show her all
possible consideration, and did all in
heir power to gave her trouble and ex.
peEse. They could be seen every morn
ing, all four together, making their toilet
at the well, in their shirt sleeves; pour.
ing the cold water over that fair, rosy,
northern Il -sh of theirs even on the days
when it was showing most heavily
while Mother Savage went to and fro,
preparing the soup for them. Then
they could be seen cleaning up the
kitchen, washing the windows, chopping
the Eood. peeling the potatoes, washing
the linen, in short doing nll the house.
work, jrst like four good SOUS might do
for their mother.
But she, the old woman. was ever
thinking of her own son-her tall giant
boy, with his hooked nose and brown
eyes. and thick moustache that seemed
to cover bis lip with veritable rad of
black hair. And every day she used to
ask each of the four soldiers quartered
in her home do you know where that
French regiment is-the Twenty-ThiId
of the line? My SOL s in that"
They would reply, rs well as they
could: "Nein! don know-don' know
nodings." Aud comprehending her
pain and anxieties, these young men,
who had mothers living far away in Ger
many, paid her thousand delicate little
attentions. She liked them veil enough
too-tbess four enemies Of hers; for
peasants DO not feel patriotic bate; such
feelings ouly belong to the upper classes
The humble folk-those who pay the
most just because they are poor, and
who are being perpetually weighed down
hV ltnr !. 81,
cred wholesale. WHO form the veritable
food for powder. because they are the
majority; III Sc, in fine. who suffer most
airociouoly from the miseries of war, be-
cause they are the weakest aud the least
aggressiye-such folk do not at all un-
derstand what war enthusiasm is, nor
touchy points of military honor, aud
still less those pretended political com
binations which exhaust two nations in
six months, the victor as well as the van
qui he'd.
People in that part of the country used
always TO say when speaking of Mother
Sauvage's Germans:
There's four fellows who've found a
snug berth"
Well, one morning while Mother Sau-
wage was all alone at home, she caught
sight of a man, quite far of on the plain
Fastening toward her dwelling. He soou
came near enough for her to recognize
him; it was the country postman. He
handed her a sheet OF folded paper; and
she took her glasses, which she always
wore when sewing, out of an old spec.
tacle case-ctsei and read as follows:
MADAME SALVAGE; This will tell yo- a
san piece oi news. Your boy Victor was
kill yesterday by round shot. which
lItt ralA cut him IN two. was close To
uim At the tine; for my place was al ways
next to him il the company; 4 il Uas
orly Il ~ very day lha; hr WIS mlking
- me atnnt you. so that / ennli let on
know il anything should happen him.
took his watch ont of his pocket to
bring 1t 10 you when the war is over.
CEsAIBE RIvoT.
PTiv0te second class in the Twenty Third