Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-13
THE LAST CLASS.

us OF the participates, and l dId not know
the first word about them. For &. moment tn.
idea came to me Of absenting myself from
class and taking nay way across the fields.
The weather was so warm, SO inviting
One heard the blacBbirdS twittering in The
borders of the woods, and In the Rpper1
meadows the rrussians were practicing some
military r,aneuvers. All that attracted me
more than the rules for participates; but had
the strength TO resist, and | ran very quickly
toward the school.
Ia passing before the town hall. l saw some
persons standing before the bill board. Since
two years it is from this bill board we have
learned all the bad news, the battles lost, the
taxes lsvied the orders for enlistment, and
thought: What can 1t be this timef'
Then I crossed the place still running, the
blacksmith Wachter, who was there with
his apprentice reading the notice, called out
to me:
lyon need not hurry SC fast, little one
you viii get there soon enough, to your
school"
believed he was making sport of me, and
/ entered the front yard of NJ Hamels almost
brsathless
Ordinarily at the commencement Of the
class a great noise was made, that ons heard
even in the street the desks opened, closed
the lessons repeated out loud ell together,
while the ears were muff3ed with the hands
the better to learn and the heavy ruler Of the
master striking ca the table.
Be more auiett"
| counted on all this noise and disturbance
10 reach ny desk unseen, but just THIS morn
ing everything WIS as quiet as a Sunday
morning. BY The open window [ saw my
comrades ranged already ia their places, and
NJ Hamel, who passed and repassed with the
terrible iron ruler under bis arm. 1t was
necessary 30 open the door ana enter in the
midst Of the great calm You think ! biushed
and was afraid
Eli. hien, no NJ Hamei looked at me
without anger, and said very gently: ''Go
quickly to your place, my little Frantz; we
were about to commence without you"
I hurried to my place and seated myself at
once behind nay desk Then, only little re-
covered from my fright, | noticed that our
master had on hiss beautiful green redingote,
his fine tucked shirt, his embroidered cap of
black SAX, that be put on only for great days
of inspection Or distribution of prizes
Over all the school there was something
extraordinary and solemn But what sur
3rised me more was to see at the end of
the hall en- the benches that.were usually
empty, the people Of the village seated and
silent as were we. There was the old Hanser
with bis three coznered hat, the mayor of the
village, the old postInaR and several others.
Every ons appeared sad; old Hansen had
brolaS,ht spelling book well worn with hard
nsuage He held it open on his knees, with
his large sYectncles placed across the pages.
While | was noticing all this NJ Hanel
mounted tho platform, and in the same sweet
and grave voice with which he had received
me, said:
MY children, It is the last time VIII hear
YOU recits. The order hes como from Berlin
to tsanh only German in the schools Of Alsacs
and Lorraine. The new master comes to-
morrow. Today Is your last French lesson. /
pray you be very attentive"
Such wortls as these overwhelmed me- All
the unfortunate peopiei that was what they
read IN the uotice en- the town hall NV last
lesson In French, and ] hardly knew how to
write; would never learn, must stop there
How | would wish for the lost time now,
bunting birds nests and skating on the Saar.
Ny b0oirs, that ha,2 always before found so
tiresome, 50 heavy, my grammar, my sacred
history, seemed TO me now like old friends
and it would give me pain to say good by to
them As to n HeIlel, the niea that he was
going away that | world never see him
again, made me forget all his punishments,
al the blows of his iron ruler.
Poor old mani
IL was III honor of that class that he had
put On bis fine Sunday garments and now /
knew why ali the old people of the village
had come and seased themselves on theschool
benches This act seemed 10 say they re-
GREETED mos having come oftener 10 the
school. II wac also their manner of thanking
the master for his forty years of good service,
and 81 rendering duty to their loved couu-
ty-theirs no lonserl
was In the midst of these reflections when
heard my name called. IL was my turn "a
racite. What would | not have given 70
have been able 10 give entire that famous
rule for the partioiples, loud, clear and with
out mistakel But | became mixed with the
very first words. | remained standing, lean
ing against NV bench, my henri swelling
with shame, without daring to RAISE my
head | hesrd NJ Aamel. who spoke to me
say:
Il will not sold YOU, nav little Frantn; you
are punished enough. | know how ii is.
Every day one says 20 himself: Bah hs We
plenty OF iIe. | viii learn tomorrow and
then yoa see what happensi
'Ahi that has been the great misfortune of
our Alsace, always putting Off its instruction,
until to-niarrov. Now these people have the
right to say to Us: How is it, you pretend
to be French, and neither know how to speak
nor to write your langusgef In any case, my
poor Frantz, IL Is not you alone who IL guilty:
we all have much ior which To reprosch our
selves
Your parents have not cared enough about
your studies. They preferred to send you to
work in the fields or factories that they might
have little more money. And l. have
nothing for which 70 reprcach mvselfi Have
not often sent VOC 10 wafer my flowers in
saesd OF seudyi3g And when | wished 10
30 trout fishing have l not gwen you holi-
iAyf
Then. from one thing 30 another, II. Hamel
began to speak OF tie French language. say
ing 1t was the most beautiful in toe world.
the most clear, the -scst Selid. that we must
keep IL among Us AMI never forget it, because
-hen --r,.,-r g.,
long as they Retain their own lsnsuar. II ia
as If they held tie key Of their prison. Their
he took a grammar and read us the lesson
1t was astonishing how understood it. All
he read seemed &c NE clear and easy be
lieve, indeed, asd never listened 80 CLOSELY
and that be had never used 50 much pa
Gence In his explanations One would have
said thai before going away TIE poor man
wished to give as all his knowledge And
make il sptsr our beads at q single blow.