The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-01-16
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

~--~ ~~---~
CHAPTER xI-continued.
She was at the door OF her motner
room, which was like an antique ehop
Old plates lay on top OF old tables
with vases on the floor under the
tables. Surrounded by her treasures,
Mrs. Galland awaited the attack; not
as a soldier awaits it, but as that ven
cradle Roman senator OF the story
faced the barbarous Gauls-nelther
disputing the power Of their spears
nor yielding the self-respect OF his own
mind and soul. She had lain down In
her wrapper for the night, and the
light from a single candle-she still
favored candles-revealed her features
calm and philosophical among the pill
lows. Yet the magic Of war, reaching
deep into hidden emotions, had her
also under its spell. Her voice was at
once more tender and vital.
Marta, / see that you are all on
wires!"
Eyes; jangling wires. every one,
jangling every second out OF tune
Marta acquiesced.
Marta, my father"-her father had
been a premier Of the Browns-"al
ways said that you may enjoy the lux
ury of fussing over little things, for
they don't count much one way or an
other; but about big things you must
never fuss or you will not be worthy
of big things. Marta, you cannot stoI
q railroad train with your hands. This
Is not the first war on earth and we
are not the first women who evel
thought that war was wrong. Eacf
of us has his work to do and you vii
have yours. 1t does no good to tire
yourself out and fly to pieces, even Il
you do know so much and have beer
around the world"
She smiled as q woman Of sixty
who has a secret heartbreak that sh'
had never given her husband a son
may smile at a daughter who is boil
son and daughter to her, and he
plump hand, all curves like her plumb
face and her plump body, spread opel
in appeal.
Marta, who, In the breeding Of he
generation, felt sentiment as more o
less Of q lure from logic, dropped be
side the bed In a sudden burst Of ser
timent and gathered the plump han
in hers and kissed It.
Mother, you are wonderful" sh
said. Mother, you are great!"
After q time, her ear becoming az
customed to the firing as a city dive
ler's to the distant roar OF city ira
&c, Mrs. Galland slept But Mart
could not follow her advice. II, tral
silently at least, she had found som,
the vigor of youth was in her arteries
and youth cannot help remainin
awake under some conditions. Sh
tiptoed across the hall into her ow
room and seated herself by the vii
dow. The symbol OF what the es
had heard the eye saw-war, workin
in tones of the landscape by day wit
smokeless powder; war, revealed /
its tongues OF flame at night. Ugl
bursts of fire from the higher hill
spread to the heavens like an aurol
borealis and broke their messenger
In sheets of fame over the lower hill
the batteries Of the Browns spri
king death about the heads of tn
gunners OF the Grays emplacing the
batteries. Staccato flashes from
single point counted so many bullet
from an automatic, which directed b
the beams OF the search-lights, foun
their targets in sections of advancin
infantry. Hill crests, set of wit
flashes running back and forth, d
marked infantry lines Of the Brown
assisting the automatics.
There we're lulls between Il
crashes of the small arms and Il
heavy, throaty speech of the gun,
lulls that seemed to say that DO,
sides had paused for q breathir
spell; lulls that allowed the battle
the distance to be heard in its perv
siye undertone. In one Of them, VIII,
even the undertone had ceased for
few seconds, Marta caught family Il
groans Of a wounded man-one Of Il
crew Of a Gray dirigible burned
an explosion and brought in his agol
softly to earth by billowing piece
envelope which acted as a parachut
Fighting proceeded in La Tir
stages Of ferocity and blank silenC
The upper part of the town, viii,
h1I ~ do
ness; the lower part, where the Ora
were, was illuminated.
Another one OF Lanny's plans
thought Marta. He would have the
work in the light, while We fire o
of obscurity!"
Soon all the town was in darknes
for the Grays had cut the wire in Il
main conduit shortly after she hi