Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-11-26
JACQUES BONHONNE
By MAX ORELL, Author Of "JonathAp
and His Continent "John Bull
and HIS Iiland,- John Bali,
Daugh,srs,' Etc
n-rne FRENCH At WAR.

n-rH6 FRENCH At war.
In,srs.iine infssm.ils. Absa, the Ara,
..d a.. Member. frsm the Uishs., ..
the Is~~.t tl.nk.
Jacques nonhomme does not love his
army ~ John bull love. his.
John gives ovations 10 his soldiers,
shower. decoration. on their heads when
they return home from little eHpcdi-
tion that will enable him Ia publish a
new map with one more little corner
marked In rel. bat II be gus to a pub
lic place ~ entertainment. and meets a
soldier In uniform there. away he hur.
ncs. eNclaimingi This place u no, ~.
spectacle. soldiers are admittedl" In
the singular the warrior loses all his
prestige.
Very different are the feelings u
Jacques toward. his army. He loves u
In the singular because hi. boy bclongs
a. IL levcry frcnchman has 10 serve In
the armyl In the plural. however. it
represents authority. and be- l. well aware
that the army IL ready Tor use as a police
force IN casc be shouh ever b. tempted
to make hi. voice heard too loudly In de
manding a reform. This IL why French
soldiers In their different garrison towns
live life apart. They DO not mix with
the pcoplc. and have 10 put up with
Coventry
The French army IL viewed through
many spcctacles. The Conservative. see
In IL thc prcscrvers ~ order; the Radi.
Gals a danger to the liberties 81 the ma.
ton. the League of the Patriots call u
the hoyc of France To the French Mary
Jane Il i the repository - tender senti.
mcnts. to the tradesman ~ the garrison
town. a sourco ~ income. Hall giving
ladie. like u bccausc IL provides theul
with dancer. who are as ornamental ~
useful. though the officers uniform IL 40
longer the gurgcou. drcss IL was In my
time. when n licutenant'- full uniform
cat from half a. n whole years pay.
French girls have n deep conviction that
M man can make love like q Young lieu
tenant but papa was always apt to
frown on him. knowing that thi. Romeo
had generally more gold on his shoulders
than IN hi. waistcoat pocket. and that.
according q the army regulations. no
officer might marry lady with les. thar
Jl.Opp francs dot.
But here comes thc regiment. LIT us
open the window and have a look at the
Children ~ France. a. llcnngcr called
them
IN funi march the siP.urs. with their
long. bushy b-arls covering their chests.
Look az one and you will sco them all.
Sar-ur. are all alike. 10 h. able to tell
one from another - proof - marvel.
ous Ier-picacity. Under the umpire the
sapeurs uso,i to march with large white
leather aprons covering their chest and
legs. hatchct. over their shoulders and
huge bu.bics on their heads. and they
formed an imposing looking body. The
aprons are now done away with. bat the
hatchets are rctained. Most of the OH.
ccr.' orlerlic. wcrr taken from this part
of the regiment. aud u was pleasant
sight to scc one - these goOl fellows
who arc mostly middle aged, fatherly
looking men. with his apron on, leading
about the children of some married oiii.
Ger. who made use of him a. a dry
nur.e mot ~ dry either. for We still say
In France "to drink like a sap"ur
These big. Kind. BEARDED nur-e. have
always been fAyoriies with their little
charges, and are great at telling stories.
long stories. ending in the heroine's
marrying general The Office of the
apcur. being Ia procede the regimen,
and clear away all obstacles that could
impede IL. march. the hatchet was ori.
ginally very important part Of their
accouterment. Hut In these days virgin
forests arc no, plentiful In Europe. the
high roads are excellent. and the colonel
prefers To Use them: - that now tho
chief utility of the formidable tool is To
chop wood To make the lot boil.
Next come the drummers and buglers.
How martial they look with their heads
high. every head turned to the right and
every bugle parallel. making the air re-
sound with their fanfaresl They are
very popular with the soldiers. IL Is the
buglers who. with their stirring notes.
cheer the men when they show signs of
hagging ON a long, weary march. ]
have seen them at the foot % a astcephill,
tired. perhaps. with hours of marching.
Sound the charge" says the colonel,
and Immediately. A. u by magic. the
limp legs and backs stnighten, and the
column Of men step out brayely, singing
20 the notes Of the bugle;
nyAh go,Iiis q bolrc A.hauL
nyAA gOatte boir-.
The summit 81 the hill reached. the
goutte l. dispensed by the Cantiniere. and
generally takes the form Of small glass
Of brandy. which In time Of peace has "a
he paid for at the rate Of a penny the
glass. The bugler has no need to pull
out his purse: every trooper l. ready "a
trcat him. Those Of the men who have
seen active service can never forget how
those same notes that have just cheered
them up the hill neryed them when they
had 10 charge the enemy, aud know that
in many a terrible battle. when the enc
my's guns did their deadly work too WEI,
one or two surviving buglers have brave
ly checrcd on the diminished ranks "a
the last, and perhaps turned the fortune
Of hattie.
Next to the buglers comes the hand.
The appearance Of the bandsmen Il not
particularly martial: the uniform Il a
little biz neglige. We are in the pres
ence 81 artistes now.
Why the trombone should be the old
est member of the band have never
been able to discover; but II isa fact that
he l.. nine times out of ten, a gray head
ed. spcctacled man. with a grave expres-
sion and three stripes on his sleeves. III
feels the weight ~ his responsibility. II
IL all very well for the clarionet To take
life lightly; II he playsa note a little Hat
IL passes In the general hum Of the music
without any disastrous sconsequences; bat
a wrong note from the trombone Is ful
10 think OF! So he looks neither TO right
nor left. and never loses sight OF his una
jestic instrument. As n man who only
plays accomplishments, the trombone Il
modest, and seems TO apologize for th,
noise be makes.
The cornet plays solos. and the ap
plause he has won from the public In the
place d'armes has made him vain. Hold
ing his instrument IN the air. he l. NOT
only seen and heard. but can sec the e.
feet he produces. lie IL young and good
looking. waxes his mustache and IL a
perfect lady killer. Cornet players, like