Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-01
THE LAST LESSON.


Germany. As early as the Third century the
Alamanni invaded Alsace, and, after long
war subjugated the Celtic inhabitants and
filed up the region with German settlers
who were called III Sassen, or dwellers on
the River ILL., From this on the provinces have
changed masters frequently. In 1851 Alsace
then in the hands of the Germans, Louis
XIV seized Strasburg. its principal city; and
sixteen years later the whole province came
under French authority by the treaty of Rys
wick. A small part of the province was
coded to PRUSSIA in 1914, but the majority OF
the Alsatians remained Frenchmen until as
a result Of the Franco Prussian war, Alsace
was givenup in 1871 TO the German empire,
OF which it now forms part.
Robert Louis Stevenson, in his "1nland
Voyage speaking Of this same patriotism Of
the French country folk, which Daudet 50
happily illustrates in this little story, says:
"In what other country will you find pa
triotio dirty bring all the world into the
streetp and adds; II have watched for
ester from Alsace while some one was sing
ing Les Malheurs de Ia France at a baptis-
NAL party in the neighborhood Of Fontaine-
bleau. He arose from the table and took his son
4
listen, he said, bearing on the boys Shout
der, and remember this, my SON. A little
after he went out into the garden suddenly,
and could hear him sobbing in the dark
ness
was very late in going TO school that
morning, and | was afraid | should get a
good scolding, because NJ. Hamel had told us
that he was going 70 question US il the par
ticiples, and didn't know the first wori Of
them. For minute the idea came 20 mo to
run away from school and enjoy myself in
the fields
The day was so warm and ciearl You
could hear the hlackbird whissl,ng IN the
edge Of the wood, and IN the meadow behind
the saw mill the Prussians were at their drill.
All this was a great deal more attractive to
me than the rule for participlcs but had
the strength to resist, and hurried along
toward the school,
As passed the town hall saw G crowd Of
people gathered around the little bulletin
board. For two years it had been from this
little board that all our bad news had come;
news Of battles lost, Of acquisitions. OF orders
from the government, and thought without
stopping:
w hat Is going to happen nowf
Then, as | was running across the square,
Wachter, the blacksmith, who was there, with
his apprentice at his heels, reading the pos
ter, called after me:
Don't be in such a hurry, little one; you'll
get to your school soon enoughr'
/ thought he was making fun Of me, and
when entered H. Hamel's little courtyard /
was all out Of breath.
Usual y, when school began, there was
such hubbu3 that you could hear it in TIE
street; the opening and shutting Of desks.
everybody studying their lessons out loud,
stopping their ears with their fingers so that
they might learn the better, and then the
masters great ruler that raped on the desk:
"a little less noise!n
was counting on all this confusion to get
to my bench without being noticed; but on
this particular day. everything was as still
as If it had been a Sunday morning.
Through the open window / could see my
all in their places, and NJ.
Hamel walking up and down with the terri
bic iron edged ruler under his arm had
to open the door and 60 in, in the midst OF
this profound Stiffness You may imagine
II blushed, and was afraid
Well then, no. NJ Hamel looked at me
without any anger at all, and said gently:
Go to your place quickly, my little
Frantz; we were going to begin without
you.n
straddled the bench and settled myself
at my desk as quickly as | could. Then, a
little recovered from my fright noticed
for the first time that our master had on his
beautiful green frock coat and his plated
shirt frill, and his embroidered skull cap Of
black silk that he wore only on exhibition
days, or when he gave out the prizes. And
The others, toe; every one of them seemed TO
have something unusual or solemn about
them. But what surprised me most of all
was to see at the back of the room. on the
benches that were usually empty, the men
Of the village sitting as silent as we were:
old Hauser, with his three cornered hat the
white haired mayor, the old notary, and many
others Everybody was sad; and Hauser
had brought an old primer. with the corners
Ill chewed, which he held wide open on his
Snees, with his big spectacles lying across
he pages.
While | was wondering at all this NJ
Hamel had taken his place in his chair and,
N the same gentle, grave voice with which
le had spoken to me, he said to US:
Ny children, it is the last time that shall
each you. The order has come from Berlin
hat only German shall be taught in the
chools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new
master comes tomorrow. Today will be
FOUR last lesson in French. beg you to be
-ery attentive
The words set my heart to humping All,
he wretchesl this was what they had posted
1t the town hall
My last lesson in Frenchl
And who hardly knew how to writel
hould never learn nowl / must break off
where was. How longed for the time
rad lost, for the days had played truant to
lunt for birds nests, or to slide on the river
Saar Ny books that just now hal found
o dull, so heavy to carry, my Bible history,
eemed to me old friends whom should be
orry to part with. 1t was the same with NJ.
1amel. The thought that he was going away,
hat l shoGld never see him any more, made |
re forget the punishments and the slaps of
he ruler Poor mani
1t was in honor Of this last lesson that he
lad put on his Sunday clothes, and now I'M
erstood why the old men of the village had
ONE to sit at the back of the room. 1t seemed
o say that they were sorry they had not
ONE oftener to the school 1t was, too. a