Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-16

on duty, but were returning from d
visit TO q sick comrade when the mes
senger of death came.
The wounded man was brought up
the steps into the room which we had
just quilted. The surgeon was sent for,
but before he came the poor fellow had
drawn his knees up almost to his chin.
family uttered the one word "Bruder
(brother), and then Strengthened out
dead.
That was all A dead soldier. ''Take
this man to his quarters, said our
friend, who was officer of the night,
land report to me in writing all the
particulars in an hour. Stop breath!
Let us see who he was"
And with a certain reverence he
loosened the dead soldiers coat and
found the little pad. attached to a
string. which every German soldier in
front Of Paris wore. On this pad were
the soldiers name, his corps, his reGl-
ment, his number and his age: There
were no unknown" burials in the Prus-
sian army.
We leaned over the small pad, eX-
aiming it curiously, az 1t was the first
one we had seen. II will take it for
you" said our huge friend, suddenly
swapping the string. "You know there
is a superstition that any object taken
from the body of man just Killed Will
preserve the wearer from all harm.
You may need it tomorrow as you ride
along the 'fre-line,'" he added, with
melancholy smile.
He carefully copied the dead sol
dier's name and address in his notebook
put it in my pocket, and the body was
borne away.
On the next day, December "a, we
journey swiftly along the frozen roads
to Chelles, crossed the Wurtemburgers'
war bridge" over the Marine I'M
der a storm of shell, and galloped
through MalnOue, where the blood
stained straw which had served the
the ground We climbed the heights of
Bondy Saint Leger, and there halted for
a few moments among the brOWn-faced
Pomeranians, looking out across the eX-
panse to where the twin towers of Notre
Dame stood out boldly III gray, Delea-
guered old Paris.
Then we spurred on to Versailles, past
many trains of sick and wounded. past
parks of artillery held in reserve for the
final bombardment, past foraglng Uhla-
men, who had fat chickens and geese
tied to their saddle-bows, and who were
to headquarters as the shadows OF
Christmas eve We're beginning to close
over the noble park and palaces.
At our old quarters my companion and
myself were equally delighted to find the
doctor-he who knew Sanscrit and Amer
lean politics-aWaiting us.
Don't dismount," he cried, "but push
on to Vile d'Avray and the Park of st.
Cloud. You are to have dinner with us
in our burrow, and after dinner Fritz
will distribute gifts from his Christmas
tree. Ach Colt! a noble tree it is truly"
Three-quarters of an hour later we
were at the burrow. The baron and the
doctor had a nominal residence in villa
near by, where Fritz had been detailed
to attend to their wants. But their real
abode was in the cave, or trench, which
extended for a quarter of mile along
the avenue where Napoleon the Great
and Napoleon the Little have both prom
enaded in their turn. The villa! They
could easily have died, but never have
lived in it, for the French put an average
of i've shells daily through its roof or
windows.
On every hand was evidence that the
Germans were prepared to stand a siege,
as well as to engage in one. The beau
tiful old trees had been felled so as ab-
sOlutely to prevent the progress OF a
charging column. Vines and fences had
been employed in strengthening the laby-
rinth. which not even a cat could nave
penetrated. There were barbados at
every angle, and batteries on every
height.
We came upon row of great guns
marked Spandau, 1868; then on mot
tied fence and imprOyised stable with
bomb-proof roof, and finally reached
door of woven green bOughS-the faith
full frs, brought from the far away Ger
man land. Beside this door stood our
humble but valued friend Fritz, the good
old Landwehrsman, with mis- fiat cap
drawn down over his ears and his long
Overcoat falling to his heels, and a glow
from his huge porcelain pipe irradiat-
ing his honest features.
We gave our weary horses to another
stout soldier, whose cap, Oyercoat and
pipe were exactly like those of Fritz,
and soon were all seated in a comfOrta-
bic underground room, in the center of
which the baron, the doctor and Fritz
gamboled about lovely Christmas tree,
which, like thousands of Others had
been brought from Germany that the
liebesgaben (the love gifts sent to the
poor soldiers by their wives and children,
might hang upon them on the holy
Christmas eve.
1t would take volumes to tell you
what we said and did, ate and drank,
smoked and played on that Christmas
evening under fire. Was it really under
fire? Indeed it was: the French gun
ners, who knew the Importance the Ger
mans attach to Christmas, kept up rat
tattoo on the roofs of our trenches that
night, | can tell you!
After dinner and colossal bowl of
punch the soldiers from the post filed i'll
one by one and received their liebes-
gaben from the tree. Fritz officiated as
Santa Claus, aided by the doctor. What
joy, what innocent pleasure at the gifts
and news from home! 'There are 1000
children belonging to our regiment over
yonder-in Germany" he said to me in
the interval Of shouting out names.
Seven thousand! But / have neither
chick nor child. No! | have only my
brother left. And he is a soldier like me-
But he is younger. Yes-my younger
brother-a good carl he is. He sent me
d present for this Christmas eve. He
sent it from Montmorency; l hung it on
the tree, and presently l will call my
own name, NIGHT war?
Honest Fritz. his face beaming with
love and joy! l can see him now.
"Montmorency ] said, incautious-
". Il saw a poor fellow who was killed
by shell there yesterday"
'So?" said Fritz, with a culver in his
voice. Then, with professional manner,
What corps?''
''The Fourth Prussian See, here is his
regimental number and name Perhaps
Won or yOur brother NAV haya known