Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-10-25

a pain here" or 81 have a pain there
This was eXasperating, but to get
angry did me no good. l simply could
not continue to bear this burden on my
shoulders in honor of the king of the
Prussians, and at the end of the month,
as there was no prospect of the Hussars
returning, | determined to have an eX-
PLANTATION with my trumpeter, and get
rid of him as soon as possible.
One morning | entered his room I'M
eXpectedly and brusquely, and as he
commenced to make his usual COM
plants, said to him:
81 have pain in my toes, too, but
that does not prevent my getting up in
the morning. You have been sick, but
you are now fat and furnishing. You
look well, and | believe it would do you
no harm to return to your regiment.
If you like, / will write"
He would not let me finish, but said,
apparently moved:
"Monsieur Auburtin, | am glad to
see you. Your good wife has spoken
very highly Of you. BE seated, Mon
sieur Auburtin.'
"Thank you, Monsieur" / replied.
81 have come"
"Yes," said he, "you are brave man
and an honest man, who is not treated
according to his merits. | see books
and maps here" pointing to small
bookcase at the foot of the bed. "Gou
are student and a scholar. 1t is UNI
worthy to exile such a man and leave
him to languish in this miserable vii
lage. 1t is abominablen He seemed
indignant.
"You are very good, but | have
come
But sit down my dear Monsieur Au-
burtin, sit down by the fire; it is cold
to-day"
eyes, Monsieur" said l to him, sit
ting down, 'it is cold. | have
come"
'Listen, since we are here like old
friends, must ask you something"
Then l said impatiently: 81 wish also
to ask you something. 1 should like
to know when you are going away. |
am poor man with family, and you
know very well l cannot have you on
my back to support
"Just so. | have already had the
same idea We are in accord.n
This appeased me and | asked:
"When do you go? Would you like to
go by ambulance? The wagons will
pass tomorrow night, and-n
"No, if go by ambulance" said he
with look of apprehension, "they will
send me back to the regiment. If | go
to either France or Germany, | should
be deserter, and prefer to finish the
campaign TRANQUILITY in this village"
Now my anger choked me, and felt
myself growing pale with indignation.
He observed this without doubt, for he
said: "But will pay you. l will give
you two hundred francs per month for
my board and lodging"
"Where are the two hundred francs?'
81 have not them here, but | will ask
for them Immediately"
"Where? OF whom?"
"Of my banker Give me pen, ink,
and paper, and | will write at once"
"You take me for asimpleton, then?'
cried 1, raising my shoulders. 'Do
trumpeters have bankers?"
eff you," said he with grieved tone,
"take me for an ordinary trumpeter,
you are mistaken. | am a trumpeter,
it is true, but am landholder. | am
a good bourgeois of Saarbruck. 1 had
the pleasure of seeing you two years ago
at the springs at Risslingen. We have
dined at the same table d'hote more
than once at the hotel Grand-Cerf
Look at me, and see if you do not recog-
niZe me-"
What he said was true. / had spent
a season at Risslingen two years before
to cure a gastric trouble, but, neverthe.
less, l could not altogether recall his
face.
''Of course" he said, with my beard
and moustache / am not the same man
as when clear-shaven and dressed in
black with a white tie. All, the times
are much changedw
"And is this the way they treat a
good German citizen?"
"Mon Dieu! said he, sit is because
we have Prussian officers who do not
know who we are, and treat us like
raw recruits
But" replied 1, "instead of being 9
trunpeter, / would rather be a corpo
raj, sergeant or brigadier."
"Without doubt, my dear Monsieur
Auburtin, but it is necessary to pass al
examination, and unfortunately, have
no taste for military affairs. This is
the second time the same thing has
happened to me. In 1866, when [ was
just married, l was obliged to mount 8
horse, leave all behind me and report
in Bohemia Then / was trumpetel
as now, and l was very well off, for the
difficulties in Bohemia tie rminated
without us when we were halfway
there. We returned to our hearths il
triumph, and was able to take up my
business TRANQUILITY. But this time
when news came that it was necessary
to commence again, it did not give me
great pleasure, Monsieur Auburtin.
was growing stout, was 80 years and
s months of age, and l still had severa
months to serve, which had hoped tt
spend quietly at home. When the Or
der came to start for Rostadt, my trum
pet was on the bureau as simple orna
ment. The colonel and the captain
came to take command, and l had to
get thin and pass through fire ant
flames, and this is how the thing ends.
He looked SO sad that l pitied hin
and said: "You ought to have got sub
stitute."
"You know very well we do not have
them in my country. Everyone goes
to war. Perhaps" continued he, rails
ing his thumb, "on account of my cor
pulence 1 might have got a certificate
of disability, but l thought it would be
all over after the first battle. l was
wrong, aud if l were to do it over again