Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-30
Il-rHe FRENCH AT wAR.

il--THe FRENCH At WAR.
Interesting Information About tho Army
and Its Members from the Highest "a
the Lowest Rank.
Jacques Bonhomme does not love his
army as John Bull loves his.
John gives ovations to his soldiers,
showers decorations on their heads when
they return home from a little expedi-
ton that will enable him to publish n
new map with one moro little corner
marked in red; but IL he goes to pub
lie place of entertainment, and meets q
soldier In uniform there, away l,c hur-
ries, cxclaiming: "This place is not re.
spectacle; soldiers are admittedl" In
the singular the warrior loses all his
prestige.
Very different are the feelings Of
Jacques towards his army. He loves it
in tho singular because lbs boy belongs
to IL (every Frenchman has to serve In
tho army. In the plural, however, it
represents authority, and he is well aware
that the army Is ready for use as police
force In case he should ever be tempted
to make his voice heard too loudly in de-
manding reform. This Is why French
soldiers In their different garrison towns
live lifc apart. They do not mig with
the people, and have to put up with
Coventry"
Tho French army is viewed through
many spectacles. The Conservatives see
In 1t tho preservers Of order; the Radi-
Gals a danger TO the liberties of the ma
ton; the League Of the Patriots call IL
the hope of France. To tho French Mary
Jane 1t is the repository Of tender senti-
ments; to the tradesman of the garrison
town, source Of income. Ball giving
ladies like it because it provides them
with dancers who are as ornamental as
useful, though the officers uniform is no
longer the gorgeous dress it was in my
time, when lieutenant's full uniform
cost from n half TO n whole years pay.
French girls have deep conviction that
no man can make love like young lieu
tenant; but papa was always apt to
frown on him, knowing that this Romeo
had generally more gold on his shoulders
than in his waistcoat pocket, and that,
according to the army regulations, no
officer might marry lady with less than
10000 francs dot.
But hero comes the regiment. Let us
open the window and have n look at She
"Children Of France" as Beranger called
them.
In front march the sapeurs, with their
long, bushy boards covering their chests
Look at one and you will see them all
ca, oil al, t,l h. al, Il 80. 81
one from another is proof Of marvel.
Gus perspicacity. Under the empire the
sapcurs used to march with large white
leather aprons covering their chest and
legs, hatchets over their shoulders and
huge BUSHES ON their heads; and they
formed an Imposing looking body. The
aprons are now done away with, but the
hatchcts are retained Most of the off
cers' ordetlies were taken from this part
of the ~ ,ncnt, and it was pleasant
sight to c' % these good fellows,
who are Ia g IDLE aged, fatherly
looking men, with las apron on, leading
about the children of some married Off
Ger. who made uso of him as a dry
nurse mot SO dry either, for we still say
in France ito drink like a sapeur').
These big, kind. bearded nurses have
always been favorites with their little
charges, and are great at telling stories,
long stories, ending in the heroine's
marrying general. The Office of the
sapeurs being TO precede the regiment
and clear away all obstacles that could
impede its march. the hatchet was ori-
ginally very important part of their
But in these days virgin
forests are not plentiful in Europe, the
high roads are excellent. and the colonel
prefers to use them: so that now the
chief utility of the formidable tool is to
chop wood to make the pot boil.
Next come the drummers and buglers.
How martial they look with their heads
high, every head turned to the right and
every bugIe parallel, making the air re-
SOUND with their fanfares! They are
very popular with the soldiers. Ii is the
buglers who, with their stirring notes,
cheor the men when they show signs of
Tagging on long, weary march. /
have seen them Mt the foot of steep hill,
tired, perhaps, with hours of slarching.
Sound the charge" says the colonel,
and Immediately, as if by magic, the
limp legs and backs straighten, and the
column of men step out bravely, singing
to the notes of the bugle:
nya Ia goutte boire Ia haut,
lyala goutte boire.
The summit of the hill reached, the
goutte is dispensed by the Cantiniere, and
generally takes the form of small glass
of brandy, which in time of peace has to
be paid for at the rate Of a penny the
glass. The bugler has no need to pull
out his purse: every trooper is ready to
treat him. Those of the men who nave
seen active service can never forget how
those same notes that have just cheered
them up the hill nerved them when they
had to charge the enemy, and know that
in many n terrible battle, when the enc
my's guns did their deadly work too well,
one or two surviving buglers have brave
ly cheered on the diminished ranks to
the last, and perhaps turned the fortune
of battle.
Next to the buglers comes the band.
The appearance of the bandsmen is not
particularly martiaE the uniform is a
little bit neglige. We are in tho pres
encc of artistes now.
Why the trombone should be the old
est member of the band | have never
been able todiscover; but it is fact Hlat
he is, nine times out of ten, gray head
ed, spectacled man, with grave expres-
sion and three stripes on his sleeves. He
feels the weight of his responsibility. 1t
is all very well for the clarionet to take
life lightly; if he playsa note little fiat,
II passes in the general hum of the music
withoutany disastrous consequences; but
a wrong note from the trombone is awful
to think of! So he looks neither to right
nor left, and never loses sight of his ma