The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-18

| the German, therefore we Uera r,aa,ino
almost every day regiments and battai-
ions on the road &c. Paris. The country,
| as is most European nations. il divided
un into large estates. The hnnses he
| longing to them were seldom in anv way
| injured. AS we drove along one day,
we met party of German g. icers in a
carriage; they had just paid a visit to a
! chateau whose top was visible through
the trees. Our German trends. 1t was
likewise apparent, had visited the wine
| cellar of the same
Upon learning that we had inst come
| from the INSIDE of Paris, they were de-
| lighted to see US, having heard thew said
| that the people inside Paris we're eating
rats Being advised by them to make
call to the chateau, we decided to do
| SO.
cannot say that we were received
| with any great show of hospitality. but
upon informing the person in Charge
that we were Americans and English,
| that we would OF course pay for any
| thing done or furnished, everything be-
| ing satisfactorily arranged. the keeper
| took us on tour through the place.
| This place had most decidedly been in
| the hands of the Vandals, for what had
| once been beautiful country seat was
1 now a wreck.
The rooms and general interior of the
! house had been shockingly abused. The
| pictures had been
PR1CKED WITH THE BAYONET;
chairs, tables, in fact all that pertains
to the interior decorations of a fine place
had been, it would seem, destroyed for
the pleasure Of it. In the billiard room,
the billiard balls had been used to break
the large plate glass mirrors which are
on cnponoop in Frap oh bonsac
| 1t was constant source of wonder
with us all the way thar the owners of
| these places had left them. There seemed
| to be always the same answer "eOne to
Paris" and while focking in behind the
walls OF that doomed city they had left
| the comfort and safety of their country
house to the idle traveller.
| A few days more of unevenJful Journey
| ing passed when, one of the horses show
| ing signs Of sickness, we were again
| obliged to look for some good place to
| pass few days in. This we found in
what was evidently the shooting box Of
| some French "sweIl.n The house was
low two story French Chatellet, very
handsomely furnished inside. 1t stood
| some distance back from the highway
| which divided the estate and stood in
| the midst of quite forest. The keeper
| proved TO be surly fellow, for when we
| requested permission to remain few
| days, he at once refused, saying "no
| Prussians should remain under his
| masters roof" However when we told
him that everything should be paid for,
the change that came over our man was
| like the sun breaking through the
darkest clouds. Mighty is the power Of
gold; your request for shelter for man
| or beast the world over is met with
scorn until you jingle few pieces of
gold, then to the earth goes the head
while the closed door is thrown wide
open.
The horses being unhitched we were
| about to put them up when our atten-
| ton was aroused by the tramp, tramp of
many feet. Has the reader ever expert
enced the sensation, while in the coun-
| try, with none of the sounds that arise
| from city to disturb the air, of sud
denly being made aware of the approach
of large numbers of men under com
mand? No one is seen, aud no sound is
heard save the steady and even cadence
of the dull
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP.
1t somehow conveys to the senses feel
ing that tremendous power is approach
ing. which like whirlwind, if let loose,
| would sweep down all before it.
Instinctively we all turned, and going
| to the entrance of the driveway looked
| up the road. The sound came nearer and
nearer, then around bend of the road
appeared the spiked helmets of the Ger
man soldiers. On they came and passed,
rank after rank. No sign of any kind
| came from this armed host, no laughter,
or whistle of the light hearted soldier
OH whose banner victory had perched,
nothing but the silent passing of mass
| of dark blue and red. Some hours later
an "Uhlan" came up the road, and stop
ping to inquire the way, he informed US
| that the silent men who had passed
earlier were part of the Landwehr. /"
The German army, roughly speaking,
| is divided into four divisions. The re-
| cruit first enters into the active service,
and all must do so, high or low. In this
| he remains three years, unless he he a
lone year soldier" THAT is one who for
certain reasons and the payment of a
certain sum of money and his own ex-
| penses serves but one year)l He then goes
being in the first reserve, and is obliged
to do certain duty every year. After
| stated perod he passes into the second
reserve, or "Landwehr." He is then
| again classed, and passes into the Land
| Sturn," where he remains subject to call
in case of war until some fifty odd years
| of age. Therefore when the "IIand-
wehr" is called upon the reader will I'M
| derstand the ranks are filled by men
| who have arrived at that time of life
when all the responsibilities of the head
of the family are pom them.
Thus it was not surprising that the
silent brigade, as we called them, were
heavy of heart and limb leaving behind
as they had wives. children, professional
and business interests of all Kinds. At
ter little chat with the "Uhlann the
keeper and his family seemed to wish
to do for us all in their power, and GER
tain1y Madam the head game keeper"
ooked we'll, while the keeper duly sup
piled our table with game from the es-
tate and wine from out of his master s
cellar.
Our route led us through Epernay and
Rheims, cities in the heart of the Cham
payne district. While passing through
this part of France we came in view Of
the famous vineyards where the we'll
known brand of Veuve Cliquot cham
payne is made. 1t is the very ideal of
what one always in a poetical sense
fancies vineyard to be. The Chateau
stands upon the top of hill whose sides
are terraced all the way up with vines.
From the lodge at the entrance the