The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-01-03


charming inn as it had been once upon q
time-gay, noisy, lively, full of travellers,
postillions, and pretty maid-servants.
Louis the Fifteenth went there with
Madame de Pompadour, and planted the
tree which served as the inns sign. Since
then many other lovers had written their
names on its bark, while they drank the lit
tie wine of the country in lis shade.
Then one day silence had suddenly sue
ceeded to noise. travellers and postillions had
ceased coming, and the pretty maid-servants
themselves had fed away, leaving the inn
empty and deserted.
The Prussians were coming.
These latter had, of course, burnt up the
doors and the furniture, broken the win
dows, stolen the old kitchen clock, and
smashed in the roof On the day on which
we encamped there, there remained of La
Belle-Epine only some blaekened walls, be-
hind which one coud just find shelter from
the shells which the Commune was sending
out from Villejuif and Hautes-Bruyeres.
Before us the road to Italy stretched out
indefinitely, white, dusty, flooded with sun
light. The orders were TO let no one from
Paris pass, and they were easy TO carry out
Not cart, not man, not dog broke the
gloom of the landscape. Now and then
little white cloud rose above the paving
stones. On looking closer you saw that 1t
was another projectile that had just burst.
Only the day before we had had wonderful
luck; a woman selling potatoes had tried TO
pass with her cart; rs she appeared to be a
SUSPICIOUS character, she was ordered to turn
back. She refused, and in short, was ar
rested and sent to the General. This i'm
| poItant event had certainly occupied 10
-bny n dtStractinn
but to-day no woman selling potatoes ap-
peared on the horizon.
Aud nv companions were in q dreadful
temper. The Captain had just learned that
the trousers that had accompanied him
through the entire campaign of the Army of
the Loire were not eternal, and showed their
age by large opening in the portion which
| touches the saddle 1t was / who had tImidly
pointed this out TO him, and greatly feared
| the consequences of my perspicuity. The
| Lieutenant, who had expected TO be married
| early in the Spring. was wondering whether
the power5 that be intended to keep him
bachelor much longer, and also overwhelm
him with colds in the head, dne TO sleeping
in the open air. To amuse himself, he was
whistlng little air between his teeth, very
much out of tune. There was also Second
Lieutenant, but he never said word he
contented himself with smoking, and with
blowing great clouds from his pipe at even
intervals Did he think about anything?-
don't know, but this mute smoking gave
him an appearance of great profundity. If
!, you spoke to him, he fixed you with a round,
| impassive eye. You thought he was about
to answer-twoor three puffs of smoke issued
! from his mouth, and that was all-he grayely
| continued TO smoke.
These were the agreeable persons with
| whom the Commune forced me to spend my
| existence. On my way home from Ger
many, where / had been prisoner for five
| months, j had, all through the journey,
| dreamed of Paris as one dreams of the
| promised land, and ] had barely arrived
when / was obliged to fight against the city
| which epitOmlzed all the memories and all
the joys of my youth. My thoughts were
| becoming gloomy. / reflected that / was
ridiculous, and to cheer me up went and
tried to read the German verses written on
| the tombstone of Prussan officer killed at
Cheyilly and buried behind the inn. j had
! already deciphered the first line, Ade, tietc
Bruder, Farewell, beloved Brother" when
i was interrupted in my task by my three
companions cries OF astonishment.
There was black dot on the horizon to-
ward Paris, a large black dot, advancing tran
gully through the little white clouds have