Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-27
TIE LAST LESSON.

provinces Of Aa51ce and Lorraine h2Te been
the subject Of strife between Franco and
Germany. As c-rly as the Third century tie
Al MANI Invaded AScce, and, after q long
war s1btu-c:e1 the Celtic inhabitants AID
filed up the region with German settlers,
who were called Ill Sassea. o: dTellers on
the E.ve- IL Fro-a this on the provinces have
changed masters frequently. Ii IG~l A.-ace,
then in TIE hands Of tie Germans, Louis
XIV seized Stras5u-S. its principal city: and
six eca years later to whole province came
under French authority by the treaty Of lsys-
wic.. A small part Of the province was
coded to Prussia in 1914, but the MAORI y CT
the Alzasiaas remained FgencAmea until as
r suit Of tho Franco py-ussi2n war. Alaace
was gwen up in 1871 TO tae German empire,
Of which it no forms part
Robert Louis Stevenson, in his finland
Voyage" speaking Of this same patriotism OF
tho Frcach country folk, which Daudet so
happily illustrates IN this Little story, says;
In what o.bcr country will you Tad pa
trio.ic d.tty bring all the world into the
street, and Odds: II hare watched for
esscr from Alsaco while sor1e one Was s!nc--
ing Les MalheurJ 10 l. France at a haptis-
nal rcr.y IN tho neichboraool Of Fontaine-
bleau 10 arose from the table and took bis son
esd, c,ose by whcre was standing. Listen,
listen, he said barring on the boys sdoul-
der, and remember this, my son. Little
after he went out into the garden suddenly,
and could he-r him sobbin2 in the dark
ress."
was very late in going to school that
morning, and | was afraid | should Get
rood scoldinS, because u. Harlcl had told US
that he was Go.n; to question Us il tho par
t.cip,cs, and didn't know the first word OF
them. For minute the idea came to me to
run awcy from school and enjoy myself in
tho fields.
The day was so warm and clearl You
could hear tic blackbrd whis.ling il the
ed~o Of tho v;ood, and IN the meadow behind
the saw mill tho Russians were ct their drill
All this VS. great deal moro attractive to
Ee tAan tho rule for participles, but had
tho strength to resist. and hurried along
toward the school.
As passed the town hall saw a crowd of
reoDle gathered around tho Little bulletin
board For two years it had been from this
little board that al our bad news had come;
nows OF battles lost, of acquisitions, of orders
fro.l tho government, and thought without
Stopping;
"N Int is roing TO happen nowf'
The, a. / WIGS running across the square,
his apprentice at his heels, reading the pos
to-, called after no;
Don't be In such n hurry, title one; you'll
get to your school soon cnouShl'
thought 10 was making fun OF me, and
when entered IL Hamel's lIttle courtyard
was 81 out of breath.
Usual Y. when school bean, there was
such q hubbu that you coul1 hear it in tic
street; the opening and shutting CT desks.
everybody studying their lessons out load,
stopping their cars with their fingers SO th@t
they might learn tho better, and then tho
masters great ruler that raped on the desk;
"A little less noise''
was counting on all this confusion to get
to ray bench without being noticed; but on
this particular day, everything was es still
as If it had been q Sunday morning.
Throu~h tho opcn window | could SEQ my
co@l1caocs al in their places, and II.
Iumcl walking Up and down with tho terri
bio iron cd Cd ruler under his crin. | had
to opcl tho door end go in. in the midst of
this r-oforad stillacss. You may imagine
il Llusicd, and was a:raiIi
Well then, no. VI. Halncl looked ct me
without any anger at all, and said gently;
'Go to your place quickly, my little
Fr2atz; We were gong to begin without
you"
stradded tho bench and settled myself
at fay desk rs quickly as | could. Then, q
little recovered from my fright, noticed
for tie first time that our master had on his
bcautj.al green frocl coat an his plated
shirt frill, and his embroidered skull cap OF
bllc,; six that lie wore only on exhibition
dars, or when he rave ont tho prizes And
tic others. toe; every one of them seemed to
have something unusual or solemn about
item. But what surprised me most of all
was to see at the hack of the room, n tho
benches that were usually empty, the men
Of to village sitting as silent as we we're:
old IiauScr. with his three cornered hat, the
white haired mayer, the old nota Y, ana many
others. Everybody was sad; rnd Hauser
had brought an Old primer. with the corners
all ciewcd, which he held wido open on his
knees, with his big spectacles lying across
the pages.
While l was wondering at all this NJ
Eamel had ta,.ca his place in his chair, and,
in the sane gentle, grave voice with which
he led spo,scn to ne, NO said to us:
10y children, it is tho last tinc nat shall
tea YOU. Tho order has come FROM Deriin
that only German shall DO laugh; in the
schools OF AlSace and Lorraine Tho new
master comes tomorrow. Today will be
your last lesson in French. beg you to be
very attentive"
The words set my heart to humping. All,
tho wrctcAcsi this WAS Shat they had posted
at tho iowa hail
Ny last lesson in Trench
And | who hcrt.v knew how TO writei
shoull never le.rn rowi | must break of
where was tIow loascd for the timc
had los, fortae days had played truant to
hunt for I,lri's nests, Sr ssilde on tho river
Saar. ny books that just now ha | found
50 GvA, SO heavy to carry, my Dible history,
scsN-lcl to re old friends whom SHOULD be
sorry to part with. 1t was the same with NJ.
la -.cL Tue taoacb that he was going away,
t,l2. sloGll never zee him any moro, made
me for e; the punishrIents and the slaps Of
tho ruler. Poor mani
1t was in honor of this last lesson that he
had put on his Ganday clothes, and now | I'M
derssood why the old men Of the village had
come TO st ct the hack Of inc room it seemed
to say that tacy were sorry they had rot
come ofscaer to the school 1t was too, a
way OF thanking our master for his forty
years of faithful ser, ices aid of showing their
love FOR tie fatherland which was slipping
away from US
was deep il my thoughts when suddenly
l hcaru INV name called Il was n,J turn TO
rccitc. What wouldn't have given to be
able TO say. clear to the end. tia. famous rule
of partciples, very loud, very clear. without
single fault but stumbled at the first
vor~s. and stood there beside my bench,
swayin- back and forth, my heart swelling.
without daring TO raise my head heard
IL Ha,ncl speaking TO me
Il will rot scold you. my little Fran.z" he
said; this should be punishment enough. It
is always Ike this Each day we say to our
selves, 'Pshawl | have plenty of time. |
viii learn Tomorrow. And now you see
wat has ccne-ah. that has been the great
misfortune of our Alsace: always putting OF
her education until tomorrow. Now these
men have the right TO say to US: How is
this. You pretend to 10 French. and you
can neither specS ror write your larSuaSei
You ere rot the most TO blame, my poor
Fr1ntz. We all have much TO reproach our
sclvcs for
Your fathers and mothers haven't given
o2oSsl Gt:cnsioa 10 your education. They
L1o better to send you to wor.: in the fields
or to hc.?tSe spinners, because it brinrs in
few sous rao:o And |. have no fault to
find with myselfi low often have | sent
You to water my garden instead OF making
you sudyi And when | wanted To go trout
fishi,~ how i.,,ns.ienr have he.ar 70 "a, "A