The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-07-21
MERE was JOY unbounded when
Louis the Eighteenth returned


Louis the Eighteenth returned
In 1914.
Yes, everybody was delighted, except
the old soldiers and the fencing mas
ters.
Living with Father Goulden in
Pfalzbourg, Of old Lorraine, I was
happy In the belief that CONSUMPTION
was now over, and that at last, should
be able to marry Catherine and live In
peace.
So, when the marriage permit came,
rushed at once to her with the news.
kissed her again and again and
we both wept for joy.
And then, after the happiness Of
marrying Catherine, my greatest de-
light lay In thinking that should be
tradesman for the rest of my life.
All, what happy life! what salts
faction to be young and to have a
simple, good, Industrious wife! We
shall never be old We shall always
love one another and always retain
about us those whom we love.
Thus days and weeks went by. But,
later on, we found that the returning
royalists, the ministers and the princes,
who had rushed back to France after
Napoleon's Punishment, adopted the
most insolent manner toward us, the
people. And as to their treatment of
Napoleon's former soldiers l can still
hear the commandant expostulating,
"They are starving us; they are treat
Ing us like Cossacks; only they are
too cowardly to shoot us!'
But. about the beginning of March,
a rumor began to circulate that the
emperor had escaped from Elba and
had landed In France. Quickly his
advance toward Paris followed; and
the old soldiers, sent out to restrain
him, rushed forward to kneel at his
feet. Thus 1t was that Napoleon
again came to the throne.
What happened afterward, how
ever, was not so agreeable to me. now
a married man, settled as / had hoped
for life of peace. For was called
to the colors. Aunt Grethel, who had
always been like a mother to me, sob
bed aloud Catherine passed into
deadly swoon.
Yet, in spite of all, I needs must
leave for the army with my old veter-
an soldier friend, Zebede, and at once
we were rushed TO the front.
One day, as we halted, the emperor
came to our lines and the whole d.
vision shouted "vive lEmpereurI
n 4. n
vanced with his arms crossed behind
his back and his head bent. He had
grown stouter and more sallow since
the days Of Leipsig. He looked much
older and his cheeks were flabby. Little
wonder, also, that he appeared wor-
ried-for had he not lost everybody's
confidence? The old soldiers alone re-
tanned their love for him; they were
ready to conquer or to die in his be-
half. But for my part 1 cared much
more for Catherine than for the EN-
peror. OF her thought with greatest
tenderness, the more so knowing that
she would soon become a mother. And
prayed to God to preserve my life.
At last we came upon the Prussians
and, driving them back at Ligny,
marched on against the British.
thought l should drop every mo-
ment from weakness, but finally near
Waterloo, on mounting little ridge
we saw the English pickets through
the rain.
In cornfield, under beating storm,
we lay like gypsies, our teeth chatter
Ing with the cold-and yet thinking of
massacring our fellow men, and es-
teeming ourselves lucky IL we had
turnip, carrot or anything else to
keep up our strength. Is that a life
for honest men? Is II for this that
God created us? Is IL not an abom-
ination to think that king or an en-
peror, instead of encouraging COM
merce and diffusing liberty, should re-
duce us to this state by hundreds of
thousands7 / know that this is called
glory, but people are foolish to glori-
fy such men who have lost all sense
Of right and heart and religion.
When i awoke in the morning, the
church-bells were ringing and /
thought:
To-day is Sunday, a day Of peace
and rest. Father Goulden, dressed In