The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-31

slider the most important for the
state?" asks Muller, pretending to
take off his pince-nez.
Does it go: We Germans fear
God and none else in the whole
world or We, the Germans, fear
God and" I submit.
How many inhabitants has Mel
bourne?" asks Muller.
How do you expect to succeed
in life if you don't know that?" /
ask Albert hotly.
Which he caps with: What is
meant by coheSion?"
We remember mighty little of all
that rubbish. Anyway, it has never
been the slightest use to us. At
school nobody ever taught us how
to light cigaret in a storm of rain,
nor how fire could be made with
wet wood-nor that it is, best to
stick bayonet in the belly because
there it doesn't get damned, as it
does in the ribs
Muller says thoughtfully: Whats
the use? Well have to go back and
sit on the forms again"
I consider that out of the queS-
ton. I'VE might take special
exam"
THAT needs preparation. If you
do get through, what then? A stu
dents life isn't any better. If you
have no money, you have to work
like the devil"
"It's a bit better. But it's rot all
the same, everything they teach
you"
Kropp supports me: How can a
man take all that stuff seriously
when he's once been out here?"
"Still you must have an occupa-
ton of some Sort" insists Muller,
as though he were Kantorek him.
self.
Albert cleans his nails with a
knife. We are surprised at this del
icacy. But it is merely pensiveneSs.
He put the knife away and con-
tinueS: THAT'S just it. Kat and
lettering and Hale will go back to
their jobs because they had them
already. HimmelStoSs, to. But we
never had any. How will we ever
get used to one after this, here?"
he makes a gesture toward the
front.
We'll want a private income, and
then we'll be able to live by our
selves in a wood" say, but at once
feel ashamed of this absurd idea.
But what will really happen
when we go back?" wonders Muller,
and even he is troubled.
Kropp gives a shrug. 'I don't
know. Let's get back first, then
we'll find out"
We are all utterly at a loss. What
could we do?" 1 ask.
Il don't want to do anything" re-
plies Kropp YEARLY. you'll be
dead one day, so what does it mat
ter? 1 don't think we'll ever go
back.
when I think about it, Albert" I
say after a while, rolling over on
my back, when I hear the word
peace time it goes to my head;
and if it really came, I think l
would do some uninaginable thing
something, you know, that it's.
worth having lain here in the muck
for.
But I can't even imagine any
thing. All I do know is that this
business about professions and
studies and salaries and SO ONT
makes me sick, it is and always was
disgusting. don't see anything-I
don't see anything at all, Albert"
All at once everything seems to
be confused and hopeless.
Kropp feels it too. ut will go
pretty hard with us all. But nobody
at home seems to worry much about
it. Two years Of shells and bombs
"a man won't peel that off as easy
as a sock"
We agree that it's the same for ev-
cry one, not only for us here, but ev-
erywhere, for every one who is of our
age; to some more, and to others
less. 1t is the common fate of our
generation.
Albert expresses it: 1.-THE war has.
ruined us for everything"
He is right. We are not youth
any longer. We don't want to take
the world by storm. We are fleeing.
We fly from ourselves. From our
life.
We were 10 and had begun to love