The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-12-14
LOST HIS BEARD.

You want an anecdote of our troop,
monsieur? Well, you shall have one.
You may take it that we were picked
men. There was but one youngster
among US, and to us old mustaches his
beardless face seemed strange All, he
was handsome, with the beauty du di-
able, fairly tall and very slim. He had
caustic tongue, and nothing pleased him
better than to use it on us, his comrades,
in such manner that we feared him
and left him to himself How it was we
could not tell. but Leon st. Paul carried
everything before him. Did one Of us
offer attention to pretty grisette mere
ly pour passer le temps, Leon would cut
him out and cover him in his retreat
with confusion. This, in truth, was bad
enough when the intent was merely to
amuse oneself, but, sacre, it is hard to
bear when a man was in earnest, as
poor Cambert was with Nam selle Ma
RE Emmanuel, the vivandiere.
"A good creature, that Marie. We
were devoted to her to a man, but she
reserved her smiles for Leon, and, if
must say what think, the inmost re-
cesses Of her heart for monsieur le doc
teur.
"Poor Mariel M. vendome thought
nothing of her.
"Cambert hated Leon and would Of
ten say while stroking his thick, black
beard: This young cockerel crows too
loud, messieurs. We must cut his comb
for him.
There are plenty of Prussian combs
for cutting, Corporal Cambert, our SER
geant would reply. Let us carve them,
my friend, before we practice on each
other. Who knows?' he added thought
fully on one occasion. The time may
come when we shall none of us have
the heart for growing
'Ah, we'll, the campaign was in its
infancy then, and France, like bride
who decks herself for her nuptials, had
gone out to espouse the god of war, lit
tie dreaming what the children Of her
marriage bed would be. But to my
story, monsieur. 1t was the eve of
Gravelotte, and Cambert, moody as
usual, came across Leon trifiing with
Marie, the vivandiere. He found her
smiling into the youths handsome
beardless face, and in a burst of sar-
casm unusual with him-for monsieur
will understand that he had no great
command of language except for ours
ing-he said to her, Nam selle Marie
Emmanuel, if you would have us con-
tinue to be your slaves, at least give us
man for rival
''Leon's face turned scarlet Man or
boy he answered, I will wager my
silver rosary, blessed by the holy ia
ther himself against that beard of
yours, of which you think SO much,
that I ride before you into the fight
when next we charge the Prussians
Agreedr replied Cambert lightly.
Have the goodness to accept my assur-
ance mademoiselle, that 1 shall present
you with silver rosary in a little
time.
Marie shall have the rosary, but
she shall also have your beard to stuff
a pillow for her favorite poodle, an
swered Leon, and then, looking daggers
at each other, they parted.
''The morrow was the day of Grave
lotte, and we heard that we were to
charge the blue tunics and drive them
out of the plantation of hop vines be-
hind which they lay concealed.
All, this is work for men, grunted
Cambert, as he looked to the left, on
which side rode Leon, with myself next
in line.
"'Look to your beard, Cambert, an
swered Leon, laughing scornfully. 'You
will never carry it into another fight
''The word was given, and off we
went. Tell you about it? What shall I
say? Only that the air was thick with
a mist which smelled of sulphur and
that a swarm of bees from hell itself
seemed buzzing round our ears.
"Ping We were not half way across
the space which interviewed between
our starting point and those green rows
of hop vines, each one masking blue
coated Prussian. when 1 got It'll My
right arm was stung by one of those
bees and the bone shattered. transfer
red my saber to my left hand and let
my reins fall on the neck Of my gray
mare. On she went, her head down, her
neck stretched out, her nose to the
ground.
"'God of warl' said to myself. Had
it only been my left arm some Prussian
should pay for thisl was thinking Of
myself, of course, for it is not good or
agreeable to charge Prussians with one
arm useless, but saw what passed near
mel saw very we'll, though the gray
mist seemed turning red.
''Young Leon was the next. A bullet
struck him below the breast just above
the belt, little to the side-a disa-
greeable spot that Strike yourself with
your fist, monsieur, So just there, and
you will know what mean heard
him groan % Jesu' and saw him
throw out both his hands into the air.
Then knew what had happened.
'In another instant he would fall
backward over his horses launches
and lie on the ground with Prussian
bullet in his Intervals and his COM
rades' horses trampling the beauty in
trickling down on to my saddle, my
teeth gritting together and pretty
strong resolve in my soul to see some
Prussian fluid very soon.
Holy Virginp Jean Joseph Cam
bert's voice reached me through the
screaming and the kissing of the bull
let's. He was speaking grimly. 'Cour-
age, comrade, he said; You win your
wager, for you ride before me toward
the enemy's line. And, monsieur, it
was so Leon st. Paul had been caught
as he fell, and lay across the saddle of
his rival, supported by his left arm.
"What followed then? You must pic
ture it for yourself, for / cannot. Some
of us never reached the hop vines, some
never returned, but those who left us had
Prussian comrades on their journey to
the other world, be sure of that. All, ha,
on that journey good soldier of France
is comforted by the presence of detest-
ed Prussian, though in life no road is
broad enough for them to travel AMIGA
bly,.
"When it was over we returned, and
we three, Cambert, st. Paul and I, were
still together.
OamDSrI DOr0 OF. raul TO bn0 place
where M. Vendome and Marie Emman-
uel were at work. They were both COW
cred with blood and sweat. The surgeon
groaned as we brought the youth in, for,
as / have said, he loved St. Paul, but
Marie uttered cry which was hard on
Cambert and made him look more grim
than ever.
81 was in very great haste to part
company with my right arm, but stood
aside to give young Leon his chance. A
right arm is good friend and sticketh
closer than brother. But even the best