Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-05
''The Last Call"--Story of Little Alsatian
That's Still Very New
By Alphonse Daudet Translation by Ave Lector.

was very late that morning or
going to school and was very
much afraid of getting scolded, the
more so because Monsieur Hamel
had told US he would examine US or
the participates and did not know
the first word about them.
The weather was so beautiful, SC
clear. The blackbirds could be
heard singing on the edge of the
woods and in the Rupert pasture
behind the sawmill the Prussians
we're drilling. All this tempted me
much more than rules about parti.
ciples, but | had the strength to re-
sist and ran very quickly towards
the school.
On passing before the admins.
tration building | saw that there
we're plenty Of people standing close
to the little enclosure where the an
nouncements were posted. For two
years it was from there that all the
bad news had come to us, the lost
battles, the acquisitions, the military
orders. and | thought, without stop
ping. II wonder what's the matter
nowp
Then, while | was running acros:
the place, Wachter, the blacksmith
who, with his apprentice was in the
act of reading the announcement
!. called to me: 49,.
"Don't hurry so much, sonny
\ you'll get to school in plenty Of
Mime"
thought he was making fun Of
lie and, all out of breath, ! entered
onsieur Hamel's little yard.
Ordinarily, at the beginning OF
Vclass there was great commotior
that could be heard out in thu
nnn ,ening and closing TIL.
|ssons repeated out loud al
while ears were stopped sc
learn more and the masters
Her Mat struck the table while
called out "SilenceW hae
ted on all these things to hell
get to my seat without being
but on this precise day every
8 was as quiet as Sunday
ming. Through the open win
] saw my schoolmates alread,
ed in their places, and Monsieur
lei. who walked up and dowr
itfr thsi terrible ruler under hi!
nm. had to open the door ant
tier in the midst of this grea
I'm. You may easily fancy how
nshed and how l was scared!
Well, nothing happened. Mon
ir Hamel looked at me withou
ger and said very gently:
'"Go quickly to your place, littl'
rank. We were going to begil
without you"
Wore Pretty Green Coat
/ straddled over the bench ant
Gated myself quickly at my desk
hen only, little recovered from
y fright, noticed that our teache
pre- his pretty, green frock coat
finely plcated shirt front and hi
bossed black silk breeches which
wore only on inspection days ant
the distribution of prizes. Be
Is this there was something ex
ordinary and solemn about tn
Bic class. But what surprised
most was to see at the rear o
room on the benches usual,
bty the people of the village seat
and as silent as ourselves, oil
user with his three-cornered hat
al venerable mayor, the worth,
postmaster. and great many othe
people. All OF this assembling
seemed to be sad and Hauser ha,
brought an old primer with worm
eaten edges and he held it open Of
his knees with his great spectacle
lying on the pages.
While / was being astonished a
all this Monsieur Hamel ha
mounted his chair and in the sam
grave, sweet voice with which h
had received me, he said:
"My children, this is the last tim
that I hold class for you. The or
der has come from Berlin to teac
nothing but German in the school
ybf Alsace and Lorraine. The ney
teacher will arrive tomorrow. To
day you have your last lesson i
French. ask you to be very al
tkntive."
These few words completely upse
4 ME. Oh, the wretchesl That wa
what they had announced at the ad
4 miihistration building. My last les
SOM in French!
II Was Hard to Write.
y An6I, who scarcely knew how t
write should learn nothing more
1 wojGld have to stop there! How
ienveighed against time lost. classe
missed to hant for nests orNto slid
on the Saarl My books that me
ment ago found so tiresome, S
heavy TO carry, my grammar, my S;
cred history, seemed at present oil
friends whom it would be hard,
leave. Likewise Monsieur Hame
The thought that he was goikf I
leave, that I'd never see him an
mdre, made me forget his punisl
mehts. his raps with the ruler. Poe
maAl 1t was in honor Of this ella.
that(he had put on his beautiful SUI
day clothes. and now / understood
why these old people of the villas
had Semc to sit in the end of II
room. They seemed to say that the
wese sRrry that they had not CON