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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/36860-8.txt b/36860-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9c5a7f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/36860-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9443 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Plébiscite, by Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Plébiscite + or, A Miller's Story of the War + +Author: Émile Erckmann + Alexandre Chatrian + +Release Date: July 26, 2011 [EBook #36860] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLÉBISCITE *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: HE ROBBED YOU, THAT'S ALL.] + + + + +HISTORICAL ROMANCES OF FRANCE + + +THE PLÉBISCITE + +OR + +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR + + +BY ONE OF THE 7,500,000 WHO VOTED "YES" + + + + +TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF + +ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN + + + + +ILLUSTRATED + + + + +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + +NEW YORK::::::::::::::::::::::1911 + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1889, 1898 + +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + +"_He robbed you, that's all_" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ + +"_The grapeshot has mown them down. There are none left_" + +_They drew two poor old men from their cellar_ + +_There he was, leaning forward to listen_ + +"_Good-by, my father! Good-by, my mother!_" + + + + +INTRODUCTORY NOTE + +The present volume serves to emphasize the important connection, so +generally now lost sight of, between the _plébiscite_ of 1870 in France +and the war with Prussia which so speedily followed. Under the +administration of Ollivier, which promised an attractive extension of +popular liberties, it will be remembered, the _plebiscitum_ of the +Roman Constitution was borrowed, to give an air of popular approval to +the strongly attacked Imperial régime by taking the sense of the people +through universal suffrage as to the continuance of the Imperial +authority on its then existing basis. Of the web of chicane and +corruption by which the election was brought out an overwhelming +triumph for Imperialism, MM. Erckmann-Chatrian give a clearer and more +impressive notion in this book than could be obtained from entire +volumes of parliamentary reports and whole files of newspapers. But +they make it especially clear how the people were persuaded to return a +majority of "yeses" so enormous as to make it impossible to account for +it on the theory of mere corruption and chicane. It is evident from +this narrative that the people were made to believe that the Empire +meant peace abroad and freedom from foreign complications then +threatening, as well as tranquillity at home, and that therefore one of +the profoundest instincts of twenty millions of peasantry was utilized +in order to be subsequently betrayed. + +No authors could have been so happily chosen to write the story of the +struggle which followed. Alsace and Lorraine, at once the scene of the +earliest campaign of the war and the victims of its result, furnish the +most appropriate background of such a picture. In reading these +adventures, sufferings, meditations, and discussions of the simple yet +shrewd Alsatian miller and his neighbors, the reader will take in +almost at a glance the causes, incidents, and consequences of one of +the greatest of modern wars. The corruption of the office-holding +classes, the ignorance of the army officers whose ranks had been filled +by favoritism, the bravery of the private soldier ill-equipped, +ill-fed, and disastrously led, the contrasting system and discipline of +the Prussians, the awakening by Gambetta of the national enthusiasm, +and the determined and dogged fighting under Chanzy, Faidherbe, and +Bourbaki, how the peasants fared at the hands of the enemy, and how the +enemy conducted themselves during the brief campaign are all unfolded +before the reader with a combined fulness and incisiveness difficult to +encounter elsewhere in narratives of this momentous conflict. + + + + +THE PLÉBISCITE + +OR + +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR + + + +CHAPTER I + +I am writing this history for sensible people. It is my own story +during the calamitous war we have just gone through. I write it to +show those who shall come after us how many evil-minded people there +are in the world, and how little we ought to trust fair words; for we +have been deceived in this village of ours after a most abominable +fashion; we have been deceived by all sorts of people--by the +sous-préfets, by the préfets, and by the Ministers; by the curés, by +the official gazettes; in a word, by each and all. + +Could any one have imagined that there are so many deceivers in this +world? No, indeed; it requires to be seen with one's own eyes to be +believed. + +In the end we have had to pay dearly. We have given up our hay, our +straw, our corn, our flour, our cattle; and that was not enough. +Finally, they gave up _us_, our own selves. They said to us: "You are +no longer Frenchmen; you are Prussians! We have taken your young men +to fight in the war; they are dead, they are prisoners: now settle with +Bismarck any way you like; your business is none of ours!" + +But these things must be told plainly: so I will begin at the +beginning, without getting angry. + +You must know, in the first place, that I am a miller in the village of +Rothalp, in the valley of Metting, at Dosenheim, between Lorraine and +Alsace. It is a large and fine village of 130 houses, possessing its +curé Daniel, its school-master Adam Fix, and principal inhabitants of +every kind--wheelwrights, blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, publicans, +brewers, dealers in eggs, butter, and poultry; we even have two Jews, +Solomon Kaan, a pedler, and David Hertz, cattle-dealer. + +This will show you what was our state of prosperity before this war; +for the wealthier a village is, the more strangers it draws: every man +finds a livelihood there, and works at his trade. + +We had not even occasion to fetch our butcher's-meat from town. David +killed a cow now and then, and retailed all we wanted for Sundays and +holidays. + +I, Christian Weber, have never been farther than thirty leagues from +this commune. I inherited my mill from my grandfather, Marcel +Desjardins, a Frenchman from the neighborhood of Metz, who had built it +in the time of the Swedish war, when our village was but a miserable +hamlet. Twenty-six years ago I married Catherine Amos, daughter of the +old forest-ranger. She brought me a hundred louis for her dowry. We +have two children--a daughter, Grédel, and a son, Jacob, who are still +with us at home. + +I have besides a cousin, George Weber, who went off more than thirty +years ago to serve in the Marines in Guadeloupe. He has even been on +active service there. It was he who beat the drum on the forecastle of +the ship _Boussole_, as he has told me a hundred times, whilst the +fleet was bombarding St. John d'Ulloa. Afterward he was promoted to be +sergeant; then he sailed to North America, for the cod fisheries; and +again into the Baltic, on board a small Danish vessel engaged in the +coal-trade. George was always intent upon making a fortune. About +1850 he returned to Paris, and established a manufactory of matches in +the Rue Mouffetard in Paris; and as he is really a very handsome tall +man, with a dark complexion, bold looking, and with a quick eye, he at +last married a rich widow without children, Madame Marie Anne Finck, +who was keeping an inn in that neighborhood. They grew rich. They +bought land in our part of the country through the agency of Monsieur +Fingado, the solicitor, to whom he sent regularly the price of every +piece of land. At last, on the death of the old carpenter, Joseph +Briou, he became the purchaser of his house, to live there with his +wife, and to keep a public-house on the road to Metting. + +This took place last year, during the time of the Plébiscite, and +Cousin George came to inspect his house before taking his wife, Marie +Anne, to it. + +I was mayor; I had received orders from M. le Sous-préfet to give +public notice of the Plébiscite, and to request all well-disposed +persons to vote "_Yes,_" _if they desired to preserve peace_; because +all the ruffians in the country were going to vote _No_, to have war. + +This is exactly what I did, by making everybody promise to come without +fail, and sending the _bangard_* Martin Kapp to carry the voting +tickets to the very farthest cottages up the mountains. + + +* An old word, probably from _ban garde_; now _garde champêtre_, a kind +of rural policeman. + + +Cousin George arrived the evening before the Plébiscite. I received +him very kindly, as one ought to receive a rich relation who has no +children. He seemed quite pleased to see us, and dined with us in the +best of tempers. He carried with him in a small leathern trunk +clothes, shoes, shirts--everything that he required. He was short of +nothing. That day everything went on well; but the next day, hearing +the notices cried by the rural policeman, he went off to Reibell's +brewery, which was full of people, and began to preach against the +Plébiscite. + +I was just then at the mayoralty house wearing my official scarf +receiving the tickets, when suddenly my deputy Placiard came to tell +me, in high indignation, that certain miserable wretches were attacking +the rider; that one of them was at the "Cruchon d'Or," and that half +the village were very nearly murdering him. + +Immediately I went down and ran to the public-house, where my cousin +was calling them all asses, affirming that the Plébiscite was for war; +that the Emperor, the Ministers, the prefects, the generals, and the +bishops were deceiving the people; that all those men were acting a +part to get our money from us, and much besides to the same purpose. + +I, from the passage, could hear him shouting these things in a terrible +voice, and I said to myself, "The poor fellow has been drinking." + +If George had not been my cousin; if he had not been quite capable some +day of disinheriting my children, I should certainly have arrested him +at once, and had him conveyed under safe keeping to Sarrebourg; but, on +giving due weight to these considerations, I resolved to put an end to +this awkward business, and I cried to the people who were crowding the +passage, "Make room, you fellows, make room!" + +Those enraged creatures, seeing the scarf, gave way in all directions; +and then discovering my cousin, seated at a table in the right-hand +corner, I said: "Cousin! what are you thinking of, to create such a +scandal?" + +He, too, was abashed at the sight of the scarf, having served in the +navy, and knowing that there is no man who claims more respect than a +mayor; that he has a right to lay hands upon you, and send you to the +lock-up, and, if you resist, to send you as far as Sarrebourg and +Nancy. Reflecting upon this, he calmed down in a moment, for he had +not been drinking at all, as I supposed at first, and he was saying +these things without bitterness, without anger, conscientiously, and +out of regard for his fellow-citizens. + +Therefore, he replied to me, quietly: "Mr. Mayor, look after your +elections! See that certain rogues up there--as there are rogues +everywhere--don't stuff into the ballot-box handfuls of _Yeses_ instead +of _Noes_ while your back is turned. This has often happened! And +then pray don't trouble yourself about me. In the Government Gazette, +it is declared that every man shall be free to maintain his own +opinions, and to vote as he pleases; if my mouth is stopped, I shall +protest in the newspapers." + +Hearing that he would protest, to avoid a worse scandal I answered him: +"Say what you please; no one shall declare that we have put any +constraint upon the elections; but, you men, you know what you have to +do." + +"Yes, yes," shouted all the people in the room and down the passage, +lifting their hats. "Yes, Monsieur le Maire; we will listen to nothing +at all. Whether they talk all day or say nothing, it is all the same +to us." + +And they all went off to vote, leaving George alone. + +M. le Curé Daniel, seeing them coming out, came from his parsonage to +place himself at their head. He had preached in the morning in favor +of the Plébiscite, and there was not a single _No_ in the box. + +If my cousin had not had the large meadow above the mill, and the +finest acres in the country, he would have been an object of contempt +for the rest of his days; but a rich man, who has just bought a house, +an orchard, a garden, and has paid ready money for everything, may say +whatever he pleases: especially when he is not listened to, and the +people go and do the very opposite of what he has been advising them. + +Well, this is the way with the elections for the Plébiscite with us, +and just the same thing went on throughout our canton: at +Phalsbourg--which had been abundantly placarded against the Plébiscite, +and where they carried their audacity even to watching the mayor and +the ballot-box--out of fifteen hundred electors, military and civil, +there were only thirty-two _Noes_. + +It is quite clear that things were making favorable progress, and that +M. le Sous-préfet could not be otherwise than perfectly satisfied with +our behavior. + +I must also mention that we were in want of a parish road to +Hangeviller; that we had been promised a pair of church-bells, and the +_Glandée_, or right of feeding our hogs upon the acorns in autumn; and +that we were aware that all the villages which voted the wrong way got +nothing, whilst the others--in consideration of the good councillors +they had sent up, either to the arrondissement or the department--might +always reckon upon a little money from the tax-collector for the +necessities of their parish. Monsieur le Sous-préfet had pointed out +these advantages to me; and naturally a good mayor will inform his +subordinates. I did so. Our deputies, our councillors-general, our +councillors of the arrondissement, were all on the right side! By +these means we have already gained the right to the dead leaves and our +great wash-houses. We only sought our own good, and we much preferred +seeing other villages pay the ministers, the senators, the marshals, +the bishops, and the princes, to paying them ourselves. So that all +that Cousin George could say to us about the interest of all, and the +welfare of the nation, made not the least impression upon us. + +I remember that that very day of the Plébiscite, when it was already +known that we had all voted right, and that we should get our two bells +with the parish road--I remember that my cousin and I had, after +supper, a great quarrel, and that I should certainly have put him out, +if it had not been he. + +We were taking our _petit verre_ of _kirsch_, smoking our pipes, with +our elbows on the table; my wife and Grédel had already gone to bed, +when all at once he said to me: "Listen to me, Christian. Save the +respect I owe you as mayor, you are all a set of geese in this village, +and it is a very fortunate thing that I am come here, that you may +have, at least, one sensible man among you." + +I was going to get angry, but he said: + +"Just let me finish; if you had but spent a couple of years at Paris, +you would see things a little plainer; but at this moment, you are like +a nest of hungry jays, blind and unfeathered; they open their bills, +and they cry 'Jaques,' to call down food from heaven. Those who hear +them climb up the tree, twist their necks, put them into the pot and +laugh. That is your position. You have confidence in your enemies, +and you give them power to pluck you just as they please. If you +appointed upright men in your districts as deputies, +councillors-general, instead of taking whoever the préfecture +recommends, would not the Emperor and the other honorable men above be +obliged then to leave you the money which the tax-collector makes you +pay in excess? Could all those people then enrich themselves at your +expense, and amass immense fortunes in a few years? Would you then see +old baskets with their bottoms out, fellows whom you would not have +trusted with a halfpenny before the _coup-d'état_--would you see them +become millionnaires, rolling in gold, gliding along in carriages with +their wives, their children, their servants, and their ballet-dancers? +The préfets, the sous-préfets say to you: 'Go on voting right, and you +shall have this, you shall have that'--things which you have a right to +demand in virtue of the taxes you pay, but which are granted to you as +favors--roads, wash-houses, schools, etc. Would you not be having them +in your own right, if the money which is taken from you were left in +the commune? What does the Emperor do for you? He plunders you--that +is all. Your money, he shows it to you before each election, as they +show a child a stick of sugar-candy to make it laugh; and when the +election is over he puts it back into his pocket. The trick is played." + +"How can he put that money into his pocket?" I asked, full of +indignation. "Are not the accounts presented every year in the +Chambers?" + +Upon this he shrugged his shoulders and answered: "You are not sharp, +Christian; it is not so difficult to present accounts to the Chambers. +So many chassepots--which have no existence! So much munition of war, +of which no one knows anything. So much for retiring pensions; so much +for the substitutes' fund; so much for changes of uniform. The +uniforms are changed every year; that is good for business. Do the +deputies inquire into these matters? Who checks the Ministers' +budgets? And the deputies whom the Minister of the Interior has +recommended to you, whom you have appointed like fools, and whom the +Emperor would throw up at the very first election, if those gentlemen +breathed a syllable about visiting the arsenals and examining into the +accounts--what a farce it is! Why, yesterday, passing through +Phalsbourg, I got upon the ramparts, and I saw there guns of the time +of Herod, upon gun-carriages eaten up by worms and painted over to +conceal the rottenness. These very guns, I do believe, are recast +every third or fourth year--upon paper--with your money. Ah, my poor +Christian, you are not very sharp, nor the other people in our village +either. But the men you send as deputies to Paris--they _are_ sharp, +too sharp." + +He broke out into a laugh, and I could have sent him back to Paris. + +"Do you know what you want?" said he then, filling his pipe and +lighting it, for I made no reply, being too much annoyed; "what you +want is not good sense, it is not honesty. All of us peasants, we +still possess some good sense and honesty. And we believe, moreover, +in the honesty of others, which proves that we ourselves have a little +left! No, what you want is education; you have asked for bells, and +bells you will get; but all the school you have is a miserable shed, +and your only school-master is old Adam Fix, who can teach his children +nothing because he knows nothing himself. Well now, if you were to ask +for a really good school, there would be no money in the public funds. +There is money enough for bells, but for a good school-master, for a +large, well-ventilated room, for deal benches and tables, for pictures, +slates, maps, and books, there is nothing; for if you had good schools, +your children could read, write, keep accounts; they would soon be able +to look into the Ministers' budgets, and that is exactly what his +Majesty wishes to avoid. You understand now, cousin; this is the +reason why you have no school and you have bells." + +Then he looked knowingly at me: + +"And, do you know," said he, after a few moments' thought, "do you know +how much all the schools in France cost? I am not referring to the +great schools of medicine, and law, and chemistry, the colleges, and +the lyceums, which are schools for wealthy young men, able to keep +themselves in large cities, and to pay for their own maintenance. I am +speaking of schools for the people, elementary schools, where reading +and writing are taught: the two first things which a man must know, and +which distinguish him from the savages who roam naked in the American +forests? Well, the deputies whom the people themselves send to protect +their interests in Paris, and whose first thought, if they are not +altogether thieves, ought to be to discharge their duty toward their +constituencies--these deputies have never voted for the schools of the +people a larger sum than seventy-five millions. The state contributes +ten millions as its share; the commune, the departments, the fathers +and mothers do the rest. Seventy-five millions to educate the people +in a great country like ours! it is a disgrace. The United States +spends six times the amount. But on the other hand, for the war budget +we pay five hundred millions; even that would not be too much if we had +five hundred thousand men under arms, according to the calculation +which has been made of what it costs per diem for each man; but for an +army of two hundred and fifty thousand men, it is too much by half. +What becomes of the other three hundred millions? If they were made +available to build schools, to pay able masters, to furnish retreats +for workmen in their declining days, I should have nothing to say +against it; but to jingle in the pockets of MM. the senators and to +ring the bells of MM. the curés, I consider that too dear." + +As Cousin George bothered my mind with all his arguments, I felt a wish +to go to bed, and I said to him: + +"All that, cousin, is very fine, but it is getting late: and besides it +has nothing to do with the Plébiscite." + +I had risen; but he laid his hand upon my arm and said: "Let us talk a +little longer--let me finish my pipe. You say that this has nothing to +do with the Plébiscite; but that Plébiscite is for all this nice +arrangement of things to go on. If the nation believes that all is +right, that enough money is left to it, and that it can even spare a +little more; that the ministers, the senators, and the princes are not +yet sufficiently fat and flourishing; that the Emperor has not bought +enough in foreign countries; well, it will say with this Plébiscite, +'Go on, pray go on--we are quite satisfied.' Does that suit your +ideas?" + +"Yes. I had rather that than war," said I, in a very bad temper. "The +Empire is peace; I vote for peace." + +Then George himself rose up, emptying his pipe on the edge of the +table, and said: "Christian, you are right. Let us go to bed. I +repent having bought old Briou's house; decidedly the people in these +parts are too stupid. You quite grieve me." + +"Oh, I don't want to grieve you," said I, angrily; "I have quite as +much sense as you." + +"What!" said he, "you the mayor of Rothalp, in daily communication with +the sous-préfet, you believe that the object of this Plébiscite is to +confirm peace?" + +"Yes, I do." + +"What, you believe that? Come now. Have we not peace at the present +moment? Do we want a Plébiscite to preserve it? Do you suppose that +the Germans are taken in by it? Our peasants, to be sure, are misled; +they are indoctrinated at the curé's house, at the mayoralty-house, at +the sous-préfecture; but not a single workman in Paris is a dupe of +this pernicious scheming. They all know that the Emperor and the +Ministers want war; that the generals and the superior officers demand +it. Peace is a good thing for tradesmen, for artisans, for peasants; +but the officers are tired of being cramped up in the same rank +perpetually without a rise. Already the inferior officers have been +disgusted with the profession through the crowds of nobles, Jesuits, +and canting hypocrites of all sorts who are thrust into the army. The +troops are not animated with a good spirit; they want promotion, or +they will end by rousing themselves into a passion: especially when +they see the Prussians under our noses helping themselves to everything +they please without asking our leave. You don't understand that! +There," said he, "I am sleepy. Let us go to bed." + +Then I began to understand that my cousin had learned many things in +Paris, and that he knew more of politics than I did. But that did not +prevent me from being in a great rage with him, for the whole of that +day he had done nothing but cause trouble; and I said to myself that it +was impossible to live with such a brute. + +My wife, at the top of the landing, had heard us disputing; but as we +were going upstairs, she came all smiles to meet us, holding the +candle, and saying: "Oh, you have had a great deal to tell each other +this evening! You must have had enough. Come, cousin, let me take you +to your room; there it is. From your window you may see the woods in +the moonlight; and here is your bed, the best in the house. You will +find your cotton nightcap under the pillow." + +"Very nice, Catherine, thank you," said George. + +"And I hope you will sleep comfortably," said she, returning to me. + +This wise woman, full of excellent good sense, then said to me, while I +was undressing: "Christian! what were you thinking of, to contradict +your cousin? Such a rich man, and who can do us so much good by and +by! What does the Plébiscite signify? What can that bring us in? +Whatever your cousin says to you, say 'Amen' after it. Remember that +his wife has relations, and she will want to get everything on her +side. Mind you don't quarrel with George. A fine meadow below the +mill, and an orchard on the hill-side, are not found every day in the +way of a cow." + +I saw at once that she was right, and I inwardly resolved never to +contradict George again: he might himself alone be worth to us far more +than the Emperor, the Ministers, the senators, and all the +establishment together; for everyone of those people thought of his own +interests alone, without ever casting a thought upon us. Of course we +ought to do the same as they did, since they had succeeded so well in +sewing gold lace upon all their seams, fattening and living in +abundance in this world; not to mention the promises that the bishops +made to them for the next. + +Thinking upon these things, I lay calmly down, and soon fell asleep. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +The next day early, Cousin George, my son Jacob, and myself, after +having eaten a crust of bread and taken a glass of wine standing, +harnessed our horses, and put them into our two carts to go and fetch +my cousin's wife and furniture at the Lützelbourg station. + +Before coming into our country, George had ordered his house to be +whitewashed and painted from top to bottom; he had laid new floors, and +replaced the old shingle roof with tiles. Now the paint was dry, the +doors and windows stood open day and night; the house could not be +robbed, for there was nothing in it. My cousin, seeing that all was +right, had just written to his wife that she might bring their goods +and chattels with her. + +So we started about six in the morning; upon the road the people of +Hangeviller, of Metting, and Véchem, and those who were going to market +in the town, were singing and shouting "Vive l'Empereur!" + +Everywhere they had voted "Yes," for peace. It was the greatest fraud +that had ever been perpetrated: by the way in which the Ministers, the +prefects, and the Government newspapers had explained the Plébiscite, +everybody had imagined that he had really voted peace. + +Cousin George hearing this, said, "Oh, you poor country folks, how I +pity you for being such imbeciles! How I pity you for believing what +these pickpockets tell you!" + +That was how he styled the Emperor's government, and naturally I felt +my indignation rise; but Catherine's sound advice came back into my +mind, and I thought, "Hold your tongue, Christian; don't say a +word--that's your best plan." + +All along the road we saw the same spectacle; the soldiers of the 84th, +garrisoned at Phalsbourg, looked as pleased as men who have won the +first prize in a lottery; the colonel declared that the men who did not +vote "Yes" would be unworthy of being called Frenchmen. Every man had +voted "Yes;" for a good soldier knows nothing but his orders. + +So having passed before the gate of France, we came down to the +Baraques, and then reached Lützelbourg. The train from Paris had +passed a few minutes before; the whistle could yet be heard under the +Saverne tunnel. + +My cousin's wife, with whom I was not yet acquainted, was standing by +her luggage on the platform; and seeing George coming up, she joyfully +cried, "Ah! is that you? and here is cousin." + +She kissed us both heartily, gazing at us, however, with some surprise, +perhaps on account of our blouses and our great wide-brimmed black +hats. But no! it could not be that; for Marie Anne Finck was a native +of Wasselonne, in Alsace, and the Alsacians have always worn the blouse +and wide-brimmed hat as long as I can remember. But this tall, thin +woman, with her large brown eyes, as bustling, quick, and active as +gunpowder, after having passed thirty years at Paris, having first been +cook at Krantheimer's, at a place called the Barrière de Montmartre, +and then in five or six other inns in that great city, might well be +somewhat astonished at seeing such simple people as we were; and no +doubt it also gave her pleasure. + +That is my idea. + +"The carts are there, wife," cried George, in high spirits. "We will +load the biggest with as much furniture as we can, and put the rest +upon the smaller one. You will sit in front. There--look up +there--that's the Castle of Lützelbourg, and that pretty little wooden +house close by, covered all over with vine, that is a châlet, Father +Hoffman-Forty's châlet, the distiller of cordials, you know the cordial +of Phalsbourg." + +He showed her everything. + +Then we began to load; that big Yéri, who takes the tickets at the gate +and who carries the parcels to Monsieur André's omnibus, comes to lend +us a hand. The two carts being loaded about twelve o'clock, and my +cousin's wife seated in front of the foremost one upon a truss of +straw, we started at a quiet pace for the village, where we arrived +about three o'clock. But I remember one thing, which I will not omit +to mention. As we were coming out of Lützelbourg, a heavy wagon-load +of coal was coming down the hill, a lad of sixteen or seventeen leading +the horse by the bridle; at the door of the last house, a little child +of five years old, sitting on the ground, was looking at our carts +passing by; he was out of the road, he could not be in any one's way, +and was sitting there perfectly quiet, when the boy, without any +reason, gave him a lash with his whip, which made the child cry aloud. + +My cousin's wife saw that. + +"Why did that boy strike the child?" she inquired. + +"That's a coal-heaver," George answered. "He comes from Sarrebrück. +He is a Prussian. He struck the child because he is a French child." + +Then my cousin's wife wanted to get down to fall upon the Prussian; she +cried to him, "You great coward, you lazy dog, you wicked wretch, come +and hit me." And the boy would have come to settle her, if we had not +been there to receive him; but he would not trust himself to us, and +lashed his horses to get out of our reach, making all haste to pass the +bridge, and turning his head round toward us, for fear of being +followed. + +I thought at the time that Cousin George was wrong in saying this boy +had a spite against the French because he was a Prussian; but I learned +afterward that he was right, and that the Germans have borne ill-will +against us for years without letting us see it--like a set of sulky +fellows waiting for a good opportunity to make us feel it. + +"It is our _good man_ that we have to thank for this," said George. +"The Germans fancy that we have named him Emperor to begin his uncle's +tricks again; and now they look upon our Plébiscite as a declaration of +war. The joy of our sous-préfets, our mayors, and our curés, and of +all those excellent people who only prosper upon the miseries of +mankind, proves that they are not very far out." + +"Yes, indeed," cried his wife; "but to beat a child, that is cowardly." + +"Bah! don't let us think about it," said George. "We shall see much +worse things than this; and we shall have deserved it, through our own +folly. God grant that I may be mistaken!" + +Talking so, we arrived home. + +My wife had prepared dinner; there was kissing all round, the +acquaintance was made; we all sat round the table, and dined with +excellent appetites. Marie Anne was gay; she had already seen their +house on her way, and the garden behind it with its rows of gooseberry +bushes and the plum-trees full of blossom. The two carts, the horses +having been taken out, were standing before their door; and from our +windows might be seen the village people examining the furniture with +great interest, hovering round and gazing with curiosity upon the great +heavy boxes, feeling the bedding, and talking together about this great +quantity of goods, just as if it was their own business. + +They were remarking no doubt that our cousin George Weber and his wife +were rich people, who deserved the respectful consideration of the +whole country round; and I myself, before seeing these great chests, +should never have dreamed that they could have so much belonging +entirely to themselves. + +This proved to me that my wife was perfectly right in continuing to pay +every respect to my cousin; she had also cautioned our daughter Grédel: +as for Jacob, he is a most sensible lad, who thinks of everything and +needs not to be told what to do. + +But what astonished us a great deal more, was to see arriving about +half-past three two other large wagons from the direction of Wéchem, +and hearing my cousin cry, "Here comes my wine from Barr!" + +Before coming to Rothalp he had himself gone to Barr, in Alsace, to +taste the wine and to make his own bargains. + +"Come, Christian," said he, rising, "we have no time to lose if we mean +to unload before nightfall. Take your pincers and your mallet; you +will also fetch ropes and a ladder to let the casks down into the +cellar." + +Jacob ran to fetch what was wanted, and we all came out together--my +wife, my daughter, cousin, and everybody. My man Frantz remained alone +at the mill, and immediately they began to undo the boxes, to carry the +furniture into the house: chests of drawers, wardrobes, bedsteads, and +quantities of plates, dishes, soup-tureens, etc., which were carried +straight into the kitchen. + +My cousin gave his orders: "Put this down in a corner; set that in +another corner." + +The neighbors helped us too, out of curiosity. Everything went on +admirably. + +And then arrived the wagons from Barr; but they were obliged to be kept +waiting till seven o'clock. Our wives had already set up the beds and +put away the linen in the wardrobes. + +About seven o'clock everything was in order in the house. We now +thought of resting till to-morrow, when George said to us, turning up +his sleeves, "Now, my friend, here comes the biggest part of the work. +I always strike the iron while it's hot. Let all the men who are +willing help me to unload the casks, for the drivers want to get back +to town, and I believe they are right." + +Immediately the cellar was opened, the ladder set up against the first +wagon, the lanterns lighted, the planks set leaning in their places, +and until eleven o'clock we did nothing but unload wine, roll down +casks, let them down with my ropes, and put them in their places. + +Never had I worked as I did on that day! + +Not before eleven o'clock did Cousin George, seeing everything settled +to his satisfaction, seem pleased; he tapped the first cask, filled a +jug with wine, and said, "Now, mates, come up; we will have a good +draught, and then we will get to bed." + +The cellar was shut up, so we drank in the large parlor, and then all, +one after another, went home to bed, upon the stroke of midnight. + +All the villagers were astonished to see how these Parisians worked: +they were all the talk. At one time it was how cousin had bought up +all the manure at the gendarmerie; then how he had made a contract to +have all his land drained in the autumn; and then how he was going to +build a stable and a laundry at the back of his house, and a distillery +at the end of his yard: he was enlarging his cellars, already the +finest in the country. What a quantity of money he must have! + +If he had not paid his architect, the carpenters, and the masons cash +down, it would have been declared that he was ruining himself. But he +never wanted a penny; and his solicitor always addressed him with a +smiling face, raising his hat from afar off, and calling him "my dear +Monsieur Weber." + +One single thing vexed George: he had requested at the préfecture, as +soon as he arrived, a license to open his public-house at the sign of +"The Pineapple." He had even written three letters to Sarrebourg, but +had received no answer. Morning and evening, seeing me pass by with my +carts of grain and flour, he called to me through the window, "Hallo, +Christian, this way just a minute!" + +He never talked of anything else; he even came to tease me at the +mayoralty-house, to indorse and seal his letters with attestations as +to his good life and character; and yet no answer came. + +One evening, as I was busy signing the registration of the reports +drawn up in the week by the school-master, he came in and said, +"Nothing yet?" + +"Cousin, I don't know the meaning of it." + +"Very well," said he, sitting before my desk. "Give me some paper. +Let me write for once, and then we will see." + +He was pale with excitement, and began to write, reading it as he went +on: + + +"MONSIEUR LE SOUS-PRÉFET,--I have requested of you a license to open a +public-house at Rothalp. I have even had the honor of writing you +three letters upon the subject, and you have given me no answer. +Answer me--yes or no! When people are paid, and well paid, they ought +to fulfil their duty. + +"Monsieur le Sous-préfet, I have the honor to salute you. + + "GEORGE WEBER, +"_Late Sergeant of Marines._" + + +Hearing this letter, my hair positively stood on end. + +"Cousin, don't send that," said I; "the sous-préfet would very likely +put you under arrest." + +"Pooh!" said he, "you country people, you seem to look upon these folks +as if they were demi-gods; yet they live upon our money. It is we who +pay them: they are for our service, and nothing more. Here, Christian, +will you put your seal to that?" + +Then, in spite of all that my wife might say, I replied, "George, for +the love of Heaven, don't ask me that. I should most assuredly lose my +place." + +"What place? Your place as mayor," said he, "in which you receive the +commands of the sous-préfet, who receives the commands of the préfet, +who receives the orders of a Minister, who does everything that our +_honest man_ bids him. I had rather be a ragman than fill such a +place." + +The school-master, who happened to be there, seemed as if he had +suddenly dropped from the clouds; his arms hung down the sides of his +chair, and he gazed at my cousin with big eyes, just as a man stares at +a dangerous lunatic. + +I, too, was sitting upon thorns on hearing such words as these in the +mayoralty-house; but at last I told him I had rather go myself to +Sarrebourg and ask for the permission than seal that letter. + +"Then we will go together," said he. + +But I felt sure that if he spoke after this fashion to Monsieur le +Sous-préfet, he would lay hands upon both of us; and I said that I +should go alone, because his presence would put a constraint upon me. + +"Very well," he said; "but you will tell me everything that the +sous-préfet has been saying to you." + +He tore up his letter, and we went out together. + +I don't remember that I ever passed a worse night than that. My wife +kept repeating to me that our Cousin George had the precedence over the +sous-préfet, who only laughed at us; that the Emperor, too, had +cousins, who wanted to inherit everything from him, and that everybody +ought to stick to their own belongings. + +Next day, when I left for Sarrebourg, my head was in a whirl of +confusion, and I thought that my cousin and his wife would have done +well to have stayed in Paris rather than come and trouble us when we +were at peace, when every man paid his own rates and taxes, when +everybody voted as they liked at the préfecture. I could say that +never was a loud word spoken at the public-house; that people attended +with regularity both mass and vespers; that the gendarmes never visited +our village more than once a week to preserve order; and that I myself +was treated with consideration and respect: when I spoke but a word, +honest men said, "That's the truth; that's the opinion of Monsieur le +Maire!" + +Yes, all these things and many more passed through my mind, and I +should have liked to see Cousin George at Jericho. + +This is just how we were in our village, and I don't know even yet by +what means other people had made such fools of us. In the end, we have +had to pay dearly for it; and our children ought to learn wisdom by it. + +At Sarrebourg, I had to wait two hours before I could see Monsieur le +Sous-préfet, who was breakfasting with messieurs the councillors of the +arrondissement, in honor of the Plébiscite. Five or six mayors of the +neighborhood were waiting like myself; we saw filing down the passage +great dishes of fish and game, notwithstanding that the fishing and +shooting seasons were over; and then baskets of wine; and we could hear +our councillors laughing, "Ha! ha! ha!" They were enjoying themselves +mightily. + +At last Monsieur le Sous-préfet came out; he had had an excellent +breakfast. + +"Ha! is that you, gentlemen?" said he; "come in, come into the office." + +And for another quarter of an hour we were left standing in the office. +Then came Monsieur le Sous-préfet to get rid of the mayors, who wanted +different things for their villages. He looked delighted, and granted +everything. At last, having despatched the rest, he said to me, "Oh! +Monsieur le Maire, I know the object of your coming. You are come to +ask, for the person called George Weber, authorization to open a +public-house at Rothalp. Well, it's out of the question. That George +Weber is a Republican; he has already offered opposition to the +Plébiscite. You ought to have notified this to me: you have screened +him because he is your cousin. Authorizations to keep public-houses +are granted to steady men, devoted to his Majesty the Emperor, and who +keep a watch over their customers; but they are never granted to men +who require watching themselves. You should be aware of that." + +Then I perceived that my rascally deputy, that miserable Placiard, had +denounced us. That old dry-bones did nothing but draw up perpetual +petitions, begging for places, pensions, tobacco excise offices, +decorations for himself and his honorable family; speaking incessantly +of his services, his devotion to the dynasty, and his claims. His +claims were the denunciations, the informations which he laid before +the sous-préfecture; and, to tell the truth, in those days these were +the most valid claims of all. + +I was indignant, but I said nothing; I simply added a few words in +favor of Cousin George, assuring Monsieur le Sous-préfet that lies had +been told about him, that one should not believe everything, etc. He +half concealed a weary yawn; and as the councillors of the +arrondissement were laughing in the garden, he rose and said politely, +"Monsieur le Maire, you have your answer. Besides, you already have +two public-houses in your village; three would be too many." + +It was useless to stay after that, so I made a bow, at which he seemed +pleased, and returned quietly to Rothalp. The same evening I went to +repeat to George, word for word, the answer of the sous-préfet. +Instead of getting angry, as I expected, my cousin listened calmly. +His wife only cried out against that bad lot--she spoke of all the +sous-préfets in the most disrespectful manner. But my cousin, smoking +his pipe after supper, took it all very easily. + +"Just listen to me, Christian," said he. "In the first place, I am +much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken. All that you tell +me I knew beforehand; but I am not sorry to know it for certain. Yet I +could wish that the sous-préfet had had my letter. As it is, since I +am refused a license to sell a few glasses of wine retail, I will sell +wine wholesale. I have already a stock of white wine, and no later +than to-morrow I am off to Nancy. I buy a light cart and a good horse; +thence I drive to Thiancourt, where I lay in a stock of red wine. +After that I rove right and left all over the country, and I sell my +wine by the cask or the quarter-cask, according to the solvency of my +customers: instead of having one public-house, I will have twenty. I +must keep moving. With an inn, Marie Anne would still have been +obliged to cook; she has quite enough to do without that." + +"Oh! yes," she said; "for thirty years I have been cooking dishes of +sauerkraut and sausage at Krantheimer's, at Montmartre, and at Auber's, +in the cloister St. Benoit." + +"Exactly so," said George; "and now you shall cook no longer; but you +shall look after the crops, the stacking of the hay, the storage of +fruit and potatoes. We shall get in our dividends, and I will trot +round the country with my little pony from village to village. +Monsieur le Sous-préfet shall know that George Weber can live without +him." + +Hearing this, I learned that they had money in the funds, besides all +the rest; and I reflected that my cousin was quite right to laugh at +all the sous-préfets in the world. + +He came with me to the door, shaking hands with me; and I said to +myself that it was abominable to have refused a publican's license to +respectable persons, when they gave it to such men as Nicolas Reiter +and Jean Kreps, whom their own wives called their best customers +because they dropped under the table every evening and had to be +carried to bed. + +On the other hand, I saw that it was better for me; for if my cousin +had been found infringing the law, I should have had to take +depositions, and there would have been a quarrel with Cousin George. +So that all was for the best; the wholesale business being only the +exciseman's affair. + +What George had said, he did next day. At six o'clock he was already +at the station, and in five or six days he had returned from Nancy upon +his own char-à-banc, drawn by a strong horse, five or six years old, in +its prime. The char-à-banc was a new one; a tilt could be put up in +wet weather, which could be raised or lowered when necessary to deliver +the wine or receive back the empty casks. + +The wine from Thiancourt followed. George stored it immediately, after +having paid the bill and settled with the carter. I was standing by. + +As for telling you how many casks he had then in the house, that would +be difficult without examining his books; but not a wine-merchant in +the neighborhood, not even in town, could boast of such a vault of wine +as he had, for excellence of quality, for variety in price, both red +and white, of Alsace and Lorraine. + +About that time, my cousin sent for me and Jacob to make a list of safe +customers. He wrote on, asking us, "How much may I give to So-and-So?" + +"So much." + +"How much to that man?" + +"So much." + +In the course of a single afternoon we had passed in review all the +innkeepers and publicans from Droulingen to Quatre Vents, from Quatre +Vents to the Dagsberg. Jacob and I knew what they were worth to the +last penny; for the man who pays readily for his flour, pays well for +his wine; and those who want pulling up by the miller are in no hurry +to open their purses to the others. + +That was the way Cousin George conducted his business. + +He took a lad from our place, the son of the cooper Gros, to drive; and +he himself was salesman. + +From that day he was only seen passing through Rothalp at a quick trot, +his lad loading and unloading. + +My cousin, also, had a notion of distilling in the winter. He bought +up a quantity of old second-hand barrels to hold the fruits which he +hoped to secure at a cheap rate in autumn, and laid up a great store of +firewood. Our country people had nothing to do but to look at him to +learn something; but the people down our way all think themselves so +amazingly clever, and that does not help to make folks richer. + +Well, it is plain to you that our cousin's prospects were looking very +bright. Every day, returning from his journey to Saverne or to +Phalsbourg, he would stop his cart before my door, and come to see me +in the mill, crying out: "Hallo! good afternoon, Christian. How are +you to-day?" + +Then we used to step into the back parlor, on account of the noise and +the dust, and we talked about the price of corn, cattle, provender, and +everything that is interesting to people in our condition. + +What astonished him most of all was the number of Germans to be met +with in the mountains and in the plains. + +"I see nobody else," said he; "wood-cutters, brewers' men, coopers, +tinkers, photographers, contractors. I will lay a wager, Christian, +that your young man Frantz is a German, too." + +"Yes; he comes from the Grand Duchy of Baden." + +"How does this happen?" asked George. "What is the meaning of it all?" + +"They are good workmen," said I, "and they ask only half the wages." + +"And ours--what becomes of them?" + +"Ah, you see, Cousin George, that is their business." + +"I understand," he said, "that we are making a great mistake. Even in +Paris, this crowd of Germans--crossing-sweepers, shop and warehousemen, +carters, book-keepers, professors of every kind--astonished me; and +since Sadowa, there are twice as many. The more territory they annex, +the farther they extend their view. Where is the advantage of our +being Frenchmen--paying every year heavier taxes; sending our children +to be drawn for the conscription, and paying for their exemption; +bearing all the expenses of the State, all the insults of the préfets, +the sous-préfets, and the police-inspectors, and the annoyances of +common spies and informers, if those fellows, who have nothing at all +to bear, enjoy the same advantages with ourselves, and even greater +ones; since our own people are sent off to make room for these, who by +their great numbers lower the price of hand-labor? This benefits the +manufacturers, the contractors, the bourgeois class, but it is misery +for the mass of the people. I cannot understand it at all. Our +rulers, up there, must be losing their senses. If that goes on, the +working-men will cease to care for their country, since it cares so +little for them; and the Germans who are favored, and who hate us, will +quietly put us out of our own doors." + +Thus spoke my cousin, and I knew not what answer to make. + +But about this time I had a great trouble, and although this affair is +my private business alone, I must tell you about it. + +Since the arrival of George, my daughter Grédel, instead of looking +after our business as she used to do, washing clothes, milking cows, +and so on, was all the blessed day at Marie Anne's. Jacob complained, +and said: "What is she about down there? By and by I shall have to +prepare the clothes for the wash and hang them upon the hedges to dry, +and churn butter. Cannot Grédel do her own work? Does she think we +are her servants?" + +He was right. But Grédel never troubled herself. She never has +thought of any one besides herself. She was down there along with +George's wife, who talked to her from morning till night about Paris, +the grand squares, the markets, the price of eggs and of meat, what was +charged at the barrières; of this, that, and the other: cooking, and +what not. + +Marie Anne wanted company. But this did not suit me at all; and the +less because Grédel had had a lover in the village for some time, and +when this is the case, the best thing to be done is always to keep your +daughter at home and watch her closely. + +It was only a common clerk at a stone-quarry in Wilsberg, a late +artillery sergeant, Jean Baptiste Werner, who had taken the liberty to +cast his eyes upon our daughter. We had nothing to say against this +young man. He was a fine, tall man, thin, with a bold expression and +brown mustaches, and who did his duty very well at the quarry by Father +Heitz; but he could earn no more than his three francs a day: and any +one may see that the daughter of Christian Weber was not to be thrown +away upon a man who earns three francs a day. No, that would never do. + +Nevertheless, I had often seen this Jean Baptiste Werner going in the +morning to his work with his foot-rule under his arm, stopping at the +mill-dam, as if to watch the geese and the ducks paddling about the +sluice or the hens circling around the cock on the dunghill; and at the +same moment Grédel would be slowly combing her hair at her window +before the little looking-glass, leaning her head outside. I had also +noticed that they said good-morning to each other a good way off, and +that that clerk always looked excited and flurried at the sight of my +daughter; and I had even been obliged to give Grédel notice to go and +comb her hair somewhere else when that man passed, or to shut her +window. + +This is my case, simply told. + +That young man worried me. My wife, too, was on her guard. + +You may now understand why I should have preferred to have seen our +daughter at home; but it was not so easy to forbid her to go to my +cousin's. George and his wife might have been angry; and that troubled +us. + +Fortunately about that time the eldest son of Father Heitz,* the owner +of the quarry, asked for Grédel in marriage. + + +* It is usual there for fathers of families to be distinguished as +Father So-and-So. + + +For a long while, Monsieur Mathias Heitz, junior, had come every Sunday +from Wilsberg to the "Cruchon d'Or," to amuse himself with Jacob, as +young men do when they have intentions with regard to a family. He was +a fine young man, fat, with red cheeks and ears, and always well +dressed, with a flowered velvet waistcoat, and seals to his +watch-chain; in a word, just such a young man as a girl with any good +sense would be glad to have for a husband. + +He had property too; he was the eldest of five children. I reckoned +that his own share might be fifteen to twenty thousand francs after the +death of his parents. + +Well, this young man demanded Grédel in marriage, and at once Jacob, my +wife, and myself were agreed to accept him. + +Only my wife thought that we ought to consult Cousin George and Marie +Anne. Grédel was just there when I went in with Catherine; but behold! +on the first mention of the thing she began to melt into tears, and to +say she would rather die than marry Mathias Heitz. You may imagine how +angry we were. My wife was going to slap her face or box her ears; but +my cousin became angry now, and told us that we ought never to oblige a +girl to marry against her will, because this was the way to make +miserable households. Then he led us out into the passage, telling us +that he took the responsibility of this affair: that he wished to +obtain information, and that we were to tell the young man that we +required a month for reflection. + +We could not refuse him that. Grédel would no longer come home; my +cousin's wife begged us not to plague her, and we had to give way to +them; but it was one of the greatest troubles of my life. And I +thought: "Now you cannot give your daughter to whoever you like; is not +this really abominable?" + +I felt angry with myself for having listened to my cousin: but, +nevertheless, Grédel stayed with them a whole week, in consequence of +which we were obliged to hire a charwoman; and Jacob exclaimed that +Grédel could not have offered him a worse insult than to refuse his +best comrade, a rich fellow, who boldly paid down his money for ten, +fifteen, and twenty bottles at the club without winking. + +However, he never mentioned it to Cousin George, for whom he felt the +greatest respect on account of his expectations from him, and whose +strong language dismayed him. + +At last my wife found that Grédel was staying too long away from home; +the people of the village would talk about it; so one evening I went to +see George, to ask him what he had learned about Heitz's son. + +It was after supper. Grédel, seeing me come in, slipped out into the +kitchen, and my cousin said to me frankly: "Listen, Christian: here is +the matter in two words--Grédel loves another." + +"Whom?" + +"Jean Baptiste Werner." + +"Father Heitz's clerk? the son of the woodward Werner, who has never +had anything but potatoes to eat? Is she in love with him? Let the +wretch come--let him come and ask her! I'll kick him down the stairs! +And Grédel to grieve me so? Oh! I should never have believed it of +her!" + +I could have cried. + +"Come, Christian," said my cousin, "you must be reasonable." + +"Reasonable! she deserves to have her neck wrung!" + +I was in a fury; I wanted to lay hold on her. Happily, she had gone +into the garden, and George held me back. He obliged me to sit down +again, and said: "What is Mathias Heitz? a fat fool who knows nothing +but how to play at cards and drink. He was put to college at +Phalsbourg, at M. Verrot's, like all the other respectable young men in +the district; but he now drives about in a char-à-banc in a flowered +waistcoat, with jingling seals: he could not possibly earn a couple of +pence--and the old man would like to be rid of him by marrying him. I +have obtained information about him. He may come in for from fifteen +to twenty thousand francs some day; but what are fifteen thousand +francs for an ass? He will eat them, he will drink them--perhaps he +has already swallowed half--and if there is a family, what are fifteen +or even twenty thousand francs between five or six children? Formerly, +when girls used to have an outfit for a marriage portion, and the +eldest son succeeded his father, things went on pretty well. It did +not want much talent to carry on a well-established business, or to +follow up a trade from father to son. But at the present day, +mother-wit and good sense stand in the foremost rank. Grandfather +Heitz was an industrious man; he made money; but Father Mathias has +never added a sou to his property, and the son has not a grain of good +sense." + +"But the other fellow--why he has nothing at all." + +"The other, Jean Baptiste Werner, is a good man, who has done his duty +by Father Heitz; he knows everything, manages everything, takes in +orders, makes all the arrangements for the carriage of stone by carts +or by railway. Heitz puts the money into his pocket, and Werner has +all the work, for want of a little capital to set himself up in +business. He has seen foreign service. I have seen his certificates +of character in Africa, in Mexico: they are excellent. If I were in +your place, I would give Grédel to him." + +"Never!" cried I, thumping upon the table; "I had rather drown her." + +Half the wine-glasses were shattered on the floor; but my cousin was +not angry. + +"Well, Christian," said he, "you are wrong. Think it over. Grédel +will remain here. I will answer for her. You must not take her away +at present. You would be very likely to ill-treat her, and then you +would repent of it." + +"Let her stay as long as you like!" said I, taking up my hat; "let her +never darken my doors again." And I rushed out. + +Never in my life had I been so angry and so grieved. At home I did not +even dare to say what I had learned; but Jacob suspected it, and one +day, as Werner was stopping in front of the mill, he shook his +pitchfork at him, shouting: "Come on!" But Werner pretended not to +hear him, and went on his way. + +I was at last, however, obliged to tell my wife the whole matter. At +first she was near fainting; but she soon recovered, and said to me: +"Well, if Grédel won't have young Mathias, we shall keep our hundred +louis, and we shall have no need to hire a new servant. I should +prefer that, for one cannot trust strange servants in a house." + +"Yes; but how can we declare to Mathias Heitz that Grédel refuses his +son?" + +"Oh, don't trouble yourself, Christian," said she; "leave me alone, and +don't let us quarrel with Cousin George: that's the principal thing. I +will say that Grédel is too young to be married; that is the proper +thing to say, and nobody can answer that." + +Catherine quieted me in this way. But this business was still racking +my brain, when extraordinary things came to pass, which we were far +from expecting, and which were to turn our hair gray, and that of many +others with us. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +One morning the secretary of the sous-préfet wrote to me to come to +Sarrebourg. From time to time we used to receive orders, as +magistrates, to go and give an account at the sous-préfecture of what +was going on in our district. + +I said to myself, immediately on receiving this letter from Secretary +Gérard, that it was something about our Agricultural Society, which had +not yet delivered the prizes gained by the ducks and the geese a few +weeks before. + +It was true that the Paris newspapers had for three days past been +discussing a Prince of Hohenzollern, who had just been named King of +Spain; but what could that signify to us at Rothalp, Illingen, +Droulingen, and Henridorf, whether the King of Spain was called +Hohenzollern or by any other name? + +In my opinion, it could not be about that affair that Monsieur le +Sous-préfet wanted to talk to us, but about the old or a new +Agricultural Society, or something at least which concerned us in +particular. The idea of the parish road and the bells came also into +my mind; perhaps that was the object we were sent for. + +At last I took up my staff and started for Sarrebourg. + +Arriving there, I found the whole length of the principal street +crowded with mayors, police-inspectors, and _juges-de-paix_.* Mother +Adler's inn and all the little public-houses were so full that they +could not have held another customer. + + +* Magistrates. + + +Then I said to myself, no doubt something quite new is in the wind: as, +for instance; a fête like that when her Majesty the Empress and the +Prince Imperial, three years before, passed through Nancy to celebrate +the union of Lorraine with France. Thereupon I went to the +sous-préfecture, where I found already several mayors of the +neighborhood talking at the door. They were discussing the price of +corn, the high price of cattle food; they were called in one after +another. + +In half an hour my turn came; Monsieur Christian Weber's name was +called, and I entered with my hat in my hand. + +Monsieur le Sous-préfet with his secretary Gerard, with his pen stuck +behind his ear, were seated there: the secretary began to mend his pen; +and Monsieur le Sous-préfet asked me what was going on in my part of +the country? + +"In our country, Monsieur le Sous-préfet? why, nothing at all. There +is a great drought; no rain has fallen for six weeks; the potatoes are +very small, and..." + +"I don't mean that, Monsieur le Maire: what do they think of the Prince +Hohenzollern and the Crown of Spain?" + +On hearing this I scratched my head, saying to myself, "What will you +answer to that now? What must you say?" + +Then Monsieur le Sous-préfet asked: "What is the spirit of your +population?" + +The spirit of our population? How could I get out of that? + +"You see, Monsieur le Sous-préfet, in our villages the people are no +scholars; they don't read the papers." + +"But tell me, what do they think of the war?" + +"What war?" + +"If, now, we should have war with Germany, would those people be +satisfied?" + +Then I began to catch a glimpse of his meaning, and I said: "You know, +Monsieur le Sous-préfet, that we have voted in the Plébiscite to have +peace, because everybody likes trade and business and quietness at +home; we only want to have work and..." + +"Of course, of course, that is plain enough; we all want peace: his +Majesty the Emperor, and her Majesty the Empress, and everybody love +peace! But if we are attacked: if Count Bismarck and the King of +Prussia attack us?" + +"Then, Monsieur le Sous-préfet, we shall be obliged to defend ourselves +in the best way we can; by all sorts of means, with pitchforks, with +sticks..." + +"Put that down, Monsieur Gérard, write down those words. You are +right, Monsieur le Maire: I felt sure of you beforehand," said Monsieur +le Sous-préfet, shaking hands with me: "You are a worthy man." + +Tears came into my eyes. He came with me to the door, saying: "The +determination of your people is admirable; tell them so: tell them that +we wish for peace; that our only thought is for peace; that his Majesty +and their excellencies the Ministers want nothing but peace; but that +France cannot endure the insults of an ambitious power. Communicate +your own ardor to the village of Rothalp. Good, very good. _Au +revoir_, Monsieur le Maire, farewell." + +Then I went out, much astonished; another mayor took my place, and I +thought, "What! does that Bismarck mean to attack us! Oh, the villain!" + +But as yet I could tell neither why nor how. + +I repaired to Mother Adler's, where I ordered bread and cheese and a +bottle of white wine, according to custom, before returning home; and +there I heard all those gentlemen, the Government officials, the +controllers, the tax-collectors, the judges, the receivers, etc., +assembled in the public room, telling one another that the Prussians +were going to invade us; that they had already taken half of Germany, +and that they were wanting now to lay the Spaniards upon our back in +order to take the rest: just as they had put Italy upon the back of the +Austrians, before Sadowa. + +All the mayors present were of the same opinion; they all answered that +they would defend themselves, if we were attacked; for the Lorrainers +and the Alsacians have never been behindhand in defending themselves: +all the world knows that. + +I went on listening; at last, having paid my bill, I started to return +home. + +I went out of Sarrebourg, and had walked for half an hour in the dust, +reflecting upon what had just taken place, when I heard a conveyance +coming at a rapid rate behind me. I turned round. It was Cousin +George upon his char-à-banc, at which I was much pleased. + +"Is that you, cousin?" said he, pulling up. + +"Yes; I am just come from Sarrebourg, and I am not sorry to meet with +you, for it is terribly warm." + +"Well, up with you," said he. "You have had a great gathering to-day; +I saw all the public-houses full." + +I was up, I took my seat, and the conveyance went off again at a trot. + +"Yes," said I; "it is a strange business; you would never guess why we +have been sent for to the sous-préfecture." + +"What for?" + +Then I told him all about it; being much excited against the villain +Bismarck, who wanted to invade us, and had just invented this +Hohenzollern pretext to drive us to extremities. + +George listened. At last he said: "My poor Christian! the sous-préfet +was quite right in calling you a worthy fellow; and all those other +mayors that I saw down there, with their red noses, are worthy men; but +do you know my opinion upon all those matters?" + +"What do you think, George?" + +"Well, my belief is, that they are leading you like a string of asses +by the bridle. That sous-préfet will present his report to the préfet, +the préfet to the Minister of the Interior, Monsieur Chevandier de +Valdrôme,--the organizer of the Plébiscite--he who told you to vote +'Yes' to have peace--and that Minister will present his report to the +Emperor. They all know that the Emperor desires war, because he needs +it for his dynasty." + +"What! he wants war?" + +"No doubt he does. In spite of all, forty-five thousand soldiers have +voted against the Plébiscite. The army is turning round against the +dynasty. There is no more promotion: medals, crosses, promotions were +distributed in profusion at first, now all that has stopped; the +inferior officers have no more hope of passing into the higher ranks, +because the army is filled with nobles, with Jesuits from the schools +of the Sacred College: in the Court calendars nothing is seen but +_de_'s. The soldiers, who spring from the people, begin to discern +that they are being gradually extinguished: they are not in a pleasant +temper. But war may put everything straight again: a few battles are +wanted to throw light upon the malcontents; there must be a victory to +crush the Republicans, for the Republicans are gaining confidence: they +are lifting up their heads. After a victory, a few thousand of them +can be sent to Lambessa and to Cayenne, just as after the Second of +December. At the same time, the Jesuits will be placed at the head of +the schools, as they were under Charles X., the Pope will be restored, +Italy and Germany will be dismembered, and the dynasty will be placed +on a strong foundation for twenty years. Every twenty years they will +begin again, and the dynasty will strike deep root. But war there must +be." + +"But what do you mean? It is Bismarck who is beginning it," said I: +"it is he who is picking a German quarrel." + +"Bismarck," replied my cousin, "is well acquainted with everything that +is going on, and so are the very lowest workmen in Paris; but you, you +know nothing at all. Your only talk is about potatoes and cabbages: +your thoughts never go beyond this. You are kept in ignorance. You +are, as it were, the dung of the Empire--the manure to fatten the +dynasty. Bismarck is aware that our _honest man_ wants war, to temper +his army afresh, and shut the mouths of those whose talk is of economy, +liberty, honor, and justice; he knows that never will Prussia be so +strong again as she is now--she already covers three-fourths of +Germany; all the Germans will march at her side to fight against +France: they can put more than a million of men in the field in fifteen +days, and they will be three or four against one; with such odds there +is no need of genius, the war will go forward of itself--they are sure +of crushing the enemy." + +"But the Emperor must know that as well as you, George," said I; +"therefore he will be for peace." + +"No, he is relying upon his mitrailleuses: and then he wants to +strengthen his dynasty--what does the rest matter to him? To establish +his dynasty he took an oath before God and man to the Republic, and +then he trampled upon his oath and the Republic; he brought destruction +upon thousands of good men, who were defending the laws against him; he +has enriched thousands of thieves who uphold him; he has corrupted our +youth by the evil example of the prosperity of brigands, and the +misfortunes of the well-disposed; he has brought low everything that +was worthy of respect, he has exalted everything which excites disgust +and contempt. All the men who have approached this pestilence have +been contaminated, to the very marrow of their bones. You, Christian, +evidently cannot comprehend these abominable things; but the worst +rogues in this country, the wildest vagabonds among your peasants, +could never form an opinion of the villany of this _honest man_: they +are saints compared with him; at the very sight of him the heart of +every true Frenchman rises up against him: for the sake of his dynasty +he would sell and sacrifice us all to the last man." + +George, in uttering these words, was trembling with excitement: I saw +that he was convinced to the bottom of his heart of what he said. +Fortunately we were alone on the road, far from any village; no one +could hear us. + +"But that Hohenzollern," I said, after a few minutes' silence, "that +Leopold Hohenzollern--is not he the cause of all that is going on?" + +"No," said George; "if misfortunes come upon us, the _honest man_ alone +will be the cause of it. If you did but read a newspaper, you would +see that the Spaniards wanted for their king, Montpensier, a son of +Louis Philippe; that could only have turned out to our good: +Montpensier would naturally have become the ally of France. But that +was against the interests of the Napoleon dynasty; so the _honest man_ +threatened Spain; then the Spaniards nominated this Prussian prince in +the place of Montpensier; a prince who could not stand alone, but whom +a million of Germans would support if necessary. They fixed upon him +to annoy our gentleman; of course they had no need to ask for his +advice. Did France consult any one? did she trouble herself about +England, Spain, or Germany, when she proclaimed the Republic, or when +she proclaimed Louis Bonaparte Emperor? Has he then a right to thrust +his nose into their affairs? No; it is unpleasant for us; but the +Spaniards were right; there was no need for them to put themselves out +to please our _worthy man_ and his fine family. And now--happen what +may--I look no longer for peace; the Germans are withdrawing from our +country in all directions--they are joining their regiments; the order +has been given, and they obey; it is a bad sign. In all the villages +that I have been passing through, and upon every road, I have seen +these fine fellows, their bundles over their shoulders--they are off +home!" + +Thus spoke Cousin George to me. I thought this was a little too bad; +but, on arriving home, the first thing my wife said to me was, "Do you +know that Frantz is going?" + +"Our young man?" + +"Yes, he wants his wages." + +"Ah, indeed. Let him come here at the back, and we will have a talk." + +I was much surprised, and I made him come into my room at the bottom of +the mill, where I keep my papers and my books. His cow-skin pack was +already fastened upon his shoulder. + +"Are you going away, Frantz? Have you anything to complain of?" + +"No, nothing at all, Monsieur Weber. But I am obliged to go; for I +have received orders to join my regiment." + +"Are you a soldier, then?" + +"Yes, in the Landwehr. We are all soldiers in Germany." + +"But if you liked to stay here, who would come and fetch you?" + +"That is an impossibility, M. Weber. I should be declared a deserter. +I could never return home again. They would take away all my property, +present and to come; my brothers and sisters would come in for it." + +"Ah, that is a different thing! Now I understand. There--there's your +certificate of character." + +I had written a good certificate for him, for he was a good workman. I +paid him what I owed him to the last farthing, and wished him a +prosperous journey. + +Cousin George was right; those Germans were all moving homeward. You +would never have thought there were so many in the country; some had +passed themselves off for Swiss, some for Luxemburgers; others had +quite settled down, and no one would ever have suspected that they owed +two or three more years' service to their country. This gave rise to +disputes. Those whose situations they had taken, and who bore ill-will +against them, fell upon them; the _gendarmerie_ beat up the mountains; +things were taking an ugly turn. + +It was in vain that I affirmed at the mayoralty-house that the Emperor +breathed only peace; for the Gazettes of the préfecture talked of +nothing but the insults we had had to endure, the ambition of Prussia, +revenge for Sadowa, the Catholic nations who were going to declare _en +masse_ in our favor, and all the powers which affirmed the justice of +our cause: the enthusiasm for war grew higher and higher day by day; +especially that of the pedlers, the tinkers, the small dealers, and all +those good fellows who come out of the prisons, and who are continually +seeking for work without finding any; though they do find walls to get +over, doors to break in, cupboards to plunder. All these excellent +people declared that it was for the honor of France to make war upon +Germany. + +And then the Paris newspapers in the pay of the Government, as we have +more recently learned, continued arriving and were circulated gratis, +saying that our ambassador Benedetti had gone to see Frederick William +at the waters of Ems, to entreat him not to precipitate us into the +horrors of war; that the King had answered that all that was nothing to +him, for his Cousin Leopold of Hohenzollern had only consulted him out +of respect, as head of the family; that he was too good a relation to +advise him not to accept so good a windfall, which was coming down to +him out of the clouds. + +Then, indeed, did the indignation of the Gazettes burst upon the +Germans: they must, by all means, be brought to their senses. Now, +fancy the position of a mayor, who only two months before had made all +his village vote in the Plébiscite, promising them peace, and who saw +clearly at last how they had only made use of him as a tool to dupe his +people! I dared no longer look my cousin in the face, for he had +warned me of the thing; and now I knew what to think of the honorable +members of the Government. + +Affairs were going on so badly that war seemed imminent, when one fine +morning we learned that Hohenzollern had waived his right to be King of +Spain. Ah! now we were out of the mess: now we could breathe more +freely. That day my cousin himself was smiling; he came to the mill +and said to me: "The Emperor and his Ministers, his préfets and +sous-préfets, have not such long noses after all! How well things were +going on too! And now they will be obliged to wait for another +opportunity to begin. How they must feel sold!" + +We both laughed with delight. + +More than twenty-five of the principal inhabitants came that day to +shake hands with me at the mayoralty-house. It was concluded that his +excellency, Monsieur Emile Ollivier, would never be able to tinker this +war again, and that peace would be preserved in spite of him: in spite +of the Emperor, in spite of Marshal Leboeuf, who had declared to the +Senate _that we were ready--five times ready, and that during the whole +campaign we should never be short of so much as a gaiter button_. + +Hohenzollern was praised up to the skies for having shown such good +sense; and as the reserves had been called out, many young men were +glad to be able to remain in the bosom of their families. + +In a word, it was concluded that the whole affair was at an end; when +our _good man_ and his honorable Minister informed us that we had begun +to rejoice too soon. All at once, the report ran that Frederick +William had shown our ambassador the door, saying something so terribly +strong against the honor of his Majesty Napoleon III., that nobody +dared repeat it. It appeared that his Majesty the Emperor, seeing that +the King of Prussia had withdrawn his authorization from the Prince of +Hohenzollern to accept the Crown of Spain, had not been satisfied with +that; and that he had given orders to his ambassador to demand, +furthermore, his renunciation of any crown, whatever that the Spaniards +might offer him in all time to come--for himself or his family; and +that this King, who does not enjoy at all times the best of tempers, +had said something very strong touching _our honest man_. + +That day I was at the mayoralty-house about eleven o'clock. I had just +celebrated the marriage of André Fix with Kaan's daughter, and the +wedding-party had started for church, when the postman Michel comes in +and throws down the little _Moniteur_ upon the table. Then I sat down +to read about the great battle in the Legislative Chambers, fought by +Thiers, Gambetta, Jules Favre, Glais-Bizoin and others, against the +Ministers, in defence of peace. + +It was magnificent. But this had not prevented the majority, appointed +to do everything, from declaring war against the Germans, on account of +what the King of Prussia had said. + +What could he then have said? His excellency Emile Ollivier has never +dared to repeat it! My Cousin George declared that he had said +something that was right, and naturally very unpleasant: but it is +known now, by the reports of our ambassador, that the King of Prussia +had said _nothing at all_, and that the indignation of M. Ollivier was +nothing but a disgraceful sham to deceive the Chambers, and make them +vote for war. + +Well, this was the commencement of our calamities; and; for my part, I +find that this did not present a cheerful prospect. No! After having +endured such miseries, it is not pleasant to remember that we owe them +all to M. Emile Ollivier, to Monsieur Leboeuf, to Monsieur Bonaparte, +and to other men of that stamp, who are living at this moment +comfortably in their country-houses in Italy, in Switzerland, in +England; whilst so many unhappy creatures have had their lives +sacrificed, or have been utterly ruined; have lost father, children, +and friends: but we Alsacians and Lorrainers have lost more than +all--our own mother-country. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +The day following this declaration, Cousin George, who could never look +upon anything cheerfully, started for Belfort. He had ordered some +wine at Dijon, and he wished to stop it from coming. It was the 22d +July. George only returned five days later, on the 27th, having had +the greatest difficulty in getting there in time. + +During these five days I had a hard time. Orders were coming every +hour to hurry on the reserves and the Gardes Mobiles, and to cancel +renewable furloughs; the gendarmerie had no rest. The Government +gazette was telling us of the enthusiasm of the nation for the war. It +was pitiable; can you imagine young men sitting quietly at home, +thinking: "In five or six months I shall be exempt from service, I may +marry, settle, earn money," all at once, without either rhyme or +reason, becoming enthusiastic to go and knock over men they know +nothing of, and to risk their own bones against them. Is there a +shadow of good sense in such notions? + +And the Germans! Will any one persuade us that they were coming for +their own pleasure--all these thousands of workmen, tradesmen, +manufacturers, good citizens, who were living in peace in their towns +and their villages? Will any one maintain that they came and drew up +in lines facing our guns for their private satisfaction, with an +officer behind them, pistol in hand, to shoot them in the back if they +gave way? Do you suppose they found any amusement in that? Come now, +was not his excellency Monsieur Ollivier the only man who went into +war, as he himself said, "with a light heart?" He was safe to come +back, he was: he had not much to fear; he is quite well; he made a +fortune in a very short time! But the lads of our neighborhood, +Mathias Heitz, Jean Baptiste Werner, my son Jacob, and hundreds of +others, were in no such hurry: they would much rather have stayed in +their villages. + +Later on it was another matter, when you were fighting for your +country; then, of course, many went off as a matter of duty, without +being summoned, whilst Monsieur Ollivier and his friends were hiding, +God knows where! But at that particular moment when all our +misfortunes might have been averted, it is a falsehood to say that we +went enthusiastically to have ourselves cut to pieces for a pack of +intriguers and stage-players, whom we were just beginning to find out. + +When we saw our son Jacob, in his blouse, his bundle under his arm, +come into the mill, saying, "Now, father, I am going; you must not +forget to pull up the dam in half an hour, for the water will be up:" +when he said this to me, I tell you my heart trembled; the cries of his +mother in the room behind made my hair stand on end. I could have +wished to say a few words, to cheer up the lad, but my tongue refused +to move; and if I had held his excellency, M. Ollivier, or his +respected master, by the throat in a corner, they would have made a +queer figure: I should have strangled them in a moment! At last Jacob +went. + +All the young men of Sarrebourg, of Château Salins, and our +neighborhood, fifteen or sixteen hundred in number, were at Phalsbourg +to relieve the 84th, who at any moment might expect to be called away, +and who were complaining of their colonel for not claiming the foremost +rank for his regiment. The officers were afraid of arriving too late; +they wanted promotion, crosses, medals: fighting was their trade. + +What I have said about enthusiasm is true; it is equally true of the +Germans and the French; they had no desire to exterminate one another. +Bismarck and our _honest man_ alone are responsible: at their door lies +all the blood that has been shed. + +Cousin George returned from Belfort on the 27th, in the evening. I +fancy I still see him entering our room at nightfall; Grédel had +returned to us the day before, and we were at supper, with the tin lamp +upon the table; from my place, on the right, near the window, I was +able to watch the mill-dam. George arrived. + +"Ah! cousin, here you are back again! Did you get on all right?" + +"Yes, I have nothing to complain of," said he, taking a chair. "I +arrived just in time to countermand my order; but it was only by good +luck. What confusion all the way from Belfort to Strasbourg! the +troops, the recruits, the guns, the horses, the munitions of war, the +barrels of biscuits, all are arriving at the railway in heaps. You +would not know the country. Orders are asked for everywhere. The +telegraph-wires are no longer for private use. The commissaries don't +know where to find their stores, colonels are looking for their +regiments, generals for their brigades and divisions. They are seeking +for salt, sugar, coffee, bacon, meat, saddles and bridles--and they are +getting charts of the Baltic for a campaign in the Vosges! Oh!" cried +my cousin, uplifting his hands, "is it possible? Have we come to +that---we! we! Now it will be seen how expensive a thing is a +government of thieves! I warn you, Christian, it will be a failure! +Perhaps there will not even be found rifles in the arsenals, after the +hundreds of millions voted to get rifles. You will see; you will see!" + +He had begun to stride to and fro excitedly, and we, sitting on our +chairs, were looking at him open-mouthed, staring first right and then +left. His anger rose higher and higher, and he said, "Such is the +genius of our honest man, he conducts everything: he is our +commander-in-chief! A retired artillery captain, with whom I travelled +from Schlestadt to Strasbourg, told me that in consequence of the bad +organization of our forces, we should be unable to place more than two +hundred and fifty thousand men in line along our frontier from +Luxembourg to Switzerland; and that the Germans, with their superior +and long-prepared organization, could oppose to us, in eight days, a +force of five to six hundred thousand men; so that they will be more +than two to one at the outset, and they will crush us in spite of the +valor of our soldiers. This old officer, full of good sense, and who +has travelled in Germany, told me, besides, that the artillery of the +Prussians carries farther and is worked more rapidly than ours; which +would enable the Germans to dismount our batteries and our +mitrailleuses without getting any harm themselves. It seems that our +great man never thought of that." + +Then George began to laugh, and, as we said nothing, he went on: "And +the enemy--the Prussians, Bavarians, Badeners, Wurtembergers, the +_Courrier du Bas-Rhin_ declares that they are coming by regiments and +divisions from Frankfort and Munich to Rastadt, with guns, munitions, +and provisions in abundance; that all the country swarms with them, +from Karlsruhe to Baden; that they have blown up the bridge of Kehl, to +prevent us from outflanking them; that we have not troops enough at +Wissembourg. But what is the use of complaining? Our +commander-in-chief knows better than the _Courrier du Bas-Rhin_; he is +an iron-clad fellow, who takes no advice: a man must have some courage +to offer him advice!" + +And all at once, stopping short, "Christian," he said, "I have come to +give you a little advice." + +"What?" + +"Hide all the money you have got; for, from what I have seen down +there, in a few days the enemy will be in Alsace." + +Imagine my astonishment at hearing these words. George was not the man +to joke about serious matters, nor was he a timid man: on the contrary, +you would have to go far to find a braver man. Therefore, fancy my +wife's and Grédel's alarm. + +"What, George," said I, "do you think that possible?" + +"Listen to me," said he. "When on the one side you see nothing but +empty beings, without education, without judgment, prudence, or method; +and on the other, men who for fifty years have been preparing a mortal +blow--anything is possible. Yes, I believe it; in a fortnight the +Germans will be in Alsace. Our mountains will check them; the +fortresses of Bitche, of Petite Pierre, of Phalsbourg and Lichtenberg; +the abatis, and the intrenchments which will be formed in the passes; +the ambuscades of every kind which will be set, the bridges and the +railway tunnels that they will blow up--all this will prevent them from +going farther for three or four months until winter; but, in the +meantime, they will send this way reconnoitring parties--Uhlans, +hussars, brigands of every kind--who will snap up everything, pillage +everywhere--wheat, flour, hay, straw, bacon, cattle, and principally +money. War will be made upon our backs. We Alsacians and Lorrainers, +we shall have to pay the bill. I know all about it. I have been all +over the country-side; believe me. Hide everything; that is what I +mean to do; and, if anything happens, at least it will not be our +fault. I would not go to bed without giving you this warning; so +good-night, Christian; good-night, everybody!" + +He left us, and we sat a few moments gazing stupidly at each other. My +wife and Grédel wanted to hide everything that very night. Grédel, +ever since she had got Jean Baptiste Werner into her head, was thinking +of nothing but her marriage-portion. She knew that we had about a +hundred louis in cent-sous pieces in a basket at the bottom of the +cupboard; she said to herself, "That's my marriage-portion!" And this +troubled her more than anything: she even grew bolder, and wanted to +keep the keys herself. But her mother is not a woman to be led: every +minute she cried: "Take care, Grédel! mind what you are about!" + +She looked daggers at her; and I was continually obliged to come to +preserve peace between them; for Catherine is not gifted with patience. +And so all our troubles came together. + +But, in spite of what George had just been saying, I was not afraid. +The Germans were less than sixteen leagues from us, it is true, but +they would have first to cross the Rhine; then we knew that at +Mederbronn the people were complaining of the troops cantoned in the +villages: this was a proof that there was no lack of soldiers; and then +MacMahon was at Strasbourg; the Turcos, the Zouaves, and the Chasseurs +d'Afrique were coming up. + +So I said to my wife that there was no hurry yet; that Cousin George +had long detested the Emperor; but that all that did not mean much, and +it was better to see things for one's self; that I should go to Saverne +market, and if things looked bad, then I would sell all our corn and +flour, which would come to a hundred louis, and which we would bury +directly with the rest. + +My wife took courage; and if I had not had a great deal to grind for +the bakers in our village, I should have gone next day to Saverne and +should have seen what was going on. Unfortunately, ever since Frantz +and Jacob had left, the mill was on my hands, and I scarcely had time +to turn round. + +Jacob was a great trouble to me besides, asking for money by the +postman Michel. This man told me that the Mobiles had not yet been +called out, and that they were lounging from one public-house to +another in gangs to kill time; that they had received no rifles; that +they were not chartered in the barracks; and that they did not get a +farthing for their food. + +This disorder disgusted me; and I reflected that an Emperor who sends +for all the young men in harvest-time, ought at least to feed them, and +not leave them to be an expense to their parents. For all that I sent +money to Jacob: I could not allow him to suffer hunger. But it was a +trouble to my mind to keep him down there with my money, sauntering +about with his hands in his pockets, whilst I, at my age, was obliged +to carry sacks up into the loft, to fetch them down again, to load the +carts alone, and, besides, to watch the mill; for no one could be met +with now, and the old day-laborer, Donadieu, quite a cripple, was all +the help I had. After that, only imagine our anxiety, our fatigue, and +our embarrassment to know what to do. + +The other people in the village were in no better spirits than +ourselves. The old men and women thought of their sons shut up in the +town, and the great drought continuing: we could rely upon nothing. +The smallpox had broken out, too. Nothing would sell, nothing could be +sent by railway: planks, beams, felled timber, building-stone, all lay +at the saw-pits or the stone-quarry. The sous-préfet kept on troubling +me to search and find out three or four scamps who had not reported +themselves, and the consequence of all this was that I did not get to +Saverne that week. + +Then it was announced that at last the Emperor had just quitted Paris, +to place himself at the head of his armies; and five or six days after +came the news of his great victory at Sarrebrück, where the +mitrailleuses had mown down the Prussians; where the little Prince had +picked up bullets, "which made old soldiers shed tears of emotion." + +On learning this the people became crazy with joy. On all sides were +heard cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" and Monsieur le Curé preached the +extermination of the heretic Prussians. Never had the like been seen. +That very day, toward evening, just after stopping the mill, all at +once I heard in the distance, toward the road, cries of "_Aux armes, +citoyens! formez vos bataillons!_" + +The dust from the road rose up into the clouds. It was the 84th +departing from Phalsbourg; they were going to Metz, and the people who +were working in the fields near the road, said, on returning at night, +that the poor soldiers, with their knapsacks on their shoulders, could +scarcely march for the heat; that the people were treating them with +eau-de-vie and wine at all the doors in Metting, and they said, +"Good-by! long life to you!" that the officers, too, were shaking hands +with everybody, whilst the people shouted, "Vive l'Empereur!" + +Yes, this victory of Sarrebrück had changed the face of things in our +villages; the love of war was returning. War is always popular when it +is successful, and there is a prospect of extending our own territory +into other peoples' countries. + +That night about nine o'clock I went to caution my cousin to hold his +tongue; for after this great victory one word against the dynasty might +send him a very long way off. He was alone with his wife, and said to +me, "Thank you, Christian, I have seen the despatch. A few brave +fellows have been killed, and they have shown the young Prince to the +army. That poor little weakly creature has picked up a few bullets on +the battle-field. He is the heir of his uncle, the terrible captain of +Jena and Austerlitz! Only one officer has been killed; it is not much; +but if the heir of the dynasty had had but a scratch, the gazettes +would have shed tears, and it would have been our duty to fall +fainting." + +"Do try to be quiet," said I, looking to see if the windows were all +close. "Do take care, George. Don't commit yourself to Placiard and +the gendarmes." + +"Yes," said he, "the enemies of the dynasty are at this moment in worse +danger than the little Prince. If victories go on, they will run the +risk of being plucked pretty bare. I am quite aware of that, my +cousin; and so I thank you for having come to warn me." + +This is all that he said to me, and I returned home full of thoughts. + +Next day, Thursday, market-day, I drove my first two wagon-loads of +flour to Saverne, and sold them at a good figure. That day I observed +the tremendous movement along the railroads, of which Cousin George had +spoken; the carriage of mitrailleuses, guns, chests of biscuits, and +the enthusiasm of the people, who were pouring out wine for the +soldiers. + +It was just like a fair in the principal street, from the chateau to +the station--a fair of little white loaves and sausages; but the +Turcos, with their blue jackets, their linen trousers, and their +scarlet caps, took the place of honor: everybody wanted to treat them. + +I had never before seen any of these men; their yellow skins, their +thick lips, the conspicuous whites of their eyes, surprised me; and I +said to myself, seeing the long strides they took with their thin legs, +that the Germans would find them unpleasant neighbors. Their officers, +too, with their swords at their sides, and their pointed beards, looked +splendid soldiers. At every public-house door, a few Chasseurs +d'Afrique had tied their small light horses, all alike and beautifully +formed like deer. No one refused them anything; and in all directions, +in the inns, the talk was of ambulances and collections for the +wounded. Well, seeing all this, George's ideas seemed to me more and +more opposed to sound sense, and I felt sure that we were going to +crush all resistance. + +About two o'clock, having dined at the Boeuf, I took the way to the +village through Phalsbourg, to see Jacob in passing. As I went up the +hill, something glittered from time to time on the slope through the +woods, when all at once hundreds of cuirassiers came out upon the road +by the Alsace fountain. They were advancing at a slow pace by twos, +their helmets and their cuirasses threw back flashes of light upon all +the trees, and the trampling of their hoofs rolled like the rush of a +mighty river. + +Then I drew my wagon to one side to see all these men march past me, +sitting immovable in their saddles as if they were sleeping, the head +inclined forward, and the mustache hanging, riding strong, square-built +horses, the canvas bag suspended from the side, and the sabre ringing +against the boot. Thus they filed past me for half an hour. They +extended their long lines, and stretched on yet to the Schlittenbach. +I thought there would be no end to them. Yet these were only two +regiments; two others were encamped upon the glacis of Phalsbourg, +where I arrived about five in the afternoon. They were driving the +pickets into the turf with axes; they were lighting fires for cooking; +the horses were neighing, and the townspeople--men, women, and +children--were standing gazing at them. + +I passed on my way, reflecting upon the strength of such an army, and +pitying, by anticipation, the ill-fated Germans whom they were going to +encounter. Entering through the gate of Germany, I saw the officers +looking for lodgings, the Gardes Mobiles, in blouses, mounting guard. +They had received their rifles that morning; and the evening before, +Monsieur le Sous-préfet of Sarrebourg had come himself to appoint the +officers of the National Guard. This is what I had learned at the +Vacheron brewery, where I had stopped, leaving my cart outside at the +corner of the "Trois Pigeons." + +Everybody was talking about our victory at Sarrebrück, especially those +cuirassiers, who were emptying bottles by the hundred, to allay the +dust of the road. They looked quite pleased, and were saying that war +on a large scale was beginning again, and that the heavy cavalry would +be in demand. It was quite a pleasure to look on them, with their red +ears, and to hear them rejoicing at the prospect of meeting the enemy +soon. + +In the midst of all these swarms of people, of servants running, +citizens coming and going, I could have wished to see Jacob; but where +was I to look for him? At last I recognized a lad of our +village--Nicolas Maïsse--the son of the wood-turner, our neighbor, who +immediately undertook to find him. He went out, and in a quarter of an +hour Jacob appeared. + +The poor fellow embraced me. The tears came into my eyes. + +"Well now," said I, "sit down. Are you pretty well?" + +"I had rather be at home," said he. + +"Yes, but that is impossible now; you must have patience." + +I also invited young Maïsse to take a glass with us, and both +complained bitterly that Mathias Heitz, junior, had been made a +lieutenant, who knew no more of the science of war than they did, and +who now had ordered of Kuhn, the tailor, an officer's uniform, +gold-laced up to the shoulders. Yet Mathias was a friend of Jacob's. +But justice is justice. + +This piece of news filled me with indignation: what should Mathias +Heitz be made an officer for? He had never learned anything at +college; he would never have been able to earn a couple of +_liards_--whilst our Jacob was a good miller's apprentice. + +It was abominable. However, I made no remark; I only asked if Jean +Baptiste Werner, who had a few days before joined the artillery of the +National Guard, was an officer too? + +Then they replied angrily that Jean Baptiste Werner, in spite of his +African and Mexican campaigns, was only a gunner in the Mariet battery, +behind the powder magazines. Those who knew nothing became officers; +those who knew something of war, like Mariet and Werner, were privates, +or at the most sergeants. All this showed me that Cousin George was +right in saying that we should be driven like beasts, and that our +chiefs were void of common-sense. + +Looking at all these people coming and going, the time passed away. +About eight o'clock, as we were hungry, and I wished to keep my boy +with me as long as I could, I sent for a good salad and sausages, and +we were eating together, with full hearts, to be sure, but with a good +appetite. But a few moments after the retreat, just when the +cuirassiers were going to camp out, and their officers, heavy and +weary, were going to rest in their lodgings, a few bugle notes were +sounded in the _place d'armes_, and we heard a cry--"To horse! to +horse!" + +Immediately all was excitement. A despatch had arrived; the officers +put on their helmets, fastened on their swords, and came running out +through the gate of Germany. Countenances changed; every one asked, +"What is the meaning of this?" + +At the same time the police inspector came up; he had seen my cart, and +cried, "Strangers must leave the place--the gates are going to be +closed." + +Then I had only just time to embrace my son, to press Nicolas's hand, +and to start at a sharp gallop for the gate of France. The drawbridge +was just on the rise as I passed it; five minutes after I was galloping +along the white high-road by moonlight, on the way to Metting. Outside +on the glacis, there was not a sound; the pickets had been drawn, and +the two regiments of cavalry were on the road to Saverne. + +I arrived home late: everybody was asleep in our village. Nobody +suspected what was about to happen within a week. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +The whole way I thought of nothing but the cuirassiers. This order to +march immediately appeared to me to betoken no good: something serious +must have occurred; and as, upon the stroke of eleven, I was putting my +horses up, after having put my cart under its shed, the idea came into +my head that it was time now to hide my money. I was bringing back +from Saverne sixteen hundred livres: this heavy leathern purse in my +pocket was perhaps what reminded me. I remembered what Cousin George +had said about Uhlans and other scamps of that sort, and I felt a cold +shiver come over me. + +Having, then, gone upstairs very softly, I awoke my wife: "Get up, +Catherine." + +"What is the matter?" + +"Get up: it is time to hide our money." + +"But what is going on?" + +"Nothing. Be quiet--make no noise--Grédel is asleep. You will carry +the basket: put into it your ring and your ear-rings, everything that +we have got. You hear me! I am going to empty the ditch, and we will +bury everything at the bottom of it." + +Then, without answering, she arose. + +I went down to the mill, opened the back-door softly, and listened. +Nothing was stirring in the village; you might have heard a cat moving. +The mill had stopped, and the water was pretty high. I lifted the +mill-dam, the water began to rush, boiling, down the gulley; but our +neighbors were used to this noise even in their sleep, so all remained +quiet. + +Then I went in again, and I was busy emptying into a corner the little +box of oak in which I kept my tools--the pincers, the hammer, the +screw-driver, and the nails, when my wife, in her slippers, came +downstairs. She had the basket under her arm, and was carrying the +lighted lantern. I blew it out in a moment, thinking: Never was a +woman such a fool. + +Downstairs I asked Catherine if everything was in the basket. + +"Yes." + +"Right. But I have brought from Saverne sixteen hundred francs: the +wheat and the flour sold well." + +I had put some bran into the box; everything was carefully laid in the +bottom; and then I put on a padlock, and we went out, after having +looked to see if all was quiet in the neighborhood. The sluice was +already almost empty; there was only one or two feet of water. I +cleared away the few stones which kept the rest of the water from +running out, and went into it with my spade and pickaxe as far as just +beneath the dam, where I began to make a deep hole; the water was +hindering me, but it was flowing still. + +Catherine, above, was keeping watch: sometimes she gave a low "Hush!" + +Then we listened, but it was nothing--the mewing of a cat, the noise of +the running water--and I went on digging. If anyone had had the +misfortune to surprise us, I should have been capable of doing him a +mischief. Happily no one came; and about two o'clock in the morning +the hole was three or four feet deep. I let down the box, and laid it +down level, first stamping soil down upon it with my heavy shoes, then +gravel, then large stones, then sand; the mud would cover all over of +itself: there is always plenty of mud in a millstream. + +After this I came out again covered with mud. I shut down the dam, and +the water began to rise. About three o'clock, at the dawn of day, the +sluice was almost full. I could have begun grinding again; and nobody +would ever have imagined that in this great whirling stream, nine feet +under water and three feet under ground, lay a snug little square box +of oak, clamped with iron, with a good padlock on it, and more than +four thousand livres inside. I chuckled inwardly, and said: "Now let +the rascals come!" + +And Catherine was well pleased too. But about four, just as I was +going up to bed again, comes Grédel, pale with alarm, crying: "Where is +the money!" + +She had seen the cupboard open and the basket empty. Never had she had +such a fright in her life before. Thinking that her marriage-portion +was gone, her ragged hair stood upon end; she was as pale as a sheet. +"Be quiet," I said, "the money is in a safe place." + +"Where?" + +"It is hidden." + +"Where?" + +She looked as if she was going to seize me by the collar, but her +mother said to her: "That is no business of yours." + +Then she became furious, and said, that if we came to die, she would +not know where to find her marriage-portion. + +This quarrelling annoyed me, and I said to her: "We are not going to +die; on the contrary, we shall live a long while yet, to prevent you +and your Jean Baptiste from inheriting our goods." + +And thereupon I went to bed, leaving Grédel and her mother to come to a +settlement together. + +All I can say is that girls, when they have got anything into their +heads, become too bold with their parents, and all the excellent +training they have had ends in nothing. Thank God, I had nothing to +reproach myself with on that score, nor her mother either. Grédel had +had four times as many blows as Jacob, because she deserved it, on +account of her wanting to keep everything, putting it all into her own +cupboard, and saying, "There, that's mine!" + +Yes, indeed, she had had plenty of correction of that kind: but you +cannot beat a girl of twenty: you cannot correct girls at that age; and +that was just my misfortune: it ought to go on forever! + +Well, it can't be helped. + +She upset the house and rummaged the mill from top to bottom, she +visited the garden, and her mother said to her, "You see, we have got +it in a safe place; since you cannot find it, the Uhlans won't." + +I remember that just as we were going up to sleep, that day, the 5th of +August, early in the morning, Catherine and I had seen Cousin George in +his char-à-banc coming down the valley of Dosenheim, and it seemed to +us that he was out very early. The village was waking up; other +people, too, were going to work: I lay down, and about eight o'clock my +wife woke me to tell me that the postman, Michel, was there. I came +down, and saw Michel standing in our parlor with his letter-bag under +his arm. He was thoughtful, and told me that the worst reports were +abroad; that they were speaking of the great battle near Wissembourg, +where we had been defeated; that several maintained that we had lost +ten thousand men, and the Germans seventeen thousand; but that there +was nothing certain, because it was not known whence these rumors +proceeded, only that the commanding officer of Phalsbourg, Taillant, +had proclaimed that morning that the inhabitants would be obliged to +lay in provisions for six weeks. Naturally, such a proclamation set +people a-thinking, and they said: "Have we a siege before us? Have we +gone back to the times of the great retreat and downfall of the first +Emperor? Ought things forever to end in the same fashion?" + +My wife, Grédel, and I, stood listening to Michel, with lips +compressed, without interrupting him. + +"And you, Michel," said I, when he had done, "what do you think of it +all?" + +"Monsieur le Maire, I am a poor postman; I want my place; and if my +five hundred francs a year were taken from me, what would become of my +wife and children?" + +Then I saw that he considered our prospects were not good. He handed +me a letter from Monsieur le Sous-préfet--it was the last--telling me +to watch false reports; that false news should be severely punished, by +order of our préfet, Monsieur Podevin. + +We could have wished no better than that the news had been false! But +at that time, everything that displeased the sous-préfets, the préfets, +the Ministers, and the Emperor, was false, and everything that pleased +them, everything that helped to deceive people--like that peaceful +Plébiscite--was truth! + +Let us change the subject: the thought of these things turns me sick! + +Michel went away, and all that day might be noticed a stir of +excitement in our village; men coming and going, women watching, people +going into the wood, each with a bag, spade, and pickaxe; stables +clearing out; a great movement, and all faces full of care: I have +always thought that at that moment every one was hiding, burying +anything he could hide or bury. I was sorry I had not begun to sell my +corn sooner, when my cousin had cautioned me a week before; but my +duties as mayor had prevented me: we must pay for our honors. I had +still four cart-loads of corn in my barn--now where could I put them? +And the cattle, and the furniture, the bedding, provisions of every +sort? Never will our people forget those days, when every one was +expecting, listening, and saying: "We are like the bird upon the twig. +We have toiled, and sweated, and saved for fifty years, to get a little +property of our own; to-morrow shall we have anything left? And next +week, next month--shall we not be starving to death? And in those days +of distress, shall we be able to borrow a couple of liards upon our +land, or our house? Who will lend to us? And all this on account of +whom? Scoundrels who have taken us in." + +Ah! if there is any justice above, as every honest man believes, these +abominable fellows will have a heavy reckoning to pay. So many +miserable men, women, children await them there; they are there to +demand satisfaction for all their sufferings. Yes, I believe it. But +they--oh! they believe in nothing! There are, indeed, dreadful +brigands in this world! + +All that day was spent thus, in weariness and anxiety. Nothing was +known. We questioned the people who were coming from Dosenheim, +Neuviller, or from farther still, but they gave no answer but this: +"Make your preparations! The enemy is advancing!" + +And then my stupid fool of a deputy, Placiard, who for fifteen years +did nothing but cry for tobacco licenses, stamp offices, promotion for +his sons, for his son-in-law, and even for himself--a sort of beggar, +who spent his life in drawing up petitions and denunciations--he came +into the mill, saying, "Monsieur le Maire, everything is going on +well--çamarche--the enemy are being drawn into the plain: they are +coming into the net. To-morrow we shall hear that they are all +exterminated, every one!" + +And the municipal councillors, Arnold, Frantz, Sépel, Baptiste Dida, +the wood-monger, came crowding in, saying that the enemy must be +exterminated; that fire must be set to the forest of Haguenau to roast +them, and so on! Every one had his own plan. What fools men can be! + +But the worst of it was when my wife, having learned from Michel the +proclamations in the town, went up into our bacon stores, to send a few +provisions to Jacob; and she perceived our two best hams were missing, +with a pig's cheek, and some sausages which had been smoked weeks. + +Then you should have seen her flying down the stairs, declaring that +the house was full of thieves; that there was no trusting anybody; and +Grédel, crying louder than she, that surely Frantz, that thief of a +Badener, had made off with them. But mother had visited the bacon-room +a couple of days after Frantz had left; she had seen that everything +was straight; and her wrath redoubled. + +Then said Grédel that perhaps Jacob, before leaving home, had put the +hams into his bag with all the rest; but mother screamed, "It is a +falsehood! I should have seen it. Jacob has never taken anything +without asking for it. He is an honest lad." + +The clatter of the mill was music compared to this uproar: I could have +wished to take to flight. + +About seven my cousin came back upon his char-à-banc. He was returning +from Alsace; and I immediately ran into his house to hear what news he +had. George, in his large parlor, was pulling off his boots and +putting on his blouse when I entered. + +"Is that you, Christian?" said he. "Is your money safe?" + +"Yes." + +"Very well. I have just heard fine news at Bouxviller. Our affairs +are in splendid order! We have famous generals! Oh, yes! here is +rather a queer beginning; and, if matters go on in this way, we shall +come to a remarkable end." + +His wife, Marie Anne, was coming in from the kitchen: she set upon the +table a leg of mutton, bread, and wine. George sat down, and whilst +eating, told me that two regiments of the line, a regiment of Turcos, a +battalion of light infantry, and a regiment of light horse, with three +guns, had been posted in advance of Wissembourg, and that they were +there quietly bathing in the Lauter, and washing their clothes, right +in front of fifty thousand Germans, hidden in the woods; not to mention +eighty thousand more on our right, who were only waiting for a good +opportunity to cross the Rhine. They had been posted, as it were, in +the very jaws of a wolf, which had only to give a snap to catch them, +every one--and this had not failed to take place! + +The Germans had surprised our small army corps the morning before; +fierce encounters had taken place in the vines around Wissembourg; our +men were short of artillery; the Turcos, the light-armed men, and the +line had fought like lions, one to six: they had even taken eight guns +in the beginning of the action; but German supports coming up in heavy +masses had at last cut them to pieces; they had bombarded Wissembourg, +and set fire to the town; only a few of our men had been able to +retreat to the cover of the woods of Bitche going up the Vosse. It was +said that a general had been killed, and that villages were lying in +ruins. + +It was at Bouxviller that my cousin had heard of this disaster, some of +the light horsemen having arrived the same evening. There was also a +talk of deserters; as if soldiers, after being routed, without +knowledge of a woody country full of mountains, going straight before +them to escape from the enemy, should be denounced as deserters. This +is one of the abominations that we have seen since that time. Many +heartless people preferred crying out that these poor soldiers had +deserted rather than give them bread and wine: it was more convenient, +and cheaper. + +"Now," said George, "all the army of Strasbourg, and that of the +interior, who should have been in perfect order, fresh, rested, and +provided with everything at Haguenau, but the rear of which is still +lagging behind on the railways as far as Luneville; all these are +running down there, to check the invasion. Fourteen regiments of +cavalry, principally cuirassiers and chasseurs, are assembling at +Brumath. Something is expected there; MacMahon is already on the +heights of Reichshoffen, with the commander of engineers, Mohl, of +Haguenau, and other staff officers, to select his position. As fast as +the troops arrive they extend before Mederbronn. I heard this from +some people who were flying with wives and children, their beds and +other chattels on carts, as I was leaving Bouxviller about three +o'clock. They wanted to reach the fort of Petite Pierre; but hearing +that the fort is occupied by a company, they have moved toward +Strasbourg. I think they were right. A great city, like Strasbourg, +has always more resources than a small place, where they have only a +few palisades stuck up to hide fifty men." + +This was what Cousin George had learned that very day. + +Hearing him speak, my first thought was to run to the mill, load as +much furniture as I could upon two wagons, and drive at once to +Phalsbourg; but my cousin told me that the gates would be closed; that +we should have to wait outside until the reopening of the barriers, and +that we must hope that it would be time enough to-morrow. + +According to him, the great battle would not be fought for two or three +days yet, because a great number of Germans had yet to cross the river, +and they would, no doubt, be opposed. It is true that the fifty +thousand men who had made themselves masters of Wissembourg might +descend the Sauer; but then we should be nearly equal, and it was to +the interest of the Germans only to fight when they were three to one. +George had heard some officers discussing this point at the inn, in the +presence of many listeners, and he believed, according to this, that +the 5th army corps, which was extending in the direction of Metz, by +Bitche and Sarreguemines, under the orders of General de Failly, would +have time to arrive and support MacMahon. I thought so, too: it seemed +a matter of course. + +We talked over these miseries till nine o'clock. My wife and Grédel +had come to carry their quarrels even to my Cousin Marie Anne's, who +said to them: "Oh! do try to be reasonable. What matter two or three +hams, Catherine? Perhaps you will soon be glad to know that they have +done good to Jacob, instead of seeing them eaten up by Uhlans under +your own eyes." + +You may be sure that my wife did not agree with this. But at ten +o'clock, Cousin Marie Anne, full of thought, having said that her +husband was tired and that he had need of rest, we left, after having +wished him good-evening, and we returned home. + +That night--if my wife had not awoke from time to time, to tell me that +we were robbed, that the thieves were taking everything from us, and +that we should be ruined at last--I should have slept very well; but +there seemed no end to her worrying, and I saw that she suspected +Grédel of having given the hams to Michel for Jean Baptiste Werner, +without, however, daring to say so much. I was thinking of other +things, and was glad to see her go down in the morning to attend to her +kitchen; not till then did I get an hour or two of sleep. + +The next day all was quiet in the village; everybody had hid his +valuables, and they only feared one thing, and that was a sortie from +Phalsbourg to carry off our cattle. All the children were set to watch +in the direction of Wéchem; and if anything had stirred in that +quarter, all the cattle would have been driven into the woods in ten +minutes. + +But there was no movement. All the soldiers of the line had gone, and +the commanding officer, Taillant, could not send the lads of our +village to carry away their own parents' cattle. So all this day, the +10th of August, was quiet enough in our mountains. + +About twelve o'clock some wood-cutters of Krappenfelz came to tell us +that they could hear cannon on the heights of the Falberg, in the +direction of Alsace; but they were not believed, and it was said: + +"These are inventions to frighten us." For many people take a pleasure +in frightening others. + +All was quiet until about ten o'clock at night. It was very warm; I +was sitting on a bench before my mill, in my shirt-sleeves, thinking of +all my troubles. From time to time a thick cloud overshadowed the +moon, which had not happened for a long time, and rain was hoped for. +Grédel was washing the plates and dishes in the kitchen; my wife was +trotting up and down, peeping into the cupboards to see if anything +else had been stolen besides her hams; in the village, windows and +shutters were closing one after another; and I was going up to bed too, +when a kind of a rumor rose from the wood and attracted my attention; +it was a distant murmuring; something was galloping there, carts were +rolling, a gust of wind was passing. What could it be? My wife and +Grédel had gone out, and were listening too. At that moment, from the +other end of the village, arose a dispute which prevented us from +making out this noise any longer, which was approaching from the +mountain, and I said to Catherine: "The drunkards at the 'Cruchon d'Or' +begin these disturbances every night. I must put an end to that, for +it is a disgrace to the parish." + +But I had scarcely said this when a crowd of people appeared in the +street opposite the mill, shouting, "A deserter! a deserter!" + +And the shrill voice of my deputy Placiard rose above all the rest, +crying: "Take care of the horse! Mind you don't let him escape!" + +A tall cuirassier was moving quietly in the midst of all this mob, +every man in which wanted to lay hold of him--one by the arm, another +by the collar. He was making no resistance, and his horse followed him +limping, and hanging his head; the _bangard_ was leading him by the +bridle. + +Placiard then seeing me at the door, cried: "Monsieur le Maire, I bring +you a deserter, one of those who fled from Wissembourg, and who are now +prowling about the country to live and glut at the expense of the +country people. He is drunk even now. I caught him myself." All the +rest, men and women, shouted: "Shut him up in a stable! Send for the +gendarmes to fetch him away! Do this--do that"--and so on. + +I was much astonished to see this fine tall fellow, with his helmet and +his cuirass, who could have shouldered his way in a minute through all +these people, going with them like a lamb. Cousin George had come up +at the same moment. We hardly knew what to do about this business, for +man and horse were standing there perfectly still, as if stupefied. + +At last I felt I must say something, and I said: "Come in." + +The _bangard_ tied up the horse to the ring in the barn, and we all +burst in a great crowd into my large parlor downstairs, slamming the +door in the face of all those brawlers who had nothing to do in the +house; but they remained outside, never ceasing for a moment to shout: +"A deserter!" And half the village was coming: in all directions you +could hear the wooden clogs clattering. + +Once in the room, my wife fetched a candle from the kitchen. Then, +catching sight of this strong and square-built man, with his thick +mustaches, his tall figure, his sword at his side, his sleeves and his +cuirass stained with blood, and the skin on one side of his face torn +away and bruised all round to the back of the head, we saw at once that +he was not a deserter, and that something terrible had happened in our +neighborhood; and Placiard having again begun to tell us how he had +himself caught this soldier in his garden, where the poor wretch was +going to hide, George cried indignantly: "Come now, does a man like +that hide himself? I tell you, M. Placiard, that it would have taken +twenty like you to hold him, if he had chosen to resist." + +The cuirassier then turned his head and gazed at George; but he spoke +not a word. He seemed to be mute with stupefaction. + +"You have come from a fight, my friend, haven't you?" said my cousin, +gently. + +"Yes, sir." + +"So they have been fighting to-day?" + +"Yes." + +"Where?" + +The cuirassier pointed in the direction of the Falberg, on the left by +the saw-mills. "Down there," he said, "behind the mountains." + +"At Reichshoffen?" + +"Yes, that is it: at Reichshoffen." + +"This man is exhausted," said George: "Catherine, bring some wine." My +wife took the bottle out of the cupboard and filled a glass; but the +cuirassier would not drink: he looked on the ground before him, as if +something was before his eyes. What he had just told us made us turn +pale. + +"And," said George, "the cuirassiers charged?" + +"Yes," said the soldier, "all of them." + +"Where is your regiment now?" He raised his head. + +"My regiment? it is down there in the vineyards, amongst the hops, in +the river...." + +"What! in the river?" + +"Yes: there are no more cuirassiers!" + +"No more cuirassiers?" cried my cousin; "the six regiments?" + +"Yes, it is all over!" said the soldier, in a low voice: "the grapeshot +has mown them down. There are none left!" + +[Illustration: "THE GRAPESHOT HAS MOWN THEM DOWN. THERE ARE NONE +LEFT!"] + +"Oh!" cried Placiard, "now you see: what did I say? He is one of those +villains who propagate false reports. Can six regiments be mown down? +Did you not yourself say, Monsieur le Maire, that those six regiments +alone would bear down everything before them?" + +I could answer nothing; but the perspiration ran down my face. + +"You must lock him up somewhere, and let the gendarmes know," continued +Placiard. "Such are the orders of Monsieur le Sous-préfet." + +The cuirassier wiped with his sleeves the blood which was trickling +upon his cheek; he appeared to hear nothing. + +Out of all the open windows were leaning the forms of the village +people, with attentive ears. + +George and I looked at each other in alarm. + +"You have blood upon you," said my cousin, pointing to the soldier's +cuirass, who started and answered: + +"Yes; that is the blood of a white lancer: I killed him!" + +"And that wound upon your cheek?" + +"That was given me with a sword handle. I got that from a Bavarian +officer--it stunned me--I could no longer see--my horse galloped away +with me." + +"So you were hand-to-hand?" + +"Yes, twice; we could not use our swords: the men caught hold of one +another, fought and killed one another with sword hilts." + +Placiard was again going to begin his exclamations, when George became +furious: "Hold your tongue, you abominable toady! Are you not ashamed +of insulting a brave soldier, who has fought for his country?" + +"Monsieur le Maire," cried Placiard, "will you suffer me to be insulted +under your roof while I am fulfilling my duties as deputy?" + +I was much puzzled: but George, looking angrily at him, was going to +answer for me; when a loud cry arose outside in the midst of a furious +clattering of horses: a terrible cry, which pierced to the very marrow +of our bones. + +"The Prussians! The Prussians!" + +At the same moment a troop of disbanded horsemen were flying past our +windows at full speed: they flashed past us like lightning; the crowd +fell back; the women screamed: "Lord have mercy upon us! we are all +lost!" + +After these cries, and the passage of these men, I stood as if rooted +to the floor, listening to what was going on outside; but in another +minute all was silence. Turning round, I saw that everybody, +neighbors, men and women, Placiard, the rural policeman, all had +slipped out behind. Grédel, my wife, George, the cuirassier, and +myself, stood alone in the room. My cousin said to me: "This man has +told you the truth; the great battle has been fought and lost to-day! +These are the first fugitives who have just passed. Now is the time +for calmness and courage; let everybody be prepared: we are going to +witness terrible things." + +And turning to the soldier: "You may go, my friend," he said, "your +horse is there; but if you had rather stay----" + +"No; I will not be made prisoner!" + +"Then come, I will put you on the way." + +We went out together. The horse before the barn had not moved; I +helped the cuirassier to mount: George said to him: "Here, on the +right, is the road to Metz; on the left to Phalsbourg; at Phalsbourg, +by going to the right, you will be on the road to Paris." + +And the horse began to walk, dragging itself painfully. Then only did +we see that a shred of flesh was hanging down its leg, and that it had +lost a great deal of blood. My cousin followed, forgetting to say +good-night. Was it possible to sleep after that? + +From time to time during the night horsemen rode past at the gallop. +Once, at daybreak, I went to the mill-dam, to look down the valley; +they were coming out of the woods by fives, sixes, and tens, leaping +out of the hedges, smashing the young trees; instead of following the +road, they passed through the fields, crossed the river, and rode up +the hill in front, without troubling about the corps. There seemed no +end of them! + +About six the bells began to ring for matins. It was Sunday, the 7th +August, 1870; the weather was magnificent. Monsieur le Curé crossed +the street at nine, to go to church, but only a few old women attended +the service to pray. + +Then commenced the endless passage of the defeated army retreating upon +Sarrebourg, down the valley; a spectacle of desolation such as I shall +never forget in my life. Hundreds of men who could scarcely be +recognized as Frenchmen were coming up in disordered bands; cavalry, +infantry, cuirassiers without cuirasses, horsemen on foot, foot +soldiers on horseback, three-fourths unarmed! Crowds of men without +officers, all going straight on in silence. + +What has always surprised me is that no officers were to be seen. What +had become of them? I cannot say. + +No more singing. No more cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" "À Berlin! à +Berlin!" + +Dismay and discouragement were manifest in every countenance. + +Those who shall come after will see worse things than this: since men +are wolves, foxes, hawks, owls, all this must come round again: a +hundred times, a thousand times; from age to age, until the +consummation of time: it is the glory of kings and emperors passing by! + +They all cry, "Jesus, have pity upon us, miserable sinners! Jesus, +Saviour, bless us!" + +But all this time they are hard at work with the hooked bill and the +sharp claws upon the unhappy carcass of mankind. Each tears away his +morsel! And yet they all have faith, Lutherans and Catholics: they are +all worthy people! And so on forever. + +Thus passed our army after the battle of Reichshoffen; and the others +the Germans were following: they were at Haguenau, at Tugwiller, at +Bouxviller; they were advancing from Dosenheim, to enter our valley; +very soon we were to see them! + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +All that day we were in a state of fear, Grédel alone was afraid of +nothing; she came in and out, bringing us the news of Rothalp. + +Many people from Tugwiller, Neuwiller, Dosenheim, passed through the +village with carts full of furniture, bedding, mattresses, all in +confusion, shouting, calling to each other, whipping their horses, +turning round to see if the Uhlans were not at their heels; it was the +general flight before the deluge. These unhappy beings had lost their +heads. They said that the Prussians were taking possession of all the +boys of fifteen or sixteen to lead their horses or carry their bags. + +Two soldiers of the line who passed about twelve were still carrying +their rifles; they were white with dust. I called them in, through the +window, and gave them a glass of wine. They belonged to the 18th, and +told us that their regiment no longer existed; that all their officers +were killed or wounded; that another regiment, I cannot remember which, +had fired upon them for a long time; that at last ammunition was +wanting; that at the fort of La Petite Pierre the garrison had refused +to receive them; and that the 5th army corps, commanded by General de +Failly, posted in the neighborhood of Bitche, might have come in time +to fall into position; and a good deal more besides. + +These were brave men, whose hearts had not failed them. They started +again in the direction of Phalsbourg, and we wished them good luck. + +In the afternoon Marie Anne came to see us. Her husband had started +for the town early, saying that nothing positive could be learned in +our place; that the soldiers saw nothing but their own little corner of +the battle-field, without troubling themselves about the rest, and that +he would learn exactly down there if we had any hope left. + +George was to return for dinner; but at seven o'clock he was not home +yet. His wife was uneasy. Bad news kept coming in; peasants were +arriving from Neuwiller, who said that the Prussians were already +marching upon Saverne, and were making requisitions as they went. The +peasants were flying to Dabo in the mountains; the women, through force +of habit, were telling their beads as they walked; whilst the men, +great consumers of eau-de-vie, were flourishing their sticks, and +looking in their rear with threatening gestures, which did not hinder +them from stepping out rapidly. + +One of these men, whom I asked if he had seen the battle, told me that +the dead were heaped up in the fields like sacks of flour in my mill. +I think he was inventing that, or he had heard it from others. + +Night was coming on, and Cousin Marie Anne was going home, when all at +once George came in. + +"Is my wife here, Christian?" he asked. + +"Yes; you will sup with us?" + +"No; I have had something to eat down there. But what sights I have +seen! It is enough to drive one mad." + +"And Jacob?" asked my wife. + +"Jacob is learning drill. He got a rifle the day before yesterday, and +to-morrow he will have to fight." + +George sat down in the window-corner while we were at supper, and he +told us that on his arrival at Phalsbourg, about six in the morning, +the gate of France had just been opened, but that that of Germany, +facing Saverne, remained closed; that in that direction from the +outposts to Quatre Vents, nothing was to be seen but fugitives, +calling, and firing pistol-shots to get themselves admitted; that he +had had time to put up his horse and cart at the Ville de Bâle, and to +go upon the ramparts to witness this spectacle, when at the same +instant the drawbridge fell, and the crowd of Turcos, Zouaves, +foot-soldiers, officers, generals, all in a confused mass, had rushed +through the gate; in the whole number, he had seen but one flag, +surrounded by about sixty men of the 55th, commanded by a lieutenant; +the rest were mingled together, in hopeless confusion, the most part +without arms, and under no sort of discipline; they had lost all +respect for their chiefs. It was a rout--a complete rout. + +He had seen superior officers invaded at their own tables under the +tent of the Café Meyer, by private soldiers, and veterans throwing +themselves back in their chairs with elbows squared in the presence of +their officers, looking defiantly upon them, and shouting, "A bottle!" +The waiters came obsequiously to wait upon them for fear of a scene, +whilst the officers pretending to hear and see nothing, seemed to him +the worst thing he had seen yet. Yet it was deserved; for these +officers--officers of rank--knew no more about the roads, paths, +streams and rivers of the country than their soldiers, who knew nothing +at all. They did not even know the way from Phalsbourg to Sarrebourg +by the high-road, which a child of eight might know. + +He had heard a staff-officer ask if Sarrebourg was an open town; he had +seen whole battalions halting upon that road, not knowing whether they +were right. + +We should ourselves see these deplorable things next day, for our +retreating soldiers did nothing but turn and turn again ten times upon +the same roads, around the same mountains, and ended by returning to +the same spot again so tired, exhausted, and starved, that the +Prussians, if they had come, would only have had to pick them up at +their leisure. + +Yet George had one moment's satisfaction in this melancholy +disorganization; it was to see, as he told us, those sixty men of the +56th halt in good order upon the _place_, and there rest their flag +against a tree. The lieutenant who commanded them made them lie on the +ground, near their rifles, and almost immediately they fell asleep in +the midst of the seething crowd. The young officer himself went +quietly to sit alone at a small table at the café. + +"He," said my cousin, "had a map cut into squares, which he began to +study in detail. It gave me pleasure to look at him; he reminded me of +our naval officers. He knew something! And whilst his men were +asleep, and his rescued flag was standing there, he watched, after all +this terrible defeat. Colonels, commanders, were arriving depressed +and wearied; the lieutenant did not stir. At last he folded up his map +and put it back into his pocket, then he went to lie down in the midst +of his men, and soon fell asleep too. He," said my cousin, "_was_ an +officer! As for the rest, I look upon them as the cause of our ruin: +they have never commanded, they have never learned. There is no want +of able men in the artillery and engineers; but they are only there to +do their part: they command only their own arm, and are compelled to +obey superior orders, even when those orders have no sense in them." + +One thing which made my cousin tremble with anger, was to learn that +the Emperor had the supreme command, and that nothing might be done +without taking his Majesty's instructions at headquarters: not a bridge +might be blown up, not a tunnel, before receiving his Majesty's +permission! + +"What is the use of sending or receiving despatches?" said George. "I +only hope our _honest man_ will be found to have given orders to blow +up the Archeviller tunnel, or the Prussians will overrun the whole of +France; they will convey their guns, their munitions of war, their +provisions, and their men by railway, whilst our poor soldiers will +drag along on foot and perish miserably!" + +Listening to him our distress increased more and more. + +He had seen in the place a few guns saved from capture, with their +horses fearfully mangled, and already so thin with overwork, that one +might have thought they had come from the farthest end of Russia. And +all these men, coming and going, laid themselves down in a line under +the walls to sleep, at the risk of being run over a hundred times. + +The doors and windows of all the houses were open; the soldiers might +be seen densely crowded in the side streets, the passages, the rooms, +the vestibules and yards, busily eating. The townspeople gave them all +they had; the poorest shed tears that they had nothing to give, so many +poor wretches inspired pity; they were so commiserated that they had +been beaten. In richer houses they were cooking from morning till +night; when one troop was satisfied another took their place. + +George, relating these things, had his eyes filled with tears. + +"Well, there are a good many kind people in the world yet," said he. +"Very soon those poor Phalsbourgers, when they are blockaded, will have +nothing to put into their own mouths; their six weeks' victuals are +already consumed, without mentioning their other provisions. Compared +with these poor townspeople, we peasants are selfish monsters." + +He fixed his eyes upon us, and we answered nothing. I had already +driven our cows into the wood, with the flocks of the village. +Doubtless he knew of it! But surely we must keep something to eat! +George was right; but one cannot help thinking of the morrow: those who +do not are sure to repent sooner or later. + +Well, well--all the same, it was very fine of these townspeople; but +they have suffered heavily for it: during four months the officer in +command kept everything for his soldiers, and took away from the +inhabitants all that they had whether they were willing or not. + +I do affirm these things. People will take them for what they are +worth; but it is only the simple truth! What afflicted us still more +was to hear what George had to tell us of the battle. + +In the midst of that great crowd he had long sought for some one to +tell him all about it. At last the sight of an old sergeant of +_chasseurs-à-pied_, thin and tough as whip-cord, his sleeve covered +with stripes, and with a bright eye, made him think: "There's my man! +I am sure he has had a clear insight into things; if he will talk to +me, I shall get at the bottom of the story." + +So he had invited him into the inn, to take a glass of wine. The +sergeant examined him for a moment, accepted, and they entered together +the Ville de Bâle at the end of the court, for all the rooms were full +of people; and there, eating a slice of ham and drinking a couple of +bottles of Lironcourt, the sergeant having his heart opened, and +receiving, moreover, a cent-sous piece, had declared that all our +misfortunes arose from two causes: first, that a height on the right +had not been occupied, whence the Germans had made their appearance +only about twelve o'clock, and from which they could not be dislodged +because they commanded the whole field of battle; and because their +artillery, more numerous and better than ours, searched us through and +through with shell and grape; their practice was so admirable that it +was no use falling back, or bearing to the right or the left: at the +first shot their balls fell into the midst of our ranks. We have since +heard that the heights to which the sergeant referred were those of +Gunstedt. + +He then told George that the 5th corps, commanded by De Failly, which +was expected from hour to hour, never appeared at all; that even if he +had come, we probably should not have won the battle, for the Germans +were three or four to one--but that we might have effected a retreat in +good order by Mederbronn upon Saverne. + +This old sergeant was from the Nièvre; George has often spoken to me of +him since, and told me that, in his opinion, he knew much more than +many of MacMahon's officers; that he possessed good sense, and had a +clear perception of things. George was of opinion that, with a little +training, many Frenchmen of the lower ranks would be found to possess +military genius, and that they might be confidently relied upon; but +that our love of dancing and plays had done us harm, since it was +supposed that good dancers and good actors would be able men: which +would be the cause of our ruin if we did not abandon such notions. + +My cousin told me many other things that evening which have escaped my +memory; our terrible anxiety for the future prevented me from listening +properly. But all the misfortunes in the world have not the power of +depriving a man of sleep; though for the last two days we had never +slept. George and his wife went home about ten, and we went to bed. + +Next day I had to celebrate the marriage of Chrétien Richi with his +first cousin Lisbette; notice had been given for a week, and when +invitations are sent out such things cannot be postponed. I should +have liked to be carrying my hay and straw into the wood, for cattle +cannot live upon air; and as I was pressed, for time, I sent for +Placiard to take my place. But he could nowhere be found; he had gone +into hiding like all the functionaries of the Empire, who are always +ready to receive their salaries and to denounce people in quiet times, +and very sharp in taking themselves off the moment they ought to be at +their posts. + +At ten o'clock, then, I was obliged to put on my sash and go; the +wedding party were waiting, and I went up into the hall with them. I +sat in the armchair, telling the bridegroom and bride to draw near, +which of course they did. + +I was beginning to read the chapter on the duties of husband and wife, +when in a moment a great shouting arose outside: "The Prussians! the +Prussians!" One of the groomsmen, with his bunch of roses, left; +Chrétien Richi turned round, the bride and the rest looked at the door; +and I stood there, all alone, stuck fast with the clerk, Adam Fix. In +a moment the groomsman returned, crying out that the people of +Phalsbourg were making a sortie into the wood to lift our cattle; and +that they were coming too to search our houses. Then I could have sent +all the wedding-party to Patagonia, when I fancied the position of my +wife and Grédel in such a predicament; but a mayor is obliged to keep +his dignity, and I cried out: "Do you want to be married? Yes or no?" + +They returned in a moment, and answered "Yes!" + +"Well, you _are_ married!" + +And I went out while the witnesses signed, and ran to the mill. + +Happily this report of a sortie from Phalsbourg was false. A gendarme +had just passed through the village, bearing orders from MacMahon, and +hence came all this alarm. + +Nothing new happened until seven in the evening. A few fugitives were +still gaining the town; but at nightfall began the passage of the 5th +army corps, commanded by General de Failly. + +So, then, these thirty thousand men, instead of descending into Alsace +by Niederbronn, were now coming behind us by the road to Metz, on this +side of the mountains. They were not even thinking of defending our +passes, but were taking flight into Lorraine! + +Half our village had turned out, astonished to see this army moving in +a compact mass, upon Sarrebourg and Fénétrange. Until then it had been +thought that a second battle would be fought at Saverne. People had +been speaking of defending the Falberg, the Vachberg, and all the +narrow, rock-strewn passes; the roads through which might have been +broken up and defended with abatis, from which a few good shots might +have kept whole regiments in check; but the sight of these thousands of +men who were forsaking us without having fought--their guns, their +mitrailleuses, and the cavalry galloping and rolling in a cloud along +the highway, to get farther out of the enemy's reach--made our hearts +bleed. Nobody could understand it. + +Then a poor disabled soldier, lying on the grass, told me that they had +been ordered from Bitche to Niederbronn, from Niederbronn to Bitche, +and then from Bitche to Petersbach and Ottwiller, by dreadful roads, +and that now they could hold on no longer: they were all exhausted! +And in spite of myself, I thought that if men worn out to this degree +were obliged to fight against fresh troops continually reinforced, they +would be beaten before they could strike a blow! Yes, indeed, the want +of knowledge of the country is one of the causes of our miseries. + +Grédel, Catherine, and I, returned to the mill in the greatest distress. + +It had at last begun to rain, after two months' drought. It was a +heavy rain, which lasted all the night. + +My wife and Grédel had gone to bed, but I could not close my eyes. I +walked up and down in the mill, listening to this down-pour, the heavy +rumbling of the guns, the pattering of endless footsteps in the mud. +It was march, march--marching without a pause. + +How melancholy! and how I pitied these unhappy soldiers, spent with +hunger and fatigue, and compelled to retreat thus. + +Now and then I looked at them through the window-panes, down which the +rain was streaming. They were marching on foot, on horseback, one by +one, by companies, in troops, like shadows. And every time that I +opened the window to let in fresh air, in the midst of this vast +trampling of feet, those neighings, and sometimes the curses of the +soldiers of the artillery-train, or the horseman whose horse had +dropped from fatigue or refused to move farther, I could hear in the +far distance, across the plain two or three leagues from us, the +whistle of the trains still coming and going in the passes. + +Then noticing upon the wall one of those maps of the theatre of war +which the Government had sent us three weeks ago, and which extended +from Alsace as far as Poland, I tore it down, crumpled it up in my +hand, and flung it out. Everything came back to me full of disgust. +Those maps, those fine maps, were part of the play; just like the +conspiracies devised by the police, and the explanations of the +sous-préfets to make us vote "Yes" in the Plébiscite. Oh, you +play-actors! you gang of swindlers! Have you done enough yet to lead +astray your imbecile people? Have you made them miserable enough with +your ill-contrived plays? + +And it is said that the whole affair is going to be played over again: +that they mean to put a ring through our noses to lead us along; that +many rogues are reckoning upon it to settle their little affairs, to +slip back into their old shoes and get fat again by slow degrees, +humping their backs just like our curé's cat when she has found her +saucer again after having taken a turn in the woods or the garden: it +is possible, indeed! But then France will be an object of contempt; +and if those fellows succeed, she will be worse than contemptible, and +honorable men will blush to be called Frenchmen! + +At daybreak I went to raise the mill-dam, for this heavy rain had +overflowed the sluice. The last stragglers were passing. As I was +looking up the village, my neighbor Ritter, the publican, was coming +out from under the cart-shed with his lantern; a stranger was following +him--a young man in a gray overcoat, tight trousers, a kind of leather +portfolio hanging at his side, a small felt hat turned up over his +ears, and a red ribbon at his button-hole. + +This I concluded was a Parisian; for all the Parisians are alike, just +as the English are: you may tell them among a thousand. + +I looked and listened. + +"So," said this man, "you have no horse?" + +"No, sir; all our beasts are in the wood, and at such a time as this we +cannot leave the village." + +"But twenty francs are pretty good pay for four or five hours." + +"Yes, at ordinary times; but not now." + +Then I advanced, asking: "Monsieur offers twenty francs to go what +distance?" + +"To Sarrebourg," said the stranger, astonished to see me. + +"If you will say thirty, I will undertake to convey you there. I am a +miller; I always want my horses; there are no others in the village." + +"Well, do; put in your horses." + +These thirty francs for eight leagues had flashed upon me. My wife had +just come down into the kitchen, and I told her of it; she thought I +was doing right. + +Having then eaten a mouthful, with a glass of wine, I went out to +harness my horses to my light cart. The Parisian was already there +waiting for me, his leather portmanteau in his hand. I threw into the +cart a bundle of straw; he sat down near me, and we went off at a trot. + +This stranger seeing my dappled grays galloping through the mud, seemed +pleased. First he asked me the news of our part of the country, which +I told him from the beginning. Then in his turn he began to tell me a +good deal that was not yet known by us. He composed gazettes; he was +one of those who followed the Emperor to record his victories. He was +coming from Metz, and told me that General Frossard had just lost a +great battle at Forbach, through his own fault in not being in the +field while his troops were fighting, but being engaged at billiards +instead. + +You may be sure I felt that to be impossible; it would be too +abominable; but the Parisian said so it was, and so have many repeated +since. + +"So that the Prussians," said he, "broke through us, and I have had to +lose a horse to get out of the confusion: the Uhlans were pursuing; +they followed nearly to a place called Droulingen." + +"That is only four leagues from this place," said I. "Are they already +there?" + +"Yes; but they fell back immediately to rejoin the main body, which is +advancing upon Toul. I had hoped to recover lost ground by telling of +our victories in Alsace; unfortunately at Droulingen, the sad news of +Reichshoffen,* and the alarm of the flying inhabitants, have informed +me that we are driven in along our whole line; there is no doubt these +Prussians are strong; they are very strong. But the Emperor will +arrange all that with Bismarck!" + + +* Called generally by us, the Battle of Woerth. + + +Then he told me there was an understanding between the Emperor and +Bismarck; that the Prussians would take Alsace; that they would give us +Belgium in exchange; that we should pay the expenses of the war, and +then things would all return into their old routine. + +"His Majesty is indisposed," said he, "and has need of rest; we shall +soon have Napoleon IV., with the regency of her Majesty the Empress, +the French are fond of change." + +Thus spoke this newspaper-writer, who had been decorated, who can tell +why? He thought of nothing but of getting safe into Sarrebourg, to +catch the train, and send a letter to his paper; nothing else mattered +to him. It is well that I had taken a pair of horses, for it went on +raining. Suddenly we came upon the rear of De Failly's army; his guns, +powder-wagons, and his regiments so crowded the road, that I had to +take to the fields, my wheels sinking in up to the axle-trees. + +Nearing Sarrebourg, we saw also on our left the rear of the other +routed army, the Turcos, the Zouaves, the chasseurs, the long trains of +MacMahon's guns; so that we were between the two fugitive routs: De +Failly's troops, by their disorder, looked just as if they had been +defeated, like the other army. All the people who have seen this in +our country can confirm my account, though it seems incredible. + +At last, I arrived at the Sarrebourg station, when the Parisian paid me +thirty francs, which my horses had fairly earned. The families of all +the railway _employés_ were just getting into the train for Paris; and +you may be sure that this Government newspaper-writer was delighted to +find himself there. He had his free pass: but for that the unlucky man +would have had to stay against his will; like many others who at the +present time are boasting loudly of having made a firm stand, waiting +for the enemy. + +I quickly started home again by cross-roads, and about twelve I reached +Rothalp. The artillery was thundering amongst the mountains; crowds of +people were climbing and running down the little hill near the church +to listen to the distant roar. Cousin George was calmly smoking his +pipe at the window, looking at all these people coming and going. + +"What is going on?" said I, stopping my cart before his door. + +"Nothing," said he; "only the Prussians attacking the little fort of +Lichtenberg. But where are you coming from?" + +"From Sarrebourg." + +And I related to him in a few words what the Parisian had told me. + +"Ah! now it is all plain," said he. "I could not understand why the +5th corps was filing off into Lorraine, without making one day's stand +in our mountains, which are so easily defended: it did really seem too +cowardly. But now that Frossard is beaten at Forbach, the thing is +explained: our flank is turned. De Failly is afraid of being taken +between two victorious armies. He has only to gain ground, for the +cattle-dealer David has just told me that he has seen Uhlans behind +Fénétrange. The line of the Vosges is surrendered; and we owe this +misfortune to Monsieur Frossard, tutor to the Prince Imperial!" + +The school-master, Adam Fix, was then coming down from the hill with +his wife, and cried that a battle was going on near Bitche. He did not +stop, on account of the rain. George told me to listen a few minutes. +We could hear deep and distant reports of heavy guns, and others not so +loud. + +"Those heavy reports," said George, "come from the great siege-guns of +the fort; the others are the enemy's lighter artillery. At this +moment, the German army, at six leagues from us, victorious in Alsace, +is on the road from Woerth to Siewettler, to unite with the army that +is moving on Metz; it is defiling past the guns of the fort. To-morrow +we shall see their advanced guard march past us. It is a melancholy +story, to be defeated through the fault of an imbecile and his +courtiers; but we must always remember, as a small consolation, to +every man his turn." He began again to smoke, and I went on my way +home, where I put up my horses. I had earned my thirty francs in six +hours; but this did not give me complete satisfaction. My wife and +Grédel were also on the hill listening to the firing; half the village +were up there; and all at once I saw Placiard, who could not be found +the day before, jumping through the gardens, puffing and panting for +breath. + +"You hear, Monsieur le Maire," he cried--"you hear the battle? It is +King Victor Emmanuel coming to our help with a hundred and fifty +thousand men!" + +At this I could no longer contain myself, and I cried, "Monsieur +Placiard, if you take me for a fool, you are quite mistaken; and if you +are one, you had better hold your tongue. It is no use any longer +telling these poor people false news, as you have been doing for +eighteen years, to keep up their hopes to the last moment. This will +never more bring tobacco-excise to you, and stamp-offices to your sons. +The time for play-acting is over. You are telling me this through love +of lying; but I have had enough of all these abominable tricks; I now +see things clearly. We have been plundered from end to end by fellows +of your sort, and now we are going to pay for you, without having had +any benefit ourselves. If the Prussians become our masters, if they +bestow places and salaries, you will be their best friend; you will +denounce the patriots in the commune, and you will have them to vote +plébiscites for Bismarck! What does it matter to you whether you are a +Frenchman or a German? Your true lord, your true king, your true +emperor, is the man who pays!" + +As fast as I spoke my wrath increased, and all at once I shouted: +"Wait, Monsieur l'Adjoint, wait till I come out; I will pay you off for +the Emperor, for his Ministers, and all the infamous crew of your sort +who have brought the Prussians into France!" But I had scarcely +reached the door, when he had already turned the corner. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +On that day we had yet more alarms. + +Between one and two o'clock, standing before my mill, I fancied I could +hear a drum beating up the valley. All the village was lamenting, and +crying, "Here are the Prussians!" + +All along the street, people were coming out, gazing, listening; boys +ran into the woods, mothers screamed. A few men more fearful than the +rest went off too, each with a loaf under his arm; women, raised their +hands to Heaven, calling them back and declaring they would go with +them. And whilst I was gazing upon this sad spectacle, suddenly two +carts came up, full gallop, from the valley of Graufthal. + +It was the noise of these two vehicles that I had mistaken for drums +approaching. A week later I should not have made this mistake, for the +Germans steal along like wolves: there is no drumming or bugling, as +with us; and you have twenty thousand men on your hands before you know +it. + +The people riding in the carts were crying, "The Prussians are at the +back of the saw-mills!" + +They could be heard afar off; especially the women, who were raising +themselves in the cart, throwing up their hands. + +At a hundred yards from the mill the cart stopped, and recognizing +Father Diemer, municipal councillor, who was driving, I cried to him, +"Hallo, Diemer! pull up a moment. What is going on down there?" + +"The Prussians are coming, Monsieur le Maire," he said. + +"Oh, well, well, if they must come sooner or later, what does it +signify? Do come down." + +He came down, and told me that he had been that morning to the +forest-house of Domenthal in his conveyance, to fetch away his wife and +daughter who had been staying there with relations for a few days; and +that on his way back he had seen in a little valley, the Fischbachel, +Prussian infantry, their arms stacked, resting on the edge of the wood, +making themselves at home; which had made him gallop away in a hurry. + +That was what he had seen. + +Then other men came up, woodmen, who said that they were some of our +own light infantry, and that Diemer had made a mistake; then more +arrived, declaring that they _were_ Prussians; and so it went on till +night. + +About seven o'clock I saw an old French soldier, the last who came +through our village; his leg was bandaged with a handkerchief, and he +sat upon the bench before my house asking me for a piece of bread and a +glass of water, for the love of God! I went directly and told Grédel +to fetch him bread and wine. She poured out the wine herself for this +poor fellow, who was suffering great pain. He had a ball in his leg; +and, in truth, the wound smelt badly, for he had not been able to dress +it, and he had dragged himself through the woods from Woerth. + +He had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, and told us that the +colonel of his regiment had fallen, crying, "Friends, you are badly +commanded! Cease to obey your generals!" + +He only rested for a few minutes, not to let his leg grow stiff, and +went on his weary way to Phalsbourg. + +He was the last French soldier that I saw after the battle of +Reichshoffen. + +At night we were told that the peasants of Graufthal had found a gun +stuck fast in the valley; and two hours later, whilst we were supping, +our neighbor Katel came in pale as death, crying, "The Prussians are at +your door!" + +Then I went out. Ten or fifteen Uhlans were standing there smoking +their short wooden pipes, and watering their horses at the mill-stream. + +Imagine my surprise, especially when one of these Uhlans began to greet +me in bad Prussian-German: "Oho! good-evening, Monsieur le Maire! I +hope you have been pretty well, Monsieur le Maire, since I last had not +the pleasure of seeing you?" + +He was the officer of the troop. My wife, and Grédel, too, were +looking from the door. As I made no answer, he said, "And Mademoiselle +Grédel! here you are, as fresh and as happy as ever. I suppose you +still sing morning and evening, while you are washing up?" + +Then Grédel, who has good eyes, cried, "It is that great knave who came +to take views in our country last year with his little box on four long +legs!" + +And, even in the dusk, I could recognize one of those German +photographers who had been travelling about the mountains a few months +before, taking the likenesses of all our village folks. This man's +name was Otto Krell; he was tall, pale, and thin, his nose was like a +razor back, and he had a way of winking with his left eye while paying +you compliments. Ah! the scoundrel! it was he, indeed, and now he was +an Uhlan officer: when Grédel had spoken, I recognized him perfectly. + +"Exactly so, Mademoiselle Grédel," said he, from his tall horse. "It +is I myself. You would have made a good gendarme; you would have known +a rogue from an honest man in a moment." + +He burst out laughing, and Grédel said, "Speak in a language I can +understand; I cannot make out your patois." + +"But you understand very well the patois of Monsieur Jean Baptiste +Werner," answered this gallows-bird, making a grimace. "How is good +Monsieur Jean Baptiste? Is he in as good spirits as ever? Have you +still got your little likeness of him, you know, close to your +heart--that young gentleman, I mean, that I had to take three times, +because he never came out handsome enough?" + +Then Grédel, ashamed, ran into the house, and my wife took refuge in +her room. + +Then he said to me, "I am glad to see you, Monsieur le Maire, in such +excellent health. I came to you, first of all, to wish you +good-morning; but then, I must acknowledge, my visit has another +object." + +And as I still answered nothing, being too full of indignation, he +asked me: + +"Have you still got those nice Swiss cows? splendid animals? and the +twenty-five sheep you had last year?" + +I understood in a moment what he was driving at, and I cried: "We have +nothing at all; there is nothing in this village; we are all ruined; we +cannot furnish you a single thing." + +"Oh! come now, please don't be angry, Monsieur Weber. I took your +likeness, with your scarlet waistcoat and your great square-cut coat; I +know you very well, indeed! you are a fine fellow! I have orders to +inform you that to-morrow morning 15,000 men will call here for +refreshments; that they are fond of good beef and mutton, and not above +enjoying good white bread, and wine of Alsace, also vegetables, and +coffee, and French cigars. On this paper you will find a list of what +they want. So you had better make the necessary arrangements to +satisfy them; or else, Monsieur le Maire, they will help themselves to +your cows, even if they have to go and look for them in the woods of +the Biechelberg, where you have sent them; they will help themselves to +your sacks of flour, and your wine, that nice, light wine of Rikevir; +they will take everything, and then they will burn down your house. +Take my advice, welcome them as German brothers, coming to deliver you +from French bondage: for you are Germans, Monsieur Weber, in this part +of the country. Therefore prepare this requisition yourself. If you +want a thing done well, do it yourself; you will find this plan most +advantageous. It is out of friendship to you, as a German brother, and +in return for the good dinner you gave me last year that I say this. +And now, good-night." + +He turned round to his men, and all together filed off in the darkness, +going up by the left toward Berlingen. + +Then, without even going into my own house, I ran to my cousin's, to +tell him what had happened. He was going to bed. + +"Well, what is the matter?" said he. + +Completely upset, I told him the visit I had had from these robbers, +and what demands they had made. My cousin and his wife listened +attentively; then George, after a minute's thought, said: "Christian, +force is force! If 15,000 men are to pass here, it means that 15,000 +will pass by Metting, 15,000 by Quatre Vents, 15,000 by Lützelbourg, +and so forth. We are invaded; Phalsbourg will be blockaded, and if we +stir, we shall be knocked on the head without notice before we can +count ten. What would you have? It's war! Those who lose must pay +the bill. The good men who have been plundering us for eighteen years +have lost for us, and we are going to pay for them; that is plain +enough. Only, if we make grimaces while we pay, they ask more; and if +we go to work without much grumbling, they will shave us not quite so +close: they will pretend to treat us with consideration and indulgence; +they won't rob quite so roughly; they will be a little more gentle, and +strip you with more civility. I have seen that in my campaigns. Here +is the advice which I give, for your own and everybody else's interest. +First of all, this very evening, you must send for your cows from the +Biechelberg; you will tell David Hertz to drive the two best to his +slaughter-house; and when the Prussians come and they have seen these +two fine animals, David will kill them before their eyes. He will +distribute the pieces under the orders of the commanders. That will +just make broth in the morning for the 15,000 men, and if that is not +enough, send for my best cow. All the village will be pleased, and +they will say, 'The mayor and his cousin are sacrificing themselves for +the commune.' + +"That will be a very good beginning; but then as we shall have begun +with ourselves, and nobody can make any objection after that, you had +better put an ox of Placiard's under requisition, then a cow of Jean +Adam's, then another of Father Diemer's, and so on, in proportion to +their wants; and that will go on till the end of the cows, the oxen, +the pigs, the sheep and the goats. And you must do the same with the +bread, the flour, the vegetables, the wine; always beginning at you and +me. It is sad; it is a great trouble; but his Majesty the Emperor, his +Ministers, his relations, his friends and acquaintances have gambled +away our hay, our straw, our cattle, our money, our meadows, our +houses, our sons, and ourselves, pretending all the while to consult +us; they have lost like fools: they never kept their eye on the game, +because their own little provision was already laid by, somewhere in +Switzerland, in Italy, in England, or elsewhere; and they risked +nothing but that vast flock which they were always accustomed to shear, +and which they call the people. Well, my poor Christian, that flock is +ourselves--we peasants! If I were younger; if I could make forced +marches as I did at thirty, I should join the army and fight; but in +the present state of things, all I can do is, like you, to bow down my +back, with a heart full of wrath, until the nation has more sense, and +appoints other chiefs to command." + +The advice of George met with my approbation, and I sent the herdsmen +to fetch my cows at the Biechelberg. I told him, besides, to give +notice to the principal inhabitants that if they did not bring back +their beasts to the village, the Prussians would go themselves and +fetch them, because they knew the country roads better than ourselves; +and that they would put into the pot first of all the cattle of those +who did not come forward willingly. + +My wife and Grédel were standing by as I gave this order to Martin +Kopp: they exclaimed against it, saying that I was losing my senses; +but I had more sense than they had, and I followed the advice of +George, who had never misled me. + +It was on the night of the 9th to the 10th of August that the small +fortress of Lichtenberg, defended by a few veterans without ammunition, +opened its gates to the Prussians; that MacMahon left Sarrebourg with +the remainder of his forces, without blowing up the tunnel at +Archeviller, because his Majesty's orders had not arrived; that the +Germans, concentrated at Saverne, after extending right and left from +Phalsbourg, sent first their Uhlans by the valley of Lützelbourg to +inspect the railway, supposing that it would be blown up, then sent an +engine through the tunnel, then ventured a train laden with stones, and +were much astonished to find it arriving in Lorraine without +difficulty; that MacMahon made his retreat on foot, whilst they +advanced on trucks and carriages: and that they were able to send on +their guns, their stores, their provisions, their horses and their men +toward Paris; maintaining their troops by exhausting the provisions of +Alsace and the other side of the Vosges. These things we learned +afterward. + +That same night the Prussians put their first guns into battery at the +Quatre Vents to bombard the town, whilst they went completely round to +the other side, by the fine road over the Falberg, which seemed to have +been constructed through the forest expressly for their convenience. + +They lost no time, examined and inspected everything, and found +everything in perfect order to suit their convenience. + +That night passed away quietly; they had too many things to look after +to trouble themselves about our little village hidden in the woods, +knowing well that we could neither run away nor defend ourselves; for +all our young men were in the town, and we were unarmed and without any +material of war. They left us to be gobbled up whenever they liked. + +Many have asserted, and still believe, that we have been delivered up +to the Germans in exchange for Belgium; because Alsace, according to +the Emperor, was a German and Lutheran country, and Belgium, French and +Catholic. But Cousin George has always said that these conjectures +were erroneous, and that our misfortunes arose entirely from the +thievishness of the Government; and chiefly of those who, under color +of upholding the dynasty, were making a good bag, granted themselves +pensions, enriched themselves by sweeping strokes of cunning, and +became great men at a cheap rate: and also from the folly of the +people, who were kept steeped in ignorance, to make them praise the +tricks and the robberies of the rest. + +My opinion is the same. + +It was the cupidity of some in depriving the country of a powerful and +numerous army, able to defend us; whilst, on the other hand, they +deprived what army there was of provisions, arms, and munitions of war: +surely this was enough! There is no need to go further to seek for the +causes of our shame and our miseries. + +Therefore our cattle returned from the Biechelberg in obedience to my +orders; and my two best cows waited in the stable, eating a few +handfuls of hay, until the first requisition of the Prussians should +arrive. + +The village people who saw this highly approved of my conduct, never +imagining that their turn would come so soon. + +Time passed away, and it was supposed that this quiet might last a good +while, when a squadron of Prussian lancers, and, a little farther on, a +squadron of hussars, appeared at the bottom of our valley. + +For an advanced guard they had a few Uhlans--an order which we have +since noticed they observed constantly; three hundred paces to the +front rode two horsemen, each with a pistol in his hand resting on the +thigh, and who halted from time to time to question people, threatening +to kill them if they did not give plain answers to their questions; and +behind them came the main body, always at the same distance. + +We, standing under our projecting eaves, or leaning out of our windows, +men, women, and children, gazed upon the men who were coming to devour +us, to ruin us, and strip the very flesh off our bones. It was, as it +were, the Plébiscite advancing upon us under our own eyes, armed with +pistol and sword, the guns and the bayonets behind. + +First, the cavalry extended from the hill at Berlingen to the +Graufthal, to Wéchem, to Mittelbronn, and farther still; then marched +up several regiments of infantry, their black and white standards +flying. + +We were watching all this without stirring. The officers, in spiked +helmets, were galloping to and fro, carrying orders; the curé Daniel, +in his presbytery, had lifted his little white blinds, and our neighbor +Katel exclaimed, "Dear, dear, one would never have thought there could +be so many heretics in the world." + +This is exactly the state of ignorance that had been kept up amongst us +from generation to generation: making people believe that there was +nobody in the universe besides themselves; that we were a thousand to +one, and that our religion was universal. Pure and simple folly, +upheld by lies! + +It was a great help to us to have such grand notions about ourselves! +It made us feel enormously strong! + +But hypocrites can always get out of their scrapes: they vanish in the +distance with well-lined pockets, and their victims are left behind +sticking in the mud up to the chin! + +Since our reverend fathers the Jesuits have so many spies posted about +in the world, they should have told us how strong the heretics were, +and not suffered us to believe until the last that we were the only +masters of the earth. But they considered: "These French fools will +allow themselves to be hacked down to the very last man for our honor; +they will drive back the Lutherans; and then we shall make a great +figure: the Holy Father will be infallible, and we shall rule under his +name." + +These things are so evident now, that one is almost ashamed to mention +them. + +As soon as the cavalry were posted on the heights of the place, at the +rear of the hills, the infantry regiments, standing with ordered arms, +began to march off. + +I could hear from my door the loud voices of the officers, the neighing +of the horses, and the departure of the battalions, which filed off, +keeping step in admirable order. Ah! if our officers had been as +highly trained, and our soldiers as firmly disciplined as the Germans, +Alsace and Lorraine would still have been French. + +I may be told that a good patriot ought to refrain from saying such +things; but what is the use of hiding facts? Would hiding them prevent +them from being true? I say these things on purpose to open people's +eyes. If we want to recover what we have lost, everything must be +changed; our officers must be educated, our soldiers disciplined, our +contractors must supply stores, clothing, and provisions without +blunders and deficiencies, or if they fail they must be shot; the life +of a brave and generous nation is better worth than that of a knave, +whose ignorance, laziness, or cupidity may cause the loss of provinces. + +We must have a large, national army, like that of the Germans, and, to +possess this army, every man must serve; the cripples and deformed in +offices; every man besides, in the ranks. Full permission must be +given to wear spectacles, which do not hinder a man from fighting; and +citizens, as well as workmen and peasants, must come under fire. +Unless we do this, we shall be beaten--beaten again, and utterly ruined! + +And above all, as Cousin George said, we must place at the head of +affairs a man with a cool head, a warm heart, and great experience; in +whose eyes the honor of the nation shall be above his own interest, and +on whose word all men may rely, because he has already proved that his +confidence in himself will not desert him, even in the most perilous +times. + +But we are yet very far from this; and one would really believe, in +looking at the conceited countenances of the fugitives who are +returning from England, Belgium, Switzerland, and farther yet, that +they have won important victories, and that the country does them +injustice in not hailing them as deliverers. + +And now I will quietly pursue this history of our village; whoever +wants to come round me again with hypocritical pretences of honesty, +will have to get up very early in the morning indeed. + +After the Germans had posted their infantry within the squares formed +by the cavalry, they dragged guns and ammunition up the height of +Wéchem, in the rear of our hills. Then the thoughts of Jacob, and all +our poor lads, whom they were going to shell, came upon us, and mother +began to cry bitterly. Grédel, too, thinking of her Jean Baptiste, had +become furious; if, by misfortune, we had had a gun in the house, she +would have been quite capable of firing upon the Prussians, and so +getting us all exterminated; she ran upstairs and downstairs, put her +head out at the window, and a German having raised his head, saying, +"Oh! what a pretty girl!" she shouted, "Be sure always to come out ten +against one, or it will be all up with you!" + +I was downstairs, and you may imagine my alarm. I went up to beg her +to be quiet, if she did not want the whole village to be destroyed; but +she answered rudely, "I don't care--let them burn us all out! I wish I +was in the town, and not with all these thieves." + +I went down quickly, not to hear more. + +The rain had begun to fall again, and these Prussians kept pouring in, +by regiments, by squadrons: more than forty thousand men covered the +plain; some formed in the fields, in the meadows, trampling down the +second crop of grass and the potatoes--all our hopes were there under +their feet! others went on their way; their wheels sunk into the clay, +but they had such excellent horses that all went on under the lashes of +their long whips, as the Germans use them. They climbed up all the +slopes; the hedges and young trees were bent and broken everywhere. + +When might is right, and you feel yourself the weakest, silence is +wisdom. + +The report ran that they were going to attack Phalsbourg in the +afternoon; and our poor Mobiles, and our sixty artillery recruits +pressed to serve the guns, were about to have a dreadful storm falling +upon them, as a beginning to their experience. Those heaps of shells +they were hurrying up to Wéchem forced from us all cries of "Poor town! +poor townspeople! poor women! poor children!" + +The rain increased, and the river overflowed its banks down all the +valley from Graufthal to Metting. A few officers were walking down the +street to look for shelter; I saw a good number go into Cousin +George's, principally hussars, and at the same moment a gentleman in a +round hat, black cloak and trousers, stepped before the mill and asked +me: "Monsieur le Maire?" + +"I am the mayor." + +"Very good. I am the army chaplain, and I am come to lodge with you." + +I thought that better than having ten or fifteen scoundrels in my +house; but he had scarcely closed his lips when another came, an +officer of light horse, who cried: "His highness has chosen this house +to lodge in." + +Very good--what could I reply? + +A brigadier, who was following this officer, springs off his horse, +goes under the shed, and peeps into the stable. "Turn out all that," +said he. + +"Turn out my horses, my cattle?" I exclaimed. + +"Yes--and quickly too. His highness has twelve horses: he must have +room." + +I was going to answer, but the officer began to swear and storm so +loudly, without listening to anything I could plead, shouting at me +that every one of my beasts would be driven to be slaughtered +immediately if I made any difficulty, that without saying another word, +I drove them all out, my heart swelling, and my head bowed with +despair. Grédel, watching from her window, saw this, and coming down, +red with anger, said to the officer: "You must be a great coward to +behave so roughly to an old man who cannot defend himself." + +My hair stood on end with horror; but the officer vouchsafed not a +word, and went off instantly. + +Then the chaplain whispered in my ear: "You are going to have the honor +of entertaining Monseigneur, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and +you must call him 'Your highness.'" + +I thought with myself: "You, and your highness, and all the highnesses +in the world, I wish you were all of you five hundred thousand feet in +the bowels of the earth. You are a bad lot. You came into the world +for the misery of mankind. Thieves! rogues!" + +I only thought these things: I would not have said them for the world. +Several persons had been shot in our mountains the last two +days--fathers of families--and the remembrance of these things makes +one prudent. + +As I was reflecting upon our misfortunes, his highness arrived, with +his aides-de-camp and his servants. They alighted, entered the house, +hung up their wet clothes against the wall, and filled the kitchen. My +wife ran upstairs, I stood in a corner behind the stove: we had nothing +left to call our own. + +This Duke of Saxe was so tall that he could scarcely walk upright under +my roof. He was a handsome man, covered with gold-lace ornaments; and +so were the two great villains who followed him--Colonel Egloffstein +and Major Baron d'Engel. Yes, I could find no fault with them on +account of their height or their appetites; nor did they seem to mind +us in the least. They laughed, they chatted, they swung themselves +round in my room, jingling their swords on the stone floor, on the +stairs, everywhere, without paying the smallest attention to me--I +seemed to be in _their_ house. + +From their arrival until their departure, the fire never once went out +in my kitchen; my wood blazed; my pans and kettles, my roasting-jack, +went on with their business; they twisted the necks of my fowls, my +ducks, my geese, plucked them, and roasted them: they fetched splendid +pieces of beef, which they minced to make rissoles, and sliced to make +what they called "biftecks"; then they opened my drawers and cupboards, +spread my tablecloths on my table, rinsed out my glasses and my +bottles, and fetched my wine out of my cellar. + +They waited upon his highness and his officers; the doors and windows +stood open, the rain poured in; orderlies came on horseback to receive +orders, and darted away; and about five o'clock the guns began to +thunder and roar at Quatre Vents. The bombardment was beginning in +that direction; the two bastions of the arsenal and the bakery answered. + +That was the bombardment of the 11th, in which Thibaut's house was +delivered to the flames. It would be long before we should see the +last of it; but as we had never before heard the like, and these +rolling thunders filled our valley between the woods and the rocks of +Biechelberg, we trembled. + +Grédel, every time that our heavy guns replied, said: "Those are ours; +we are not all dead yet! Do you hear that?" + +I pushed her out, and his highness asked, "What is that?" + +"Nothing," said I; "it is only my daughter: she is crazy." + +About a quarter to seven the firing ceased. + +The Baron d'Engel, who had gone out a few minutes before, came back to +say that a flag of truce had gone to summon the place to surrender; and +that on its refusal the bombardment would re-open at once. + +There was a short silence. His highness was eating. + +Suddenly entered a colonel of hussars--a hideous being, with a +retreating forehead, a squint in his eye, and red hair--decorated all +over with ribbons and crosses, like a North American Indian. He walks +in. Salutations, hand-shaking all round, and a good deal of laughing. +They seat themselves again, they devour--they swallow everything! And +that hussar begins telling that he has taken MacMahon's tent--a +magnificent tent, with mirrors, china, ladies' hats and crinolines. He +laughed, grinning up to his ears; and his highness was highly +delighted, saying that MacMahon would have given a representation of +his victory to the great ladies of Paris. + +Of course this was an abominable lie; but the Prussians are not afraid +of lying. + +That hussar--whose name I cannot remember, although I have often heard +it from others--said besides, that, after having ridden a couple of +hours through the forest of Elsashausen, he had fallen upon the village +of Gundershoffen, where a few companies of French infantry had +established themselves, and that he had surprised and massacred them +all to the last man, without the loss of a single horseman! + +Then he began to laugh again, saying that in war you often might have +an agreeable time of it, and that this would be among his most cheerful +reminiscences. + +Hearing him from my seat behind the stove, I said: "And are these men +called Christians? Why, they are worse than wolves! They would drink +human blood out of skulls, and boast of it!" + +They went on talking in this fashion, when a very young officer came to +say that the defenders of Phalsbourg refused to surrender, and that +they were going to shell the town, to set fire to it. + +I could listen no longer. Grédel and my wife went to shut themselves +in upstairs, and I went out to breathe a different air from these wild +monsters. + +It was raining still. I wanted fresh air--I should have liked to throw +myself into the river with all my clothes on. + +Fresh regiments were passing. Now it was white cuirassiers; they +extended along the meadows below Metting; other regiments in dense +masses advanced on Sarrebourg. Down there the bayonets and the helmets +sparkled and glistened in the setting sun, in spite of the torrents of +rain. It was easy to see that our unfortunate army of two hundred +thousand men could not resist such a deluge. + +But the three hundred thousand other soldiers that we should have had, +and which we had been paying for the last eighteen years, where then +were they? They were in the reports presented by the Ministers of War +to the Legislative Assembly; and the money which should have paid for +their complete equipment and their armament, that was in London, put +down to his Majesty's account: the _honest man_, he had laid up savings. + +All these Germans, encamped as far as the eye could see under the rain, +were beginning to cut down our fruit-trees to warm themselves; in all +directions our beautiful apple-trees, our pear-trees, still laden with +fruit, came to the ground; then they were stripped bare, chopped to +pieces, and burnt with the sap in them: the falling rain did not +prevent the wood from lighting, on account of the quantity underneath +which the fire dried at last. + +The whole plain and the table-land above were in a blaze with these +fires. + +What a loss for the country! + +It had taken fifty-six years, since 1814, to grow these trees; they +were in full bearing; for fifty years our children and grand-children +will not see their equals around our village; the whole are destroyed! +With this spectacle before my eyes, indignation stifled my voice; I +turned my eyes away, and went to Cousin George's, hoping to hear there +a few words of encouragement. + +I was right; the house was full; Cousin Marie Anne, a bold and +unceremonious woman, was busy cooking for all her lodgers. Amongst the +number were two of her old customers at the Rue Mouffetard; a Jew, who +had come to Paris to learn gardening at the Jardin des Plantes, and a +saddler, both seated near the hearth with an appearance of shame and +melancholy in their countenances. The soldiers, who were crowding even +the passage, smoked, and examined now and then to see if the meat and +potatoes looked promising in the big copper in the washhouse: there was +no other in the house large enough to boil such a large quantity of +provisions. + +Every soldier had an enormous slice of beef, a loaf, a portion of wine, +and even some ground coffee; some had under their arms a rope of +onions, turnips, a head of cabbage, stolen right and left. These were +the hussars. + +In the large parlor were the officers, who had just returned in +succession from their reconnaissances; as they went up into the room, +you could hear the clanking of their swords and their huge boots making +the staircase shake. + +As I was coming in by the back door, not having been able to make way +through the passage, George was coming out of the room; he saw me above +the helmets of all these people, and cried to me: "Christian! stay +outside; I am stifled here! I am coming!" + +Room was made for him, and we went down together into the garden, under +the shelter of his stack of wood. Then he lighted a pipe, and asked +me: "Well, how are you going on down there?" + +I told him all. + +"I," said he, "have already had to receive the colonel of the hussars +last night. An hour after the visit of the Uhlans, there is a tap on +the shutters; I open. Two squadrons of hussars were standing there, +round the house; there was no way of escape." + +"'Open!' + +"I obey. The colonel, a sort of a wolf, whom I saw just now going to +your house, enters the first, pistol in hand; he examines all round: +'You are alone?' + +"'Yes; with my wife.' + +"'Very well!' + +"Then he went into the passage, and called an aide-de-camp. Three or +four soldiers came in; they carry chairs and a table into the kitchen. +The colonel unfolds a large map upon the floor; he takes off his boots, +and lays himself upon it. Then he calls: 'Such a one, are you here?' + +"'Present, colonel.' + +"Then six or seven captains and lieutenants enter. + +"'Such an one, do you see the road to Metting!' + +"They had all taken small maps out of their pockets. + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"'And from Metting to Sarrebourg?' + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"'Tell me the names.' + +"And the officer named the villages, the farms, the streams, the +rivers, the clumps of wood, the curves in the road, and even the +intersection of footpaths. + +"The colonel followed with his nail. + +"'That will do! Now go and take twenty men and push on as far as St. +Jean, by such a road. You will see! In case of resistance, you will +inform me. Come, sharp!' + +"And the officer goes off. + +"The colonel, still lying upon his map, calls another. + +"'Present, colonel.' + +"'You see Lixheim?' + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"And so on. + +"In half an hour's time, he had sent off a whole squadron on +reconnaissances to Sarrebourg, Lixheim, Diemeringen, Lützelbourg, +Fénétrange, everywhere in that direction. And when they had all +started, except twenty or thirty horses left behind, he got up from the +floor, and said to me: 'You will give me a good bed, and you will +prepare breakfast for to-morrow at seven o'clock; all those officers +will breakfast with me: they will have good appetites. You have +poultry and bacon. Your wife is a good cook, I know; and you have good +wine. I require that everything shall be good. You hear me!' + +"I made no answer, and I went out to tell my wife, who had just dressed +and was coming downstairs. She had heard what was said, and answered, +'Yes, we will obey, since the robbers have the power on their side.' + +"That knave of a colonel could hear perfectly well; but it was no +matter to him: his business was to get what he wanted. + +"My wife took him upstairs and showed him his bed. He looked +underneath it, into all the cupboards, the closet; then he opened the +two windows in the corner to see his men below at their posts; and then +he lay down. + +"Until morning all was quiet. + +"Then the others came back. The colonel listened to them; he +immediately sent some of the men who had stayed behind to Dosenheim, in +the direction of Saverne; and about a couple of hours after these same +hussars returned with the advanced guard of the army corps. The +colonel had ascertained that all the mountain passes were abandoned, +and that Lorraine might be entered without danger; that MacMahon and De +Failly had arrived in the open plain, and that there would be no battle +in our neighborhood." + +This is all that Cousin George told me, smoking his pipe. + +They had just thrown open the door which opens into the garden, to let +air into the kitchen, and we looked from our retreat upon all those +Germans with their helmets, their wet clothes, their strings of +vegetables, and their joints of meat under their arms. As fast as it +was cooked Marie Anne served out the broth, the meat, and the +vegetables to those who presented themselves with their basins; when +they went out, others came. Never could fresher meat be seen, and in +such quantities: one of their pieces would have sufficed four or five +Frenchmen. + +How sad to think that our own men had suffered hunger in our own +country, both before and after the battle! How it makes the heart sink! + +Without having said a word, George and I had thought the same thing, +for all at once he said: "Yes, those people have managed matters better +than we have. That meat is not from this country, since they have not +yet requisitioned the cattle. It has come by rail; I saw that this +morning on the arrival of the gun-carriages. They have also received +for the officers large puddings, bullocks' paunches stuffed with minced +meats, and other eatables that I am not acquainted with; only their +bread is black, but they seem to enjoy it. Their contractors don't +come from the clouds, like ours; they may not set rows of figures quite +so straight even as ours; but their soldiers get meat, bread, wine, and +coffee, whilst ours are starving, as we ourselves have seen. If they +had received half the rations of these men, the peasants of Mederbronn +would never have complained of them: they could still have fed the +unfortunate men upon their retreat." + +About eleven at night I returned to the mill a little calmer. The +sentinels knew me already. His highness was asleep; so were also his +two aides-de-camp and the chaplain: they had taken possession of our +beds without ceremony. The servants had gone to sleep in the barn upon +my straw; and as for me, I did not know where to go. Still, I was a +little more composed in thinking upon what my cousin had told me. If +these Germans received their provisions by railway, all might be well; +I hoped we might yet keep our cattle, and that then these people would +proceed farther. With this hope I lay on the flour-sacks in the mill +and fell fast asleep. + +But next day I saw how completely mistaken George was in the matter of +provisions. I am not speaking only of all that was stolen in our +village; every moment people came to me with complaints, as if I was +responsible for everything. + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have taken the bacon out of my chimney." + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have stolen the boots from under my bed." + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have given my hay to their horses. What must +I do to feed my cow?" + +And so on. + +The Prussians are the worst thieves in the world; they have no shame; +they would take the bread out of your very mouth to swallow it. + +These complaints made me so angry that I took courage to speak to his +highness, who listened very kindly, and said it was very unfortunate, +but that I should remember the French proverb, "À la guerre, comme à la +guerre;" and that this proverb applied to peasants as well as to +soldiers. + +I could have borne all this if the requisitions had not begun; but now +the quartermasters were making their appearance, to settle with me, as +they said. + +It was of no use to urge that we were poor people, already +three-fourths ruined; they answered: "Settle your own business. We +must have so many tons of hay; so many bushels of oats, barley, flour; +so much of meat, both beef and mutton, of good quality; or else, +Monsieur le Maire, we will burn down your village." + +His highness the Duke of Saxe and his officers had just gone to inspect +the camp around the place; I was left alone. I wanted to ring the +church bells to assemble the municipal council, but all bell-ringing +was forbidden. Then I sent round the rural policeman to summon each +councillor, one after the other; but the councillors did not stir: they +thought that by remaining at home they would prevent the Prussians from +doing anything. + +In this extremity I made Martin Kopp publish by beat of drum the list +of all that the village had to supply in provisions and articles of +every kind, before eleven in the morning; entreating all honest people +to make haste, if they did not want to see their houses in flames from +one end of the village to the other. + +Scarcely had this notice been given out, when everybody made haste to +bring all they could. + +The quartermasters made out an inventory; they carried away my best +cow, and gave me a receipt for everything in the name of his Majesty +the King of Prussia. + +The general indignation was terrible. + +Such was the robbery and violence, in those earlier days, that not so +much as a pound of salt meat could have been bought by us in the whole +country; and as for fresh meat, it was no use thinking of it. Well, +when the Prussians resorted to requisition, everything was obtained, by +means of that threat of _fire_! It was known what they had done in +Alsace, and, of course, they were supposed easily capable of beginning +again. + +After these requisitions, which might be regarded as a little bouquet +for his highness, the Prussians raised their camp, announcing to us the +arrival of new-comers. I also heard M. le Baron d'Engel command one of +his orderlies to order at Sarrebourg six thousand rations of bread and +of coffee. Then I saw clearly that it was intended we should feed all +these fellows till the end of the campaign, and my sad reflections may +easily be imagined. The German commissariat no longer seemed to me so +admirable. I could see that it was simply organized robbery and +pillage. + +The Duke and his followers had scarcely departed, when a captain of +blue hussars, Monsieur Collomb, came to take his place, with six +horses, and his adjutant, the Count Bernhardy, with three more horses. +They came from Saverne wet through, having spent the night in the open +air, and this gave them a terrible appetite. + +I explained that everything had been taken from us--that we had nothing +left to eat for ourselves; but they would not believe me, and my wife +was obliged to turn the house topsy-turvy to find something for them to +eat. + +While eating and drinking enough for four, these two gentlemen found +time to tell us that they had hung eleven peasants of Gunstedt on the +day of the battle of Reichshoffen! They also told us, what was quite +true, that next day provisions would arrive in our village. Unhappily, +this long train of provisions, which seemed endless, passed on direct +to Sarrebourg. + +This was the 12th of August. + +We had, then, this captain, his adjutant, their servants, and their +horses on our shoulders; all of whom we had to feed to the full until +the day of their departure. + +The batteries of Phalsbourg had dismounted the German guns at the +Quatre Vents. Sick and wounded in great numbers had been sent to the +great military hospital at Saverne; there were a few left in the +school-room of Pfalsweyer: this annoyed the Prussians. One would have +thought that it was our duty to let them come and rob, pillage, and +bombard and burn us, without defending ourselves; that we were guilty +of crimes against them, and that they had rights over us, as a nation +of valets. + +They actually thought this. + +And I have always heard these Germans making such complaints: whether +they took us for fools, or were fools themselves, I do not know exactly +which; but I think there was something of both. + +After the passage of a convoy of provisions, which went past us for two +hours, came cannon, powder-wagons, and shells. Never had our poor +village heard such a noise; it was like a torrent roaring over the +rocks. + +The 11th corps was passing. There were twelve like it, each from +eighty to ninety thousand men. + +We now knew nothing whatever about our own troops, nor our relations +and friends in the town. We were shut up as in an island, in the midst +of this deluge of Prussians, Bavarians, Wurtemburgers, Badeners, who +streamed through in long, interminable columns, and seemed to have no +end. + +It appears that the requisitions which had been made the night before, +and that immense convoy of provisions, were not enough for their army, +so they no longer cared to address themselves to Monsieur le Maire; for +the officers whom we lodged having left us early in the morning, all at +once, about seven o'clock, loud cries arose in the village: the +Prussians were coming to carry off all our remaining cattle at one +swoop. But this time they had not taken their measures so cleverly; +they had not guarded the backs of our houses, and every one began to +drive his beasts into the wood--oxen, cows, goats, all were clambering +up the hill, the women and the girls, the old men and children behind. + +Thus they caught scarcely anything. + +From that hour, in spite of their threats, our cattle remained in the +woods; and it was also known that we had _francs-tireurs_ traversing +the country. Some said that they were Turcos escaped from Woerth, +others that they were French chasseurs; but the Prussians no longer +ventured out of the high-roads in small parties; and this is, no doubt, +the reason why they did not go to find our cattle in the Krapenfelz. + +The next day, the 13th of August, the Prussians were seen in motion in +the direction of Wéchem. A Prussian prince, advanced in years, with +long nose and chin, and always on horseback, was at Metting; and the +rumor ran that the great bombardment of Phalsbourg was going to begin, +and that more than sixty guns were in position above the mill at +Wéchem: that they were throwing up earthworks to cover the guns, and +that it was going to be very serious. + +That very day, when I was least expecting it, the quartermasters came +back to requisition meat. But I told them that all the beasts were in +the wood, through their own fault; that they had insisted on taking +everything at once, and now they would get nothing. + +On hearing these perfectly correct observations of mine, they tried +threats. Then I said to them: "Take me--eat me--I am old and lean. +You will not get much out of me." + +However, as they threatened us with fire, I gave public notice that the +Prussians still claimed, in the name of the King of Prussia, ten +hundred-weight of oats and of barley, three thousand of straw, and as +much of hay; and that if the whole was not delivered in the market +square on the stroke of twelve, they would set fire to the place +without compassion. + +And this time, too, it all came. + +These Germans had found out the way to compel people to strip +themselves even of their very shirts! Fire! fire! There lies the true +genius of the Prussians. No one had imagined _fire_--the power of +_fire_, like these brigands. God alone had brought down fire hitherto +upon His miserable creatures to punish heavy crimes, as at Sodom and +Gomorrah; they resorted to it to rob and plunder us! It was the +punishment of our folly. + +But let us hope that nations will not always be so wicked. God will +take pity upon us. I do not say the God of the Jesuits, nor of the +Prussians, who are Protestant Jesuits! But He whom, every man feels in +his own heart; He who draws from us the tears of pity and compassion, +which we drop upon our brothers unjustly slain; He is the God of whom I +speak, and it is to Him that I cry when I say: "Look upon our +sufferings! Have we deserved them? are we accountable for our +ignorance? If so, then punish us! But if others are to blame: if they +have refused us schools; if they have never taught us anything that we +ought to know; if they have profited by our credulity to impose upon +us, oh! God, pardon us, and restore to us our country, our dear +country, Alsace and Lorraine! Let us not be reduced to receiving blows +like the German soldiers! Degrade not our children, our poor children, +to become servants and beasts of burden to the German nobles! My God! +we have been verily guilty in believing our 'honest man,' who swore to +Thee with full intent to break his oath: and his Ministers, who plunged +into war 'with a light heart!' after having promised us peace, and who +first secured their own safety and well-lined pockets! Nevertheless, +we of Alsace and Lorraine, the most faithful children of the Great +Revolution, have not deserved that we should become Germans and +Prussians! Alas! what a calamity! ..." + +I have just been weeping! After such a flood of miseries and +abominable acts my heart over flows! + +Now I pursue my sad story; and I will try never to forget that I am +relating a true history, which everybody knows; which all the world has +seen. + +That same day, toward evening, several vans full of Alsacians, +returning from Blamont, passed through our village to return home. The +Prussians had obliged them to walk; their horses were nothing but bags +of bones; and the people, emaciated, yellow-looking, had been so +battered with blows, so famished with hunger, that they staggered at +every step. + +They had not received so much as a ration of bread on the whole +journey; the Germans devoured everything! They would have seen our +poor fellows--whom they had compelled to bear the burden of their +baggage--they would have seen them drop with weariness and starvation +before their eyes, without giving them a drop of water! But for our +unhappy invaded Lorraine brothers, who fed them out of their own +poverty, they would have perished, every one. + +This is the truth! We experienced it ourselves not long afterward; for +the same fate was reserved to us. + +After the passage of these miserable creatures, to whom I gave a little +bread--though we had scarcely any left, since the Germans, only two +days before, had robbed us of twenty-seven loaves just fresh out of the +oven--after this melancholy sight, we saw coming with a terrible +clatter and ringing of sabres, one after the other, three Prussian +aides-de-camp, who were announced to us; the first as a colonel, the +second a general, and the third I cannot remember what--a duke, a +prince, something of that kind! + +It was the colonel whom I had the honor, as they called it, to +entertain, Colonel Waller, of the 10th regiment of Silesian grenadiers; +and then followed the general, who did me the honor to sup at my house +at my expense. This man's name was Macha-Cowsky. They had the +pleasure of informing us that that very night Phalsbourg was going to +be thoroughly shelled. Those gentlemen are full of the greatest +delicacy; they imagined that this good news was going to delight me, my +wife, and my daughter! + +The flag of the Silesian grenadiers was brought into the colonel's +apartment. This regiment was arriving from the Austrian frontier; it +had waited for the declaration of neutrality of the good Catholics down +there, to come by rail and unite with the twelve army corps which were +invading us with so much glory. + +I learned this by overhearing their conversation. + +That was a very bad night for us. The officers wanted to be waited on +separately, one after the other; my poor wife was obliged to cook for +them, to bring them plates--in a word, to be their servant; and Grédel, +in spite of her indignation, was helping her mother, pale with passion +and biting her lips to keep it down. + +The general and the colonel took their supper at nine, the aide-de-camp +at ten; and so forth all the night through, without giving a thought to +the exhaustion and trouble of the poor women. + +They were laughing a good deal over what Monsieur le Curé of Wilsberg +had said the night before; who had told them that the misfortunes of +Napoleon had arisen from his withdrawing his troops from Rome, and that +"whoever ate of the Pope would burst asunder!" + +They enjoyed these words and had great fun over them. + +I, in my corner, came to the conclusion that from a fool you must +expect nothing but folly. + +At last I dropped off to sleep, with my head upon my knees; but +scarcely had daylight appeared when the house was filled with the +ringing of spurs and steel scabbards, and above all rose the loud voice +of the aide-de-camp: "Where are you, you scoundrel! will you come, ass! +fool! brute! come this way, will you!" + +This is the way he called his servant! This is exactly the way they +treat their soldiers, who listen to them gravely, the hand raised +beside the ear, eyes looking right before them, without uttering a +sound! He is lucky, too, if the speech finishes without a smart box on +the ears or a kick in the rear! This is what they hope to see us +coming to some day; this is what they call "instructing us in the noble +virtues of the Germans." + +The colonel breakfasted at about five in the morning; a company came +for the flag, and the regiments marched off. We were rejoicing, when +about seven, the bombardment opened with an awful crashing noise. +Sixty guns at Wéchem were firing at the same time. + +The town replied; but at half-past eight a heavy cloud of smoke was +already overhanging Phalsbourg; the heavy guns of the fortress only +replied with the more spirit; the shells whizzed, the bombs burst upon +the hill-side, and the thunders of the bastion of Wilsenberg roared and +rolled in echoing claps to the remotest ends of Alsace. + +My wife and Grédel, seated opposite each other, looked silently in each +other's faces; I paced up and down with my head bowed, thinking of +Jacob, and of all those good people who at that moment had before their +eyes the spectacle of their burning houses and furniture, the fruit of +their fifty years of labor. + +At ten I came out; the dense column of smoke had spread wider and +wider; it extended toward the hospital and the church; it seemed like a +vast black flag which drooped low from time to time and rose again to +meet the clouds. + +A squadron of cuirassiers, and behind them another of hussars, dashed +past up the face of the hill; but they came down again with lightning +speed in the direction of Metting, where the Prussian prince had his +head-quarters. + +The shells of the sixty guns went on their way rising through the air +and falling into the smoke; the bombs and the shells from the town +dropped behind the Prussian batteries, and exploded in the fields. + +The echoes could be heard from the Lützelbourg, thundering from one +moment to another. The old castle down below must have shaken and +trembled upon its rock. + +In the midst of all this terrible din the pillage was beginning afresh; +bands of robbers were breaking from their ranks, and whilst the +officers were admiring the burning town through their field-glasses, +_they_ were running from house to house, pointing their bayonets at the +women and demanding eau-de-vie, butter, eggs, cheese, anything that +they expected to find according to the inspector's reports. If you +kept bees, they must have honey; if you kept poultry, it must be fowls +or eggs. And these brigands, in bands of five or six, rummaged and +plundered everywhere. They committed other horrible deeds, which it is +not fit even to mention. + +These are your good old German manners! + +And they reproach us with our Turcos; but the Turcos are saints +compared with these filthy vagabonds, who are still polluting our +hospitals. + +Coming nearer to us, these robbers found a man awaiting them firmly at +his door; I had grasped a pitchfork, Grédel stood behind with an axe. +Then, having, I suppose, no written order to rob, and fearful lest my +neighbors should come to my side, they sneaked away farther. + +But about eleven, a lieutenant, with a canteen woman, came to order me +to give up to him a few pints of wine; saying that he would pay me +every sou, by and by. This was a polite way of robbing; for who would +be such a fool as to refuse credit to a man who has you by the throat. +I took them down to the cellar, the woman filled her two little +barrels, and then they departed. + +About one the colonel returned at the head of his regiment, and +advanced as far as the door without alighting from his horse, asking +for a glass of wine and a piece of bread, which my wife presented him. +He could not stop another moment. + +Scarcely had he left us, when again the canteen woman's barrels had to +be replenished. This time it was an ensign, who swore that the debt +should be fully paid that very night. He emptied my cask, and went off +with a conceited strut. + +Whilst all this was going on, the cannon were thundering, the smoke +rising higher and thicker. The bombs from Phalsbourg burst on the +plateau of Berlingen. At half-past four half the town was blazing; at +five the flames seemed spreading farther yet; and the church steeple, +which was built of stone, seemed still to be standing erect, but as +hollow as a cage; the bells had melted, the solid beams and the roof +fallen in; from a distance of five miles you could see right through +it. About ten, the people in our village, standing before their houses +with clasped hands, suddenly saw the flames pierce to an immense height +through the dense smoke into the sky. + +The cannon ceased to roar. A flag of truce had just gone forward once +more to summon the place to surrender. But our lads are not of the +sort who give themselves up; nor the people of Phalsbourg either: on +the contrary, the more the fire consumed, the less they had to lose; +and fortunately, the biscuit and the flour which had been intended for +Metz, since the battle of Reichshoffen had remained at the storehouses, +so that there were provisions enough for a long while. Only meat and +salt were failing: as if people with any sense ought not to have a +stock of salt in every fortified town, kept safe in cellars, enough to +last ten years. Salt is not expensive; it never spoils; at the end of +a century it is found as good as at first. But our commissaries of +stores are so perfect! A poor miller could not presume to offer this +simple piece of advice. Yet the want of salt was the cause of the +worst sufferings of the inhabitants during the last two months of the +siege. + +The flag of truce returned at night, and we learned that there was no +surrender. + +Then a few more shells were fired, which killed some of those who had +already left the shelter of the casemates--some women, and other poor +creatures. At last the firing ceased on both sides. It was about +nine. The profound silence after all this uproar seemed strange. I +was standing at my own door looking round, when suddenly, in the dark +street, my cousin appeared. + +"Is anybody there?" + +"No." + +And we entered the room, where were Grédel and my wife. + +"Well," said he, laughing and winking, "our boys won't give in. The +commanding officer is a brave fellow." + +"Yes," said my wife, "but what has become of Jacob?" + +"Pooh!" said George, "he is perfectly well. I have seen very different +bombardments from these; at Saint Jean d'Ulloa they fired upon us with +shells of a hundred-and-twenty pounds; these are only sixes and +twelves. Well, after all when a man has seen his thirtieth or fortieth +year, it is a good deal to say. Don't be uneasy; I assure you that +your boy is quite well: besides, are not the ramparts the best place?" + +Then he sat down and lighted his pipe. The blazing town sent out such +a glow of light that the shadows of our casements were quivering on the +illumined bed-curtains. + +"It is burning fiercely," said my cousin. "How hot they must be down +there! But how unfortunate that the Archeviller tunnel should not have +been blown up! and that the orders of his Majesty; did not arrive to +apply the match to the train that was ready laid. What a misfortune +for France to have such an incompetent man at her head! The town holds +out; if the tunnel had only been blown up, the Germans would have been +obliged to take the town! The bombardment makes no impression; they +would have been obliged to proceed by regular approaches, by digging +trenches, and then make two or three assaults. This would have +detained them a fortnight, three weeks, or a month; and during this +interval, the country might have taken breath. I know that the +Prussians have a road by Forbach and Sarre Union to hold the railway at +Nancy; but Toul is there! And then there is a wide difference between +marching on foot one day's march, and then another day's march with +guns, and ammunition, and all sorts of provisions dragging after you, +convoys to be escorted and watched for fear of sudden attacks; and +holding a perfect railroad which brings everything quietly under your +hands! Yes, it is indeed a misfortune to be ruled by an idiot, who has +people around him declaring he is an eagle." + +Thus spoke my cousin; and my wife informed him that it would please her +much better to see the Germans pass by than to have to entertain them. + +"You speak just like a woman," answered George. "No doubt we are +suffering losses; but do you suppose that France will not indemnify us? +Do you think we shall always be having idiots and sycophants for our +deputies? If we are not paid for this, who, in future, will think of +defending his country? We should all open our doors to the enemy: this +would be the destruction of France. Get these notions out of your +head, Catherine, and be sure that the interest of the individual is +identical with that of the nation. Ah! if that tunnel had been blown +up the Germans would have been in a very different position!" + +Thereupon, my cousin fixed his eyes upon that unhappy town, which +resembled a sea of fire; out of two hundred houses, fifty-two, besides +the church, were a prey to the flames. No noise could be heard on +account of the distance, but sometimes a red glare shot even to us, and +the moon, sailing through the clouds on our left peacefully went on her +way as she has done since the beginning of the world. All the hateful +passions, all the fearful crimes of men never disturb the stars of +heaven in their silent paths! George, having gazed with teeth set and +lips compressed, left us without another word. + +We sat up all that night. You may be sure that no one slept in the +whole village; for every one had there a son, a brother, or a friend. + +The next day, the 15th of August, when the morning mists had cleared +away, the smoke was rising still, but it was not so thick. Then the +main body of the German army proceeded on their march to Nancy; and the +lieutenant, who, the night before, had promised to pay me for my wine, +had stepped out left foot foremost, having forgotten to say good-by to +me. If the rest of the German officers are at all like that fellow, I +would strongly recommend no one ever to trust them even with a single +_liard_ on their mere word. + +After the departure of this second army, came the 6th corps; the next +day, Sunday, and the day after there passed cavalry regiments: +chasseurs, lancers, hussars, brown, green, and black, without number. +They all marched past us down our valley, and their faces were toward +the interior of France. Yet there remained a force of infantry and +artillery around Phalsbourg, at Wéchem, Wilsberg, at Biechelberg, the +Quatre Vents, the Baraques, etc. The rumor ran that they were to be +reinforced with heavier artillery, to lay regular siege to the place; +but what they had was just sufficient to secure the railroad, the +Archeviller tunnel, and in our direction the pass of the Graufthal. + +The provisions, the stores, the spare horses, and the infantry followed +the valley of Lützelbourg; their cavalry were in part following after +ours. + +Since that time we have seen no bombardments, except on a small scale. +Sorties might easily have been made by the townspeople, for all +right-minded people would rather have given their cattle to the town +than see them requisitioned by the Prussians. + +Yes, indeed, it was those requisitions which tormented us the most. +Oh, these requisitions! The seven or eight thousand men who were +blockading the town lived at our expense, and denied themselves nothing. + +But a little later, during the blockade of Metz, we were to experience +worse miseries yet. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A few days after the passage of the last squadrons of hussars, we +learned that the Phalsbourgers had made a sortie to carry off cattle +from the Biechelberg. That night we might have captured the whole of +the garrison of our village; but the officer in command of the party +was a poor creature. Instead of approaching in silence, he had ordered +guns to be fired at two hundred paces from the enemy's advanced posts, +to frighten the Prussians! But they, in great alarm, had sprung out of +their beds, where they lay fast asleep, and had all decamped, firing +back at our men; and the peasants lost no time in driving their cattle +into the woods. + +From this you may see what notions our officers had about war. + +"The men of 1814," said our old forester, Martin Kopp, "set to work in +a different way; they were sure to fetch back bullocks, cows, and +prisoners into the town." + +When Cousin George was spoken to of these matters, he shrugged his +shoulders and made no remark. + +Worse than all, the Prussians made fun of us unlucky villagers of +Rothalp, calling us "_la grande nation!_" But was it our fault if our +officers, who had almost all been brought up by the Jesuits, knew +nothing of their profession? If our lads had been drilled, if every +man had been compelled to serve, as they are in Germany; and if every +man had been given the post for which he was best fitted, according to +his acquirements and his spirit, I don't think the Prussians would have +got so much fun out of "_la grande nation_." + +This was the only sortie attempted during the siege. The commander, +Talliant, who had plenty of sense, was quite aware that with officers +of this stamp, and soldiers who knew nothing of drill, it was better to +keep behind the ramparts and try to live without meat. + +About the same time the officer in command of the post of the Landwehr +at Wéchem, the greatest drunkard and the worst bully we have ever seen +in our part of the country, came to pay me his first visit, along with +fifteen men with fixed bayonets. + +His object was to requisition in our village three hundred loaves of +bread, some hay, straw, and oats in proportion. + +In the first place he walked into my mill, crying, "Hallo! +good-morning, M. le Maire!" + +Seeing those bayonets at my door, a fidgety feeling came over me. + +"I am come to bring you a proclamation from his Majesty the King of +Prussia. Read that!" + +And I read the following proclamation: + +"We, William, King of Prussia, make known to the inhabitants of the +French territory that the Emperor Napoleon III., having attacked the +German nation by sea and by land, whose desire was and is to live at +peace with France, has compelled us to assume the command of our +armies, and, consequently upon the events of war, to cross the French +frontier; but that I make war upon soldiers and not upon French +citizens, who shall continue to enjoy perfect security, both as regards +their persons and their property, as long as they shall not themselves +compel me, by hostile measures against the German troops, to withdraw +my protection from them." + +"You will post up this proclamation," said the lieutenant to me, "upon +your door, upon that of the mayoralty-office, and upon the church-door. +Well! are you glad?" + +"Of course," said I. + +"Then," he replied, "we are good friends; and good friends must help +one another. Come, my boys," he cried to his soldiers, with a loud +laugh, "come on--let us all go in. Here you may fancy yourselves at +home. You will be refused nothing. Come in!" + +And these robbers first entered the mill; then they passed on into the +kitchen; from the kitchen into the house, and then they went down into +the cellar. + +My wife and Grédel had sought safety in flight. + +Then commenced a regular organized pillage. + +They cleared out my chimney of its last hams and flitches of bacon, +they broke in my last barrel of wine; they opened my wardrobe--scenting +down to the very bottom like a pack of hounds. I saw one of these +soldiers lay hands even upon the candle out of the candlestick and +stuff it into his boot. + +One of my lambs having begun to bleat: + +"Hallo!" cried the lieutenant. "Sheep! we want mutton." + +And the infamous rascals went off to the stable to seize upon my sheep. + +When there was nothing left to rob, this gallant officer handed me the +list of regular requisitions, saying, "We require these articles. You +will bring the whole of them this very evening to Wéchem, or we shall +be obliged to repeat our visit: you comprehend, Monsieur le Maire? +And, especially, do not forget the proclamations, his Majesty's +proclamations; that is of the first importance: it was our principal +object in coming. Now, Monsieur le Maire, _au revoir, au revoir_!" + +The abominable brute held out his hand to me in its coarse leather +glove--I turned my back upon him; he pretended not to see it, and +marched off in the midst of his soldiers, all loaded like pack-horses, +laughing, munching, tippling; for every man had filled his tin flask +and stuffed his canvas bag full. + +Farther on they visited several of the other principal houses--my +cousin's, the curé Daniel's. They were so loaded with plunder that, +after their last visit, they halted to lay under requisition a horse +and cart, which seemed to them handier than carrying all that they had +stolen. + +War is a famous school for thieves and brigands; by the end of twenty +years mankind would be a vast pack of villains. + +Perhaps this may yet be our fate; for I remember that the old +school-master at Bouxviller told us that there had been once in ancient +times populous nations, richer than we are, who might have prospered +for thousands of years by means of commerce and industry, but who had +been so madly bent upon their own extermination by means of war, that +their country became at last sandy wastes, where not a blade of grass +grows now and nothing is found but scattered rocks. + +This is our impending fate; and I fear I may see it before I die, if +such men as Bismarck, Bonaparte, William, De Moltke, and all those +creatures of blood and rapine do not swiftly meet with their deserved +retribution. + +The pillaging lieutenant that I told you of just now was made a captain +at the end of the war--the reward of his merit. I cannot just now +recollect his name; but when I mention that he used to roam from +village to village, from one public-house to another, soaking in, like +a sand-bank, wine, beer, and ardent spirits; that he bellowed out songs +like a bull-calf; that he used in a maudlin way to prate about little +birds; that he levied requisitions at random; and that he used to +return to his quarters about one, or two, or three o'clock in the +morning, so intoxicated that it was incredible that a human being in +such a state could keep his seat on horseback, and yet was ready to +begin again next morning; yes, I need but mention these circumstances, +and everybody will recognize in a minute the big German brute! + +The other Landwehr officers, in command at Wilsberg, Quatre Vents, +Mittelbronn, and elsewhere, were scarcely better. After the departure +of the princes, the dukes, and the barons, these men looked upon +themselves as the lords of the land. Every day we used to hear of +fresh crimes committed by them upon poor defenceless creatures. One +day, at Mittelbronn, they shot a poor idiot who had been running +barefoot in the woods for ten years, hurting nobody; the next day, at +Wilsberg, they stripped naked a poor boy who unfortunately had come too +near their batteries, and the officer himself, with his heavy boots +kicked him till the blood ran; and then, at the Quatre Vents, they +pulled out of the cellar two feeble old men, and exposed them two days +and nights to the rain and the cold, threatening to kill them if they +did but stir; they pillaged oxen, sheep, hay, straw, smashed furniture, +burst in windows, day after day, for the mere pleasure of killing and +destroying. + +[Illustration: THEY DREW TWO POOR OLD MEN FROM THEIR CELLAR.] + +Sometimes they found amusement in threatening to make the curés and the +Maires drive the cattle which they themselves had lifted. And as the +Germans enjoy the reputation with us of being very learned, I feel +bound to declare that I have never seen one, whether officer or +private, with a book in his hand. + +Cousin George said, with good reason, that all their learning bears +upon their military profession: the spy system, and the study of maps +for officers, and discipline under corporal punishment for the rest. +The only clear notion they have in their heads is that they must obey +their chiefs and calmly receive slaps in the face. + +The young men employed in trade are great travellers. They get +information in other countries; they are sly; they never answer +questions; they are good servants, and cheap; but at the first signal, +back they go to get kicked; and they think nothing of shooting their +old shopmates, and those whose bread they have been eating for years. + +In their country some are born to slap, others to be slapped. They +regard this as a law of nature; a man is honorable or not according as +he may be the son of a nobleman or a tradesman, a baron or a workman. +With them, the less honorable the man the better the soldier; he is +only expected to obey, to black boots, and to rub down the officer's +horse when he is ordered: a banker's, or a rich citizen's son obeys +just like any one else! Hence there is no doubt that their armies are +well disciplined. George said that their superior officers handled a +hundred thousand men with greater ease than ours could manage ten +thousand, and that, for that purpose, less talent was needed. No +doubt! If I, who am only a miller, had by chance been born King of +Prussia, I should lead them all by the bridle, like my horses, and +better. I should simply be careful, on the eve of any difficult +enterprise, to consult two or three clever fellows who should clear up +my ideas for me, and engage in my service highly educated young men to +look after affairs. Then the machine would act of itself, just like my +mill, where the cogs work into each other without troubling me. The +machinery does everything; genius, good sense, and good feeling are not +wanted. + +These ideas have come into my mind, thinking upon what I have observed +since the opening of this campaign; and this is why I say we must have +discipline to play this game over again; only, as the French possess +the sentiment of honor, they must be made to understand that he who has +no discipline is wanting in honor, and betrays his country. Then, +without kicking and slapping, we shall obtain discipline; we may handle +vast masses, and shall beat the Germans, as we have done hundreds of +times before. + +These things should be taught in every school, and the schools should +be numberless; at the very head of the catechism should be written: +"The first virtue of the citizen under arms is obedience; the man who +disobeys is a coward, a traitor to the Republic." + +These were my thoughts; and now I continue my story. + +After the passage of the German armies, our unhappy country was, as it +were, walled round with a rampart of silence; for all the men who were +blockading Phalsbourg, and the few detachments which were still passing +with provisions, stores, flocks of sheep, and herds of oxen through the +valley, were under orders not to speak to us, but leave us to the +influence of fear. We received no more newspapers, no more letters, +nor the least fragment of intelligence from the interior. We could +hear the bombardment of Strasbourg when the wind blew from the Rhine. +All was in flames down there; but, as no one dared to come and go, on +account of the enemy's posts placed at every point, nothing was known. +Melancholy and grief were killing us. No one worked. What was the use +of working, when the bravest, the most industrious, the most thrifty +saw the fruit of their labor devoured by innumerable brigands? Men +almost regretted having done their duty by their children, in depriving +themselves of necessaries, to feed in the end such base wretches as +these. They would say: "Is there any justice left in the world? Are +not upright men, tender mothers of families, and dutiful children, +fools? Would it not be better to become thieves and rogues at once? +Do not all the rewards fall to the brutish? Are not those hypocrites +who preach religion and mercy? Our only duty is to become the +strongest. Well, let us be the strongest; let us pass over the bodies +of our fellow-creatures, who have done us no harm; let us spy, cheat, +and pillage: if we are the strongest, we shall be in the right." + +Here is the list of the requisitions, made in the poorest cabins, for +every Prussian who lodged there: judge what must have been our misery. + +"For every man lodging with you, you will have to furnish daily 750 +grammes of bread, 500 grammes of meat, 250 grammes of coffee, 60 +grammes of tobacco, or five cigars, a half litre of wine, or a litre of +beer, or a tenth part of a litre of eau-de-vie. Besides, for every +horse, twelve kilos of oats, five kilos of hay, and two and a half +kilos of straw."* + + +* Bread, about 2 lbs.; meat, 1-½ lbs.; coffee, 8 oz.; tobacco, 2 oz.; +wine, ¾ pint; or beer, 1-½ pints; oats, 26 lbs., etc. + + +Every one will say, "How was it possible for unfortunate peasants to +supply all that? It is impossible." + +Well, no. The Prussians did get it, in this wise: They made excursions +to the very farthest farms, they carried off everything, hay, straw; +elsewhere they carried off the cattle; elsewhere, corn; elsewhere, +again, wine, eau-de-vie, beer; elsewhere they demanded contributions in +money. Every man gave up what he had to give, so that by the end of +the campaign there was nothing left. + +Yes, indeed! We were comfortable before this war; we were rich without +knowing it. Never had I supposed that we had in our country such +quantities of hay, so many head of cattle. + +It is true that, at the last, they gave us bonds; but not until +three-quarters and more of our provisions had been consumed. And now +they make a pretence of indemnifying us; but in thirty years, supposing +there is peace--in thirty years our village will not possess what it +had last year. + +Ah! vote, vote in plébiscites, you poor, miserable peasants! Vote for +bonds for hay, straw, and meat, milliards and provinces for the +Prussians! Our _honest man_ promises peace; he who has broken his +oath--trust in his word! + +Whenever I think on these things, my hair stands on end. And those who +voted against the Plébiscite, they have had to pay just as dearly. How +bitterly they must feel our folly; and how anxious they must be to +educate us! + +Imagine the condition of my wife and of my daughter seeing us so +denuded! for women cleave to their savings much more closely than men; +and then mother was only thinking of Jacob, and Grédel of her Jean +Baptiste. + +Cousin George knew this. He tried several times to get news of the +town. A few Turcos, who had escaped from the carnage of Froeschwiller, +had remained in town, and every day a few got through the postern to +have a shot at the Germans. On the other hand, as the attack on the +place had been sudden and unforeseen, there had been no time to throw +down the trees, the hedges, the cottages, and the tombstones in the +cemetery. So this work began afresh: everything within cannon-shot was +razed without mercy. + +George tried to reach these men, but the enemy's posts were still too +close. At last he got news, but in a way which can scarcely be +told--by an abandoned woman, who was allowed in the German lines. This +creditable person told us that Jacob was well; and, no doubt, she also +brought some kind of good news to Grédel, who from that moment was +another woman. The very next day she began to talk to us about her +marriage-portion, and insisted upon knowing where we had hidden it. I +told her that it was in the wood, at the foot of a tree. Then she was +in alarm lest the Prussians should have discovered it, for they +searched everywhere; they had exact inventories of what was owned by +every householder. They had gone even to the very end of our cellars +to discover choice wines: for instance, at Mathis's, at the saw-mills, +and at Frantz Sépel's, at Metting. Nothing could escape them, having +had for years our own German servants to give them every information, +who privately kept an account of our cattle, hay, corn, wine, and +everything every house could supply. These Germans are the most +perfect spies in the world; they come into the world to spy, as birds +do to thieve: it is part of their nature. Let the Americans and all +the people who are kind enough to receive them think of this. Their +imprudence may some day cost them dearly. I am not inventing. I am +not saying a word too much. We are an example. Let the world profit +by it. + +So Grédel feared for our hoard. I told her I had been to see, and that +nothing in the neighborhood had been disturbed. + +But, after having quieted her, I myself had a great fright. + +One Sunday evening, about thirty Prussians, commanded by their famous +lieutenant, came to the mill, striking the floor with the butt-ends of +their muskets, and shouting that they must have wine and eau-de-vie. + +I gave them the keys of the cellar. + +"That is not what I want," said the lieutenant. "You took sixteen +hundred livres at Saverne last month; where are they?" + +Then I saw that I had been denounced. It was Placiard, or some of that +rabble; for denunciations were beginning. _All who have since declared +for the Germans were already beginning this business_. I could not +deny it, and I said: "It is true. As I was owing money at Phalsbourg, +I paid what I owed, and I placed the rest in safety under the care of +lawyer Fingado." + +"Where is that lawyer?" + +"In the town guarded by the sixty big guns that you know of." + +Then the lieutenant paced up and down, growling, "You are an old fox. +I don't believe you. You have hid your money somewhere. You shall +send in your contribution in money." + +"I will furnish, like others, my contribution for six men with what I +have got. Here are my hay, my wheat, my straw, my flour. Whatever is +left you may have; when there is nothing left, you may seek elsewhere. +You may kill the people; you may burn towns and villages; but you +cannot take money from those who have none." + +He stared at me, and one of the soldiers, mad with rage, seized me by +the collar, roaring, "Show us your hoard, old rascal!" + +Several others were pushing me out of doors; my wife came crying and +sobbing; but Grédel darted in, armed with a hatchet, crying to these +robbers, "Pack of cowards! You have no courage--you are all like +Schinderhannes!" + +She was going to fall upon them; but I bade her: "Grédel, go in again." + +At the same time I threw open my waistcoat, and told the brute who was +pointing his bayonet at my breast: "Now thrust, wretch; let it be over!" + +It seems that there was something at that moment in my attitude which +awed them; for the lieutenant, who did nothing but scour the country +with his band, exclaimed: "Come, let us leave monsieur le maire alone. +When we have taken the place, we shall find his money at the lawyer's. +Come, my lads, come on; let us go and look elsewhere. His Majesty +wants crown-pieces: we will find them. Good-by, Monsieur le Maire. +Let us bear no malice." + +He was laughing; but I was as pale as death, and went in trembling. + +I fell ill. + +Many people in the country were suffering from dysentery, which we owe +again to these gormandizers, for they devoured everything; honey, +butter, cheese, green fruit, beef, mutton, everything was ingulfed +anyhow down their huge swallows. At Pfalsweyer they had even swallowed +vinegar for wine. I cannot tell what they ate at home, but the +voracity of these people would make you suppose that at home they knew +no food but potatoes and cold water. + +In their sanitary regulations there was plenty of room for improvement; +health and decency were alike disregarded. + +That year the crows came early; they swept down to earth in great +clouds. But for this help, a plague would have fallen upon us. + +I cannot relate all the other torments these Prussians inflicted upon +us; such as compelling us to cut down wood for them in the forest, to +split it, to pile it up in front of their advanced posts; threatening +the peasants with having to go to the front and dig in the trenches. +On account of this, whole villages fled without a minute's warning, and +the Landwehr took the opportunity to pillage the houses without +resistance. Worse than all, they polluted and desecrated the +churches--to the great distress of all right-minded people, whether +Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. This proved that these fellows +respected nothing; that they took a pleasure in humiliating the souls +of men in their tenderest and holiest feelings; for even with ungodly +men a church, a temple, a synagogue are venerable places. There our +mothers carried us to receive the blessing of God; there we called God +to witness our love for her with whom we had chosen to travel together +the journey of life; thither we bore father and mother to commend their +souls to the mercy of God after they had ceased to suffer in this world. + +These wretched men dared do this; therefore shall they be execrated +from generation to generation, and our hatred shall be inextinguishable! + +Whilst all these miseries were overwhelming us, rumors of all sorts ran +through the country. One day Cousin George came to tell us that he had +heard from an innkeeper from Sarrebourg that a great battle had been +fought near Metz; that we might have been victorious, but that the +Emperor, not knowing where to find his proper place, got in everybody's +way; that he would first fly to the right, then to the left, carrying +with him his escort of three or four thousand men, to guard his person +and his ammunition-wagons; that it had been found absolutely necessary +to declare his command vacant, and to send him to Verdun to get rid of +him; for he durst not return to Paris, where indignation against his +dynasty broke out louder and louder. + +"Now," said my cousin, "Bazaine is at the head of our best army. It is +a sad thing to be obliged to intrust the destinies of our country to +the hands of the man who made himself too well known in Mexico; whilst +the Minister of War, old De Montauban, has distinguished himself in +China, and in Africa in that Doineau affair. Yes, these are three men +worthy to lay their heads close together--the Emperor, Bazaine, and +Palikao! Well, let us hope on: hope costs nothing!" + +Thus passed away the month of August--the most miserable month of +August in all our lives! + +On the first of September, about ten o'clock at night, everybody was +asleep in the village, when the cannon of Phalsbourg began to roar: it +was the heavy guns on the bastion of Wilschberg, and those of the +infantry barracks. Our little houses shook. + +All rose from their beds and got lights. At every report our windows +rattled. I went out; a crowd of other peasants, men and women, were +listening and gazing. The night was dark, and the red lightning +flashes from the two bastions lighted up the hills second after second. + +Then curiosity carried me away. I wished to know what it was, and in +spite of all my wife could say, I started with three or four neighbors +for Berlingen. As fast as we ascended amongst the bushes, the din +became louder; on reaching the brow of this hill, we heard a great stir +all round us. The people of Berlingen had fled into the wood: two +shells had fallen in the village. It was from this height that I +observed the effect of the heavy guns, the bombs and shells rushing in +the direction where we stood, hissing and roaring just like the noise +of a steam-engine, and making such dreadful sounds that one could not +help shrinking. + +At the same time we could hear a distant rolling of carriages at full +gallop; they were driving from Quatre Vents to Wilschberg: no doubt it +was a convoy of provisions and stores, which the Phalsbourgers had +observed a long way off: the moon was clouded; but young people have +sharp eyes. After seeing this, we came down again, and I recognized my +cousin, who was walking near me. + +"Good-evening, Christian," said he, "what do you think of that?" + +"I am thinking that men have invented dreadful engines to destroy each +other." + +"Yes, but this is nothing as yet, Christian; it is but the small +beginning of the story: in a year or two peace will be signed between +the King of Prussia and France; but eternal hatred has arisen between +the two nations--just, fearful, unforgiving hatred. What did we want +of the Germans? Did we want any of their provinces? No, the majority +of Frenchmen cared for no such thing. Did we covet their glory? No, +we had military glory enough, and to spare. So that they had no +inducement to treat us as enemies. Well, whilst we were trying, in the +presence of all Europe, the experiment of universal suffrage at our own +risk and peril--and this step so fair, so equitable, but still so +dangerous with an ignorant people, had placed a bad man at the +helm--these _good Christians_ took advantage of our weakness to strike +the blow they had been fifty-four years in preparing. They have +succeeded! But woe to us! woe to them! This war will cost more blood +and tears than the Zinzel could carry to the Rhine!" + +Thus spoke Cousin George: and, unhappily, from that day I have had +reason to acknowledge that he was right. Those who were far from the +enemy are now close, and those who are farther off will be forced to +take a part. Let the men of the south of France remember that they are +French as well as we, and if they don't want to feel the sharp claw of +the Prussian upon their shoulders, let them rise in time: next to +Lorraine comes Champagne; next to Alsace comes Franche Comté and +Burgundy; these are fertile lands, and the Germans are fond of good +wine. Clear-sighted men had long forewarned us that the Germans wanted +Alsace and Lorraine: we could not believe it; now the same men tell us, +"The Germans want the whole of France! This race of slappers and +slapped want to govern all Europe! Hearken! The day of the Chambords, +upheld by the Jesuits, and of the Bonapartes, supported by spies and +fools, has gone by forever! Let us be united under the Republic, or +the Germans will devour us!" I think the men who tender this advice +have a claim to be heard. + +The day after the cannonade we learned that some carts had been upset +and pillaged near Berlingen. Then the Prussian major declared that the +commune was responsible for the loss, and that it would have to pay up +five hundred francs damages. + +Five hundred francs! Alas! where could they be found after this +pillage? + +Happily, the Mayor of Berlingen succeeded in making the discovery that +the sentinels who had the charge of the carts had themselves committed +the robbery, to make presents to the depraved creatures who infested +the camp, and the general contributions went on as before. + +Early in September the weather was fine; and I shall always remember +that the oats dropped by the German convoys began to grow all along the +road they had taken. No doubt there was a similar green track all the +way from Bavaria far into the interior of France. + +What a loss for our country! for it always fell to our share to replace +anything that was lost or stolen. Of course the Prussians are too +honorable to pick or steal anywhere! + +In that comparatively quiet time by night we could hear the bombardment +of Strasbourg. About one in the morning, while the village was asleep, +and all else in the distance was wrapped in silence, then those deep +and loud reports were heard one by one. The citadel alone received +five shells and one bomb per minute. Sometimes the fire increased in +intensity; the din became terrible; the earth seemed to be trembling +far away down there: it sounded like the heavy strokes of the +gravedigger at the bottom of a grave. + +And this went on forty-two days and forty-two nights without +intermission: the new Church, the Library, and hundreds of houses were +burned to the ground; the Cathedral was riddled with shot; a shell even +carried away the iron cross at its summit. The unhappy Strasbourgers +cast longing eyes westward; none came to help. The men who have told +me of these things when all was over could not refrain from tears. + +Of Metz we heard nothing; rumors of battles, combats in Lorraine, ran +through the country: rumors of whose authenticity we knew nothing. + +The silence of the Germans was maintained; but one evening they burst +into loud hurrahs from Wéchem to Biechelberg, from Biechelberg to +Quatre Vents. George and his wife came with pale faces. + +"Well, you know the despatch?" + +"No; what is it?" + +"The _honest man_ has just surrendered at Sedan with eighty thousand +Frenchmen! From the beginning of the world the like of it has never +been seen. He has given up his sword to the King of Prussia--his +famous sword of the 2d December. He thought more of his own safety and +his ammunition-wagons than of the honor of his name and of the honor of +France! Oh, the arch-deceiver! he has deceived me even in this: I did +think he was brave!" + +George lost all command over himself. + +"There," said he, "that was to be the end of it! His own army was +those ten or fifteen thousand Decemberlings supplied by the Préfecture +of Police, armed with loaded staves and life-preservers to break the +heads of the defenders of the laws. He thought himself able to lead a +French army to victory, as if they were his gang of thieves; he has let +them into a sort of a sink, and there, in spite of the valor of our +soldiers, he has delivered them up to the King of Prussia: in exchange +for what? We shall know by and by. Our unhappy sons refused to +surrender: they would have preferred to die sword in hand, trying to +fight their way out; it was his Majesty who, three times, gave orders +to hoist the white flag!" + +Thus spoke my cousin, and we, more dead than alive, could hear nothing +but the shouts and rejoicings outside. + +A flag of truce had just been despatched to the town. The Landwehr, +who for some time had been occupying the place of the troops of the +line with us--men of mature age, more devoted to peace than to the +glory of King William--thought that all was over; that the King of +Prussia would keep his word; that he would not continue against the +nation the war begun against Bonaparte, and that the town would be sure +to surrender now. + +But the commander, Taillant, merely replied that the gates of +Phalsbourg would be opened whenever he should receive his Majesty's +written commands; that the fact of Napoleon's having given up his sword +was no reason why he should abandon his post; and that every man ought +to be on his guard, in readiness for whatever might happen. + +The flag of truce returned, and the joy of the Landwehr was calmed down. + +At this time I saw something which gave me infinite pleasure, and which +I still enjoy thinking of. + +I had taken a short turn to Saverne by way of the Falberg, behind the +German posts, hoping to learn news. Besides, I had some small debts to +get in; money was wanted every day, and no one knew where to find it. + +About five o'clock in the evening, I was returning home; the weather +was fine; business had prospered, and I was stepping into the wayside +inn at Tzise to take a glass of wine. In the parlor were seated a +dozen Bavarians, quarrelling with as many Prussians seated round the +deal tables. They had laid their helmets on the window-seats, and were +enjoying themselves away from their officers; no doubt on their return +from some marauding expedition. + +A Bavarian was exclaiming: "We are always put in the front, we are. +The victory of Woerth is ours; but for us you would have been beaten. +And it is we who have just taken the Emperor and all his army. You +other fellows, you do nothing but wait in the rear for the honor and +glory, and the profit, too!" + +"Well, now," answered the Prussian, "what would you have done but for +us? Have you got a general to show? Tell me your men. You are in the +front line, true enough. You bear your broken bones with patience--I +don't deny that. But who commands you? The Prince Royal of Prussia, +Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, our old General de Moltke, and his +Majesty King William! Don't tell us of your victories. Victories +belong to the chiefs. Even if you were every one killed to the last +man, what difference would that make? Does an architect owe his fame +to his materials? What have picks, and spades, and trowels to do with +victory?" + +"What! the spades!" cried a Bavarian; "do you call us spades?" + +"Yes, we do!" shouted the Prussian, arrogantly thumping the table. + +Then, bang, bang went the pots and the bottles; and I only just had +time to escape, laughing, and thinking: "After all, these poor +Bavarians are right--they get the blows, and the others get the glory. +Bismarck must be sly to have got them to accept such an arrangement. +It is rather strong. And, then, what is the use of saying that the +King of Bavaria is led by the Jesuits." + +About the 8th or 10th of September, the report ran that the Republic +had been proclaimed at Paris; that the Empress, the Princess Mathilde, +Palikao, and all the rest had fled; that a Government of National +Defence had been proclaimed; that every Frenchman from twenty to forty +years of age had been summoned to arms. But we were sure of nothing, +except the bombardment of Strasbourg and the battles round Metz. + +Justice compels me to say that everybody looked upon the conduct of +Bazaine as admirable--that he was looked upon as the saviour of France. +It was thought that he was bearing the weight of all the Germans upon +his shoulders, and that, finally, he would break out, and deliver Toul, +Phalsbourg, Bitche, Strasbourg, and crush all the investing armies. + +Often at that time George said to me: "It will soon be our turn. We +shall all have to march. My plans are already made; my rifle and +cartridge-box are ready. You must have the alarm-bell sounded as soon +as we hear the cannon about Sarreguemines and Fénétrange. We shall +take the Germans between two fires." + +He said this to me in the evening, when we were alone, and I am sure I +could have wished no better; but prudence was essential: the Landwehr +kept increasing in number from day to day. They used to come and sit +in our midst around the stove; they smoked their long porcelain pipes, +with their heads down, in silence. As a certain number understood +French, without telling us so, there was no talking together in their +presence: every one kept his thoughts to himself. + +All these Landwehr from Baden, Wurtemberg, and Bavaria, were commanded +by Prussian officers, so that Prussia supplied the officers, and the +German States the soldiers: by these means they learn obedience to +their true lords and masters. The Prussians were made to command, the +others humbly to obey: thus they gained the victory. And now it must +remain so for ages; for the Alsacians and Lorrainers might revolt, +France might rise, and troubles might come in all directions. Yes, all +these good Landwehr will remain under arms from father to son; and the +more numerous their victories, the higher the Prussians will climb upon +their backs, and keep them firmly down. + +One thing annoyed them considerable; this was a stir in the Vosges, and +a talk of francs-tireurs, and of revolted villages about Epinal. Of +course this stirred us up too. These Landwehr treated the +francs-tireurs as brigands in ambush to shoot down respectable fathers +of families, to rob convoys, and threatened to hang them. + +For all that, many thought--"If only a few came our way with powder and +muskets, we would join them and try to get rid of our troubles +ourselves." + +Hope rose with these francs-tireurs; but the requisitions harassed us +all the more. + +The pillage was not quite so bad, but it went on still. When our +Landwehr, whom we were obliged to lodge and keep, went off to mount +guard at Phalsbourg, others came in troops from the neighboring +villages, shouting, storming, and bawling for oxen, sheep, bacon! And +when they had terribly frightened the women, these fellows, after all, +were satisfied with a few eggs, a cheese, or a rope of onions; and then +they would take their departure quite delighted. + +Our own Landwehr no doubt did the same, for they never seemed short of +vegetables to cook; and these good fathers of families conscientiously +divided it with all the abominable creatures who followed them and had +no other way of living. How else could it be? It takes time to turn a +man into a beast, but a few months of war soon bring men back into the +savage state. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +On the 29th of September, a Prussian vaguemestre* brought me some +proclamations with orders to make them public. + + +* The person in command of a wagon train--also an Army letter-carrier. + + +These proclamations declared that we were now part of the department of +La Moselle, and that we were under a Prussian prefect, the Count Henkel +de Bonnermark, who was himself under the orders of the Governor-General +of Alsace and Lorraine, the Count Bismarck-Bohlen, provisionally +residing at Haguenau. + +I cannot tell what evil spirit then laid hold of me; the Landwehr had +brought us the day before the news of the capitulation of Strasbourg; I +had been worried past all endurance by all the requisitions which I was +ordered to call for, and I boldly declared my refusal to post that +proclamation: that it was against my conscience; that I looked upon +myself as a Frenchman still, and they need not expect an honest man to +perform such an errand as that. + +The vaguemestre seemed astonished to hear me. He was a stout man, with +thick brown mustaches, and prominent eyes. + +"Will you be good enough to write that down, M. le Maire?" he said. + +"Why not? I am tired out with all these vexatious acts. Let my place +be given to your friend, M. Placiard: I should be thankful. Let him +order these requisitions. I look upon them as mere robbery." + +"Well, write that down," said he. "I obey orders: I have nothing to do +with the rest." + +Then, without another thought, I opened my desk, and wrote that +Christian Weber, Mayor of Rothalp, considered it against his conscience +to proclaim Bismarck-Bohlen Governor of a French province, and that he +refused absolutely. + +I signed my name to it, with the date, 29th September, 1870; and it was +the greatest folly I ever committed in my life: it has cost me dear. + +The vaguemestre took the paper, put it in his pocket, and went away. +Two or three hours after, when I had thought it over a little, I began +to repent, and I wished I could have the paper back again. + +That evening, after supper, I went to tell George the whole affair; he +was quite pleased. + +"Very good, indeed, Christian," said he. "Now your position is clear. +I have often felt sorry that you should be obliged, for the interest of +the commune and to avoid pillage, to give bonds to the Prussians. +People are so absurd! Seeing the signature of the mayor, they make +him, in a way, responsible for everything; every one fancies he is +bearing more than his share. Now you are rid of your burden; you could +not go so far as to requisition in the name of Henkel de Bonnermark, +self-styled prefect of La Moselle; let some one else do that work; they +will have no difficulty in finding as many ill-conditioned idiots as +they want for that purpose." + +My cousin's approbation gave me satisfaction, and I was going home, +when the same vaguemestre, in whose hands I had placed my resignation +in the morning, entered, followed by three or four Landwehr. + +"Here is something for you," said he, handing me a note, which I read +aloud: + + +"The persons called Christian Weber, miller, and George Weber, +wine-merchant, in the village of Rothalp, will, to-morrow, drive to +Droulingen, four thousand kilos of hay and ten thousand kilos of straw, +without fail. By order--FLOEGEL." + + +"Very well," I replied. For although this requisition appeared to me +to be rather heavy, I would not betray my indignation before our +enemies; they would have been too much delighted. "Very well, I will +drive my hay and my straw to Droulingen." + +"You will drive it yourself," said the vaguemestre, brutally. "All the +horses and carts in the village have been put into requisition; you +have too often forgotten your own." + +"I can prove that my horses and my carts have been worked oftener than +any one's," I replied, with rising wrath. "There are your receipts; I +hope you won't deny them!" + +"Well, it doesn't matter," said he. "The horses, the carts, the hay +and straw are demanded; that is plain." + +"Quite plain," said Cousin George. "The strongest may always command." + +"Exactly so," said the vaguemestre. + +He went out with his men, and George, without anger, said, "This is +war! Let us be calm. Perhaps our turn will come now that the _honest +man_ is no longer in command of our armies. In the meantime the best +thing we can do, if we do not want to lose our horses and our carts +besides, will be to load to-night, and to start very early in the +morning. We shall return before seven o'clock to supper; and then they +won't be able to take any more of our hay and straw, because we shall +have none left." + +For my part, I was near bursting with rage; but, as he set the example, +by stripping off his coat and putting on his blouse, I went to wake up +old Father Offran to help me to load. + +My wife and Grédel were expecting me: for the vaguemestre and his men +had called at the mill, before coming to George's house, and they were +trembling with apprehension. I told them to be calm; that it was only +taking some hay and straw to Droulingen, where I should get a receipt +for future payment. + +Whether they believed it or not, they went in again. + +I lighted the lantern, Offran mounted up into the loft and threw me +down the trusses, which I caught upon a fork. About two in the +morning, the two carts being loaded, I fed the horses and rested a few +minutes. + +At five o'clock, George, outside, was already calling "Christian, I am +here!" + +I got up, put on my hat and my blouse, opened the stable from the +inside, put the horses in, and we started in the fresh and early +morning, supposing we should return at night. + +In all the villages that we passed through, troops of Landwehr were +sitting before their huts, ragged, with patched knees and filthy +beards, like the description of the Cossacks of former days, smoking +their pipes; and the cavalry and infantry were coming and going. + +Those who remained in garrison in the villages were obliged by their +orders to give up their good walking-boots to the others, and to wear +their old shoes. + +Mounted officers, with their low, flat caps pulled down upon their +noses, were skimming along the paths by the road-side like the wind. +In the old wayside inns, in the corners of the yards the dung-hills +were heaped up with entrails and skins of beasts: hides, stuffed with +straw, were hanging also from the banisters of the old galleries, where +we used to see washed linen hanging out to dry. Misery, unspeakable +misery, and gnawing anxiety were marked upon the countenances of the +people. The Germans alone looked fat and sleek in their broken boots; +they had good white bread, good red wine, good meat, and smoked good +tobacco or cigars: they were living like fighting-cocks. + +At a certain former time, these people had complained bitterly of our +invasion of their country, without remembering that they had begun by +invading ourselves. And yet they were right. At the close of the +First Empire, the French were only fighting for one man; but the +Germans had since had their revenge twice, in 1814 and 1815, and for +fifty years they had always been coming to us as friends, and were +received like brothers: we bore no malice against them, and they seemed +to bear none against us; peace had softened us. We only wished for +their prosperity, as well as for our own; for nations are really happy +only when their neighbors are prospering: then business and industry +all move hand in hand together. That was our position! We said +nothing more of our victories; we talked of our defeats, so as to do +full justice to their courage and their patriotism; we acknowledged our +faults; they pretended to acknowledge theirs, and talked of fraternity. +We believed in their uprightness, in their candor and frankness: we +were really fond of them. + +Now hatred has arisen between us. + +Whose the fault? + +First, our stupidity, our ignorance. We all believed that the +Plébiscite was for peace; the Ministers, the préfets, the sous-préfets, +the magistrates, the commissioners of police, everybody in authority +confirmed this. A villain has used it to declare war! But the Germans +were glad of the war; they were full of hatred, and malice, and envy, +without betraying it: they had long watched us and studied us; they +endured everlasting drill and perpetual fatigue to become the +strongest, and sought with pains for an opportunity to get war declared +against themselves, and so set themselves right in the eyes of Europe. +The Spanish complication was but a trap laid by Bismarck for Bonaparte. +The Germans said to one another: "We have twelve hundred thousand men +under arms; we are four to one. Let us seize the opportunity! If the +French Government take it into their heads to organize and discipline +the Garde Mobile, all might be lost.... Quick, quick!" + +This is the uprightness, frankness, and fraternity of the Germans! + +Our idiot fell into the trap. The Germans overwhelmed us with their +multitudes. They are our masters; they hold our country; we are paying +them milliards! and now they are coming back, just as before, into our +towns and cities in troops, smiling upon us, extending the right hand: +"Ha! ha! how are you now? Have you been pretty well all this long +while? What! don't you know me? You look angry! Ah! but you really +shouldn't. Such friends, such good old friends! Come, now! give me a +small order, only a small one; and don't let us think of that unhappy +war!" + +Faugh! Let us look another way; it is too horrible. + +To excuse them, I say (for one must always seek excuses for everything) +man is not by nature so debased; there must be causes to explain, so +great a want of natural pride; and I say to myself--that these are poor +creatures trained to submission, and that these unfortunate beings do +as the birds do that the birdcatcher holds captives in his net; they +sing, they chirp, to decoy others. + +"Ah! how jolly it is here! how delightful here in Old Germany, with an +Emperor, kings, princes, German dukes, grand-dukes, counts, and barons! +What an honor to fight and die for the German Fatherland! The German +is the foremost man in the world." + +Yes. Yes. Poor devils! We know all about that. That is the song +your masters taught you at school! For the King of Prussia and his +nobility you work, you spy, you have your bones broken on the +battle-field! They pay you with hollow phrases about the noble German, +the German Fatherland, the German sky, the German Rhine; and when you +sing false, with rough German slaps upon your German faces. + +No; no! it is of no use; the Alsacians and the Lorrainers will never +whistle like you: they have learned another tune. + +Well! all this did not save us from being nipped, George and me, and +from being made aware that at the least resistance they would wring our +necks like chickens. So we put a good face upon a bad game, observing +the desolation of all this country, where the cattle plague had just +broken out. At Lohre, at Ottviller, in a score of places, this +terrible disease, the most ruinous for the peasantry, was already +beginning its ravages; and the Prussians, who eat more than four times +the quantity of meat that we do--when it belongs to other people--were +afraid of coming short. + +Their veterinary doctors knew but one remedy; when a beast fell ill, +refused its fodder, and became low-spirited, they slaughtered it, and +buried it with hide and horns, six feet under ground. This was not +much cleverer than the bombardment of towns to force them to surrender, +or the firing of villages to compel people to pay their requisitions. +But then it answered the purpose! + +The Germans in this campaign have taught us their best inventions! +They had thought them over for years, whilst our school-masters and our +gazettes were telling us that they were passing away their time in +dreaming of philosophy, and other things of so extraordinary a kind +that the French could not understand the thing at all. + +About eleven we were at Droulingen, where was a Silesian battalion +ready to march to Metz. It seems that some cavalry were to follow us, +and that the requisitions had exhausted the fodder in the country, for +our hay and straw were immediately housed in a barn at the end of the +village, and the major gave us a receipt. He was a gray-bearded +Prussian, and he examined us with wrinkled eyes, just like an old +gendarme who is about to take your description. + +This business concluded, George and I thought we might return at once; +when, looking through the window, we saw them loading our carts with +the baggage of the battalion. Then I came out, exclaiming: "Hallo! +those carts are ours! We only came to make a delivery of hay and +straw!" + +The Silesian commander, a tall, stiff, and uncompromising-looking +fellow, who was standing at the door, just turned his head, and, as the +soldiers were stopping, quietly said: "Go on!" + +"But, captain," said I, "here is my receipt from the major!" + +"Nothing to me," said he, walking into the mess-room, where the table +was laid for the officers. + +We stood outside in a state of indignation, as you may believe. The +soldiers were enjoying the joke. I was very near giving them a rap +with my whip-handle; but a couple of sentinels marching up and down +with arms shouldered, would certainly have passed their bayonets +through me. I turned pale, and went into Finck's public-house, where +George had turned in before me. The small parlor was full of soldiers, +who were eating and drinking as none but Prussians can eat and drink; +almost putting it into their noses. + +The sight and the smell drove us out, and George, standing at the door, +said to me: "Our wives will be anxious; had we not better find somebody +to tell them what has happened to us?" + +But it was no use wishing or looking; there was nobody. + +The officers' horses along the wall, their bridles loose, were quietly +munching their feed, and ours, which were already tired, got nothing. + +"Hey!" said I to the _feld-weibel_, who was overlooking the loading of +the carts; "I hope you will not think of starting without giving a +handful to our horses?" + +"If you have got any money, you clown," said he, grinning, "you can +give them hay, and even oats, as much as you like. There, look at the +sign-board before you: 'Hay and oats sold here.'" + +That moment I heaped up more hatred against the Prussians than I shall +be able to satiate in all my life. + +"Come on," cried George, pulling me by the arm; for he saw my +indignation. + +And we went into the "Bay Horse," which was as full of people as the +other, but larger and higher. We fed our horses; then, sitting alone +in a corner we ate a crust of bread and took a glass of wine, watching +the movements of the troops outside. I went out to give my horses a +couple of buckets of water, for I knew that the Germans would never +take that trouble. + +George called to him the little pedler Friedel, who was passing by with +his pack, to tell him to inform our wives that we should not be home +till to-morrow morning, being obliged to go on to Sarreguemines. +Friedel promised, and went on his way. + +Almost immediately, the word of command and the rattle of arms warned +us that the battalion was about to march. We only had the time to pay +and to lay hold of the horses' bridles. + +It was pleasant weather for walking--neither too much sun nor too much +shade; fine autumn weather. + +And since, in comparing the Germans with our own soldiers as to their +marching powers, I have often thought that they never would have +reached Paris but for our railroads. Their infantry are just as +conspicuous for their slowness and their heaviness as their cavalry are +for their swiftness and activity. These people are splay-footed, and +they cannot keep up long. When they are running, their clumsy boots +make a terrible clatter; which is perhaps the reason why they wear +them: they encourage each other by this means, and imagine they dismay +the enemy. A single company of theirs makes more noise than one of our +regiments. But they soon break out in a perspiration, and their great +delight is to get up and have a ride. + +Toward evening, by five o'clock, we had only gone about three leagues +from Droulingen, when, instead of continuing on their way, the +commander gave the battalion orders to turn out of it into a parish +road on the left. Whether it was to avoid the lodgings by the way, +which were all exhausted, or for some other reason, I cannot say. + +Seeing this, I ran to the commanding officer in the greatest distress. + +"But in the name of heaven, captain," said I, "are you not going on to +Sarreguemines? We are fathers of families; we have wives and children! +You promised that at Sarreguemines we might unload and return home." + +George was coming, too, to complain; but he had not yet reached us, +when the commander, from on horseback, roared at us with a voice of +rage: "Will you return to your carts, or I will have you beaten till +all is blue? Will you make haste back?" + +Then we returned to take hold of our bridles, with our heads hanging +down. Three hours after, at nightfall, we came into a miserable +village, full of small crosses along the road, and where the people had +nothing to give us; for famine had overtaken them. + +We had scarcely halted, when a convoy of bread, meat, and wine arrived, +escorted by a few hussars. No doubt it came from Alberstoff. Every +soldier received his ration, but we got not so much as an onion: not a +crust of bread--nothing--nor our horses either. + +That night George and I alone rested under the shelter of a deserted +smithy, while the Prussians were asleep in every hut and in the barns, +and the sentinels paced their rounds about our carts, with their +muskets shouldered; we began to deliberate what we ought to do. + +George, who already foreboded the miseries which were awaiting us, +would have started that moment, leaving both horses and carts; but I +could not entertain such an idea as that. Give up my pair of beautiful +dappled gray horses, which I had bred and reared in my own orchard at +the back of the mill! It was impossible. + +"Listen to me," said George. "Remember the Alsacians who have been +passing by us the last fortnight: they look as if they had come out of +their graves; they had never received the smallest ration: they would +have been carried even to Paris if they had not run away. You see that +these Germans have no bowels. They are possessed with a bitter hatred +against the French, which makes them as hard as iron; they have been +incited against us at their schools; they would like to exterminate us +to the last man. Let us expect nothing of them; that will be the +safest. I have only six francs in my pocket; what have you?" + +"Eight livres and ten sous." + +"With that, Christian, we cannot go far. The nearer we get to Metz, +the worse ruin we shall find the country in. If we were but able to +write home, and ask for a little money! but you see they have sentinels +on every road, at all the lane ends: they allow neither +foot-passengers, nor letters, nor news to pass. Believe me, let us try +to escape." + +All these good arguments were useless. I thought that, with a little +patience, perhaps at the next village, other horses and other carriages +might be found to requisition, and that we might be allowed quietly to +return home. That would have been natural and proper; and so in any +country in the world they would have done. + +George, seeing that he was unable to shake my resolution, lay down upon +a bench and went to sleep. I could not shut my eyes. + +Next day, at six o'clock, we had to resume the march; the Silesians +well-refreshed, we with empty stomachs. + +We were moving in the direction of Gros Tenquin. The farther we +advanced, the less I knew of the country. It was the country around +Metz, le pays Messin, an old French district, and our misery increased +at every stage. The Prussians continued to receive whatever they +required, and took no further trouble with us than merely preventing us +from leaving their company: they treated us like beasts of burden; and, +in spite of all our economy, our money was wasting away. + +Never was so sad a position as ours; for, on the fourth or fifth day, +the officer, guessing from our appearance that we were meditating +flight, quite unceremoniously said in our presence to the sentinels: +"If those people stir out of the road, fire upon them." + +We met many others in a similar position to ours, in the midst of these +squadrons and these regiments, which were continually crossing each +other and were covering the roads. At the sight of each other, we felt +as if we could burst into tears. + +George always kept up his spirits, and even from time to time he +assumed an air of gayety, asking a light of the soldiers to light his +pipe, and singing sea-songs, which made the Prussian officers laugh. +They said: "This fellow is a real Frenchman: he sees things in a bright +light." + +I could not understand that at all: no, indeed! I said to myself that +my cousin was losing his senses. + +What grieved me still more was to see my fine horses perishing--my poor +horses, so sleek, so spirited, so steady; the best horses in the +commune, and which I had reared with so much satisfaction. Oh, how +deplorable! ... Passing along the hedges, by the roadside, I pulled +here and there handfuls of grass, to give them a taste of something +green, and in a moment they would stare at it, toss up their heads, and +devour this poor stuff. The poor brutes could be seen wasting away, +and this pained me more than anything. + +Then the thoughts of my wife and Grédel, and their uneasiness, what +they were doing, what was becoming of the mill and our village--what +the people would say when they knew that their mayor was gone, and then +the town, and Jacob--everything overwhelmed me, and made my heart sink +within me. + +But the worst of all, and what I shall never forget, was in the +neighborhood of Metz. + +For a fortnight or three weeks there had been no more fighting; the +city and Bazaine's army were surrounded by huge earthworks, which the +Prussians had armed with guns. We could see that afar off, following +the road on our right. We could see many places, too, where the soil +had been recently turned over; and George said they were pits, in which +hundreds of dead lay buried. A few burnt and bombarded villages, +farms, and castles in ruins, were also seen in the neighborhood. There +was no more fighting; but there was a talk of francs-tireurs, and the +Silesians looked uncomfortable. + +At last, on the tenth day since our departure, after having crossed and +recrossed the country in all directions, we arrived about three o'clock +at a large village on the Moselle, when the battalion came to a halt. +Several detachments from our battalion had filled up the gaps in other +battalions, so that there remained with us only the third part of the +men who had come from Droulingen. + +After the distribution of provender, seeing that the officers' horses +had been fed, and that they were putting their bridles on, I just went +and picked up a few handfuls of hay and straw which were lying on the +ground, to give to mine. I had collected a small bundle, when a +corporal on guard in the neighborhood, having noticed what I was doing, +came and seized me by the whiskers, shaking me, and striking me on the +face. + +"Ah! you greedy old miser! Is that the way you feed your beasts?" + +I was beside myself with rage, and had already lifted my whip-handle to +send the rascal sprawling on the earth, when Cousin George precipitated +himself between us, crying: "Christian! what are you dreaming of?" + +He wrested the whip from me, and whilst I was quivering in every limb, +he began to excuse me to the dirty Prussian; saying that I had acted +hastily, that I had thought the hay was to be left, that it ought to be +considered that our horses too followed the battalion, etc. + +The fellow listened, drawn up like a gendarme, and said: "Well, then, I +will pass it over this time; but if he begins his tricks again, it will +be quite another thing." + +Then I went into the stable and stretched myself in the empty rack, my +hat drawn over my face, without stirring for a couple of hours. + +The battalion was going to march again. George was looking for me +everywhere. At last he found me. I rose, came out, and the sight of +all these soldiers dressed in line, with their rifles and their +helmets, made my blood run cold: I wished for death. + +George spoke not a word, and we moved forward; but from that moment I +had resolved upon flight, at any price, abandoning everything. + +The same evening, an extraordinary event happened; we received a little +straw! We lay in the open air, under our carts, because the village at +which we had just arrived was full of troops. I had only twelve sous +left, and George but twenty or thirty. He went to buy a little bread +and eau-de-vie in a public-house; we dipped our bread in it, and in +this way we were just able to sustain life. + +Every time the corporal passed, who had laid his hand upon me, my knife +moved of its own accord in my pocket, and I said to myself: "Shall an +Alsacian, an old Alsacian, endure this affront without revenge? Shall +it be said that Alsacians allow themselves to be knocked about by such +spawn as these fellows, whom we have thrashed a hundred times in days +gone by, and who used to run away from us like hares?" + +George, who could see by my countenance what I was thinking of, said: +"Christian! Listen to me. Don't get angry. Set down these blows to +the account of the Plébiscite, like the bonds for bread, flour, hay, +meat, and the rest. It was you who voted all that: the Germans are not +the causes! They are brute beasts, so used to have their faces +slapped, that they catch every opportunity to give others the like, +when there is no danger, and when they are ten to one. These slaps +don't produce the same effect on them as on us; they are felt only on +the surface, no farther! So comfort yourself; this monstrous beast +never thought he was inflicting any disgrace upon you: he took you for +one of his own sort." + +But, instead of pacifying me, George only made me the more indignant; +especially when he told me that the Germans, talking together, had told +how Queen Augusta of Prussia had just sent her own cook to the Emperor +Napoleon to cook nice little dishes for him, and her own band to play +agreeable music under his balcony! + +I had had enough! I lay under our cart, and all that night I had none +but bad dreams. + +We had always hoped that, on coming near a railway, the remains of the +battalion would get in, and that we should be sent home; unhappily our +men were intended to fill up gaps in other battalions: companies were +detached right and left, but there were always enough left to want our +conveyances, and to prevent us from setting off home. + +We had not had clean shirts for a fortnight; we had not once taken off +our shoes, knowing that we should have too much difficulty in getting +them on again; we had been wetted through with rain and dried by the +sun five and twenty times; we had suffered all the misery and +wretchedness of hunger, we were reduced to scarecrows by weariness and +suffering; but neither cousin nor I suffered from dysentery like those +Germans; the poorest nourishment still sustained us; but the bacon, the +fresh meat, the fruits, the raw vegetables, devoured by these creatures +without the least discretion, worked upon them dreadfully: no +experience could teach them wisdom; their natural voracity made them +devoid of all prudence. + +As a climax to our miseries, the officers of our battalion were talking +of marching on Paris. + +The Prussians knew a month beforehand that Bazaine would never come out +of his camp, and that he would finally surrender after he had consumed +all the provisions in Metz; they said this openly, and looked upon +Marshal Bazaine as our best general: they praised and exalted him for +his splendid campaign. The only fault they could find was, that he had +not shut himself up sooner; because then things would have been settled +much earlier. They complained, too, of our Emperor, and affirmed that +the best thing we could do would be to set him on his throne again. + +George and I heard these things repeated a hundred times at the inns +and public-houses where we halted. The French innkeepers made us sit +behind the stove, and for pity, passed us sometimes the leavings of the +soup; but for this, we should have perished of hunger. They asked us +in whispers what the Germans were saying, and when we repeated their +sayings, the poor people said to us: "Really, how fond the Prussians +are of us! Certainly they do owe some comfort to the men who have +surrendered! Every brave deed deserves to be rewarded." + +One of the Lorraine innkeepers said this to us; he was also the first +to tell us that Gambetta, having escaped from Paris in a balloon, was +now at Tours with Glais-Bizoin and several others, to raise a powerful +army behind the Loire. In these parts they got the Belgian papers, and +whenever we heard a bit of good news it screwed up our courage a little. + +Quantities of provisions and stores were passing: immense flocks of +sheep and herds of oxen, cases of sausages, barrels of bread, wine, and +flour; sometimes regiments also. The trains for the East were carrying +wounded in heaps, stretched one over another in the carriages upon +mattresses, their pale faces seeking fresh air and coolness at all the +windows. German doctors with the red cross upon their arms were +accompanying them, and in every village there were ambulances. + +The heavy rains and the first frosts had come. A thousand rumors were +afloat of great battles under the walls of Paris. The Prussians were +especially wroth with Gambetta: "that Gambetta! the bandit!" as they +called him, who was preventing them from having peace and bringing back +Napoleon. Never have I seen men so enraged with an enemy because he +would not surrender. The officers and soldiers talked of nothing else. + +"That Gambetta," said they, "is the cause of all our trouble. His +francs-tireurs deserve to be strung up. But for him, peace would be +made. We should already have got Alsace and Lorraine; and the Emperor +Napoleon, at the head of the army of Metz, would have been on his way +to restore order at Paris." + +At every convoy of wounded their indignation mounted higher. They +thought it perfectly natural and proper that _they_ should set fire to +us, devastate our country, plunder and shoot us; but for us to defend +ourselves, was infamous! + +Is it possible to imagine a baser hypocrisy? For they did not think +what they were saying; they wanted to make us believe that our cause +was a bad one; yet how could there be a holier and a more glorious one? + +Of course every Frenchman, from the oldest to the youngest--and +principally the women--prayed for Gambetta's success, and more than +once tears of emotion dropped at the thought that, perhaps, he might +save us. Crowds of young men left the country to join him, and then +the Prussians burdened their parents with a war contribution of fifty +francs a day. They were ruining them; and yet this did not prevent +others from following in numerous bands. + +The Prussians threatened with the galleys whosoever should connive at +the flight, as they called it, of these volunteers, whether by giving +them money, or supplying them with guides, or by any other means. +Violence, cruelty, falsehood--all sorts of means seemed good to the +Germans to reduce us to submission; but arms were the least resorted to +of all these means, because they did not wish to lose men, and in +fighting they might have done so. + +We had stopped three days at the village of Jametz, in the direction of +Montmédy. It was in the latter part of October; the rain was pouring; +George and I had been received by an old Lorraine woman, tall and +spare, Mother Marie-Jeanne, whose son was serving in Metz. She had a +small cottage by the roadside, with a little loft above which you +reached by a ladder, and a small garden behind, entirely ravaged. A +few ropes of onions, a few peas and beans in a basket, were all her +provisions. She concealed nothing; and whenever a Prussian came in to +ask for anything she feigned deafness and answered nothing. Her +misery, her broken windows, her dilapidated walls and the little +cupboard left wide open, soon induced these greedy gluttons to go +somewhere else, supposing there was nothing for them there. + +This poor woman had observed our wretched plight; she had invited us +in, asking us where we were from, and we had told her of our +misfortunes. She herself had told us that there remained a few bundles +of hay in the loft and that we might take them, as she had no need for +them; the Germans having eaten her cow. + +We climbed up there to sleep by night and drew up the ladder after us, +listening to the rain plashing on the roof and running off the tiles. + +George had but ten sous left and I had nothing, when, on the third day, +as we were lying in the hayloft, about two in the morning, the bugle +sounded. Something had happened: an order had come--I don't know what. + +We listened attentively. There were hurrying footsteps; the butts of +the muskets were rattling on the pavement: they were assembling, +falling in, and in all directions were cries: + +"The drivers! the drivers! where are they?" + +The commander was swearing: he shouted furiously, + +"Fetch them here! find them! shoot the vagabonds." + +We did not stir a finger. + +Suddenly the door burst open. The Prussians demanded in German and in +French: "Where are the drivers--those Alsacian drivers?" + +The aged dame answered not a word; she shook her head, and looked as +deaf as a post, just as usual. At last, out they rushed again. The +rascals had indeed seen the trap-door in the ceiling, but it seems they +were in a hurry and could not find a ladder without losing time. At +last, whether they saw it or not, presently we heard the tramping of +the men in the mud, the cracking of the whips, the rolling of the +carts, and then all was silent. + +The battalion had disappeared. + +Then only, after they had left half an hour, the kind old woman below +began to call us. "You can come down," she said; "they are gone now." + +And we came down. + +The poor woman said, laughing heartily, "Now you are safe! Only you +must lose no time; there might come an order to catch you. There, eat +that." + +She took out of the cupboard a large basin full of soup made of +beans--for she used to cook enough for three or four days at a +time--and warmed it over the fire. + +"Eat it all; never mind me! I have got more beans left." + +There was no need for pressing, and in a couple of minutes the basin +was empty. + +The good woman looked on with pleasure, and George said to her: "We +have not had such a meal for a week." + +"So much the better! I am glad to have done you any service! And now +go. I wish I could give you some money; but I have none." + +"You have saved our lives," I said. "God grant you may see your son +again. But I have another request to make before we go." + +"What is it, then?" + +"Leave to give you a kiss." + +"Ah, gladly, my poor Alsacians, with all my heart! I am not pretty as +I used to be; but it is all the same." + +And we kissed her as we would a mother. + +When we went to the door, the daylight was breaking. + +"Before you lies the road to Dun-sur-Meuse," she said, "don't take +that; that is the road the Prussians have taken: no doubt the commander +has given a description of you in the next village. But here is the +road to Metz by Damvillers and Etain; follow that. If you are stopped +say that your horses were worked to death, and you were released." + +This poor old woman was full of good sense. We pressed her hand again, +with tears in our eyes, and then we set off, following the road she had +pointed out to us. + +I should be very much puzzled now to tell you all the villages we +passed between Jametz and Rothalp. All that country between Metz, +Montmédy and Verdun was swarming with cavalry and infantry, living at +the expense of the people, and keeping them, as it were, in a net, to +eat them as they were wanted. The troops of the line, and especially +the gunners, kept around the fortresses; the rest, the Landwehr in +masses, occupied even the smallest hamlets and made requisitions +everywhere. + +In one little village between Jametz and Damvillers, we heard on our +right a sharp rattle of musketry along a road, and George said to me: +"Behind there our battalion is engaged. All I hope is that the brave +commander who talked of shooting us may get a ball through him, and +your corporal too." + +The village people standing at their doors said, "It is the +francs-tireurs!" + +And joy broke out in every countenance, especially when an old man ran +up from the path by the cemetery, crying: "Two carriages, full of +wounded, are coming--two large Alsacian wagons; they are escorted by +hussars." + +We had just stopped at a grocer's shop in the market square, and were +asking the woman who kept this little shop if there was no watchmaker +in the place--for my cousin wished to sell his watch, which he had +hidden beneath his shirt, since we had left Droulingen--and the woman +was coming down the steps to point out the spot, when the old man began +to cry, "Here come the Alsacian carts!" + +Immediately, without waiting for more, we set off at a run to the other +end of the village; but near to a little river, whose name I cannot +remember, just over a clump of pollard willows, we caught the glitter +of a couple of helmets, and this made us take a path along the +river-side, which was then running over in consequence of the heavy +rains. We went on thus a considerable distance, having sometimes the +water up to our knees. + +In about half an hour we were getting out of these reed beds, and had +just caught sight, above the hill on our left, of the steeple of +another village, when a cry of "Wer da!"* stopped us short, near a +deserted hut two or three hundred paces from the first house. At the +same moment a Landwehr started out of the empty house, his rifle +pointed at us; and his finger on the trigger. + + +* "Who goes there?" + + +George seeing no means of escape, answered, "Guter freund!"* + + +* "A friend." + + +"Stand there," cried the German: "don't stir, or I fire." + +We were, of course, obliged to stop, and only ten minutes afterward, a +picket coming out of the village to relieve the sentinel, carried us +off like vagrants to the mayoralty-house. There the captain of the +Landwehr questioned us at great length as to who we were, whence we +came, the cause of our departure, and why we had no passes. + +We repeated that our horses were dead of overwork, and that we had been +told to return home; but he refused to believe us. At last, however, +as George was asking him for money to pursue our journey, he began to +exclaim: "To the ---- with you, scoundrels! Am I to furnish you with +provisions and rations! Go; and mind you don't come this way again, or +it will be worse for you!" + +We went out very well satisfied. + +At the bottom of the stairs, George was thinking of going up again to +ask for a pass; but I was so alarmed lest this captain should change +his mind, that I obliged my cousin to put a good distance between that +fellow and ourselves with all possible speed; which we did, without any +other misadventure until we came to Etain. There George sold his gold +watch and chain for sixty-five francs; making, however, the watchmaker +promise that if he remitted to him seventy-five francs before the end +of the month, the watch and chain should be returned to him. + +The watchmaker promised, and cousin then taking me by the arm, said: +"Now, Christian, come on; we have fasted long enough, let us have a +banquet." + +And a hundred paces farther on, at the street corner, we went into one +of those little inns where YOU may have a bed for a few sous. + +The men there, in a little dark room, were not gentlemen; they were +taking their bottles of wine, with their caps over one ear, and shirt +collars loose and open; but seeing us at the door, ragged as we were, +with three-weeks' shirts, and beards and hats saturated and out of all +shape and discolored with rain and sun, they took us at first for +bear-leaders, or dromedary drivers. + +The hostess, a fat woman, came forward to ask what we wanted. + +"Your best strong soup, a good piece of beef, a bottle of good wine, +and as much bread as we can eat," said George. + +The fat woman gazed at us with winking eyes, and without moving, as if +to ask: "All very fine! but who is going to pay me?" + +George displayed a five-franc piece, and at once she replied, smiling: +"Gentlemen, we will attend to you immediately." + +Around us were murmurings: "They are Alsacians! they are Germans! they +are this, they are that!" + +But we heeded nothing, we spread our elbows upon the table; and the +soup having appeared in a huge basin, it was evident that our appetites +were good; as for the beef, a regular Prussian morsel, it was gone in a +twinkling, although it weighed two pounds, and was flanked with +potatoes and other vegetables. Then, the first bottle having +disappeared, George had called for a second; and our eyes were +beginning to be opened; we regarded the people in another light; and +one of the bystanders having ventured to repeat that we were Germans, +George turned sharply round and cried: "Who says we are Germans? Come +let us see! If he has any spirit, let him rise. We Germans!" + +Then he took up the bottle and shattered it upon the table in a +thousand fragments. I saw that he was losing his head, and cried to +him: "George, for Heaven's sake don't: you will get us taken up!" + +But all the spectators agreed with him. + +"It is abominable!" cried George. "Let the man who said we are Germans +stand out and speak; let him come out with me; let him choose sabre, or +sword, whatever he likes, it is all the same to me." + +The speaker thus called upon, a youth rose and said: "Pardon me, I +apologize; I thought----" + +"You had no right to think," said George; "such things never should be +said. We are Alsacians, true Frenchmen, men of mature age; my +companion's son is at Phalsbourg in the Mobiles, and I have served in +the Marines. We have been carried away, dragged off by the Germans; we +have lost our horses and our carriages, and now on arriving here, our +own fellow-countrymen insult us in this way because we have said a few +words in Alsacian, just as Bretons would speak in Breton and Provençals +in Provençal." + +"I ask your pardon," repeated the young man. "I was in the wrong--I +acknowledge it. You are good Frenchmen." + +"I forgive you," said George, scrutinizing him; "but how old are you?" + +"Eighteen." + +"Well, go where you ought to be, and show that you, too, are as good a +Frenchman as we are. There are no young men left in Alsace. You +understand my meaning." + +Everybody was listening. The young man went out, and as cousin was +asking for another bottle, the landlady whispered to him over his +shoulder: "You are good Frenchmen; but you have spoken before a great +many people--strangers, that I know nothing of. You had better go." + +Immediately, George recovered his senses; he laid a cent-sous piece on +the table, the woman gave him two francs fifty centimes change, and we +went out. + +Once out, George said to me: "Let us step out: anger makes a fool of a +man." + +And we set off down one little street, then up another, till we came +out into the open fields. Night was approaching; if we had been taken +again, it would have been a worse business than the first; and we knew +that so well, that that night and the next day we dared not even enter +the villages, for fear of being seized and brought back to our +battalion. + +At last, fatigue obliged us to enter an enclosure. It was very cold +for the season; but we had become accustomed to our wretchedness, and +we slept against a wall, upon a bit of straw matting, just as in our +own beds. Rising in the morning at the dawn of day, we found ourselves +covered with hoar-frost, and George, straining his eyes in the +distance, asked: "Do you know that place down there, Christian?" + +I looked. + +"Why, it is Château-Salins!" + +Ah! now all was well. At Château-Salins lived an old cousin, +Desjardins, the first dyer in the country: Desjardins's grandfather and +ours had married sisters before the Revolution. He was a Lutheran, and +even a Calvinist; we were Catholics; but nevertheless, we knew each +other, and were fond of each other, as very near relations. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +We arrived at the door of Jacques Desjardins about seven in the +morning; he had just got up, and was taking coffee with his wife and +his children. + +At the first sight of us, Desjardins stood with his mouth wide open, +and his wife and his children were preparing for flight, or to call for +help; but when I said: "Good-morning, cousin; it is we," Desjardins +cried: "Good heavens! it is Christian and George Weber! What has +happened?" + +"Yes, it is we, indeed, cousin," said George. "See what a condition +the Prussians have brought us to." + +"The Prussians! Ah, the brigands!" said Desjardins. "Lise, send to +the butcher for some chops--get some wine up. Ah! my poor cousins. I +think you must want to change your clothes, too." + +"Yes," said George; "and to shave." + +"Well, come then. While your breakfast is getting ready, you will +change your shirts and clothes. You will put on mine, until yours have +been washed. Good gracious! is it possible?" + +He took us into a beautiful room upstairs; he opened the linen drawers. +Cousin Lise was coming to fill our basins with clean warm water. + +"Put on my shoes and stockings, too," said Desjardins. "Here are my +razors. Make yourselves comfortable. Ah! those thieves and rogues of +Germans! Did they, indeed, treat you in that way--a mayor, and a +person of such respectability?" + +Then she left the room, and we began to throw off our clothes. The +sight of our stockings, our neckerchiefs, and our shirts, made this +kind old Father Desjardins groan; for he was one of the best of men. +He could hardly believe his eyes, and said: "My poor cousins! you have +had a dreadful bad time." + +Our first business was to get a good wash. The nice, clean white +shirts were already spread open upon the bed; and I cannot tell you +what pleasure I experienced in feeling this nice fresh linen next to my +skin. + +After this I shaved, while George was recounting our misfortunes to our +cousin, who interrupted him at every moment, crying: "What! what! Did +the barbarous creatures carry their cruelty to such a point? Then they +are bandits indeed! Never has the like been seen!" + +I wiped myself dry and comfortable, even to behind the ears, and passed +the razor to George. Our Cousin Desjardins lent me a pair of +stockings, trousers, a blouse, and nice dry shoes. We were about the +same height, and never had I been more comfortable in my life. + +Then George dressed; and just as we were finishing, the servant came +tapping at the door, to announce breakfast; and we came down full of +grateful feelings. + +Cousin Lise and the children were waiting to embrace us; for they did +not dare come near us before, and now they were anxious to excuse +themselves for having received us so badly. But it was natural enough, +and we did not feel hurt. + +I need not tell you with what appetites we breakfasted. George began +again the story of our misfortunes for Cousin Lise and the children, +who were listening with eyes wide open with amazement, and cried: "Is +it really possible? How much you must have suffered, and how happy you +must be now you are safe!" + +When we had finished she told us that all this was the doing of the +Jesuits; that those people had sent abroad evil reports of the +Protestants, and that now, the Prussians having proved victorious, they +were preaching against Gambetta and Garibaldi. She told us that it was +those people who had excited the Emperor to declare war, supposing that +their Society would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by it; +that if the French should conquer, they would crush the Lutherans; and +that if the French lost, Chambord would be set up again, to restore to +the Pope the ancient patrimony of St. Peter. + +Thus spoke Cousin Lise, an elderly woman with hair turning gray, and +who took a pleasure in discussing these subjects. + +But George, after emptying his glass, answered that the true cause of +all our misfortunes was the army; that that army was not the army of +the nation, but of the Emperor, who bestowed rank, honors, pensions, +and grants of money; that the interests of such an army is ever opposed +to that of the country and the people, because the army wants war, to +get promotion; but the people want peace, to work, bring up their +children, and gain a livelihood. + +Cousin Desjardins agreed with him; and when coffee was brought, Lise +and her children went out. Pipes were lighted, and our cousin told us +the latest news. + +Desjardins had many books, like most of the Protestants, and received +newspapers from all quarters; first of all, the _Indépendance Belge_, +then papers from Cologne, Frankfort, Berne in Switzerland, Geneva, and +elsewhere. At his age--having a son fifty years old--he did not +trouble himself much now about dyeing or business, and spent his time +in reading. + +He was therefore a better-informed man than we were, and one in whom we +could place full confidence. It was from him that we heard of the +splendid defence of Chateaudun, the landing of Garibaldi at Marseilles, +and his appointment as General of the Army of the Vosges, the march of +the Bavarians under Von der Tann upon the Loire, and the arrival of the +francs-tireurs in our mountains, in the direction of Epinal and +Raon-l'Etape. He read to us that fine proclamation of Gambetta to the +French people, setting forth the high purpose of the inhabitants of +Paris, their inexhaustible means of defence, the organization of the +citizens as National Guards, the union and harmony of all in this +moment of difficulty, and the victualling of the city for several +months, which would raise the spirit of the provinces and give them +courage to follow so noble an example. + +I still remember this passage, which stirred me like a trumpet: + +"Citizens of the departments, this position of affairs imposes +important duties upon you. The first of all is to allow no other +occupation whatever to divert your attention from the war--from a +struggle to the very last extremity; the second is, until peace shall +be made, loyally to accept the Republican power, which has sprung +equally from necessity and from right principle. You must have but one +thought: to rescue France from the abyss into which it has been plunged +by the Empire. There is no want of men: all that is wanting is +determination, decision, and continuity in the execution of plans; what +we have lost by the disgraceful capitulation of Sedan is arms. The +whole of the resources of our nation had been directed upon Sedan, +Metz, and Strasbourg; and we might justly conclude that by one final +and guilty plot, the author of all our disasters had schemed, in +falling, to deprive us of all means of repairing the ruin he had +caused!" + +"He is quite capable," cried George. "Yes, I am sure the _honest man_ +contrived to leave himself a back door into Prussia." + +Cousin Desjardins continued: "At this moment, thanks to the +extraordinary exertions of patriotic men, arrangements have been +concluded, the end and object of which is to draw to ourselves all the +disposable muskets in all the markets of the globe. The difficulty of +effecting this negotiation was very serious: it is now overcome. With +regard to equipments and clothing, manufactories and workshops will be +multiplied, and materials laid under requisition wherever needed; +neither hands nor zeal on the part of workers are wanting, nor will +money be lacking. All our immense resources must be called into play, +the lethargy of the rural districts shaken into activity, partisan +warfare spread in all directions. Let us, therefore, rise as one man, +and suffer death rather than submit to the disgrace of a partition of +our country." + +The enthusiasm of George rose with every sentence. + +"Good! good!" cried he, "this is speaking to some purpose. Once give +the impulse, and the object will soon be gained. Our youths will take +up arms _en masse_. One victory, only one, and all France would rise; +we should fall like hail on the backs of the scoundrels; they would be +looked out for at every corner in the woods: not a man would live to +get back again!" + +Cousin Desjardins, having folded up his papers, said nothing; I, too, +was full of my own thoughts. + +"And you, cousin," said I, "have you any confidence?" + +And only after a minute's silence, and having taken a good pinch of +snuff, to waken up his ideas--for he took snuff, like all the old +folks, but did not smoke; after a minute he said: "No, Christian, I +have no hope; but it is not the Germans that I fear: they have taken +Strasbourg; after a time they will have Metz by starvation--that is +already settled. They are besieging Verdun; Soissons has just fallen +into their hands; they have invested Paris; they are advancing upon +Orleans. Well, in spite of all this, it is not the Germans that I +fear." + +"Who then?" asked George. + +Without noticing the question, he continued: "France is so strong, so +brave, so rich, so intelligent, that in a few months she could have +flung these barbarians across the Rhine again; but what alarms me, is +the enemies in our midst." + +"Nobody is moving," said I. + +"It is just because no one is moving that the Germans are on the +Loire," said he, fixing his clear, gray eyes upon me. "If the question +was to restore Chambord, Ferdinand Philippe, or even Bonaparte IV., you +would see all the old councillors-general, all the councillors of the +arrondissements, all the old préfets, sous-préfets, magistrates, police +inspectors, receivers of taxes, comptrollers, _gardes généraux_, +mayors, and deputy mayors in the field. No matter which of the three, +for the principal object is to have a Monsieur who has crosses, +promotions, pensions, and perquisites to give: whichever of the lot, it +is all the same to them; they only want just one such man! These +people would move heaven and earth for their man: they would put the +peasants into lines by thousands, they would sing the Marseillaise, +they would shout the 'country is in danger!' And the bishops, the +priests, the curés, the vicars, would preach the holy war; France would +drive the Prussians to the farthest corner of Prussia; arms, munitions +of war, stores would be found for every day! But as it is a Republic, +and as the Republic demands the separation of Church and State, free +education, compulsory military service; as it declares that all must +contribute to the public good, that a rich fool is not a better man +than a poor but able man; and because, on this principle, merit would +be everything, and intrigues and knavery go to the wall, they had +rather see France dismembered than consent to a Republic! What would +become of the good places of the senators, the peers of France, +prefects, chamberlains, squires, receivers-general, stewards, marshals, +influential deputies, and bishops under a Republic? They would all be +put into one basket: and they don't want that. They would rather the +King of Prussia than the Republic, if the King of Prussia would only +engage to keep all the good places for them. Yes, in their eyes _la +patrie_ means lucrative places and pensions. It is not the first time +that the Germans have been relied upon to restore order in France. +Marie Antoinette had already ceded Alsace to Austria, to have her +antechambers filled again with smooth-faced, obsequious old servitors. +Passing events bring back those times again. Formerly the hunters +after pensions, the egotists who wanted to snap up everything and leave +nothing for the people, were called _nobles_; now it is the _bourgeois_ +trained by the Jesuits. But at that time the chiefs of the Republic +were resolved upon the triumph of justice. They did not leave the +functionaries and the generals of Louis XVI. at the head of the +administrations and of the armies. These great patriots had +common-sense. They established Republican municipalities in every +commune; they gave the command of our armies to Republican generals; +they restrained the reactionnaires; and having cleared our territory of +Germans, they judged those who had called them in; and France was saved. + +"The same thing would happen to-day, in spite of all the preparations +of Germany, in spite of the treason of Bonaparte, who, seeing his +dynasty sacrificed by his own incapacity, gave up our last army at +Sedan to stay the victory of the Republic. + +"Yes, notwithstanding the egotism of this unhappy man, we might yet +beat the Germans, if the Royalists were not at the head of our affairs; +but they are everywhere. In Paris, they command the National Guard and +the army; in the provinces, they are forming those famous +councils-general, whence have been drawn the juries to acquit Pierre +Bonaparte, and who would without shame sentence Gambetta to death if +they were assembled to try him. Instead of helping this brave man, +this good patriot, to save France, they will obstruct him; they will +run sticks between the spokes of his wheels; they will hinder him from +getting the necessary levies; they will clamp the enthusiasm of the +people. See what all these German papers say: they cannot sufficiently +abuse Gambetta, who is defending his country, nor sufficiently flatter +the councils-general named under the Empire." + +"But, then," said George, "must we surrender?" + +"No," replied Desjardins. "Although we are sure of being vanquished, +we must show that we are still the old race: that its roots are not +dead, and that the tree will sprout again. If we had reeled and fallen +under the blow of Sedan, the contempt of Europe and of the whole world +would have covered us forever. The nation has risen since. It seems +incredible. Without armies, or guns, or muskets, or victuals, or +military stores, betrayed, surprised, overrun in all directions, this +nation has risen again! It defends itself! One brave man has been +found sufficient to raise its courage. What other nation would have +done as much? I am, therefore, of opinion that the struggle must be +maintained to the end, that the Germans may be made, as it were, +ashamed of their victory. They have been fifty years preparing; they +have hidden themselves from us, to spy upon us in time of peace; they +have dissembled their hatred; they have brought their whole power to +bear upon us; they have studied the question under every aspect; they +threw against us, at the opening of the campaign, 600,000 men against +220,000; they are going to attack our raw conscripts with their best +troops; they will be five and six against one; they will call Russia to +their help if they want it; and then they will proclaim, 'We are the +conquerors!' They will not be ashamed to say, 'We have vanquished +France. Now it is we who are _La Grande Nation_!'" + +"All that," said George, "is possible. But in the meantime, we may win +a battle; and, if we gain a victory, things will be different. We +shall gain fresh courage, and the Landwehr who are sent against +us--almost all fathers of families--will ask no better than to return +home." + +"The Landwehr have not a word to say," replied Desjardins: "they are +not consulted; those fellows march where they are ordered; they have +long been subject to military discipline. It is a machine: nothing but +a machine; but a machine of crushing weight." + +Then Cousin Desjardins told us that, having travelled long in Germany +before and after 1848, on business, he had seen how these people +detested us: that they envied us; that we were an offence to them; that +hatred of the French was taught in their schools; that they thought +themselves our superiors, on account of their religion, which is simple +and natural; while ours, with all its ceremonies, its Latin chants, its +tapers and its tinsel, induced them to look upon us as an inferior +race, like the negroes, who are only fond of red, and hang rings in +their noses; that, especially, they deemed their women more virtuous +and more worthy of respect than ours: this they attribute also to their +superior religion, which keeps them at home, while ours pass their time +in all sorts of ceremonies, and neglect their first duties. + +Desjardins had even had a serious dispute upon this subject with a +school-master, being unable to hear an open avowal of such an opinion +of Frenchwomen; amongst whom we number Jeanne d'Arc and other heroines, +whose grandeur of character German women are unable to comprehend. + +He told us that, from this point of view, the Germans, and especially +the Prussians, considered us Alsacians and Lorrainers as exiles from +fatherland, and unfortunate in being under the dominion of a debased +race kept in ignorance by the priests. + +George, on hearing this, became furious, and cried that we had more +intelligence and more sense than all the Germans put together. + +"Yes, I believe so, too," replied Cousin Desjardins; "only we ought to +use it; we ought to set up schools everywhere; the lowest Frenchman +should be able to read and write our own language; and this is exactly +what the lovers of good places don't wish for. If the people had been +educated, we should have known what was going on upon the other side of +the Rhine; we should have had national armies, able generals, a +watchful commissariat, a sound organization, enlightened and +conscientious deputies; we should have had all that we are now wanting; +we should not have placed the power of making war or peace in the hands +of an imbecile; we should not have stupidly attacked the Germans, and +the Germans, seeing us ready to receive them, would have been careful +not to attack us. All our defeats, all our divisions, our internal +troubles, our revolutions, our battles and massacres in the streets; +the transportations, the hatred between classes--all this comes of +ignorance; and this abominable ignorance is the doing of the selfish +statesmen who have governed us for seventy years. Good sense, justice, +and patriotism would lead them to inform the people; they preferred an +alliance with the Jesuits to degrade the people; can any treason be +worse?" + +George, who had long entertained the same view, had nothing to add; but +he still argued that we might gain a victory, and that then we should +be saved. + +Cousin Desjardins shook his head, saying: "Our forces are of too +inferior a quality; Gambetta will never have time to organize them; and +if the traitors thought that he would, they would deliver up Metz at +once, in order that the second German army, Prince Frederick Charles's, +might reach the Loire in time to prevent our army from raising the +siege of Paris: for then, I think, the country might be saved. But +this will not come to pass. When I saw generals coming out of Metz to +go and consult the Empress in England, I knew that our cause was lost. +And then the forces of King William are immense. Those 300,000 +Russians who, as the papers tell us, are ready to march upon +Constantinople, are only waiting the nod of the King of Prussia to +start by the railways and come to overwhelm us, if the Germans don't +think themselves numerous enough to vanquish us with 1,200,000 men. +The decisive opinion of Europe is that there shall be no republic in +France--no, not at any price; for, if the republic was established +here, every monarchy would be shaken; the nations would all follow our +example, and there would be an end of war; we should have a European +confederation; kings, emperors, princes, courtiers, and professional +soldiers might all be bowed off the stage. Only commerce, industry, +science and arts would be thought of; to be anything, a man would have +to know something. The talent of drawing up men in line to be mown +down by cannon and mitrailleuses, would be relegated to the rear ranks; +and a hundred years hence, men would hardly believe that such things +have ever been; it would be too stupid." + +Desjardins then told us how, in 1830, travelling about Solingen to buy +dye-stuffs, he had noticed that the Prussians thought of nothing but +war. From that very time they exhausted themselves to keep on foot, +and ready to march, an army of 400,000 disciplined men. Since then, +after their fusion with the forces of North Germany, Bavaria, +Wurtemberg, and Baden, the total would amount to more than a million of +men, without reckoning the landsturm: composed, it is true, of men in +years, but who have all served, and can handle a rifle, load a gun, and +ride well. + +"Here, then, is what Monsieur Bonaparte has brought upon our shoulders +without necessity," said he; "and it is against such a power that +Gambetta is undertaking to organize in haste the youth that are left, +and of whom the greater part have never served. I confess my hopes are +small. God grant that I may be mistaken; but I fear that Alsace and +Lorraine are for the time ingulfed in Germany. The war will continue +for a time; treachery will go on working; and, finally, after all our +sufferings, messieurs the sometime Ministers and councillors-general, +the former préfets and sous-préfets, the old functionaries of every +grade, in a word, all the egotists will be on the look-out, and will +say: 'Let us make an arrangement with Bismarck. Let us make peace at +the expense of Alsace and Lorraine; and let us name a king who shall +find us first-rate places; France will still be rich enough to find us +salaries and pensions.'" + +Thus spoke Cousin Desjardins; and George, growing more and more angry, +striking the table with his fist, said, "What I cannot understand is +that the English desert us, and that they should allow the Prussians to +extend their territory as they like." + +"Ah," said Desjardins, smiling, "the English are not what they once +were. They have become too rich; they cling to their comforts. Their +great statesmen are no longer Pitts and Chathams, who looked to the +future greatness of their nation and took measures to secure it: +provided only that business prospers from day to day, future +generations and the greatness of Britain give them no concern." + +"Just so," said George. "If you had sailed, as I have done, in the +North Sea and the Baltic, if you had seen what an enormous maritime +power North Germany may possibly become in a few years, with her +hundred and sixty leagues of seacoast, her harbors of Dantzig, Stettin, +Hamburg, and Bremen, whither the finest rivers bring all the best +products of Central Europe, all kinds of raw material, not only from +Germany and Poland, but also from Russia; if you had seen that +population of sailors, of traders, which increases daily, you would be +unable to understand the indifference of the English. Have they lost +the use of their eyes? Has the love of Protestantism and comfort +deprived them of all discernment? I cannot tell; but they must see +that if King William and Bismarck want Alsace and Lorraine, it is not +exactly for the love of us Alsacians and Lorrainers, but to hold the +course of the Rhine from its source in the German cantons of +Switzerland down to its outfall at Rotterdam; and that in holding this +great river they will control all the commerce of our industrial +provinces and be able to feed the Dutch colonies with their produce, +which will make them the first maritime power on the Continent; and +that, to carry out their purpose without being molested--whilst the +Russians are attacking Constantinople, they will install themselves +quietly in the Dutch ports, as they did in the case of Hanover, and +will offer us Belgium, and perhaps even something more! All this is +evident." + +"No doubt, cousin," said Desjardins. "I also believe that every fault +brings its own punishment: the English will suffer for their faults, as +we are doing for ours; and the Germans, after having terrified the +world with their ambition, will one day be made to rue their cruelty, +their hypocrisy, and their robberies. God is just! But in the +meantime, until that day shall arrive, we are confiscated, and all our +observations are useless." + +And so the conversation went on: I cannot remember it entirely, but I +have given you the substance of it. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +We remained with Cousin Desjardins all that day. Cousin Lise had our +shirts washed, our clothes cleaned, and our shoes dried before the +fire, after having first filled them with hot embers; and the next day +we took our leave of these excellent people, thanking them from the +bottom of our hearts. + +We were very impatient to see our native place again, of which we had +had no news for a month; and especially our poor wives, who must have +supposed us lost. + +The weather was damp; there were forebodings of a hard winter. + +At Dieuze the rumor reached us that Bazaine had just surrendered Metz, +with all his army, his flags, his guns, rifles, stores, and wounded, +unconditionally! + +The Prussian officers were drinking champagne at the inn where we +halted. They were laughing! George was pale; I felt an oppression on +my heart. + +Some people who were there, carriers--German Jews, who followed their +armies with carts, to load them with the clocks, the pots and pans, the +linen, the furniture, and everything which the officers and soldiers +sold them after having pillaged them in our houses--told us how horses +were given away round Metz for nothing; that Arab horses were sold for +a hundred sous, but that nobody would have them, horses' provender +selling at an exorbitant price; that these poor beasts were eating one +another--they devoured each other's hair to the quick, and even gnawed +the bark off trees to which they were tied; that our captive soldiers +dropped down with hunger in the ditches by the roadside, and then the +Prussians abused them for drunkards. We heard, also, that the +inhabitants of Metz, on hearing the terms of capitulation, had meant to +rise and put Bazaine to death, but that all through the siege three +mitrailleuses had been placed in front of his head-quarters, and that +he had escaped the day before this shameful capitulation was to take +place. + +All this appeared to us almost impossible. Metz surrender +unconditionally! Metz, the strongest town in France, defended by an +army of a hundred thousand well-seasoned troops: the last army left to +us after Sedan! + +But it was true, nevertheless! + +And in spite of all that can be said of the ignorance and the folly of +the chiefs, to account for this terrible disaster, I cannot but believe +that our _honest man_ gave his orders to the very last; that Bazaine +obeyed, and that they did everything together. Besides, Bazaine went +to join him immediately at Wilhelmshöhe, where the cuisine was so +excellent; there they reposed after their toils, until the opportunity +should return of recommencing a campaign after the fashion of the 2d of +December, in which men were entrapped by night in their beds, while +they were relying upon _the honest man's_ oath; or in the style of the +Mexican war, where he ran away, deserting the men he had sworn to +defend! In this sort of campaign, and if the people continue to have +confidence in such men, as many assert will happen, they may begin +again some fine morning, and once more get hold of the keys of the +treasury; they will once more distribute crosses, and salaries, and +pensions to their friends and acquaintances; and in a few years +Bismarck will discover that the Germans possess claims upon Champagne +and Burgundy. + +Well, everything is possible; we have seen such strange things these +last twenty years. + +At Fénétrange, through which we passed about two o'clock, nothing was +known. + +At six in the evening we arrived upon the plateau of Metting, near the +farm called Donat, and saw in the dim distance, two leagues from us, +Phalsbourg, without its ramparts, and its demilunes; its church and its +streets in ashes! The Germans were hidden by the undulations of the +surrounding country, their cannon were on the hill-sides, and sentinels +were posted behind the quarries. + +There was deep silence: not a shot was heard: it was the blockade! +Famine was doing quietly what the bombardment had been unable to effect. + +Then, with heads bowed down, we passed through the little wood on our +left, full of dead leaves, and we saw our little village of Rothalp, +three hundred paces behind the orchards and the fields; it looked dead +too: ruin had passed over it--the requisitions had utterly exhausted +it; winter, with its snow and ice, was waiting at every door. + +The mill was working; which astonished me. + +George and I, without speaking, clasped each other's hands; then he +strode toward his house, and I passed rapidly to mine, with a full +heart. + +Prussian soldiers were unloading a wagon-load of corn under my shed; +fear laid hold of me, and I thought, "Have the wretches driven away my +wife and daughter?" + +Happily Catherine appeared at the door directly; she had seen me +coming, and extended her arms, crying, "Is it you, Christian? Oh! what +we have suffered!" + +She hung upon my neck, crying and sobbing. Then came Grédel; we all +clung together, crying like children. + +The Prussians, ten paces off, stared at us. A few neighbors were +crying, "Here is the old mayor come back again!" + +At last we entered our little room. I sat facing the bed, gazing at +the old bed-curtains, the branch of box-tree at the end of the alcove, +the old walls, the old beams across the ceiling, the little +window-panes, and my good wife and my wayward daughter, whom I love. +Everything seemed to me so nice. I said to myself, "We are not all +dead yet. Ah! if now I could but see Jacob, I should be quite happy." + +My wife, with her face buried in her apron between her knees, never +ceased sobbing, and Grédel, standing in the middle of the room, was +looking upon us. At last she asked me: "And the horses, and the carts, +where are they?" + +"Down there, somewhere near Montmédy." + +"And Cousin George?" + +"He is with Marie Anne. We have had to abandon everything--we escaped +together--we were so wretched! The Germans would have let us die with +hunger." + +"What! have they ill-used you, father?" + +"Yes, they have beaten me." + +"Beaten you?" + +"Yes, they tore my beard--they struck me in the face." + +Grédel, hearing this, went almost beside herself; she threw a window +open, and shaking her fist at the Germans outside, she screamed to +them, "Ah, you brigands! You have beaten my father--the best of men!" + +Then she burst into tears, and came up to kiss me, saying, "They shall +be paid out for all that!" I felt moved. + +My wife, having become calmer, began to tell me all they had suffered: +their grief at receiving no news of us since the third day after the +passage of the pedler; then the appointment of Placiard in my place, +and the load of requisitions he had laid upon us, saying that I was a +Jacobin. + +He associated with none but Germans now; he received them in his house, +shook hands with them, invited them to dinner, and spoke nothing but +Prussian German. He was now just as good a servant of King William as +he had been of the Empire. Instead of writing letters to Paris to get +stamp-offices and tobacco-excise-offices, he now wrote to +Bismarck-Bohlen, and already the good man had received large promises +of advancement for his sons, and son-in-law. He himself was to be made +superintendent of something or other, at a good salary. + +I listened without surprise; I was sure of this beforehand. + +One thing gave me great pleasure, which was to see the mill-dam full of +water: so the chest was still at the bottom. And Grédel having left +the room to get supper, that was the first thing I asked Catherine. + +She answered that nothing had been disturbed: that the water had never +sunk an inch. Then I felt easy in my mind, and thanked God for having +saved us from utter ruin. + +The Germans had been making their own bread for the last fortnight; +they used to come and grind at my mill, without paying a liard. How to +get through our trouble seemed impossible to find out. There was +nothing left to eat. Happily the Landwehr had quickly become used to +our white bread, and, to get it, they willingly gave up a portion of +their enormous rations of meat. They would also exchange fat sheep for +chickens and geese, being tired of always eating joints of mutton, and +Catherine had driven many a good bargain with them. We had, indeed, +one cow left in the Krapenfelz, but we had to carry her fodder every +day among these rocks, to milk her, and come back laden. + +Grédel, ever bolder and bolder, went herself. She kept a hatchet under +her arm, and she told me smiling that one of those drunken Germans +having insulted her, and threatened to follow her into the wood, she +had felled him with one blow of her hatchet, and rolled his body into +the stream. + +Nothing frightened her: the Landwehr who lodged with us--big, bearded +men--dreaded her like fire; she ordered them about as if they were her +servants: "Do this! do that! Grease me those shoes, but don't eat the +grease, like your fellows at Metting; if you do, it will be the worse +for you! Go fetch water! You sha'n't go into the store-room straight +out of the stable! your smell is already bad enough without horse-dung! +You are every one of you as dirty as beggars, and yet there is no want +of water: go and wash at the pump." + +And they obediently went. + +She had forbidden them to go upstairs, telling them, "_I_ live up +there! that's my room. The first man who dares put his foot there, I +will split his head open with my hatchet." + +And not a man dared disobey. + +Those people, from the time they had set over us their governor +Bismarck-Bohlen, had no doubt received orders to be careful with us, to +treat us kindly, to promise us indemnities. Captain Floegel went on +drinking from morning till night, from night till morning; but instead +of calling us rascals, wretches! he called us "his good Germans, his +dear Alsacian and Lorraine brothers," promising us all the prosperity +in the world, as soon as we should have the happiness of living under +the old laws of Fatherland. + +They were already talking of dismissing all French school-masters, and +then we began to see the abominable carelessness of our government in +the matter of public education. Half of our unhappy peasants did not +know a word of French: for two hundred years they had been left +grovelling in ignorance! + +Now the Germans have laid hands upon us, and are telling them that the +French are enemies of their race; that they have kept them in bondage +to get all they could out of them, to live at their cost, and to use +their bodies for their own protection in time of danger. Who can say +it is not so? Are not all appearances against us? And if the Germans +bestow on the peasants the education which all our governments have +denied them, will not these people have reason to attach themselves to +their new country? + +The Germans having altered their bearing toward us, and seeking to win +us over, lodged in our houses. They were Landwehr, who thought only of +their wives and children, wishing for the end of the war, and much +fearing the appearance of the francs-tireurs. + +The arrival of Garibaldi in the Vosges with his two sons was announced, +and often George, pointing from his door at the summit of the Donon and +the Schneeberg, already white with snow, would say: "There is fighting +going on down there! Ah, Christian, if we were young again, what a +fine blow we might deliver in our mountain passes!" + +Our greatest sorrow was to know that famine was prevailing in the town, +as well as small-pox. More than three hundred sick, out of fifteen +hundred inhabitants, were filling the College, where the hospital had +been established. There was no salt, no tobacco, no meat. The flags +of truce which were continually coming and going on the road to +Lützelbourg, reported that the place could not hold out any longer. + +There had been a talk of bringing heavy guns from Strasbourg and from +Metz, after the surrender of these two places; but I remember that the +_Hauptmann_ who was lodging with the curé, M. Daniel, declared that it +was not worth while; that a fresh bombardment would cost his Majesty +King William at least three millions; and that the best way was to let +these people die their noble death quietly, like a lamp going out for +want of oil. With these words the _Hauptmann_ put on airs of humanity, +continually repeating that we ought to save human life, and economize +ammunition. + +And what had become of Jacob in the midst of this misery? And Jean +Baptiste Werner? I am obliged to mention him too, for God knows what +madness was possessing Grédel at the thought that he might be suffering +hunger: she was no longer human; she was a mad creature without control +over herself, and she often made me wonder at the meek patience of the +Landwehr. When one or another wanted to ask her for anything, she +would show them the door, crying: "Go out; this is not your place!" + +She even openly wished them all to be massacred; and then she would say +to them, in mockery: "Go, then! attack the town! ... go and storm the +place! ... You don't dare! ... You are afraid for your skin! You had +rather starve people, bombard women and children, burn the houses of +poor creatures, hiding yourselves behind your heaps of clay! You must +be cowards to set to work that way. If ours were out, and you were in, +they would have been a dozen times upon the walls: but you are afraid +of getting your ribs stove in! You are prudent men!" + +And they, seated at our door, with their heads hanging down, spoke not +a word, but went on smoking, as if they did not hear. + +Yet one day these peaceable men showed a considerable amount of +indignation, not against Grédel or us, but against their own generals. + +It was some time after the capture of Metz. The cold weather had set +in. Our Landwehr returning from mounting guard were squeezed around +the stove, and outside lay the first fall of snow. And as they were +sitting thus, thinking of nothing but eating and drinking, the bugle +blew outside a long blast and a loud one, the echoes of which died far +away in the distant mountains. + +An order had arrived to buckle on their knapsacks, shoulder their +rifles, and march for Orleans at once. + +You should have seen the long, dismal faces of these fellows. You +should have heard them protesting that they were Landwehr, and could +not be made to leave German provinces. I believe that if there had +been at that moment a sortie of fifty men from Phalsbourg, they would +have given themselves up prisoners, every one, to remain where they +were. + +But Captain Floegel, with his red nose and his harsh voice, had come to +give the word of command, "Fall in!" + +They had to obey. So there they stood in line before our mill, three +or four hundred of them, and were then obliged to march up the hill to +Mittelbronn, whilst the villagers, from their windows, were crying, "A +good riddance!" + +It was supposed, too, that the blockade of Phalsbourg would be raised, +and everybody was preparing baskets, bags, and all things needful to +carry victuals to our poor lads. Grédel, who was most unceremonious, +had her own private basket to carry. It was quite a grand removal. + +But where did this order to march come from? What was the meaning of +it all? + +I was standing at our door, meditating upon this, when Cousin Marie +Anne came up, whispering to me, "We have won a great battle: all the +men at Metz are running to the Loire." + +"How do you know that, cousin?" + +"From an Englishman who came to our house last night." + +"And where has this battle taken place?" + +"Wait a moment," said she. "At Coulmiers, near Orleans. The Germans +are in full retreat; their officers are taking refuge in the +mayoralty-office with their men, to escape being slaughtered." + +I asked no more questions, and I ran to Cousin George's, very curious +to see this Englishman and hear what he might have to tell us. + +As I went in, my cousin was seated at the table with this foreigner. +They had just breakfasted, and they seemed very jolly together. Marie +Anne followed me. + +"Here is my cousin, the former mayor of this village," said George, +seeing me open the door. + +Immediately the Englishman turned round. He was a young man of about +five and thirty, tall and thin, with a hooked nose, hazel eyes full of +animation, clean shaved, and buttoned up close in a long gray surtout. + +"Ah, very good!" said he, speaking a little nasally, and with his teeth +close, as is the habit of his countrymen. "Monsieur was mayor?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"And you refused to post the proclamations of the Governor, +Bismarck-Bohlen?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very good--very good." + +I sat down, and, without any preamble, this Englishman ran on with +eight or ten questions: upon the requisitions, the pillaging, the +number of carriages and horses carried away into the interior; how many +had come back since the invasion; how many were still left in France; +what we thought of the Germans; if there was any chance of our agreeing +together: had we rather remain French, or become neutral, like the +Swiss. + +He had all these questions in his head, and I went on answering, +without reflecting that it was a very strange thing to interrogate +people in this way. + +George was laughing, and, when it was over, he said, "Now, my lord, you +may go on with your article." + +The Englishman smiled, and said, "Yes, that will do! I believe you +have spoken the truth." + +We drank a glass of wine together, which George had found somewhere. + +"This is good wine," said the Englishman. "So the Prussians have not +taken everything." + +"No, they have not discovered everything; we have a few good +hiding-places yet." + +"Ah! exactly so--yes--I understand." + +George wanted to question him too, but the Englishman did not answer as +fast as we; he thought well over his answers, before he would say yes +or no! + +It was not from him that Cousin George had learned the latest +intelligence; it was from a heap of newspapers which the Englishman had +left upon the table the night before as he went to bed--English and +Belgian newspapers--which George had read hastily up to midnight: for +he had learned English in his travels, which our friend was not aware +of. + +Besides the battle of Coulmiers, he had learned many other things: the +organization of an army in the North under General Bourbaki; the march +of the Germans upon Dijon; the insurrection at Marseilles; the noble +declaration of Gambetta against those who were accusing him of throwing +the blame of our disasters upon the army, and not upon its chiefs; and +especially the declaration of Prince Gortschakoff "that the Emperor of +Russia refused to be bound any longer by the treaty which was to +restrain him from keeping in the Black Sea more than a certain number +of large ships of war." + +The Englishman had marked red crosses down this article; and George +told me by and by that these red crosses meant something very serious. + +The Englishman had a very fine horse in the stable; we went out +together to see it; it was a tall chestnut, able no doubt to run like a +deer. + +If I tell you these particulars, it is because we have since seen many +more English people, both men and women, all very inquisitive, and who +put questions to us, just like this one; whether to write articles, or +for their own information, I know not. + +George assured me that the article writers spared no expense to earn +their pay honorably; that they went great distances--hundreds of +leagues--going to the fountain-head; that they would have considered +themselves guilty of robbing their fellow-countrymen, if they invented +anything: which, besides, would very soon be discovered, and would +deprive them of all credit in England. + +I believe it; and I only wish news-hunters of equal integrity for our +country. Instead of having newspapers full of long arguments, which +float before you like clouds, and out of which no one can extract the +least profit, we should get positive facts that would help us to clear +up our ideas: of which we are in great need. + +So we thought we were rid of our Landwehr, when presently they +returned, having received counter orders, which seemed to us a very bad +sign. + +George, who had just accompanied his Englishman back to Sarrebourg, +came into our house, and sat by the stove, deep in thought. He had +never seemed to me so sad; when I asked him if he had received any bad +news, he answered: "No, I have heard nothing new; but what has happened +shows plainly that the German army of Metz has arrived in time to +prevent our troops from raising the blockade of Paris after the victory +of Coulmiers." + +And all at once his anger broke out against the Dumouriez and the +Pichegrus, men without genius, who were selling their country to serve +a false dynasty. + +"A week or a fortnight more, and we should have been saved." + +He smote the table with his fist, and seemed ready to cry. All at once +he went out, unable to contain himself any longer, and we saw him in +the moonlight cross the meadow behind and disappear into his house. + +It was the middle of November; the frost grew more intense and hardened +the ground everywhere: every morning the trees were covered with +hoar-frost. + +We were now compelled to do forced labor; not only to supply wood, but +also to go and cleave it for the Landwehr. I paid Father Offran, who +supplied my place; it was an additional expense, and the day of ruin, +utter ruin, was drawing close. + +Of course the Landwehr, offended at having been hissed all through the +village, had lost all consideration for us, and but for stringent +orders, they would have wrung our necks on the spot; every time they +were able to tell us a piece of bad news, they would come up laughing, +dropping the butt-ends of their rifles on the stone floor, and crying: +"Well, now, here's another crash! There goes another stampede of +Frenchmen! Orleans evacuated! Champigny to be abandoned! Capital! +all goes on right! Now, then, you people, is that soup ready? Hurry! +good news like these give one a good appetite!" + +"Try to hold your tongues, if you can, pack of beggars," cried Grédel; +"we don't believe your lies." + +Then they grinned again, and said: "There is no need you should believe +us, if only you get put into our basket; when you are there you will +believe! Then look out! If you stir a finger we'll nail you to the +wall like mangy cats. Aha! did you laugh and hiss when you saw us +going? but there are more yet to come. You will regret us, +Mademoiselle Grédel; you will regret us some day; you will cry, 'if we +had but our good Landwehr again!' but it will be too late." + +What surprises me is that Grédel never seems to have thought of +poisoning them; luckily it was not the time of the year for the red +toadstools: besides, we were obliged to boil our soup in the same +kettle; or these wary people would have had their suspicions, and +obliged us to taste their meat, as they did at the Quatre Vents, the +Baraques du Bois de Chênes, and in several other places. + +They then drew their lines closer and closer round the place: upon all +the roads which led to the advanced posts they placed guns, and watched +by them day and night; they regulated their range and line of fire by +day with pickets and with grooves cut in the ground, to enable them to +change its direction and sweep the roads and paths, even in the dark +nights, in case of an attack. + +The snow was then falling in great flakes; all the country was covered +with snow, and often at midnight or at one or two in the morning, the +musketry opened, and they cried in the street: "A sortie! a sortie!" + +And all the villagers, who still kept their cattle at home by order of +the new mayor Placiard, were compelled to drive them to a distance, +into the fields, to prevent the French, if they reached us, from +finding anything in the stables. + +Ah! that abominable, good-for-nothing scoundrel Placiard, that famous +pillar of the Empire, what abominations he has perpetrated, what toils +has he undergone to merit the esteem of the Prussians! + +Does it not seem sad that such thieves should sometimes quietly +terminate their existence in a good bed? + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +About the end of November there happened an extraordinary thing, of +which I must give you an account. + +On the first fall of snow, our Landwehr had built on the hill, in the +rear of their guns, huts of considerable size, covered with earth, open +to the south and closed against the north wind. Under these they +lighted great fires, and every hour relieved guard. + +They had also received from home immense packages of warm clothing, +blankets, cloaks, shirts, and woollen stockings; they called these +love-gifts. Captain Floegel distributed these to his men, at his +discretion. + +Now, it happened that one night, when the Landwehr lodging with us were +on guard, that I, knowing they would not return before day, had gone +down to shut the back door which opens upon the fields. The moon had +set, but the snow was shining white, streaked with the dark shadows of +the trees; and just as I was going to lock up, what do I see in my +orchard behind the large pear-tree on the left? A Turco with his +little red cap over his ear, his blue jacket corded and braided all +over, his belt and his gaiters. There he was, leaning in the attitude +of attention, the butt-end of his rifle resting on the ground, his eyes +glowing like those of a cat. + +[Illustration: THERE HE WAS, LEANING FORWARD TO LISTEN.] + +He heard the door open, and turned abruptly round. + +Then, glad to see one of our own men again, I felt my heart beat, and +gazing stealthily round for fear of the neighbors, I signed to him to +draw near. + +All were asleep in the village; no lights were shining at the windows. + +He came down in four or five paces, clearing the fences at a bound, and +entered the mill. + +Immediately I closed the door again, and said: "Good Frenchman?" + +He pressed my hand in the dark, and followed me into the back room, +where my wife and Grédel were still sitting up. + +Imagine their astonishment! + +"Here is a man from the town," I said: "he's a real Turco. We shall +hear news." + +At the same moment we observed that the Turco's bayonet was red, even +to the shank, and that the blood had even run down the barrel of his +rifle; but we said nothing. + +This Turco was a fine man, dark brown, with a little curly beard, black +eyes, and white teeth, just as the apostles are painted. I have never +seen a finer man. + +He was not sorry to feel the warmth of a good fire. Grédel having made +room for him, he took a seat, thanking her with a nod of his head, and +repeating: "Good Frenchman!" + +I asked him if he was hungry; he said yes; and my wife immediately went +to fetch him a large basin of soup, which he enjoyed greatly. She gave +him also a good slice of bread and of beef; but instead of eating it he +dropped it into his bag, asking us for salt and tobacco. + +He spoke as these people all do--thou-ing us. He even wanted to kiss +Grédel's hand. She blushed, and asked him, without any ceremony, +before our faces, if he knew Jean Baptiste Werner? + +"Jean Baptiste!" said he. "Bastion No. 3--formerly African gunner. +Yes, I know him. Good man! brave Frenchman!" + +"He is not wounded?" + +"No." + +"Not ill?" + +"No." + +Then Grédel began to cry in her apron; and mother asked the Turco if he +knew Jacob Weber, of the 3d company of Mobiles; but the Turco did not +know our Jacob; he could only tell us that the Mobiles had lost very +few men, which comforted my wife and me. Then he told us that a +captain in the Garde Mobile, a Jew named Cerfber, sent as a flag of +truce to Lützelbourg, had taken the opportunity to desert, and that the +German general, being disgusted at his baseness, had refused to receive +him, upon which the wretch had gone into Germany. I was nowise +surprised at this. I knew Cerfber; he was mayor of Niederwillen, at +four leagues from us, and more Bonapartist than Bonaparte himself. +Unable to surrender the rest, as his master had done at Sedan, he had +surrendered himself. + +Grédel had gone out while the Turco was telling us these news; she +returned presently with a large quantity of provisions. She had taken +all my tobacco, and begged the Turco to take it to Jean Baptiste and +Jacob. She had not quite the face to say before me that it was for +Jean Baptiste alone; that would have been going a little too far; but +she said, "It is for the two." The Turco promised to perform this +commission; then Grédel gave him several things for himself; but he +wanted especially salt, and fortunately we possessed enough to fill his +bag. My wife stood sentinel in the passage. Thank God there was no +stir for a whole hour; during which this Turco answered, as well as he +was able, all the questions we asked him. + +We understood that there was much sickness in the town; that several +articles of consumption were utterly exhausted, among others, meat, +salt, and tobacco; and that the inhabitants were weary of being shut in +without any news from outside. + +About one in the morning, the wind, having risen, was shaking the door, +and we fancied we could hear the Landwehr returning. The Turco noticed +it, and made signs to us that he would go. + +We could have wished to detain him, but the danger was too great. He +therefore took up his rifle again, and asked to kiss my wife's hand, +just as the gypsies do in our country. Then pointing to his bag, he +said: "For Jacob and Jean Baptiste!" + +I took him back through the orchard. The weather was frightful; the +air was full of snow, whirled into drifts by a stormy wind; but he knew +his way, and began by running with his body bending low as far as the +tall hedge on the left; a moment after he was out of sight. I listened +a long while. The watch-fires of the Landwehr were shining on the +hill, above Wéchem; their sentinels were challenging and answering each +other in the darkness; but not a shot was fired. + +I returned. My wife and Grédel seemed happy; and we all went to bed. + +Next day we learned that two Landwehr had been found killed--one near +the Avenue des Dames, between the town and the Quatre Vents, the other +at the end of Piquet, both fathers of families. The unfortunate men +had been surprised at their posts. + +What a miserable thing is war! The Germans have lost more men than we +have; but we will not be so cruel as to rejoice over this. + +And now, if I am asked my opinion about the Turcos, against whom the +Germans have raised such an outcry, I answer that they are good men and +true! Jacob and Jean Baptiste have received everything that we sent to +them. This Turco's word was worth more than that of the lieutenant and +the feld-weibel who had promised to pay me for my wine. + +No doubt, amongst the Turcos there are some bad fellows; but the +greater part are honest men, with a strong feeling of religion: men who +have known them at Phalsbourg and elsewhere acknowledge them to be men +of honor. They have stolen nothing, robbed nobody, never insulted a +woman. If they had campaigned on the other side of the Rhine, of +course they would have twisted the necks of ducks and hens, as all +soldiers do in an enemy's country: the Landwehr put no constraint upon +themselves in our country. But the idea would never have occurred to +the Turcos, as it had to German officers and generals, of sending for +packs of Jews to follow them and buy up, wholesale, the linen, +furniture, clocks--in a word, anything they found in private +individuals' houses. This is simple truth! Monsieur de Bismarck may +insult the Turcos as much as he pleases before his German Parliament, +which is ready to say "Amen" every time he opens his mouth. He might +as well not talk at all. Thieves are bad judges of common honesty! I +am aware that Monsieur le Prince de Bismarck thinks himself the first +politician in the world, because he has deceived a simpleton; but there +is a wide difference between a great man and a great dishonest man. By +and by this will be manifest, to the great misfortune of Europe. + +But it was a real comfort to have seen this Turco; and for several +days, when we were alone, my wife and Grédel talked of nothing else; +but sad reflections again got the upper hand. + +No one can form an idea of the misery, the feeling of desolation which +takes possession of you, when days and weeks pass by in the midst of +enemies without the least word reaching you from the interior; then you +feel the strength of the hold that your native land has upon you. The +Germans think to detach us from it by preventing us from learning what +is taking place there; but they are mistaken. The less you speak the +more you think; and your indignation, your disgust, your hatred for +violence, force, and injustice is ever on the increase. You conceive a +horror for those who have been the cause of such sufferings. Time +brings no change; on the contrary, it deepens the wound: one curse +succeeds another; and the deepest desire left is either for an end of +all, or vengeance. + +Besides, it is perfectly evident the Lorrainers and the Alsacians are a +bold, brave nation; and all the fine words in the world will not make +them forget the treatment they have suffered, after being surprised +defenceless. They would reproach themselves as cowards, did they cease +to hope for their revenge. I, Christian Weber, declare this, and no +honest man can blame me for it. Abject wretches alone accept injustice +as a final dispensation; and we have ever God over us all, who forbids +us to believe that murder, fire, and robbery may and ought to prevail +over right and conscience. + +Let us return to our story. + +Cousin George had seen in the Englishman's newspapers that the +circulation of the _Indépendance Belge_ and the _Journal de Genève_ had +doubled and trebled since the commencement of the war, because they +filled the place of all the other journals which used to be received +from Paris; and without loss of time he had written to Brussels to +subscribe. + +The first week, having received no answer, he had sent the money in +Prussian notes in a second letter; for we had at that time only +Prussian thalers in paper, with which the Landwehr paid us for whatever +they did not take by force. We had no great confidence in this paper, +but it was worth the trial. + +The newspaper arrived. It was the first we had seen for four months, +and any one may understand the joy with which George came to tell me +this good news. + +Every evening from that time I went to hear the newspapers read at +Cousin George's. We could hardly understand anything at first, for at +every line we met with new names. Chanzy had the chief command upon +the Loire, Faidherbe in the north. And these two men, without any +soldiers besides Mobiles and volunteers, held the open country. They +even gained considerable advantages over an enemy that far outnumbered +them; whilst the marshals of the Empire had suffered themselves to be +vanquished and annihilated in three weeks, with our best troops. + +This shows that, in victories, generals have no more than half the +credit. + +Of all the old generals, Bourbaki was the only one left. + +As for Garibaldi, we knew him, and we could tell by the restless +movements of our Landwehr that he was approaching our mountains about +Belfort. He was the hope of our country: all our young men were going +to join him. + +We also learned that the Government was divided between Tours and +Paris; that Gambetta was bearing all the burden of the defence of the +country, as Minister of War; that he was everywhere at once, to +encourage the dispirited; that he had set up the chief place of +instruction for our young soldiers at Toulouse, and that the Prussians +were pursuing their horrible course in the invaded countries with +renewed fury; that a party of francs-tireurs having surprised a few +Uhlans at Nemours, a column of Germans had surrounded the town on the +next day, and set fire to it to the music of their bands, compelling +the members of the committee for the defence to be present at this +abominable act; that M. de Bismarck had laid hands upon certain +bourgeois of the interior, in reprisal for the captures made by our +ships five hundred leagues away in the North Sea; that Ricciotti +Garibaldi, having defeated the Prussians at Chatillon-sur-Seine, those +atrocious wretches had delivered the innocent town over to plunder, and +laid it under contribution for a million of francs; that respectable +persons belonging to the Grand Duchy of Baden, private individuals, +were crossing the Rhine with horses and carts to come and pillage +Alsace with impunity--all the towns and villages being occupied by +their troops. In a word, many other things of the kind; which plainly +prove that with the Prussians, war is an honest means of growing rich, +and getting possession of the property of the inoffensive inhabitants. + +At St. Quentin, one of their chiefs, the Colonel de Kahlden, gave +public notice to the inhabitants, that "if a shot was fired upon a +German soldier, _six inhabitants should be shot_; and that every +individual compromised or _suspected_ would be punished with death." + +Everywhere, everywhere these great philosophers plundered and burned +without mercy whatever towns or villages dared resist! + +George said that these beings were not raised above the beasts of prey, +and that education only does for them what spiked collars do for +fighting dogs. + +We also heard of the capitulation of Thionville, after a terrible +bombardment, in which the Prussians had refused to allow the women and +children to leave the place! We heard of the first encounters of +Faidherbe in the north with Manteuffel; and the battles of Chanzy with +Frederick Charles, near Orleans. + +In spite of the inferiority of our numbers, and the inexperience of our +troops, we often got the upper hand. + +These news had restored us to hope. Unhappily, the heaviest blow of +all was to come. Phalsbourg, utterly exhausted by famine, was about to +surrender, after a resistance of five months. + +Oh! my ancient town of Phalsbourg, what affliction sank into our +hearts, when, on the evening of the 9th December, we heard your heavy +guns fire one after another, as if for a last appeal to France to come +to your rescue! Oh! what were then our sufferings, and what tears we +shed! + +"Now," said George, "it is all over! They are calling aloud to France, +our beloved France, unable to come! It is like a ship in distress, by +night, in the open sea, firing her guns for assistance, and no one +hears: she must sink in the deep." + +Ah! my old town of Phalsbourg, where we used to go to market; where we +used to see our own soldiers--our red-trousered soldiery, our merry +Frenchmen! We shall never more see behind our ramparts any but heavy +Germans and rough Prussians! And so it is over! The earth bears no +longer the same children; and men whom we never knew tell us, "You are +in our custody: we are your masters!" + +Can it be possible? No! ancient fortress of Vauban, you shall be +French again: "Nursery of brave men," as the first Bonaparte called +you. Let our sons come to manhood, and they shall drive from thy walls +these lumpish fellows who dare to talk of Germanizing you! + +But how our hearts bled on that day! Every one went to hide himself as +far back in his house as he could, murmuring, "Oh! my poor Phalsbourg, +we cannot help thee; but if our life could deliver thee, we would give +it." + +Yes! I have lived to behold this, and it is the most terrible +sensation I have ever experienced: the thought of meeting Jacob again +was no comfort; Grédel herself was listening with pale cheeks, and +counting the reports from second to second; and then the tears fell and +she cried: "It is over!" + +Next day, all the roads were covered with German and Prussian officers +galloping rapidly to the place; the report ran that the entry would +take place the same evening; every one was preparing a small stock of +provisions for his son, his relations, his friends, whom he dreaded +never more to see alive. + +On the morning of the 11th of December, leave was given to start for +the town; the sentinels posted at Wéchem had orders to allow +foot-passengers to pass. + +Phalsbourg, with its fifteen hundred Mobiles and its sixty gunners, +disdained to capitulate; it surrendered no rifles, no guns, no military +stores, no eagles, as Bazaine had done at Metz! The Commander Taillant +had not said to his men: "Let us, above all, for the reputation of our +army, avoid all acts of indiscipline, such as the destruction of arms +and material of war; since, according to military usage, strong places +and arms will return to France when peace is signed." No! quite the +contrary; he had ordered the destruction of whatever might prove useful +to the enemy: to drown the gunpowder, smash rifles, spike the guns, +burn up the bedding in the casemates; and when all this was done, he +had sent a message to the German general: "We have nothing left to eat! +To-morrow I will open the gates! Do what you please with me!" + +Here was a man, indeed! + +And the Germans ran, some laughing, others astonished, gazing at the +walls which they had won without a fight: for they have taken almost +every place without fighting; they have shelled the poor inhabitants +instead of storming the walls; they have starved the people. They may +boast of having burnt more towns and villages, and killed more women +and children in this one campaign, than all the other nations in all +the wars of Europe since the Revolution. + +But, to be sure, they were a religious people, much attached to the +doctrines of the Gospel, and who sing hymns with much feeling. Their +Emperor especially, after every successive bombardment, and every +massacre--whilst women, children, and old men are weeping around their +houses destroyed by the enemy's shells, and from the battle-fields +strewn with heaps of dead are rising the groans and cries of thousands +and thousands of sufferers whose lives are crushed, whose flesh is +torn, whose bodies are rent and bleeding!'--their Emperor, the +venerable man, lifts his blood-stained hands to heaven and thanks God +for having permitted him to commit these abominable deeds! Does he +look upon God as his accomplice in crime? + +Barbarian! one day thou shalt know that in the sight of the Eternal, +hypocrisy is an aggravation of crime. + +On the 11th of December, then, early in the morning, my wife, Grédel, +Cousin George, Marie Anne and myself, having locked up our houses, +started, each carrying a little parcel under our arms, to go and +embrace our children and our friends--if they yet survived. + +The snow was melting, a thick fog was covering the face of the country, +and we walked along in single file and in silence, gazing intently upon +the German batteries which we saw for the first time, in front of +Wéchem, by Gerbershoff farm, and at the _Arbre Vert_. + +Such desolation! Everything was cut down around the town; no more +summer-arbors, no more gardens or orchards, only the vast, naked +surface of snow-covered ground, with its hollows all bare; the bullet +marks on the ramparts, the embrasures all destroyed. + +A great crowd of other village people preceded and followed us; poor +old men, women, and a few children; they were walking straight on +without paying any attention to each other: all thought of the fate of +those they loved, which they would learn within an hour. + +Thus we arrived at the gate of France; it stood open and unguarded. +The moment we entered, the ruins were seen; houses tottering, streets +demolished, here a window left alone, there up in the air a chimney +scarcely supported; farther on some doorsteps and no door. In every +direction the bombshells had left their tracks. + +God of heaven! did we indeed behold such devastation? we did in truth. +We all saw it: it was no dream! + +The cold was piercing. The townspeople, haggard and pale, stared at us +arriving; recognitions took place, men and women approached and took +each other by the hand. + +"Well?" "Well," was the reply in a hollow whisper, in the midst of the +street encumbered with blackened beams of wood. "Have you suffered +much?" "Ah! yes." + +This was enough: no need for another word; and then we would proceed +farther. At every street corner a new scene of horror began. + +Catherine and I were seeking Jacob; no doubt Grédel was looking for +Jean Baptiste. + +We saw our poor Mobiles passing by, scarcely recognizable after those +five months. All through the fearful cold these unhappy men had had +nothing on but their summer blouses and linen trousers. Many of them +might have escaped and gained their villages, for the gates had stood +open since the evening before; but not a man thought of doing so; it +was not supposed that Mobiles would be treated like regular soldiers. + +On the _place_, in front of the fallen church filled with its own +ruins, we heard, for the first time, that the garrison were prisoners +of war. + +The cafés Vacheron, Meyer, and Hoffmann, riddled with balls, were +swarming with officers. + +We were gazing, not knowing whom to ask after Jacob, when a cry behind +us made us turn round; and there was Grédel in the arms of Jean +Baptiste Werner! Then I kept silence; my wife also. Since she would +have it so, well, so let it be; this matter concerned her much more +than it did us. + +Jean Baptiste, after the first moment, looked embarrassed at seeing us; +he approached us with a pale face, and as we spoke not a word to him, +George shook him by the hand, and cried: "Jean Baptiste, I know that +you have behaved well during this siege; we have learned it all with +pleasure: didn't we, Christian? didn't we, Catherine?" + +What answer could we make? I said "yes"--and mother, with tears in her +eyes, cried: "Jean Baptiste, is Jacob not wounded?" + +"No, Madame Weber; we have always been very comfortable together. +There is nothing the matter. I'll fetch him: only come in somewhere." + +"We are going to the Café Hoffmann," said she. "Try to find him, Jean +Baptiste." And as he was turning in the direction of the +mayoralty-house: + +"There," said he, "there he is coming round the corner by the chemist +Rèbe's shop." And we began, to cry "Jacob!" + +And our lad ran, crossing the _place_. + +A minute after, we were in each other's arms. + +He had on a coarse soldier's cloak, and canvas trousers; his cheeks +were hollow; he stared at us, and stammered: "Oh, is it you? You are +not all dead?" + +He looked stupefied; and his mother, holding him, murmured: "It is he!" + +She would not relinquish her hold upon him, and wiped her eyes with her +apron. + +Grédel and Jean Baptiste followed arm-in-arm, with George and Marie +Anne. We entered the Café Hoffmann together; we sat round a table in +the room at the left, and George ordered some coffee, for we all felt +the need of a little warmth. + +None of us wished to speak; we were downcast, and held each other by +the hand, gazing in each other's faces. + +The young officers of the Mobiles were talking together in the next +room; we could hear them saying that not one would sign the engagement +not to serve again during the campaign; that they would all go as +prisoners of war, and would accept no other lot than that of their men. + +This idea of seeing our Jacob go off as a prisoner of war, almost broke +our hearts, and my wife began to sob bitterly, with her head upon the +table. + +Jacob would have wished to come back to the mill along with us; I could +see this by his countenance; but he was not an officer, and his +_parole_ was not asked for. And, in spite of all, hearing those +spirited young men, who were sacrificing their liberty to discharge a +duty, I should myself have said "No: a man must be a man!" + +Werner was talking with my cousin: they spoke in whispers; having, no +doubt, secret matters to discuss. I saw George slip something into his +hand. What could it be? I cannot say; but all at once Jean Baptiste +rising from his seat and kissing Grédel without any ceremony before our +faces, said that he was on service; that he would not see us again very +soon, as after the muster their march would begin, so that we should +have to say good-by at once. + +He held out both his hands to my wife and then to Marie Anne, after +which he went out with George and Grédel, leaving us much astonished. + +Jacob and Marie Anne remained with us; in a couple of minutes Grédel +and my cousin returned; Grédel, whose eyes were red, sat by the side of +Marie Anne without speaking, and we saw that her basket of provisions +was gone. + +The stir upon the _place_ became greater and greater. The drums beat +the assembly, the officers of the Mobiles were coming out. I then +thought I would ask Jacob what had become of Mathias Heitz; he told us +that the wretched coward had been trembling with fright the whole time +of the siege, and that at last he had fallen ill of fear. Grédel did +not turn her head to listen; she would have nothing to do with him! +And, in truth, on hearing this, I felt I should prefer giving our +daughter to our ragman's son than to this fellow Mathias. + +The review was then commencing under the tall trees on the _place_, and +Jacob appeared with his comrades. No sadder spectacle will ever be +seen than that of our poor lads, about half a hundred Turcos and a few +Zouaves, the remnants of Froeschwiller, all haggard and pale, and their +clothes falling to pieces. They were unarmed, having destroyed their +arms before opening the gates. + +Presently Jacob ran to us, crying that they were ordered to their +barracks, and that they would have to start next day before twelve. + +Then his eyes filled with tears. His mother and I handed him our +parcels, in which we had enclosed three good linen shirts, a pair of +shoes almost new, woollen stockings, and a strong pair of trousers. + +I was wearing upon my shoulders my travelling cape; I placed it upon +his. Then I slipped into his pocket a small roll of thalers, and +George gave him two louis. After this, the tears and lamentations of +the women recommenced; we were obliged to promise to return on the +morrow. + +The garrison was defiling down the street; Jacob ran to fall in, and +disappeared with the rest, near the barracks. + +As for Jean Baptiste Werner, we saw him no more. + +The German officers were coming and going up and down the town to +distribute their troops amongst the townspeople. It was twelve +o'clock, and we returned to our village, sadder and more distressed +than ever. + +And now we knew that Jacob was safe; but we knew also that he was going +to be carried, we could not tell where, to the farthest depths of +Germany. + +My wife arrived home quite ill; the damp weather, her anxiety, her +anguish of mind, had cast her down utterly. She went to bed with a +shivering fit, and could not return next day to town, nor Grédel, who +was taking care of her, so I went alone. + +Orders had come to take the prisoners to Lützelbourg. On reaching the +square, near the chemist Rèbe's shop, I saw them all in their ranks, +moving by twos down the road. The inhabitants had closed their +shutters, not to witness this humiliation; for Hessian soldiers, with +arms shouldered, were escorting them: our poor boys were advancing +between them, their heads hanging sorrowfully down. + +I stopped at the chemist's corner, and waited, being unable to discern +Jacob in the midst of that crowd. All at once I recognized him, and I +cried, "Jacob!" He was going to throw himself into my arms; but the +Hessians repulsed me. We both burst into tears, and I went on walking +by the side of the escort, crying, "Courage! ... Write to us.... Your +mother is not quite well.... She could not come.... It is not much!" + +He answered nothing; and many others who were there had their friends +and relations before or behind them. + +We wanted to accompany them to Lützelbourg; unhappily, at the gate the +Prussians had posted sentinels, who stopped us, pointing their bayonets +at us. They would not even allow us to press our children's hands. + +On all sides were cries: "Adieu, Jean!" "Adieu, Pierre!" and they +replied: "Adieu! Farewell, father!" "Adieu! Farewell, mother!" and +then the sighs, the sobs, the tears.... + +[Illustration: "GOOD-BY, MY FATHER! GOOD-BY, MY MOTHER!"] + +Ah! the Plébiscite, the Plébiscite! + +I was compelled to stay there an hour; at last they allowed me to pass. +I resumed my way home, my heart rent with anguish. I could see, hear +nothing but the cry, "Adieu! Adieu!" of all that crowd; and I thought +that men were made to make each other miserable; that it was a pity we +were ever born; that for a few days' happiness, acquired by long and +painful toil, we had years of endless misery; and that the people of +the earth, through their folly, their idleness, their wickedness, their +trust in consummate rogues, deserved what they got. + +Yes, I could have wished for another deluge: I should have cared less +to see the waters rise from the ends of Alsace and cover our mountains, +than to be bound under the yoke of the Germans. + +In this mood I reached home. + +I took care not to tell my wife all that had happened; on the contrary +I told her that I had embraced Jacob in my arms for her and for us all; +that he was full of spirits, and that he would soon write to us. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +We were now rid of our Landwehr, who were garrisoned at Phalsbourg, but +a part of whom were sent off into the interior. They were indignant, +and declared that if they had known that they were to be sent farther, +the blockade would have lasted longer; that they would have let the +cows, the bullocks, and the bread find their way in, many a time, in +spite of their chiefs; and that it was infamous to expose them to new +dangers when every man had done his part in the campaign. + +There was no enthusiasm in them; but, all the same, they marched in +step in their ranks, and were moved some on Belfort, some on Paris. + +We learned, through the German newspapers, that they had severer +sufferings to endure round Belfort than with us; that the garrison made +sorties, and drove them several leagues away; that their dead bodies +were rotting in heaps, behind the hedges, covered with snow and mud; +that the commander, Denfert, gave them many a heavy dig in the ribs; +and every day people coming from Alsace told us that such an one of the +poor fellows whom we had known had just been struck down by a ball, +maimed by a splinter or a shell, or bayoneted by our Mobiles. We could +not help pitying them, for they all had five or six children each, of +whom they were forever talking; and naturally, for when the parent-bird +dies the brood is lost. + +And all this for the honor and glory of the King of Prussia, of +Bismarck, of Moltke, and a few heroes of the same stamp, not one of +whom has had a scratch in the chances of war. + +How can one help shrugging one's shoulders and laughing inwardly at +seeing these Germans, with all their education, greater fools than +ourselves? They have won! That is to say, the survivors; for those +who are buried, or who have lost their limbs, have no great gain to +boast of, and can hardly rejoice over the success of the enterprise. +They have gained--what? The hatred of a people who had loved them; +they have gained that they will be obliged to fight every time their +lords or masters give the order; they have gained that they can say +Alsace and Lorraine are German, which is absolutely no gain whatever; +and besides this they have gained the envy of a vast number of people, +and the distrust of a vast many more, who will end by agreeing together +to fall upon them in a body, and treat them to fire and slaughter and +bombardment, of which they have set us the example. + +This is what the peasants, the artisans, and the bourgeois have gained: +as for the chiefs, they have won some a title, some a pension or an +épaulette: others have the satisfaction of saying, "I am the great +So-and-So! I am William, Emperor of Germany; a crown was set on my +head at Versailles, whilst thousands of my subjects were biting the +dust!" + +Alas! notwithstanding all this, these people will die, and in a hundred +years will be recognized as barbarians; their names will be inscribed +on the roll of the plagues of the human race, and there they will +remain to the end of time. + +But what is the use of reasoning with such philosophers as these? In +time they will acknowledge the truth of what I say! + +Now to our story again. + +They were fighting furiously round Belfort; our men did not drop off +asleep in casements; they occupied posts at a distance all round the +place: their sortie from Bourcoigne, and their slaughter of the +Bavarians at Haute-Perche, were making a great noise in Alsace. + +We learned from the _Indépendance_ the battles of Chanzy at Vendôme +against the army of Mecklenburg; the fight by General Crémer at Nuits +against the army of Von Werder; the retreat of Manteuffel toward +Amiens, after having overwhelmed Rouen with forced contributions; the +bayonet attack upon the villages around Pont-Noyelles, in which +Faidherbe had defeated the enemy; and especially the grand measures of +Gambetta, who had at last dissolved the Councils-General named by the +Prefects of the Empire, and replaced them by really Republican +departmental commissions. + +Cousin George highly approved of this step. This was of more +importance in his eyes than the decrees of our Prussian Préfet Henckel +de Bonnermark; though he had inflicted heavy fines upon the fathers and +mothers of the young men who had left home to join the French armies, +and had laid Lorraine, already ruined by the invasion, under a +contribution of 700,000 livres to compensate the losses suffered by the +German mercantile marine; plundering decrees which went nigh to tearing +the bread out of our mouths. + +Then George passed on to the campaign of Chanzy; for what could be +grander than this struggle of a young, inexperienced army, scarcely +organized, against forces double their number, commanded by the great +Prussian general who had been victorious at Woerth, Sedan, and Metz, +over the whole of the Imperial troops? + +George especially admired the noble protest of Chanzy, proclaiming to +the world the ferocity of the Germans, and pointing out with pride the +falsehoods of their generals, who invariably claimed the victory. + +"The Commander-in-Chief lays before the army the subjoined protest, +which he transmits, under a flag of truce, to the commander of the +Prussian troops at Vendôme, with the assurance that his indignation +will be shared by all, as well as his desire to take signal revenge for +such insults. + +"To the Prussian commander at Vendôme: + +"I am informed that unjustifiable acts of violence have been committed +by troops under your orders upon the unoffending inhabitants of St. +Calais. In spite of our humane treatment of your sick and wounded, +your officers have exacted money and commanded pillage. Such conduct +is an abuse of power, which will weigh heavily upon your consciences, +and which the patriotism of our people will enable them to endure; but +what I cannot permit is, that you should add to these injuries insults +which you know full well to be entirely gratuitous. + +"You have asserted that we were defeated; that assertion is false. We +have beaten you and held you in check since the 4th of this month. You +have presumed to attach the name of coward to men who are prevented +from answering you; pretending that they were coerced by the Government +of National Defence, which, as you said, compelled them to resist when +they wanted peace, and you were offering it. I deny this: I deny it by +the right given me by the resistance of entire France and this army +which confronts you, and which you have been hitherto unable to +vanquish. This communication reaffirms what our resistance ought +already to have taught you. Whatever may be the sacrifices still left +us to endure, we will struggle to the very end, without truce or pity; +since now we are resisting the attacks not of loyal and honorable +enemies but of devastating bands who aim solely at the ruin and +disgrace of a nation, which itself is striving to maintain its honor, +rank, and independence. To the generous treatment we have accorded to +your prisoners and wounded, your reply is insolence, fire, and plunder. +I therefore protest, with deep indignation, in the name of humanity and +the rights of men, which you will trample underfoot. + +"The present order will be read before the troops at three consecutive +muster-calls. + +"CHANZY, _Commander-in-Chief_, + "HEAD-QUARTERS, _Le Mans, 26th December, 1870._" + + +These are the words of an honorable man and a patriot, words to make a +man lift up his head. + +And as Manteuffel, whose only merit consists in having been during his +youth the boon companion of the pious William; as this old courtier +followed the same system as Frederick Charles and Mecklenburg, of +lowering us to raise themselves, and to get their successes cheap; +General Faidherbe also obliged him to abate his pride after the affair +of Pont-Noyelles. + +"The French army have left in the hands of the enemy only a few +sailors, surprised in the village of Daours. It has kept its +positions, and has waited in vain for the enemy until two o'clock in +the afternoon of the next day." + +This was plain speaking, and it was clear on which side good faith was +to be looked for. + +Thus, after having opposed a million of men to 300,000 conscripts, +these Germans were even now obliged to lie in order not to discourage +their armies. + +Of course they could not but prevail in the end: France had had no time +to prepare anew, to arm, and to recover herself after this disgraceful +capitulation of the _honest man_ and his friend Bazaine; but still she +resisted with terrible energy, and the Prussians at last became anxious +for peace too, and wished for it, perhaps, even more than ourselves. + +The proof of this is the numberless petitions of the Germans entreating +King William to bombard Paris. + +Humane Germans, fathers of families, pious men, seated quietly by their +counters at Hamburg, Cologne, or Berlin, in every town and village of +Germany, eating and drinking heartily, warming their fat legs before +the fire during this winter of unexampled severity, cried to their king +at Christmas time to bombard Paris, and set fire to the houses--to kill +and burn fathers and mothers of families like themselves, but reduced +to famine in their own dwellings! + +Have any but the Germans ever done the like? + +We too have besieged German towns, but never have petitions been sent +up like this under the Republic, or under the Empire, to ask our +soldiers to do more injury than war between brave men requires. And +since that period we have never uselessly shelled houses inhabited by +inoffensive persons; and even when we have had to bombard walled towns, +warning was given, as at Odessa and everywhere else, to give helpless +people time to depart for the interior, if they did not want to run the +risk of meeting with stray bullets; and permission was given to old +men, women, and children to come out--a privilege never granted by the +Prussians. + +Ah! the French may not be so pious, so learned, and so good as the +_good German people_, but they have better hearts and feelings of +compassion; they have less of the Gospel upon their lips, but they have +it in the bottoms of their souls. They are not hypocrites, and +therefore we Alsacians and Lorrainers had rather remain French than +belong to the _good German people_, and be like them. + +Indignities without a precedent have been committed by them: +"Shell--bombard--burn, in the name of Heaven! Set fire everywhere with +petroleum bombs!--You are too gracious a king!--Your scruples betray +too much weakness for this Babylon: Bombard quick: Bombardments have +succeeded better than anything else. Sire, your good and faithful +people entreat you to bombard everything--leave nothing standing!" + +Oh! scoundrels!--rascals!--if you have so often played the saint for +fifty years; if you have talked so edifyingly about friendship, +brotherhood, and the alliance of nations, it was because you did not +then think yourselves the strongest; now that you think you are, you +piously bombard women, old men, and children, in the name of the +Saviour! Faugh! it is simply disgusting! + +Every time that Cousin George read these assassins' petitions, he would +spring off his chair and cry: "Now I know what to think of fanatics of +every religion. These men have no need to play the hypocrite: their +religion does not oblige them to it. Well, they play the Jesuit for +the love of it, better than we do by profession. May they be execrated +and despised perpetually." + +Then he dilated with much warmth of feeling upon the kind reception +which the Parisians, in former days, used to accord to the Germans, for +forty years and more. Men who came to seek a livelihood among us, +without a penny, lean, humble, half-clad, with a little bundle of old +rags under their arms, asking for credit, even in George's and Marie +Anne's little inn, for a basin of broth, a bit of meat, and a glass of +wine, were kindly received; they were cheered up, and situations found +for them: everybody was anxious to put them in the right way, to +explain to them what they did not know. Soon they grew fat and +flourishing, and gained assurance; by servility they would win the +confidence of the head-clerk, who showed them all about the business; +and then some fine morning it was noised about that the head-clerk was +discharged and the German was in his place. He had had a private +interview with the head partner, and had proposed to do the work for +half the salary. Of course the partners are always glad to have good +workmen, humble and obsequious, and, above all, cheap. George had +witnessed this fifty times. + +But people did not get angry; they would say, + +"The poor fellow must earn a living somehow. The other is a Frenchman: +he will very soon secure another place." + +And it was thus that the Germans slipped quietly into the shoes of +those who had received them kindly and taught them their trade. + +A few old clerks used to get angry; but they were always held to be in +the wrong. "_That good German_" was justified! He had not meddled; +everything had gone on simply and naturally. + +And twenty, thirty, fifty thousand Germans used thus to come and +prosper in Paris; and then they would get a holiday to take a turn home +and exhibit the flesh and fat they had gained, and their gold trinkets. + +If they happened to be professors of languages or newspaper +correspondents, they were sure to break out down there against the +corruption of manners in this "modern Babylon." Great hulking fellows +they were, with long hooded cloaks, and gold or silver spectacles, who +had scandalized even their doorkeepers by bringing home night after +night "princesses" of Mabile and elsewhere, singing, drinking like a +sponge, shaking all the house, and preventing people from sleeping; +bringing, besides, other colleagues of the same stamp, and leading +disgraceful lives! + +But it is the fashion in Germany to cry out against "modern Babylon." +It flatters the secret envy of the Germans, and establishes the +character of the speaker for seriousness, gravity, and influence; as a +man worthy of every consideration, and who may hope--if his situation +in Paris is permanent--for the hand of "Herr Rector's" or "Herr +Doctor's" fair daughter: for in that country they are all doctors in +something or other. He had gone off as cold and comfortless as the +stones in the street; he would have become a school-master, or a small +clerk at a couple of hundred thalers all his life, in old Germany. He +weighed heavily upon his poor father, encumbered with a dozen children; +but he had grown fat, well-feathered, and well-trained in Paris; and +there he is now virtuously indignant against our own townswomen: +against the degenerate race which has given him his daily bread, and +pulled him out of the mire, instead of kicking him downstairs. + +This German fellow used to be republican, socialist, communist, etc. +He had fled from Cologne, or elsewhere, in consequence of the events of +1848. Nothing in our opinion was sufficiently strong, decided, or +advanced for him. He spouted about his sacrifices for the universal +Republic, his terrible campaign in the Duchy of Baden against the +Prussians, the loss of his place, of his property. We thought, what +sufferings he has endured! Surely, the Germans are the first Democrats +in the world! + +But now this very same gentleman is the most faithful servant of his +Majesty William, King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany. No doubt he +talks at Berlin of the sacrifices which he has made to the noble cause +of Germany, the battles he has fought in the public-houses amongst the +broken bottles of beer which he has been swallowing by the dozen, to +reclaim old Alsace, where lie deep the roots of the Germanic tongue. +He abounds in indignation against the "modern Babylon;" his name stands +at the head of the earliest petitions that Babylon should be burned, +till nothing but ashes were left: that that race of madmen should be +exterminated; and as during his residence in France he has rendered +police services to Bismarck, he is pretty sure to obtain a post in +Alsace-Lorraine, where all these old German spies are swooping down to +Germanize us. + +Thus spoke George, in his indignation; and Marie Anne, after listening +to him, said: "Ah, it is too true! Those men did deceive us; and they +did not even pay their debts. Some fine morning, when their bill had +run up, three-fourths of them would make a start, and they were never +heard of again. I have never had any confidence in any of them, except +the crossing-sweepers and the shoe-blacks: one knew where to find them; +but as for the professors, the newspaper correspondents, the inventors, +the book-worms--they have done us too many bad turns; and they were too +overbearing. They were filled with hatred and envy of our nation." + +Since the departure of the Landwehr, we were able to speak more freely: +those sulky eavesdroppers were no longer spying upon us, and we felt +the relief. + +Paris, as we saw in the _Indépendance_, was making sorties. The Gardes +Mobiles and the National Guards were being drilled and becoming better +skilled in the use of arms. Our sailors, in the forts, were admirable. +But the Germans grew stronger from day to day; they had brought such +enormous guns--called Krupp's--that the railways were unable to bear +them, the tunnels were not high enough to give them passage, and the +bridges gave way under their ponderous mass. This proves that if the +bombardment had not yet commenced, in spite of the innumerable +petitions of _the good Germans_, it was not for want of will on the +part of his Majesty King William, Messieurs Moltke, Bismarck, and all +those good men. Oh, no! our forts and our sorties hampered them a good +deal in gaining their positions! + +At last, about the end of December, "by the grace of God," as the +Emperor William said, they began by bombarding a few forts, and were +soon enabled to reach houses, hospitals, churches, and museums. + +George and Marie Anne knew all these places by name, and these +ferocious acts drew from them cries of horror. I, my wife, and Grédel +could not understand these accounts: having never been in Paris, we +could not form an idea of it. + +The German news-writers knew them, however; for daily they told us how +great a misfortune it was to be obliged to shell such rich libraries, +such beautiful galleries of pictures, such magnificent monuments, and +gardens so richly stocked with plants and rare collections; that it +made their hearts bleed: they professed themselves inconsolable at +being driven to such an extremity by the evil dispositions of those who +presumed to defend their property, their homes, their wives, their +children, contrary to every principle of justice! They pitied the +French for their want of common-sense; they said that their brains were +addled; that they were in their dotage, and uttered similar absurdities. + +But every time that they lost men, their fury rose: "The Germans are a +sacred race! Kill Germans! a superior race! it is a high crime. The +French, the Swiss, the Danes, the Dutch, Belgians, Poles, Hungarians, +even the Russians, are destined to be successively devoured by the +Germans." I have heard this with my own ears! Yes, the Russians, too, +they cannot dispense with the Germans; their manufactures, their trade, +their sciences come to them from Germany; they, too, belong to an +inferior race. The renowned Gortschakoff is unworthy to dust the boots +of Monsieur Bismarck, and the Emperor of Russia is most fortunate in +being allied by marriage to the Emperor William: it is a glorious +prerogative for him! + +The captain, Floegel, used often to repeat these things; and besides, +the Germans all say the same at this time; you have but to listen to +them: they are too strong now to need to hide their ambition. They +think they are conferring a great honor upon us Alsacians and +Lorrainers in acknowledging us as cousins, and gathering us to +themselves out of love. We were a superior race in "that degenerate +France;" but we are about to become little boys again amongst the noble +German people. We are the last new-comers into Germany, and shall +require time to acquire the noble German virtues: to become hypocrites, +spies, bombarders, plunderers; to learn to receive slaps and kicks +without winking. But what would you have? You cannot regenerate a +people in a day. + +The Prussians had announced that Paris would surrender after an +eight-days' bombardment; but as the Parisians held out; as there were +passing by Saverne innumerable convoys of wounded, scorched, maimed, +and sick by thousands; as General Faidherbe had gained a victory in the +North, the victory of Bapaume, in which we had driven the Prussians +from the field of battle all covered with their dead, and in which the +enemy had left in our hands not only all their wounded, but a great +number of prisoners; as the inhabitants of Paris had only one fault to +find with General Trochu, that he did not lead them out to the great +battle, and they were raising the cry of "victory or death;" since +Chanzy, repulsed at Le Mans, was falling back in good order, while in +the midst of the deep snows of January and the severest cold, Bourbaki +was still advancing upon Belfort; and Garibaldi with his francs-tireurs +was not losing courage; since the Germans were suffering from +exhaustion; and it takes but an hour, a minute, to turn all the chances +against one; and if Faidherbe had gained his victory nearer to Paris a +great sortie would have ensued, which might have entirely changed the +face of things--for these and other reasons, I suppose, all at once +there was much talk of humanity, mildness, peace; of the convocation of +an assembly at Bordeaux, where the true representatives of the nation +might settle everything, and restore order to our unhappy France. + +As soon as these rumors began to spread, George said that Alsace and +German Lorraine were to be sacrificed; that our egotists had come to an +understanding with the Germans; that all our defeats had been unable to +cast us down, and the Prussians were better pleased than ourselves to +come to an end of it, for they needed peace, having no reserves left to +throw into the scale; that Gambetta's enthusiasm and courage might at +once win over the most timid, and that then the Germans would be lost, +because a people that rises in a body, and at the same time possesses +arms and munitions of war in a third of our provinces, such a nation in +the long run would crush all resistance. + +I could say nothing. Even to-day I do not know what might have +happened. When Cousin George spoke, I was of his opinion; and then, +left to my own reflections, when I saw that immense body of prisoners +delivered by Bonaparte and Bazaine all at once; all our arms +surrendered at Metz and Strasbourg, and our fortresses fallen one after +another; then the ill-will, to say the least of all the former +place-holders under the Empire, three-fourths of whom were retaining +their posts--I thought it quite possible that we might wage against the +Germans a war much more dangerous than the first; that we might destroy +many more of the enemy at the same time with ourselves; but, if I had +been told to choose, I should have found it hard to decide. + +Of course, if the Prussians had been defeated in the interior, before +abandoning our country, they would have ruined us utterly, and set fire +to every village. I have myself several times heard a _Hauptmann_ at +Phalsbourg say, "You had better pray for us! For woe to you, if we +should be repulsed! All that you have hitherto suffered would be but a +joke. We would not leave one stone upon another in Alsace and +Lorraine. That would be our defensive policy. So pray for the success +of our armies. If we should be obliged to retire, you would be much to +be pitied!" + +I can hear these words still. + +But I would not have minded even that: I would have sacrificed house, +mill, and all, if we could only have finally been victorious and +remained French; but I was in doubt. Misery makes a man lose, not +courage, but confidence; and confidence is half the battle won. + +About that time we received Jacob's first letter; he was at Rastadt, +and I need not tell you what a relief it was to his mother to think +that she could go and see him in one day. + +Here is the letter, which I copy for you: + + +"MY DEAR FATHER AND MY DEAR MOTHER,-- + +"Thank God, I am not dead yet; and I should be glad to hear from you, +if possible. You must know that, on arriving at Lützelbourg, we were +sent off by railway in cattle-trucks. We were thirty or forty +together; and we were not so comfortable as to be able to sit, since +there were no seats, nor to breathe the air, as there was only a small +hole to each side. Those of us who wanted to breathe or to drink, +found a bayonet before our noses, and charitable souls were forbidden +to give us a glass of water. We remained in this position more than +twenty hours, standing, unable even to stoop a little. Many were taken +ill; and as for me, my thigh bones seemed to run up into my ribs, so +that I could scarcely breathe, and I thought with my comrades that they +had undertaken to exterminate us after some new fashion. + +"During the night we crossed the Rhine, and then we went on rolling +along the line, and travelling along the other side as far as Rastadt, +where we are now. The hindmost trucks, where I was, remained; the +others went on into Germany. We were first put into the casemates +under the ramparts; damp, cold vaults, where many others who had +arrived before us were dying like flies in October. The straw was +rotting--so were the men. The doctors in the town and those of the +Baden regiments were afraid of seeing sickness spreading in the +country; and since the day before yesterday those who are able to walk +have been made to come out. They have put us into large wooden huts +covered in with tarred felt, where we have each received a fresh bundle +of straw. Here we live, seated on the ground. We play at cards, some +smoke pipes, and the Badeners mount guard over us. The hut in which I +am--about three times as large as the old market-hall of Phalsbourg--is +situated between two of the town bastions; and if by some evil chance +any of us took a fancy to revolt, we should be so overwhelmed with shot +and shell that in ten minutes not a man would be left alive. We are +well aware of this, and it keeps our indignation within bounds against +these Badeners, who treat us like cattle. We get food twice a day--a +little haricot or millet soup, with a very small piece of meat about +the size of a finger: just enough to keep us alive. After such a +blockade as ours, something more is wanted to set us up; our noses +stand out of our faces like crows' bills, our cheeks sink in deeper and +deeper; and but for the guns pointed at us, we should have risen a +dozen times. + +"I hope, however, I may get over it; father's cloak keeps me warm, and +Cousin George's louis are very useful. With money you can get +anything; only here you have to pay five times the value of what you +want, for these Badeners are worse than Jews; they all want to make +their fortunes in the shortest time out of the unhappy prisoners. + +"I use my money sparingly. Instead of smoking, I prefer buying from +time to time a little meat or a very small bottle of wine to fortify my +stomach; it is much better for my health, and is the more enjoyable +when your appetite is good. My appetite has never failed. When the +appetite fails, comes the typhus. I do not expect I shall catch +typhus. But, if it please God to let me return to Rothalp, the very +first day I will have a substantial meal of ham, veal pie, and red +wine. I will also invite my comrades, for it is a dreadful thing to be +hungry. And now, to tell you the truth, I repent of having never given +a couple of sous to some poor beggar who asked me for alms in the +winter, saying that he had nothing, I know what hunger is now, and I +feel sorry. If you meet one in this condition, father or mother, +invite him in, give him bread, let him warm himself, and give him two +or three sous when he goes. Fancy that you are doing it for your son; +it will bring me comfort. + +"Perhaps mother will be able to come and see me: not many people are +allowed to come near us; a permit must be had from the commandant at +Rastadt. These Badeners and these Bavarians, who were said to be such +good Catholics, treat us as hardly as the Lutherans. I remember now +that Cousin George used to say that was only part of the play: he was +right. Instead of only praising and singing to our Lord, they would +much better follow His example. + +"Let mother try! Perhaps the commandant may have had a good dinner; +then he will be in a good temper, and will give her leave to come into +the huts: that is my wish. And now, to come to an end, I embrace you +all a hundred times; father, mother, Grédel, Cousin George, and Cousin +Marie Anne. + +"Your son, + "JACOB WEBER. + +"I forgot to tell you that several out of our battalion escaped from +Phalsbourg before and after the muster-call of the prisoners: in the +number was Jean Baptiste Werner. It is said that they have joined +Garibaldi: I wish I was with them. The Germans tell us that if they +can catch them they will shoot them down without pity; yes, but they +won't let themselves be caught; especially Jean Baptiste; he is a +soldier indeed! If we had but two hundred thousand of his sort, these +Badeners would not be bothering us with their haricot-soup, and their +cannons full of grape-shot. + +"RASTADT, _January_ 6, 1871." + + +From that moment my wife only thought of seeing Jacob again; she made +up her bundle, put into her basket sundry provisions, and in a couple +of days started for Rastadt. + +I put no hindrance in her way, thinking she would have no rest until +she had embraced our boy. + +Grédel was quite easy, knowing that Jean Baptiste Werner was with +Garibaldi. I even think she had had news from him; but she showed us +none of his letters, and had again begun to talk about her +marriage-portion, reminding me that her mother had had a hundred louis, +and that she ought to have the same. She insisted upon knowing where +our money was hidden, and I said to her, "Search; if you can find it, +it is yours." + +Girls who want to be married are so awfully selfish; if they can only +have the man they want, house, family, native land, all is one to them. +They are not all like that; but a good half. I was so annoyed with +Grédel that I began to wish her Jean Baptiste would come back, that I +might marry them and count out her money. + +But more serious affairs were then attracting the eyes of all Alsace +and France. + +Gambetta had been blamed for having detached Bourbaki's army to our +succor by raising the blockade of Belfort. It has been said that this +movement enabled the combined forces of Prince Frederick Charles, and +of Mecklenburg, to fall upon Chanzy and overwhelm him, and that our two +central armies ought to have naturally supported each other. Possibly! +I even believe that Gambetta committed a serious error in dividing our +forces: but, it must be acknowledged, that if the winter had not been +against us--if the cold had not, at that very crisis of our fate, +redoubled in intensity, preventing Bourbaki from advancing with his +guns and warlike stores with the rapidity necessary to prevent De +Werder from fortifying his position and receiving +reinforcements--Alsace would have been delivered, and we might even +have attacked Germany itself by the Grand Duchy of Baden. Then how +many men would have risen in a moment! Many times George and I, +watching these movements, said to each other: "If they only get to +Mutzig, we will go!" + +Yes, in war everything cannot succeed; and when you have against you +not only the enemy, but frost, ice, snow, bad roads; whilst the enemy +have the railroads, which they had been stupidly allowed to take at the +beginning of the campaign, and are receiving without fatigue or danger, +troops, provisions, munitions of war, whatever they want; then if good +plans don't turn out successful, it is not the last but the first +comers who are to be blamed. + +But for the heavy snows which blocked up the roads, Bourbaki would have +surprised Werder. The Germans were expecting this, for all at once the +requisitions began again. The Landwehr, this time from Metz, and +commanded by officers in spectacles, began to pass through our +villages; they were the last that we saw; they came from the farthest +extremity of Prussia. I heard them say that they had been three days +and three nights on the railway; and now they were continuing their +road to Belfort by forced marches, because other troops from Paris were +crowding the Lyons railway. + +George could not understand how men should come from Paris, and said: +"Those people are lying! If the troops engaged in the siege were +coming away, the Parisians would come out and follow them up." + +At the same time we learned that the Germans were evacuating Dijon, +Gray, Vesoul, places which the francs-tireurs of Garibaldi immediately +occupied; that Werder was throwing up great earthworks against Belfort; +things were looking serious; the last forces of Germany were coming +into action. + +Then, too, the _Indépendance_ talked of nothing but peace, and the +convocation of a National Assembly at Bordeaux; the English newspapers +began again to commiserate our loss, as they had done at the beginning +of the war, saying that after the first battle her Majesty the Queen +would interpose between us. I believe that if the French had +conquered, the English Government would have cried, "Halt--enough! too +much blood has flown already." + +But as we were conquered, her Majesty did not come and separate us; no +doubt she was of opinion that everything was going on very favorably +for her son-in-law, the good Fritz! + +So all this acting on the part of the newspapers was beginning again; +and if Bourbaki's attempt had prospered, the outcries, the fine +phrases, the tender feelings for our poor human race, civilization and +international rights would have redoubled, to prevent us from pushing +our advantages too far. + +Unhappily, fortune was once more against us. When I say fortune, let +me be understood: the Germans, who had no more forces to draw from +their own country, still had some to spare around Paris, which they +could dispose of without fear: they felt no uneasiness in that quarter, +as we have learned since. + +If General Trochu had listened to the Parisians, who were unanimous in +their desire to fight, Manteuffel could not have withdrawn from the +besieging force 80,000 men to crush Bourbaki, 120 leagues away; nor +General Van Goeben 40,000 to fall upon Faidherbe in the north; nor +could others again have joined Frederick Charles to overwhelm Chanzy. +This is clear enough! The fortune of the Germans at this time was not +due to the genius of their chiefs, or the courage and the number of +their men; but to the inaction of General Trochu! Yes, this is the +fact! But it must also be owned that Gambetta, Bourbaki, Faidherbe, +and Chanzy ought to have allowed for this. + +However, France has not perished yet; but she has been most unfortunate! + +The cold was intense. Bourbaki was approaching Belfort; he took +Esprels and Villersexel at the point of the bayonet; then all Alsace +rejoiced to hear that he was at Montbéliard, Sar-le-Château, Vyans, +Comte-Hénaut and Chusey; retaking all this land of good people, more +ill-fated still than we, since they knew not a word of German, and that +bad race bore them ill-will in consequence. + +Our confidence was returning. Every evening George and I, by the +fireside, talked of these affairs; reading the paper three or four +times over, to get at something new. + +My wife had returned from Rastadt full of indignation against the +Badeners, for not having allowed her to see Jacob, or even to send him +the provisions she had brought. She had only seen, at a distance, the +wooden huts, with their four lines of sentinels, the palisades, and the +ditches that surrounded them. Grédel, Marie Anne, and she, talked only +of these poor prisoners; vowing to make a pilgrimage to Marienthal if +Jacob came back safe and sound. + +Fatigue, anxiety, the high price of provisions, the fear of coming +short altogether if the war went on, all this gave us matter for +serious reflection; and yet we went on hoping, when the _Indépendance_ +brought us the report of General Chanzy upon the combats at Montfort, +Champagne, Parigne, l'Eveque, and other places where our columns, +overpowered by the 120,000 men of Frederick Charles and the Duke of +Mecklenburg, had been obliged to retire to their last lines around Le +Mans. That evening, as we were going home upon the stroke of ten, +George said: "I don't believe much in pilgrimages, although several of +my old shipmates in the _Boussole_ had full confidence in our Lady of +Good Deliverance: I have never made any vows; these are no part of my +principles; but I promise to drink two bottles of good wine with +Christian in honor of the Republic, and to distribute one for every +poor man in the village if we gain the great battle of to-morrow. +According to Chanzy our army is driven to bay; it has fallen back upon +its last position, and the great blow will be struck. Good-night." + +"Good-night, George and Marie Anne." + +We went out by moonlight, the hoar-frost was glittering on the ground; +it was the 15th of January, 1871. + +The next day no _Indépendance_ arrived, nor the next day; it often had +missed, and would come three or four numbers together. Fresh rumors +had spread; there was a report of a lost battle; the Landwehr at +Phalsbourg were rejoicing and drinking champagne. + +On the 18th, about two in the afternoon, the foot-postman Michel +arrived. I was waiting at my cousin's. We were walking up and down, +smoking and looking out of the windows; Michel was still in the +passage, when George opened the door and cried: "Well?" "Here they +are, Monsieur Weber." + +My cousin sat at his desk. "Now we will see," said he, changing color. + +But instead of beginning with the first, he opened the second, and read +aloud that report of Chanzy's in which he said that all was going on +well the evening before; but that a panic which seized upon the Breton +Mobiles had disordered the army, without the possibility of either he +or the Vice-Admiral Jaurréguiberry being able to check or stop it; so +that the Prussians had rushed pell-mell into the unhappy city of Le +Mans, mingled with our own troops, and taken a large body of prisoners. + +I saw the countenance of my cousin change every moment; at last, he +flung the journal upon the table, crying: "All is lost!" + +It was as if he had pierced my heart with a knife. Yet I took up the +paper and read to the end. Chanzy had not lost all hope of rallying +his army at Laval, and Gambetta was hastening to join him, to support +him with his courageous spirit. + +"There now," said George, "look at that!" + +Placiard was passing the house arm-in-arm with a Landwehr officer, +followed by a few men; they were making requisitions, and entered the +house opposite. "There is the Plébiscite in flesh and blood. Now that +scoundrel is working for his Imperial Majesty William I., for the +Germans have their emperor, as we have had ours; they will soon learn +the cost of glory; each has his turn! By and by, when the reins are +tightened, these poor Germans will be looking in every direction to see +if the French are not revolting; but France will be tranquil: they +themselves will have riveted their own chains, and their masters will +draw the reins tighter and tighter, saying: 'Now, then, Mechle!* +Attention! eyes right; eyes left. Ah! you lout, do you make a wry +face? I will show you that might is right in Germany, as everywhere +else, if you don't know it already. Whack! how do you like that, +Mechle? Aha! did you think you were getting victories for German +Fatherland and German liberty, idiot? You find out now that it was to +put yourself again under the yoke, as after 1815; just to show you the +difference between the noble German lord and a brute of your own sort. +Get on, Mechle!'" + + +* Nickname for the Germans, answering to the English "John Bull," and +the French "Jaques Bonhomme." + + +George exclaimed: "How miserable to be surprised and deluged as we have +been daily by six hundred thousand Germans, and to have our hands bound +like culprits, without arms, munitions, orders, chiefs, or anything! +Ah! the deputies of the majority who voted for war would not demand +compulsory service; they feared to arm the nation. They would not risk +the bodies of their own sons; the people alone should fight to defend +their places, their salaries, their châteaux, their property of every +sort! Miserable self-seekers! they are the cause of our ruin! their +names should be exposed in every commune, to teach our children to +execrate them." + +He was becoming embittered, and it is not surprising, for every day we +heard of fresh reverses: first the surrender of Veronne, just when +Faidherbe was coming to deliver it, and the retreat of our army of the +North upon Lille and Cambrai, before the overwhelming forces of Van +Goeben, fresh from Paris; then the grand attack of Bourbaki from +Montbéliard to Mont Vaudois, which he had pursued three successive +days, the 15th, 16th, and 17th January without success, on account of +the reinforcements which Werder had received, and the horrible state of +the roads, broken up by the rain and the snow; lastly, the arrival of +Manteuffel, with his 80,000 men, also from Paris--to cut off his +retreat. + +Then we understood that the Landwehr had been right in telling us that +they were getting reinforcements from Paris; and George, who understood +such things better than I, suddenly conceived a horror for those who +were commanding there. + +"Either," he said, "the Parisians are afraid to fight--which I cannot +believe, for I know them--or the men in command are incapable--or +traitors. Hitherto relieving armies have been sent in support of a +besieged city; now we see the besiegers of a city twice as strong as +themselves in men, arms, and munitions of every kind, detaching whole +armies to crush our troops fighting in the provinces: the thing is +incredible! I am certain that the Parisians are demanding to be led +out, especially as they are suffering from famine. Well, if sorties +were taking place, the Germans would want all their men down there, and +would be unable to come and overwhelm our already overtasked armies." + +Let them explain these things as they will, George was right. Since +the Germans were able to send away from Paris 40,000 men in one +direction, and 80,000 in another, evidently they were free to undertake +what they pleased; instead of surrounding the city with troops, they +might have set helmets and cloaks upon sticks all round, for +scarecrows, as they do to keep sparrows out of a corn-field. + +Here, then, is how we have lost: it was the incapacity of the man who +was commanding at Paris, and the weakness of the Government of +Defence--and especially of Monsieur Jules Favre!--who, when they ought +to have replaced this orator by a man of action, as Gambetta demanded, +had not the courage to fulfil their duty. Everybody knows this; why +not say it openly? + +The only thing which cheered us a little about the end of this terrible +month of January, was to learn that the francs-tireurs had blown up the +bridge of Fontenoy, on the railroad between Nancy and Toul. But our +joy was not of long duration; for three or four days after, +proclamations posted at the door of the mayoralty-house gave notice +that the Germans had utterly consumed the village of Fontenoy, to +punish the inhabitants for not having denounced the francs-tireurs; and +that all we Lorrainers were condemned, for the same offence, to pay an +extraordinary contribution of ten millions to his Majesty, the Emperor +of Germany. At the same time, as the French workmen were refusing to +repair this bridge, the Prussian prefect of La Menotte wrote to the +Mayor of Nancy: + +"If to-morrow, Tuesday, January 24, at twelve o'clock, five hundred men +from the dockyards of the city are not at the station, first the +foremen, then a certain number of the workmen, will be arrested and +shot immediately." + +This prefect's name was Renard--"Count Renard." + +I mention this that his name may not be forgotten. + +But all this was nothing, compared with what was to follow. One +morning the Prussians had given me a few sacks of corn to grind; I +dared not refuse to work for them, as they would have crushed me with +blows and requisitions: they might have carried me off nearly to Metz +again, they might even have shot me. I had pleaded the snow, the ice, +the failure of the water, which prevented me from grinding; +unfortunately, rain had fallen in abundance, the snow was melting, the +mill-dam was full, and on the 2d or 3d of February (I am not sure +which, I am so confused) I was piling up the sacks of that wicked set +in my mill; Father Offran and Catherine were helping; Grédel, upstairs, +was dressing herself, after sweeping the house and lighting the kitchen +fire. It was about eight o'clock in the morning, when looking out into +the street by chance, where the water was rattling down the gutters, I +saw George and Marie Anne coming. + +My cousin was taking long strides, his wife coming after him; farther +on a Landwehr was coming too: the people were sweeping before their +doors, without caring how they bespattered the passers-by. George, +near the mill, cried out, "Do you know what is going on?" + +"No--what?" + +"Well, an armistice has been concluded for twenty-one days; the Paris +forts are given up: the Prussians may set fire to the city when they +please. Now they may send all their troops and all their artillery +against Bourbaki; for the armistice does not extend to the operations +in the east." + +George was pale with excitement, his voice shook. Grédel, at the top +of the stairs, was hastily twisting her hair into a knot. + +"Look, Christian," said my cousin, pulling a paper out of his pocket; +"the armies of Bourbaki and Garibaldi are surrendered by this +armistice. Manteuffel has come down from Paris with 80,000 men to +occupy the passes of the Jura in their rear: the unfortunate men are +caught as in a vice, between him and Werder; and all who have escaped +from the hands of the Prussians and taken service again, like our poor +Mobiles of Phalsbourg, will be shot!" + +While cousin was speaking, Grédel had come downstairs, without even +putting on her slippers; she was leaning against him, as pale as death, +trying to read over his shoulder; when suddenly she tore the paper from +his hands. George wished he had said nothing; but it was too late! + +Grédel, after having read with clinched teeth, ran off like a mad +woman, uttering fearful screams: "Oh! the wretches! ... Oh! my poor +Jean Baptiste! ... Oh! the thieves! ... Oh! my poor Jean Baptiste!" + +She seemed to be seeking something to fight with. And as we stood +confounded at her outcries, I said: "Grédel, for Heaven's sake don't +scandalize us in this way. The people will hear you from the other end +of the village!" She answered in a fury: "Hold your tongue! You are +the cause of it all!" + +"I!" said I, indignantly. + +"Yes, you!" she shrieked, with a terrible flashing in her eyes: "you, +with your Plébiscite; deceiving everybody by promising them peace! You +deserve to be along with Bazaine and the rest of them." + +And my wife cried: "That girl will be the death of us." + +She had sat down upon the stairs. Marie Anne, with her hands clasped, +said: "Do forgive her; her mind is going." + +Never had I felt so humbled; to be treated thus by my own daughter! +But Grédel respected nothing now; and Cousin George, trying to get in a +word, she exclaimed: "You! you! an old soldier! Are you not ashamed of +staying here, instead of going to fight? The Landwehr are as old as +you, with their gray hairs and their spectacles; they don't make +speeches; they all march. And that's why we are beaten!" + +At last I became furious; and I was looking for my cowhide behind the +door, to bring her to her senses, when, unfortunately, a Landwehr came +in to ask if the flour was ready. The moment Grédel caught sight of +him, she uttered such a savage shriek that my ears still tingle with +it, and in a second she had laid hold of her hatchet; George had +scarcely time to seize her by her twisted back hair, when the hatchet +had flown from her hand, whizzing through the air, and was quivering +three inches deep in the door-post. + +The Landwehr, an elderly man, with great eyes and a red nose, had seen +the steel flash past close to his ear; he had heard it whiz, and as +Grédel was struggling with George, crying: "Oh, the villain; I have +missed him!" he turned, and ran off at the top of his speed. I ran to +the mill-dam, supposing he was going to the mayor's, but no, he ran a +great deal farther than that, and never stopped till he reached Wéchem. + +Then Grédel became aware that she had made a mistake; she went up into +her room, put on her shoes, took her basket, went into the kitchen for +a knife and a loaf, and then she left the house; running down the other +side of the hill to gain the Krapenfelz, where our cow was with several +others, under the charge of the old rag-dealer. + +"This is a very bad business," said George, fixing his eyes upon me; +"that Landwehr will denounce you: this evening the Prussian gendarmes +will be here. I'm sure I don't know, my poor Christian, where you got +that girl from; amongst those who have gone before us, there must have +been some very different from your poor mother, and grandmother +Catherine." + +"What would you have," said Marie Anne; "she is fond of her Jean +Baptiste." And I thought: "If he but had her now; it is not I would +refuse them permission to marry now; no, not I. I only wish they were +married already!" + +I was thinking how I might settle this dangerous business. George said +we must overtake the Landwehr, and slip three or four cent-sous pieces +in his hand, to induce him to hold his tongue: the Prussians are +softened with money. But where could he be found now? How was he to +be overtaken? I had no longer my two beautiful nags. So I resolved to +leave it all to Providence. + +To my great surprise, the Landwehr never returned. That same day two +other Germans, with Lieutenant Hartig, came to take an invoice of the +flour, without mentioning that affair: one would have thought that +nothing had occurred. The next day, and the day after that, we were +still in painful expectation; but that man gave no sign of appearing. +No doubt he must have been a marauder; one of those base fellows who +enter houses without orders, to receive requisitions of every kind, to +sell again in the neighboring villages; such things had been done more +than once since the arrival of the Germans. This is the conclusion I +came to by and by; but at that time the fear of seeing that fellow +returning with the gendarmes, left me no peace; every minute my wife, +standing at the door, would say: "Christian, run! Here are the +Prussian gendarmes coming!" + +For a cow, or a Jew astride upon a donkey at the end of the road, she +would throw one into fits. + +Grédel remained a week in the woods in the Krapenfelz. Every day the +woodman brought her news of what was going on in the village. At last +she came back, laughing; she went up into her room to change her +clothes, and resumed her work without any allusion to the past. We did +not want to start the subject of Jean Baptiste again; but she herself, +seeing us dispirited, at last said to us: "Pooh! it's all right now. +There; look at that!" + +It was a letter from Jean Baptiste Werner, which she had received among +the rocks on the Krapenfelz. In that letter, which I read with much +astonishment, Werner related that he had at first wished to join +Garibaldi at Dijon; but that for want of money he had been obliged to +stop at Besançon, where the volunteers of the Vosges and of Alsace were +being organized; that upon the arrival of Bourbaki, he had enlisted as +a gunner in the 20th corps. Two days after there were engagements at +Esprels and Villersexel, where more than four thousand Prussians had +remained on the field. The cold was extraordinary. The Prussians, +repulsed by our columns, had retired from village to village, on the +other side of the Lisaine, between Montbéliard and Mont Vaudois. There +Werner, behind a deep ravine, had mounted batteries of +twenty-four-pounders, well protected, on three stages, one over +another; his army and his reinforcements were concentrated and securely +intrenched. In spite of this, Bourbaki, wanting to relieve Belfort and +descend into Alsace, had given orders for a general assault, and all +that country, for three days, resembled a sea of smoke and flame under +the tremendous fire of the hostile armies. Unhappily, the passage +could not be forced; and the exhaustion of munitions, the fatigue, the +sharp sufferings of cold and hunger--for there were no stores of +clothing and provisions in our rear--all these causes had compelled us +to retire, but in the hope of renewing the assault; when all at once +the news spread that another German army was standing in our line of +retreat, near Dôle: a considerable army, from Paris. They had hurried +to get clear as far as possible by gaining Pontarlier; but these fresh +troops had a great advantage over us. Werder, also, was following us +up; and we were going to be surrounded on all sides around Besançon. +Jean Baptiste went on to say that then Bourbaki had attempted his own +life, and was seriously wounded; that General Clinchamp had then +assumed the command-in-chief; but that all these disasters would not +have hindered us from arriving at Lyons, across the Jura, if the Maires +of the villages had not published the armistice, causing the army to +neglect to secure a line of retreat; that a great number had even lain +down their arms and withdrawn into the villages; that the Prussians had +kept advancing, and that only in the evening, when they had occupied +all the passes, General Manteuffel declared that the armistice did not +extend to operations in the east, and that our army must lay down their +arms, as those of Sedan and Metz had done! But the soldiers of the +Republic refused to surrender, and they had made a passage through the +ice, the snow, and thousands of Prussian corpses, to Switzerland. + +Jean Baptiste Werner related, in this long letter, full particulars of +all that he had suffered; the attacks delivered by the corps of General +Billot, who was charged to protect the retreat, upon the rocks, at the +foot of precipices, in all the deep passes where the enemy lay in wait +to cut off our retreat; how many of our poor fellows had perished of +cold and hunger! And then the admirable reception given to our unhappy +soldiers by the noble Swiss, who had received them not as strangers, +but as brothers: every town, village, and house, was opened to them +with kindness. It is manifest that the Swiss are a great people; for +greatness is not to be measured by the extent of a country, and the +number of the inhabitants, as the Germans suppose; but by the humanity +of the people, the elevation of their character, their respect for +unsuccessful courage, their love of justice and of liberty. + +How much help have the Swiss sent us in succor, in money, in clothing, +in food, in seed corn, for our poor fellow-countrymen ruined by the +war! It came to Saverne, to Phalsbourg, to Petite Pierre--everywhere. +Ah, we perceived then that heaven and earth had not altogether deserted +us; we saw that there were yet brave hearts, true republicans; that all +men were not born for fire, pillage, and slaughter; that there are men +in the world besides hypocrites--true Christians, inspired by Him who +said to men: "love one another; ye are brethren." He would not have +invented petroleum bombshells, or declared that brute-force dominated +over right, like those barbarians from the other side of the Rhine. + +That letter of Jean Baptiste Werner's pleased me; it was clear that he +was a brave man and a good patriot. But in the meanwhile, the policy +of Bismarck and Jules Favre went on its way. The order of the day was, +"elect deputies to sit in the assembly at Bordeaux," which was to +decide for peace, or the continuance of the war: the twenty-one days' +armistice had no other object, it was said. + +So those who did not care to become Prussians took up arms, George and +I the first; myself with the greatest zeal, for every day I reproached +myself with that abominable Plébiscite as a crime. And now began the +old story again: no Legitimists, no Bonapartists, no Orleanists could +be found; all cried: "We are Republicans. Vote for us!" + +But in every part of the country through which the Prussians had gone, +the Plébiscite was remembered; the people were beginning to understand +that this unworthy farce was our ruin, and that men should be judged by +their actions, not their words. + +At Strasbourg, at Nancy, all who desired to remain French nominated two +lists of old republicans, who immediately started for Bordeaux. +Gambetta was elected by us and by La Meurthe; he was also elected in +many other departments, with Thiers, Garibaldi, Faidherbe, Chanzy, etc. + +These elections once more revived our hopes. We supposed that +everything had taken place in the West and the South as with us. + +Gambetta, who never lost his sound judgment in critical moments, had +declared that all the old official deputies of Bonaparte, all the +senators, councillors of State, and prefects of the Empire, were +disqualified for election. George commended him. "When a spendthrift +devours all his living in debauchery, he is put under restraint; much +more, therefore," he urged, "ought men to be restrained who have +devoured the wealth of the nation and put our two finest provinces in +jeopardy. All these men ought forever to be held incapable of +exercising political functions." + +But Bismarck, who relied chiefly on the old Imperial functionaries, by +way of testifying his gratitude to the _honest man_ for all he had done +for Prussia--for his noble behavior at Sedan, and his gift of Metz to +his Majesty, William--protested against this manifesto by Gambetta: he +declared that the elections would not then be free, and that liberty +was so dear to his heart, that he had rather break the armistice than +in any way cramp the freedom of the elections. + +George, on hearing this, broke out into a rage. "What," he cried, +"this Bismarck, who has warned the Prussian deputies to be careful of +their expressions in speaking of the nobleness and the majesty of King +William, 'because laws exist in Prussia against servants who presume to +insult their masters'--this very Bismarck comes here to defend liberty, +and support the accomplices of Bonaparte! Oh! these defenders of +liberty!" + +Unhappily, all this was useless; the Prussians were already in the +forts of Paris, and the menaces of Bismarck had more weight in France +than the words of Gambetta. Therefore, once more we had to yield to +his Majesty, William, and many of our deputies are indebted to him for +their admission into the Chambers of Bordeaux. + +These defenders of the Republic immediately showed that they were not +ungrateful to Bismarck; for they hissed Garibaldi, who had come from +Italy, old, sick, and infirm, with his two sons, to fight the enemies +of France, and uphold justice, when all Europe held aloof! + +Garibaldi was not even allowed to reply: these representatives of the +people hissed him down! He calmly withdrew! + +The Sunday following--I am ashamed to say it--our curé Daniel, and many +other curés in our neighborhood, preached that Garibaldi was a +_canaille_. I am not condemning them; I am simply stating a fact. +They had received orders from their bishops, and they obeyed; for the +poor country priest is at his bishop's mercy, and under his orders, +like a whip in a driver's hand; if he disobeys, he is turned out! I +know that many would rather have been silent than said such things, and +I pity them! + +Well, Bismarck might well laugh; he had more friends among us than was +believed. Those who want to make their profits out of nations, always +come to an understanding; their interests and their enemies are the +same. + +Then the Assembly of Bordeaux voted peace. No hard matter; only +involving the sacrifice of Alsace and Lorraine, and five milliards as +an indemnity for the trouble which the Prussians had taken in +bombarding, devastating, and stripping us! + +Then our unhappy deputies of Alsace and Lorraine were declared to be +German by their French brothers, against every feeling of justice; for +nobody in the world had the right to make Germans of us; to rend us +from the body of our French mother-country, and fling us bleeding into +the barbarian's camp, as a lump of living flesh is thrown to a wild +beast, to satisfy it; no, no one in the world had this right. We alone +freely ought to choose, and decide by our own votes, whether we would +become Germans or remain French. But with Bismarck and William, right, +liberty, and justice are powerless; might is everything. Our sorrowing +deputies at last protested: + +"The representatives of Alsace and Lorraine, previous to any +negotiations for peace, have laid upon the table of the National +Assembly a declaration, by which they affirm, in the clearest and most +emphatic language, that their will and their right is to remain +Frenchmen. + +"Delivered up, in contempt of justice, and by a hateful exercise of +power, to the dominion of the foreigner, we have one last sad duty to +fulfil. + +"We again declare null and void a compact which disposes of us against +our consent. + +"The revindication of our rights remains forever open to each and all, +after the form and in the measure which our consciences may dictate. + +"In taking leave of this Chamber, in which it would be a lowering of +our dignity to sit longer, and in spite of the bitterness of our +sorrow, our last impulse is one of gratitude for the men who for six +months have never ceased to defend us; and we are filled with a deep +and unalterable love for our mother-country, from which we are +violently torn. + +"We will ever follow you with our prayers; and with unshaken confidence +we await the future day when regenerated France shall resume the course +of her high destiny. + +"Your brothers of Alsace and Lorraine, separated at this moment from +the common family, away from their home, will ever cherish a filial +affection for their beloved France, until the day when she shall come +to reclaim her place among us." + +These were their words. + +Monsieur Thiers asked them if they knew any other way of saving France? +No reply was made. Unfortunately there was none: after the +capitulation of Paris, the sacrifice of an arm was needful to save the +body. + +Half the deputies were already thinking of other things; peace made, +they only thought of naming a king, and of decapitalizing Paris, as the +newspapers said, to punish it for having proclaimed the Republic! All +these people, who had presented themselves before the electors with +professions of republicanism, were royalists. + +Gambetta, having accepted the representation of the Bas Rhin (Alsace), +left the chamber with the deputies; and other old republicans, +contemptuously hissed whenever they opened their mouths, gave in their +resignations. + +Paris was agitated. A rising was apprehended. + +About that time, early in March, 1871, Prussian tax-collectors, +controllers, _gardes généraux_, and other functionaries, came to +replace our own; we were warned that the French language would be +abolished in our schools, and that the brave Alsacians who felt any +wish to join the armies of the King of Prussia, would be met with every +possible consideration; they might even be admitted into the guard of +his Royal and Imperial Majesty. About this time, an old friend of +Cousin George's, Nicolas Hague, a master saddler, a wealthy and highly +respectable man, came to see him from Paris. + +Nicolas Hague had bought many vineyards in Alsace; he had planned, +before the war, to retire amongst us, as soon as he had settled his +affairs; but after all the cruelties perpetrated by the Germans, and +seeing our country fallen into their hands, he was in haste to sell his +vineyards again, not caring to live amongst such barbarians. + +George and Marie Anne were delighted to receive this old friend; and +immediately an upstairs room was got ready for him, and he made himself +at home. + +He was a man of fifty, with red ears, a kind of collar of beard around +his face, large, velvet waistcoat adorned with gold chains and seals; a +thorough Alsacian, full of experience and sound common-sense. + +His wife, a native of Bar-le-Duc, and his two daughters were staying +with their relations; they were resting, and recruiting their strength +after the sufferings and agonies of the siege; he was as busy as +possible getting rid of his property; for he looked upon it as a +disgrace to bring into the world children destined to have their faces +slapped, in honor of the King of Prussia. + +I remember that on the second day after his arrival, as we were all +dining together at my cousin's, after having explained to us his views, +Nicolas Hague began telling us the miseries of the siege of Paris. He +told us that during the whole of that long winter, every day, were seen +before the bakers' shops and the butchers' stalls strings of old men +half clothed, and poor women holding their children, discolored with +the cold, close in their arms, waiting three or four hours in rain, +snow, and wind, for a small piece of black bread, or of horse flesh; +which often never came! Never had he heard any of these unhappy people +expressing any desire to surrender; but superior officers and staff +officers had shamelessly declared, from the earliest days of the siege, +that Paris could not hold out! And these men, formerly so proud of +their rank, their epaulettes, and their titles, who were solely charged +to defend us, and to uphold the honor of the nation, discouraged by +their language those who were trusting in them, and whose bread they +had eaten for years passed in useless reviews and parades, in frivolous +fêtes at St. Cloud, at Compiègne, the Tuileries, and elsewhere. + +According to Nicolas Hague, all our disasters, from Sedan to the +capitulation of Paris, were attributable to the disaffection of the +staff officers, the committees, and those former Bonapartist +place-holders, who knew well that if the Republic drove out the +Prussians, nobody in the world would be able to destroy it; and as they +did not care for the Republic, they acted accordingly. + +"There is a great outcry at the present moment against General Trochu," +said he, "principally got up by the Bonapartists, who, in their hearts, +reproach him with having supported France rather than their dynasty. +They make him responsible for all our calamities; and many Republicans +are simple enough to believe them. But, when it is remembered that +this man arrived only at the last moment, when all was lost already; +when the Prussians were advancing by forced marches upon Paris; when +MacMahon was forsaking the capital, _by order of the Emperor_, to go to +Sedan, to get the army crushed down there which was to have covered us; +when it is remembered that at that moment Paris had no arms, no +munitions of war, no provisions, no troops; that the whole +neighborhood, men, women, and children, were taking refuge in the city; +that wagons full of furniture, hay, and straw were choking the streets; +that order had to be restored amidst this abominable confusion, the +forts armed, the National Guard organized, the inhabitants put upon +rations, etc.; and, then, that all those thousands of men, who did not +know even how to keep in ranks, were to be taught to handle a musket, +to march, and, finally, led under fire;--when all these things are +remembered, it must be acknowledged that, for one man, it was too much, +and that, if faults have been committed, it is not General Trochu who +is to be blamed, but the miserable men who brought us to such a pass. +Above all, let us be just. It is quite clear that, if General Trochu +had had under his orders real soldiers, commanded by real officers, he +might have made great sorties, broken the lines, or at least kept the +Germans busy round the place. But how could I, Nicolas Hague, saddler, +Claude Frichet, the grocer round the corner, and a couple of hundred +thousand others like us, who did not even know the word of command--how +could we fight like old troops? We were not wanting in good will, nor +in courage; but every man to his trade. As for our percussion rifles, +and our flint locks, and a hundred other discouraging things, you feel +utterly cast down when you know that the enemy are well armed and +supported by a terrible artillery. Trochu was well aware of these +things; and I believe that neither he, nor Jules Favre, nor Gambetta, +nor any of those who declared themselves Republicans on the 4th of +September, are responsible for our misfortunes, but only Bonaparte and +his crew!" + +At last, having heard Nicolas Hague explain his views, seeing that we +had been delivered up by selfish men--as Cousin Jacques Desjardins had +foreseen four months before--but that the Republic was in existence, +and that no doubt justice would be done upon all who had brought us +into this sad condition, by which means we might rise some day and get +our turn, I had resolved to sell my mill, my land, and everything that +belonged to me in the country, and go and settle in France; for the +sight of Placiard and the other Prussian functionaries, who were +fraternizing together, and shouting, "Long live old Germany!" made my +blood boil. I could not stand it. + +Cousin George, to whom I mentioned my design, said: "Then, if all the +Alsacians and Lorrainers go, in five or six years all our country will +be Prussian. Instead of going to America, the Germans will pour in +here by hundreds of thousands; they will find in our country, almost +for nothing, fields, meadows, vineyards, hop-grounds, noble forests, +the finest lands, the richest and most productive in Central Europe. +How delighted would Bismarck and William be if they saw us decamping! +No, no; I'll stay. But this does not mean that I am becoming a +Prussian--quite the contrary. But in this ill-drawn treaty there are +two good articles; the first affirms that the Alsacians and the +Lorrainers, dwelling in Alsace and Lorraine, may, up to the month of +October, 1872, declare their intention of remaining French, on +condition of possessing an estate in France; the second affirms that +the French may retain their landed estates in Germany. + +"Well, I at once elect to remain a Frenchman, and I take up my abode in +Paris with my friend Nicolas Hague, who will be happy to do me this +service. I don't want to become a burgomaster, a municipal councillor, +or anything of that kind; it will be enough for me to possess good +land, a thriving business, and a pleasant house. Yes--I intend to +declare at once; and if all who are able to secure an abode in France +will do as I am doing, we shall have German authorities over us, it is +true, but the land and the people will remain French and the land and +the men are everything. + +"Were not the old préfets and sous-préfets of the _honest man_ +intruders, just as much as these men are? Did they care for anything +but making us pay what the chambers had voted, and compelling us to +elect for deputies old fogies who would be safe to vote whichever way +the Emperor required them? Did they trouble themselves about us, our +commerce, our trade, any farther than merely to draw from us the best +part of our profits for themselves, their friends, their acquaintances, +and all the supporters of the dynasty of the perjurer? + +"These new préfets, these _kreis-directors_, these burgomasters, set +over us to defend the Prussian dynasty, will not concern us much more +than the others did. At first they will try mildness; and as we have +been well able to remain French under the préfets of Bonaparte, so we +may live and remain French under those of Emperor William. + +"My principal concern is that a large majority should declare as I am +about to do. The fear is lest the Placiards, and other mayors of the +Empire kept in their places by the Prussians, will be able to turn +aside the people from declaring themselves as Frenchmen, by +intimidating them with threats of being looked upon suspiciously, or +even of being expelled; the fear is lest these fellows should keep back +day after day those who are afraid of deciding: for when once the day +is past, those who have not declared for France will be +Prussians--their children will serve and be subject to blows at the age +of twenty, for old Germany; and those who have already fled into France +will be forced to return or renounce their inheritance forever. + +"My chief hope now is that the French journals, which are always so +busy saying useless things, will now, without fail, warn the Alsacians +and Lorrainers of their danger, and explain to them that if they +declare for France their persons and their property will be guaranteed +in safety by the treaty; but if they neglect to do so, their persons +and their property fall under the Prussian laws. They would even do +well to furnish a clear and simple form of declaration. By this step, +all who are interested would be clearly informed, and these papers +would have done the greatest service to France. + +"As for me, here I stay! I am here upon my own land; I have bought it; +I have paid for it with the sweat of my brow. I will pay the taxes; I +will hold my tongue, that I may be neither worried nor driven away. I +will sell my crops to the Germans as dearly as I can; I will employ +none but Frenchmen; and if the Republic acquires strength, as I hope it +will--for now the people see what Monarchies have been able to do for +us--if the nation transacts its own business wisely, sensibly, with +moderation, good order, and reflection, she will soon rise again, and +will once more become powerful. In ten years our losses will be +repaired: we shall possess well-informed constituencies, national +armies, upright administrations, a commissariat, and a staff very +different from that which we have known. + +"Then let the French return; they will find us, as before, ready to +receive them with open arms, and to march at their sides. + +"But if they pursue their old course of _coups d'état_ and revolutions; +if the adventurers, the Jesuits, and the egotists form another +coalition against justice; if they recommence their disgraceful farces +of plébiscites and constitutions by yes and no, with bayonets pointed +at people's throats and with electors of whom one-half cannot read; if +they bestow places again by patronage and recommendation of friends, +instead of honestly throwing them open to competition; if they refuse +elementary education and compulsory military service; if they will +have, as in past times, an ignorant populace, and an army filled with +mercenaries, in order that the sons of nobles and bourgeois may remain +peaceably at home, whilst the poor labor like beasts of burden, and go +and meet their deaths upon battle-fields for masters they have no +concern with:--in a word, if they overthrow the Republic and set up +Monarchy again, then what miseries may we not expect? Poor France, +rent by her own children, will end like Poland; all our conquests of +'89 will be lost. Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, all the free +nations of the Continent will share our fate; the great splay feet of +the Germans will overspread Europe, and we unhappy Alsacians and +Lorrainers will be forced to bow the head under the yoke, or go off to +America." + +This speech of George's made me reflect, and I resolved to wait. + +Many Alsacians and Lorrainers have thought the same; and this is why M. +Thiers was right in saying that the Republic is the form of government +which least divides us: it is also the only one which can save us. Any +other form of government upon which Legitimists, Orleanists, and +Bonapartists could well meet on common ground, would end in our +destruction. If it should happen that one of these parties succeeds in +placing its prince upon the throne, the next day all the others would +unite and overthrow it; and the Germans, taking advantage of our +division, would seize upon the Franche Comté and Champagne. + +The Deputies of the Eight ought to reflect well upon this. It is to +reinstate the country, not a party, that they are at Versailles; it is +to restore harmony to our distracted country, and not to sow fresh +dissensions. I appeal to their patriotism, and, if this is not enough, +to their prudence. New _coups d'état_ would precipitate us into fresh +revolutions more and more terrible. The nation, whose desire is for +peace, labor, order, liberty, education, and justice for all, is weary +of seeing itself torn to pieces by Emperors and Kings; the nation might +become exasperated against these anglers after Kings in troubled +waters, and the consequences might become terrible indeed. + +Let them ponder well; it is their duty to do so. + +And all these princes, too--all these shameless pretenders, who make no +scruple of coming to divide us at the crisis when union alone can save +us--when the German is occupying all the strong places on the frontier, +and is watching the opportunity to rend away another portion of our +country! These men who slip into the army through favor; whose +disaffected newspapers impede the revival of trade, in the hope of +disgusting the people with the Republic! These princes who one day +pledge their word of honor, and the day after withdraw it, and who are +not ashamed to claim millions in the midst of the general ruin. Yes, +these men must conduct themselves differently, if they don't wish to +call to remembrance their father Louis Philippe, intriguing with the +Bonapartists to dethrone his benefactor Charles X.; and their +grandfather, Philippe Egalité, intriguing with the Jacobins and voting +the death of Louis XVI. to save his fortune, whilst his son was +intriguing in the army of the North with the traitor Dumouriez to march +upon Paris and overthrow the established laws. + +But the day of intrigues has passed by! + +Bonaparte has stripped many besides these Princes of Orleans; he has +shot, transported, totally ruined fathers of families by thousands; +their wives and their children have lost all! Not one of these unhappy +creatures claim a farthing; they would be ashamed to ask anything of +their country at such a time as this: the Princes of Orleans, alone, +claim their millions. + +Frankly, this is not handsome. + +I am but a plain miller; by hard work I have won the half of what I +possess: but if my little fortune and my life could restore Alsace and +Lorraine to France, I would give them in a moment; and if my person +were a cause of division and trouble, and dangerous to the peace of my +country, I would abandon the mill built by my ancestors, the lands +which they have cleared, those which I have acquired by work and by +saving, and I would go! The idea that I was serving my country, that I +was helping to raise it, would be enough for me. Yes, I would go, with +a full heart, but without a backward glance. + +And now let us finish the story of the Plébiscite. + +Jacob returned to work at the mill; Jean Baptiste Werner also came back +to demand Grédel in marriage. Grédel consented with all her heart; my +wife and I gave our consent cordially. + +But the dowry? This was on Grédel's mind. She was not the girl to +begin housekeeping without her hundred livres! So I had again to run +the water out of the sluice to the very bottom, get into the mud again, +and once more handle the pick and spade. + +Grédel watched me; and when the old chest came to the light of day with +its iron hoops, when I had set it on the bank, and opened the rusty +padlock, and the crowns all safe and sound glittered in her eyes, then +she melted; all was well now; she even kissed me and hung upon her +mother's neck. + +The wedding took place on the 1st of July last; and in spite of the +unhappy times, was a joyful one. + +Toward the end of the fête, and when they were uncorking two or three +more bottles of old wine, in honor of M. Thiers and all the good men +who are supporting him in founding the Republic in France, Cousin +George announced to us that he had taken Jean Baptiste Werner into +partnership in his stone quarry. Building stone will be wanted; the +bombardments and the fires in Alsace will long furnish work for +architects, quarrymen, and masons: it will be a great and important +business. + +My cousin declared, moreover, that he, George Weber, would supply the +money required; that Jean Baptiste should travel to take orders and +work the quarries, and they would divide the profits equally. + +M. Fingado, notary, seated at the table, drew the deeds out of his +pocket, and read them to us, to the satisfaction of all. + +And now things are in order, and we will try to regain by labor, +economy, and good conduct, what Bonaparte lost for us by his Plébiscite. + +My story is ended; let every one derive from it such reflections and +instruction as he may. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Plébiscite, by +Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLÉBISCITE *** + +***** This file should be named 36860-8.txt or 36860-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/6/36860/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Plébiscite + or, A Miller's Story of the War + +Author: Émile Erckmann + Alexandre Chatrian + +Release Date: July 26, 2011 [EBook #36860] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLÉBISCITE *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +</H1> + +<A NAME="img-front"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-front.jpg" ALT="HE ROBBED YOU, THAT'S ALL." BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +HE ROBBED YOU, THAT'S ALL. +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3"> +HISTORICAL ROMANCES OF FRANCE +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="t1"> +THE PLÉBISCITE +</P> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +OR +</P> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +BY ONE OF THE 7,500,000 WHO VOTED "YES" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3"> +TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF +</P> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +ILLUSTRATED +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3"> +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS +<BR> +NEW YORK::::::::::::::::::::::1911 +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +COPYRIGHT, 1889, 1898 +<BR> +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +ILLUSTRATIONS +</P> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-front"> +"<I>He robbed you, that's all</I>" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <I>Frontispiece</I> +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-090"> +"<I>The grapeshot has mown them down. There are none left</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-168"> +<I>They drew two poor old men from their cellar</I> +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-262"> +<I>There he was, leaning forward to listen</I> +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-278"> +"<I>Good-by, my father! Good-by, my mother!</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +INTRODUCTORY NOTE +</H3> + +<P> +The present volume serves to emphasize the important connection, so +generally now lost sight of, between the <I>plébiscite</I> of 1870 in France +and the war with Prussia which so speedily followed. Under the +administration of Ollivier, which promised an attractive extension of +popular liberties, it will be remembered, the <I>plebiscitum</I> of the +Roman Constitution was borrowed, to give an air of popular approval to +the strongly attacked Imperial régime by taking the sense of the people +through universal suffrage as to the continuance of the Imperial +authority on its then existing basis. Of the web of chicane and +corruption by which the election was brought out an overwhelming +triumph for Imperialism, MM. Erckmann-Chatrian give a clearer and more +impressive notion in this book than could be obtained from entire +volumes of parliamentary reports and whole files of newspapers. But +they make it especially clear how the people were persuaded to return a +majority of "yeses" so enormous as to make it impossible to account for +it on the theory of mere corruption and chicane. It is evident from +this narrative that the people were made to believe that the Empire +meant peace abroad and freedom from foreign complications then +threatening, as well as tranquillity at home, and that therefore one of +the profoundest instincts of twenty millions of peasantry was utilized +in order to be subsequently betrayed. +</P> + +<P> +No authors could have been so happily chosen to write the story of the +struggle which followed. Alsace and Lorraine, at once the scene of the +earliest campaign of the war and the victims of its result, furnish the +most appropriate background of such a picture. In reading these +adventures, sufferings, meditations, and discussions of the simple yet +shrewd Alsatian miller and his neighbors, the reader will take in +almost at a glance the causes, incidents, and consequences of one of +the greatest of modern wars. The corruption of the office-holding +classes, the ignorance of the army officers whose ranks had been filled +by favoritism, the bravery of the private soldier ill-equipped, +ill-fed, and disastrously led, the contrasting system and discipline of +the Prussians, the awakening by Gambetta of the national enthusiasm, +and the determined and dogged fighting under Chanzy, Faidherbe, and +Bourbaki, how the peasants fared at the hands of the enemy, and how the +enemy conducted themselves during the brief campaign are all unfolded +before the reader with a combined fulness and incisiveness difficult to +encounter elsewhere in narratives of this momentous conflict. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +THE PLÉBISCITE +</H2> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +OR +</H4> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR +</H3> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER I +</H3> + +<P> +I am writing this history for sensible people. It is my own story +during the calamitous war we have just gone through. I write it to +show those who shall come after us how many evil-minded people there +are in the world, and how little we ought to trust fair words; for we +have been deceived in this village of ours after a most abominable +fashion; we have been deceived by all sorts of people—by the +sous-préfets, by the préfets, and by the Ministers; by the curés, by +the official gazettes; in a word, by each and all. +</P> + +<P> +Could any one have imagined that there are so many deceivers in this +world? No, indeed; it requires to be seen with one's own eyes to be +believed. +</P> + +<P> +In the end we have had to pay dearly. We have given up our hay, our +straw, our corn, our flour, our cattle; and that was not enough. +Finally, they gave up <I>us</I>, our own selves. They said to us: "You are +no longer Frenchmen; you are Prussians! We have taken your young men +to fight in the war; they are dead, they are prisoners: now settle with +Bismarck any way you like; your business is none of ours!" +</P> + +<P> +But these things must be told plainly: so I will begin at the +beginning, without getting angry. +</P> + +<P> +You must know, in the first place, that I am a miller in the village of +Rothalp, in the valley of Metting, at Dosenheim, between Lorraine and +Alsace. It is a large and fine village of 130 houses, possessing its +curé Daniel, its school-master Adam Fix, and principal inhabitants of +every kind—wheelwrights, blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, publicans, +brewers, dealers in eggs, butter, and poultry; we even have two Jews, +Solomon Kaan, a pedler, and David Hertz, cattle-dealer. +</P> + +<P> +This will show you what was our state of prosperity before this war; +for the wealthier a village is, the more strangers it draws: every man +finds a livelihood there, and works at his trade. +</P> + +<P> +We had not even occasion to fetch our butcher's-meat from town. David +killed a cow now and then, and retailed all we wanted for Sundays and +holidays. +</P> + +<P> +I, Christian Weber, have never been farther than thirty leagues from +this commune. I inherited my mill from my grandfather, Marcel +Desjardins, a Frenchman from the neighborhood of Metz, who had built it +in the time of the Swedish war, when our village was but a miserable +hamlet. Twenty-six years ago I married Catherine Amos, daughter of the +old forest-ranger. She brought me a hundred louis for her dowry. We +have two children—a daughter, Grédel, and a son, Jacob, who are still +with us at home. +</P> + +<P> +I have besides a cousin, George Weber, who went off more than thirty +years ago to serve in the Marines in Guadeloupe. He has even been on +active service there. It was he who beat the drum on the forecastle of +the ship <I>Boussole</I>, as he has told me a hundred times, whilst the +fleet was bombarding St. John d'Ulloa. Afterward he was promoted to be +sergeant; then he sailed to North America, for the cod fisheries; and +again into the Baltic, on board a small Danish vessel engaged in the +coal-trade. George was always intent upon making a fortune. About +1850 he returned to Paris, and established a manufactory of matches in +the Rue Mouffetard in Paris; and as he is really a very handsome tall +man, with a dark complexion, bold looking, and with a quick eye, he at +last married a rich widow without children, Madame Marie Anne Finck, +who was keeping an inn in that neighborhood. They grew rich. They +bought land in our part of the country through the agency of Monsieur +Fingado, the solicitor, to whom he sent regularly the price of every +piece of land. At last, on the death of the old carpenter, Joseph +Briou, he became the purchaser of his house, to live there with his +wife, and to keep a public-house on the road to Metting. +</P> + +<P> +This took place last year, during the time of the Plébiscite, and +Cousin George came to inspect his house before taking his wife, Marie +Anne, to it. +</P> + +<P> +I was mayor; I had received orders from M. le Sous-préfet to give +public notice of the Plébiscite, and to request all well-disposed +persons to vote "<I>Yes,</I>" <I>if they desired to preserve peace</I>; because +all the ruffians in the country were going to vote <I>No</I>, to have war. +</P> + +<P> +This is exactly what I did, by making everybody promise to come without +fail, and sending the <I>bangard</I>* Martin Kapp to carry the voting +tickets to the very farthest cottages up the mountains. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* An old word, probably from <I>ban garde</I>; now <I>garde champêtre</I>, a kind +of rural policeman. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Cousin George arrived the evening before the Plébiscite. I received +him very kindly, as one ought to receive a rich relation who has no +children. He seemed quite pleased to see us, and dined with us in the +best of tempers. He carried with him in a small leathern trunk +clothes, shoes, shirts—everything that he required. He was short of +nothing. That day everything went on well; but the next day, hearing +the notices cried by the rural policeman, he went off to Reibell's +brewery, which was full of people, and began to preach against the +Plébiscite. +</P> + +<P> +I was just then at the mayoralty house wearing my official scarf +receiving the tickets, when suddenly my deputy Placiard came to tell +me, in high indignation, that certain miserable wretches were attacking +the rider; that one of them was at the "Cruchon d'Or," and that half +the village were very nearly murdering him. +</P> + +<P> +Immediately I went down and ran to the public-house, where my cousin +was calling them all asses, affirming that the Plébiscite was for war; +that the Emperor, the Ministers, the prefects, the generals, and the +bishops were deceiving the people; that all those men were acting a +part to get our money from us, and much besides to the same purpose. +</P> + +<P> +I, from the passage, could hear him shouting these things in a terrible +voice, and I said to myself, "The poor fellow has been drinking." +</P> + +<P> +If George had not been my cousin; if he had not been quite capable some +day of disinheriting my children, I should certainly have arrested him +at once, and had him conveyed under safe keeping to Sarrebourg; but, on +giving due weight to these considerations, I resolved to put an end to +this awkward business, and I cried to the people who were crowding the +passage, "Make room, you fellows, make room!" +</P> + +<P> +Those enraged creatures, seeing the scarf, gave way in all directions; +and then discovering my cousin, seated at a table in the right-hand +corner, I said: "Cousin! what are you thinking of, to create such a +scandal?" +</P> + +<P> +He, too, was abashed at the sight of the scarf, having served in the +navy, and knowing that there is no man who claims more respect than a +mayor; that he has a right to lay hands upon you, and send you to the +lock-up, and, if you resist, to send you as far as Sarrebourg and +Nancy. Reflecting upon this, he calmed down in a moment, for he had +not been drinking at all, as I supposed at first, and he was saying +these things without bitterness, without anger, conscientiously, and +out of regard for his fellow-citizens. +</P> + +<P> +Therefore, he replied to me, quietly: "Mr. Mayor, look after your +elections! See that certain rogues up there—as there are rogues +everywhere—don't stuff into the ballot-box handfuls of <I>Yeses</I> instead +of <I>Noes</I> while your back is turned. This has often happened! And +then pray don't trouble yourself about me. In the Government Gazette, +it is declared that every man shall be free to maintain his own +opinions, and to vote as he pleases; if my mouth is stopped, I shall +protest in the newspapers." +</P> + +<P> +Hearing that he would protest, to avoid a worse scandal I answered him: +"Say what you please; no one shall declare that we have put any +constraint upon the elections; but, you men, you know what you have to +do." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, yes," shouted all the people in the room and down the passage, +lifting their hats. "Yes, Monsieur le Maire; we will listen to nothing +at all. Whether they talk all day or say nothing, it is all the same +to us." +</P> + +<P> +And they all went off to vote, leaving George alone. +</P> + +<P> +M. le Curé Daniel, seeing them coming out, came from his parsonage to +place himself at their head. He had preached in the morning in favor +of the Plébiscite, and there was not a single <I>No</I> in the box. +</P> + +<P> +If my cousin had not had the large meadow above the mill, and the +finest acres in the country, he would have been an object of contempt +for the rest of his days; but a rich man, who has just bought a house, +an orchard, a garden, and has paid ready money for everything, may say +whatever he pleases: especially when he is not listened to, and the +people go and do the very opposite of what he has been advising them. +</P> + +<P> +Well, this is the way with the elections for the Plébiscite with us, +and just the same thing went on throughout our canton: at +Phalsbourg—which had been abundantly placarded against the Plébiscite, +and where they carried their audacity even to watching the mayor and +the ballot-box—out of fifteen hundred electors, military and civil, +there were only thirty-two <I>Noes</I>. +</P> + +<P> +It is quite clear that things were making favorable progress, and that +M. le Sous-préfet could not be otherwise than perfectly satisfied with +our behavior. +</P> + +<P> +I must also mention that we were in want of a parish road to +Hangeviller; that we had been promised a pair of church-bells, and the +<I>Glandée</I>, or right of feeding our hogs upon the acorns in autumn; and +that we were aware that all the villages which voted the wrong way got +nothing, whilst the others—in consideration of the good councillors +they had sent up, either to the arrondissement or the department—might +always reckon upon a little money from the tax-collector for the +necessities of their parish. Monsieur le Sous-préfet had pointed out +these advantages to me; and naturally a good mayor will inform his +subordinates. I did so. Our deputies, our councillors-general, our +councillors of the arrondissement, were all on the right side! By +these means we have already gained the right to the dead leaves and our +great wash-houses. We only sought our own good, and we much preferred +seeing other villages pay the ministers, the senators, the marshals, +the bishops, and the princes, to paying them ourselves. So that all +that Cousin George could say to us about the interest of all, and the +welfare of the nation, made not the least impression upon us. +</P> + +<P> +I remember that that very day of the Plébiscite, when it was already +known that we had all voted right, and that we should get our two bells +with the parish road—I remember that my cousin and I had, after +supper, a great quarrel, and that I should certainly have put him out, +if it had not been he. +</P> + +<P> +We were taking our <I>petit verre</I> of <I>kirsch</I>, smoking our pipes, with +our elbows on the table; my wife and Grédel had already gone to bed, +when all at once he said to me: "Listen to me, Christian. Save the +respect I owe you as mayor, you are all a set of geese in this village, +and it is a very fortunate thing that I am come here, that you may +have, at least, one sensible man among you." +</P> + +<P> +I was going to get angry, but he said: +</P> + +<P> +"Just let me finish; if you had but spent a couple of years at Paris, +you would see things a little plainer; but at this moment, you are like +a nest of hungry jays, blind and unfeathered; they open their bills, +and they cry 'Jaques,' to call down food from heaven. Those who hear +them climb up the tree, twist their necks, put them into the pot and +laugh. That is your position. You have confidence in your enemies, +and you give them power to pluck you just as they please. If you +appointed upright men in your districts as deputies, +councillors-general, instead of taking whoever the préfecture +recommends, would not the Emperor and the other honorable men above be +obliged then to leave you the money which the tax-collector makes you +pay in excess? Could all those people then enrich themselves at your +expense, and amass immense fortunes in a few years? Would you then see +old baskets with their bottoms out, fellows whom you would not have +trusted with a halfpenny before the <I>coup-d'état</I>—would you see them +become millionnaires, rolling in gold, gliding along in carriages with +their wives, their children, their servants, and their ballet-dancers? +The préfets, the sous-préfets say to you: 'Go on voting right, and you +shall have this, you shall have that'—things which you have a right to +demand in virtue of the taxes you pay, but which are granted to you as +favors—roads, wash-houses, schools, etc. Would you not be having them +in your own right, if the money which is taken from you were left in +the commune? What does the Emperor do for you? He plunders you—that +is all. Your money, he shows it to you before each election, as they +show a child a stick of sugar-candy to make it laugh; and when the +election is over he puts it back into his pocket. The trick is played." +</P> + +<P> +"How can he put that money into his pocket?" I asked, full of +indignation. "Are not the accounts presented every year in the +Chambers?" +</P> + +<P> +Upon this he shrugged his shoulders and answered: "You are not sharp, +Christian; it is not so difficult to present accounts to the Chambers. +So many chassepots—which have no existence! So much munition of war, +of which no one knows anything. So much for retiring pensions; so much +for the substitutes' fund; so much for changes of uniform. The +uniforms are changed every year; that is good for business. Do the +deputies inquire into these matters? Who checks the Ministers' +budgets? And the deputies whom the Minister of the Interior has +recommended to you, whom you have appointed like fools, and whom the +Emperor would throw up at the very first election, if those gentlemen +breathed a syllable about visiting the arsenals and examining into the +accounts—what a farce it is! Why, yesterday, passing through +Phalsbourg, I got upon the ramparts, and I saw there guns of the time +of Herod, upon gun-carriages eaten up by worms and painted over to +conceal the rottenness. These very guns, I do believe, are recast +every third or fourth year—upon paper—with your money. Ah, my poor +Christian, you are not very sharp, nor the other people in our village +either. But the men you send as deputies to Paris—they <I>are</I> sharp, +too sharp." +</P> + +<P> +He broke out into a laugh, and I could have sent him back to Paris. +</P> + +<P> +"Do you know what you want?" said he then, filling his pipe and +lighting it, for I made no reply, being too much annoyed; "what you +want is not good sense, it is not honesty. All of us peasants, we +still possess some good sense and honesty. And we believe, moreover, +in the honesty of others, which proves that we ourselves have a little +left! No, what you want is education; you have asked for bells, and +bells you will get; but all the school you have is a miserable shed, +and your only school-master is old Adam Fix, who can teach his children +nothing because he knows nothing himself. Well now, if you were to ask +for a really good school, there would be no money in the public funds. +There is money enough for bells, but for a good school-master, for a +large, well-ventilated room, for deal benches and tables, for pictures, +slates, maps, and books, there is nothing; for if you had good schools, +your children could read, write, keep accounts; they would soon be able +to look into the Ministers' budgets, and that is exactly what his +Majesty wishes to avoid. You understand now, cousin; this is the +reason why you have no school and you have bells." +</P> + +<P> +Then he looked knowingly at me: +</P> + +<P> +"And, do you know," said he, after a few moments' thought, "do you know +how much all the schools in France cost? I am not referring to the +great schools of medicine, and law, and chemistry, the colleges, and +the lyceums, which are schools for wealthy young men, able to keep +themselves in large cities, and to pay for their own maintenance. I am +speaking of schools for the people, elementary schools, where reading +and writing are taught: the two first things which a man must know, and +which distinguish him from the savages who roam naked in the American +forests? Well, the deputies whom the people themselves send to protect +their interests in Paris, and whose first thought, if they are not +altogether thieves, ought to be to discharge their duty toward their +constituencies—these deputies have never voted for the schools of the +people a larger sum than seventy-five millions. The state contributes +ten millions as its share; the commune, the departments, the fathers +and mothers do the rest. Seventy-five millions to educate the people +in a great country like ours! it is a disgrace. The United States +spends six times the amount. But on the other hand, for the war budget +we pay five hundred millions; even that would not be too much if we had +five hundred thousand men under arms, according to the calculation +which has been made of what it costs per diem for each man; but for an +army of two hundred and fifty thousand men, it is too much by half. +What becomes of the other three hundred millions? If they were made +available to build schools, to pay able masters, to furnish retreats +for workmen in their declining days, I should have nothing to say +against it; but to jingle in the pockets of MM. the senators and to +ring the bells of MM. the curés, I consider that too dear." +</P> + +<P> +As Cousin George bothered my mind with all his arguments, I felt a wish +to go to bed, and I said to him: +</P> + +<P> +"All that, cousin, is very fine, but it is getting late: and besides it +has nothing to do with the Plébiscite." +</P> + +<P> +I had risen; but he laid his hand upon my arm and said: "Let us talk a +little longer—let me finish my pipe. You say that this has nothing to +do with the Plébiscite; but that Plébiscite is for all this nice +arrangement of things to go on. If the nation believes that all is +right, that enough money is left to it, and that it can even spare a +little more; that the ministers, the senators, and the princes are not +yet sufficiently fat and flourishing; that the Emperor has not bought +enough in foreign countries; well, it will say with this Plébiscite, +'Go on, pray go on—we are quite satisfied.' Does that suit your +ideas?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes. I had rather that than war," said I, in a very bad temper. "The +Empire is peace; I vote for peace." +</P> + +<P> +Then George himself rose up, emptying his pipe on the edge of the +table, and said: "Christian, you are right. Let us go to bed. I +repent having bought old Briou's house; decidedly the people in these +parts are too stupid. You quite grieve me." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, I don't want to grieve you," said I, angrily; "I have quite as +much sense as you." +</P> + +<P> +"What!" said he, "you the mayor of Rothalp, in daily communication with +the sous-préfet, you believe that the object of this Plébiscite is to +confirm peace?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I do." +</P> + +<P> +"What, you believe that? Come now. Have we not peace at the present +moment? Do we want a Plébiscite to preserve it? Do you suppose that +the Germans are taken in by it? Our peasants, to be sure, are misled; +they are indoctrinated at the curé's house, at the mayoralty-house, at +the sous-préfecture; but not a single workman in Paris is a dupe of +this pernicious scheming. They all know that the Emperor and the +Ministers want war; that the generals and the superior officers demand +it. Peace is a good thing for tradesmen, for artisans, for peasants; +but the officers are tired of being cramped up in the same rank +perpetually without a rise. Already the inferior officers have been +disgusted with the profession through the crowds of nobles, Jesuits, +and canting hypocrites of all sorts who are thrust into the army. The +troops are not animated with a good spirit; they want promotion, or +they will end by rousing themselves into a passion: especially when +they see the Prussians under our noses helping themselves to everything +they please without asking our leave. You don't understand that! +There," said he, "I am sleepy. Let us go to bed." +</P> + +<P> +Then I began to understand that my cousin had learned many things in +Paris, and that he knew more of politics than I did. But that did not +prevent me from being in a great rage with him, for the whole of that +day he had done nothing but cause trouble; and I said to myself that it +was impossible to live with such a brute. +</P> + +<P> +My wife, at the top of the landing, had heard us disputing; but as we +were going upstairs, she came all smiles to meet us, holding the +candle, and saying: "Oh, you have had a great deal to tell each other +this evening! You must have had enough. Come, cousin, let me take you +to your room; there it is. From your window you may see the woods in +the moonlight; and here is your bed, the best in the house. You will +find your cotton nightcap under the pillow." +</P> + +<P> +"Very nice, Catherine, thank you," said George. +</P> + +<P> +"And I hope you will sleep comfortably," said she, returning to me. +</P> + +<P> +This wise woman, full of excellent good sense, then said to me, while I +was undressing: "Christian! what were you thinking of, to contradict +your cousin? Such a rich man, and who can do us so much good by and +by! What does the Plébiscite signify? What can that bring us in? +Whatever your cousin says to you, say 'Amen' after it. Remember that +his wife has relations, and she will want to get everything on her +side. Mind you don't quarrel with George. A fine meadow below the +mill, and an orchard on the hill-side, are not found every day in the +way of a cow." +</P> + +<P> +I saw at once that she was right, and I inwardly resolved never to +contradict George again: he might himself alone be worth to us far more +than the Emperor, the Ministers, the senators, and all the +establishment together; for everyone of those people thought of his own +interests alone, without ever casting a thought upon us. Of course we +ought to do the same as they did, since they had succeeded so well in +sewing gold lace upon all their seams, fattening and living in +abundance in this world; not to mention the promises that the bishops +made to them for the next. +</P> + +<P> +Thinking upon these things, I lay calmly down, and soon fell asleep. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER II +</H3> + +<P> +The next day early, Cousin George, my son Jacob, and myself, after +having eaten a crust of bread and taken a glass of wine standing, +harnessed our horses, and put them into our two carts to go and fetch +my cousin's wife and furniture at the Lützelbourg station. +</P> + +<P> +Before coming into our country, George had ordered his house to be +whitewashed and painted from top to bottom; he had laid new floors, and +replaced the old shingle roof with tiles. Now the paint was dry, the +doors and windows stood open day and night; the house could not be +robbed, for there was nothing in it. My cousin, seeing that all was +right, had just written to his wife that she might bring their goods +and chattels with her. +</P> + +<P> +So we started about six in the morning; upon the road the people of +Hangeviller, of Metting, and Véchem, and those who were going to market +in the town, were singing and shouting "Vive l'Empereur!" +</P> + +<P> +Everywhere they had voted "Yes," for peace. It was the greatest fraud +that had ever been perpetrated: by the way in which the Ministers, the +prefects, and the Government newspapers had explained the Plébiscite, +everybody had imagined that he had really voted peace. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George hearing this, said, "Oh, you poor country folks, how I +pity you for being such imbeciles! How I pity you for believing what +these pickpockets tell you!" +</P> + +<P> +That was how he styled the Emperor's government, and naturally I felt +my indignation rise; but Catherine's sound advice came back into my +mind, and I thought, "Hold your tongue, Christian; don't say a +word—that's your best plan." +</P> + +<P> +All along the road we saw the same spectacle; the soldiers of the 84th, +garrisoned at Phalsbourg, looked as pleased as men who have won the +first prize in a lottery; the colonel declared that the men who did not +vote "Yes" would be unworthy of being called Frenchmen. Every man had +voted "Yes;" for a good soldier knows nothing but his orders. +</P> + +<P> +So having passed before the gate of France, we came down to the +Baraques, and then reached Lützelbourg. The train from Paris had +passed a few minutes before; the whistle could yet be heard under the +Saverne tunnel. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin's wife, with whom I was not yet acquainted, was standing by +her luggage on the platform; and seeing George coming up, she joyfully +cried, "Ah! is that you? and here is cousin." +</P> + +<P> +She kissed us both heartily, gazing at us, however, with some surprise, +perhaps on account of our blouses and our great wide-brimmed black +hats. But no! it could not be that; for Marie Anne Finck was a native +of Wasselonne, in Alsace, and the Alsacians have always worn the blouse +and wide-brimmed hat as long as I can remember. But this tall, thin +woman, with her large brown eyes, as bustling, quick, and active as +gunpowder, after having passed thirty years at Paris, having first been +cook at Krantheimer's, at a place called the Barrière de Montmartre, +and then in five or six other inns in that great city, might well be +somewhat astonished at seeing such simple people as we were; and no +doubt it also gave her pleasure. +</P> + +<P> +That is my idea. +</P> + +<P> +"The carts are there, wife," cried George, in high spirits. "We will +load the biggest with as much furniture as we can, and put the rest +upon the smaller one. You will sit in front. There—look up +there—that's the Castle of Lützelbourg, and that pretty little wooden +house close by, covered all over with vine, that is a châlet, Father +Hoffman-Forty's châlet, the distiller of cordials, you know the cordial +of Phalsbourg." +</P> + +<P> +He showed her everything. +</P> + +<P> +Then we began to load; that big Yéri, who takes the tickets at the gate +and who carries the parcels to Monsieur André's omnibus, comes to lend +us a hand. The two carts being loaded about twelve o'clock, and my +cousin's wife seated in front of the foremost one upon a truss of +straw, we started at a quiet pace for the village, where we arrived +about three o'clock. But I remember one thing, which I will not omit +to mention. As we were coming out of Lützelbourg, a heavy wagon-load +of coal was coming down the hill, a lad of sixteen or seventeen leading +the horse by the bridle; at the door of the last house, a little child +of five years old, sitting on the ground, was looking at our carts +passing by; he was out of the road, he could not be in any one's way, +and was sitting there perfectly quiet, when the boy, without any +reason, gave him a lash with his whip, which made the child cry aloud. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin's wife saw that. +</P> + +<P> +"Why did that boy strike the child?" she inquired. +</P> + +<P> +"That's a coal-heaver," George answered. "He comes from Sarrebrück. +He is a Prussian. He struck the child because he is a French child." +</P> + +<P> +Then my cousin's wife wanted to get down to fall upon the Prussian; she +cried to him, "You great coward, you lazy dog, you wicked wretch, come +and hit me." And the boy would have come to settle her, if we had not +been there to receive him; but he would not trust himself to us, and +lashed his horses to get out of our reach, making all haste to pass the +bridge, and turning his head round toward us, for fear of being +followed. +</P> + +<P> +I thought at the time that Cousin George was wrong in saying this boy +had a spite against the French because he was a Prussian; but I learned +afterward that he was right, and that the Germans have borne ill-will +against us for years without letting us see it—like a set of sulky +fellows waiting for a good opportunity to make us feel it. +</P> + +<P> +"It is our <I>good man</I> that we have to thank for this," said George. +"The Germans fancy that we have named him Emperor to begin his uncle's +tricks again; and now they look upon our Plébiscite as a declaration of +war. The joy of our sous-préfets, our mayors, and our curés, and of +all those excellent people who only prosper upon the miseries of +mankind, proves that they are not very far out." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, indeed," cried his wife; "but to beat a child, that is cowardly." +</P> + +<P> +"Bah! don't let us think about it," said George. "We shall see much +worse things than this; and we shall have deserved it, through our own +folly. God grant that I may be mistaken!" +</P> + +<P> +Talking so, we arrived home. +</P> + +<P> +My wife had prepared dinner; there was kissing all round, the +acquaintance was made; we all sat round the table, and dined with +excellent appetites. Marie Anne was gay; she had already seen their +house on her way, and the garden behind it with its rows of gooseberry +bushes and the plum-trees full of blossom. The two carts, the horses +having been taken out, were standing before their door; and from our +windows might be seen the village people examining the furniture with +great interest, hovering round and gazing with curiosity upon the great +heavy boxes, feeling the bedding, and talking together about this great +quantity of goods, just as if it was their own business. +</P> + +<P> +They were remarking no doubt that our cousin George Weber and his wife +were rich people, who deserved the respectful consideration of the +whole country round; and I myself, before seeing these great chests, +should never have dreamed that they could have so much belonging +entirely to themselves. +</P> + +<P> +This proved to me that my wife was perfectly right in continuing to pay +every respect to my cousin; she had also cautioned our daughter Grédel: +as for Jacob, he is a most sensible lad, who thinks of everything and +needs not to be told what to do. +</P> + +<P> +But what astonished us a great deal more, was to see arriving about +half-past three two other large wagons from the direction of Wéchem, +and hearing my cousin cry, "Here comes my wine from Barr!" +</P> + +<P> +Before coming to Rothalp he had himself gone to Barr, in Alsace, to +taste the wine and to make his own bargains. +</P> + +<P> +"Come, Christian," said he, rising, "we have no time to lose if we mean +to unload before nightfall. Take your pincers and your mallet; you +will also fetch ropes and a ladder to let the casks down into the +cellar." +</P> + +<P> +Jacob ran to fetch what was wanted, and we all came out together—my +wife, my daughter, cousin, and everybody. My man Frantz remained alone +at the mill, and immediately they began to undo the boxes, to carry the +furniture into the house: chests of drawers, wardrobes, bedsteads, and +quantities of plates, dishes, soup-tureens, etc., which were carried +straight into the kitchen. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin gave his orders: "Put this down in a corner; set that in +another corner." +</P> + +<P> +The neighbors helped us too, out of curiosity. Everything went on +admirably. +</P> + +<P> +And then arrived the wagons from Barr; but they were obliged to be kept +waiting till seven o'clock. Our wives had already set up the beds and +put away the linen in the wardrobes. +</P> + +<P> +About seven o'clock everything was in order in the house. We now +thought of resting till to-morrow, when George said to us, turning up +his sleeves, "Now, my friend, here comes the biggest part of the work. +I always strike the iron while it's hot. Let all the men who are +willing help me to unload the casks, for the drivers want to get back +to town, and I believe they are right." +</P> + +<P> +Immediately the cellar was opened, the ladder set up against the first +wagon, the lanterns lighted, the planks set leaning in their places, +and until eleven o'clock we did nothing but unload wine, roll down +casks, let them down with my ropes, and put them in their places. +</P> + +<P> +Never had I worked as I did on that day! +</P> + +<P> +Not before eleven o'clock did Cousin George, seeing everything settled +to his satisfaction, seem pleased; he tapped the first cask, filled a +jug with wine, and said, "Now, mates, come up; we will have a good +draught, and then we will get to bed." +</P> + +<P> +The cellar was shut up, so we drank in the large parlor, and then all, +one after another, went home to bed, upon the stroke of midnight. +</P> + +<P> +All the villagers were astonished to see how these Parisians worked: +they were all the talk. At one time it was how cousin had bought up +all the manure at the gendarmerie; then how he had made a contract to +have all his land drained in the autumn; and then how he was going to +build a stable and a laundry at the back of his house, and a distillery +at the end of his yard: he was enlarging his cellars, already the +finest in the country. What a quantity of money he must have! +</P> + +<P> +If he had not paid his architect, the carpenters, and the masons cash +down, it would have been declared that he was ruining himself. But he +never wanted a penny; and his solicitor always addressed him with a +smiling face, raising his hat from afar off, and calling him "my dear +Monsieur Weber." +</P> + +<P> +One single thing vexed George: he had requested at the préfecture, as +soon as he arrived, a license to open his public-house at the sign of +"The Pineapple." He had even written three letters to Sarrebourg, but +had received no answer. Morning and evening, seeing me pass by with my +carts of grain and flour, he called to me through the window, "Hallo, +Christian, this way just a minute!" +</P> + +<P> +He never talked of anything else; he even came to tease me at the +mayoralty-house, to indorse and seal his letters with attestations as +to his good life and character; and yet no answer came. +</P> + +<P> +One evening, as I was busy signing the registration of the reports +drawn up in the week by the school-master, he came in and said, +"Nothing yet?" +</P> + +<P> +"Cousin, I don't know the meaning of it." +</P> + +<P> +"Very well," said he, sitting before my desk. "Give me some paper. +Let me write for once, and then we will see." +</P> + +<P> +He was pale with excitement, and began to write, reading it as he went +on: +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"MONSIEUR LE SOUS-PRÉFET,—I have requested of you a license to open a +public-house at Rothalp. I have even had the honor of writing you +three letters upon the subject, and you have given me no answer. +Answer me—yes or no! When people are paid, and well paid, they ought +to fulfil their duty. +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Sous-préfet, I have the honor to salute you. +</P> + +<P> +"GEORGE WEBER,<BR> +"<I>Late Sergeant of Marines.</I>" +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Hearing this letter, my hair positively stood on end. +</P> + +<P> +"Cousin, don't send that," said I; "the sous-préfet would very likely +put you under arrest." +</P> + +<P> +"Pooh!" said he, "you country people, you seem to look upon these folks +as if they were demi-gods; yet they live upon our money. It is we who +pay them: they are for our service, and nothing more. Here, Christian, +will you put your seal to that?" +</P> + +<P> +Then, in spite of all that my wife might say, I replied, "George, for +the love of Heaven, don't ask me that. I should most assuredly lose my +place." +</P> + +<P> +"What place? Your place as mayor," said he, "in which you receive the +commands of the sous-préfet, who receives the commands of the préfet, +who receives the orders of a Minister, who does everything that our +<I>honest man</I> bids him. I had rather be a ragman than fill such a +place." +</P> + +<P> +The school-master, who happened to be there, seemed as if he had +suddenly dropped from the clouds; his arms hung down the sides of his +chair, and he gazed at my cousin with big eyes, just as a man stares at +a dangerous lunatic. +</P> + +<P> +I, too, was sitting upon thorns on hearing such words as these in the +mayoralty-house; but at last I told him I had rather go myself to +Sarrebourg and ask for the permission than seal that letter. +</P> + +<P> +"Then we will go together," said he. +</P> + +<P> +But I felt sure that if he spoke after this fashion to Monsieur le +Sous-préfet, he would lay hands upon both of us; and I said that I +should go alone, because his presence would put a constraint upon me. +</P> + +<P> +"Very well," he said; "but you will tell me everything that the +sous-préfet has been saying to you." +</P> + +<P> +He tore up his letter, and we went out together. +</P> + +<P> +I don't remember that I ever passed a worse night than that. My wife +kept repeating to me that our Cousin George had the precedence over the +sous-préfet, who only laughed at us; that the Emperor, too, had +cousins, who wanted to inherit everything from him, and that everybody +ought to stick to their own belongings. +</P> + +<P> +Next day, when I left for Sarrebourg, my head was in a whirl of +confusion, and I thought that my cousin and his wife would have done +well to have stayed in Paris rather than come and trouble us when we +were at peace, when every man paid his own rates and taxes, when +everybody voted as they liked at the préfecture. I could say that +never was a loud word spoken at the public-house; that people attended +with regularity both mass and vespers; that the gendarmes never visited +our village more than once a week to preserve order; and that I myself +was treated with consideration and respect: when I spoke but a word, +honest men said, "That's the truth; that's the opinion of Monsieur le +Maire!" +</P> + +<P> +Yes, all these things and many more passed through my mind, and I +should have liked to see Cousin George at Jericho. +</P> + +<P> +This is just how we were in our village, and I don't know even yet by +what means other people had made such fools of us. In the end, we have +had to pay dearly for it; and our children ought to learn wisdom by it. +</P> + +<P> +At Sarrebourg, I had to wait two hours before I could see Monsieur le +Sous-préfet, who was breakfasting with messieurs the councillors of the +arrondissement, in honor of the Plébiscite. Five or six mayors of the +neighborhood were waiting like myself; we saw filing down the passage +great dishes of fish and game, notwithstanding that the fishing and +shooting seasons were over; and then baskets of wine; and we could hear +our councillors laughing, "Ha! ha! ha!" They were enjoying themselves +mightily. +</P> + +<P> +At last Monsieur le Sous-préfet came out; he had had an excellent +breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +"Ha! is that you, gentlemen?" said he; "come in, come into the office." +</P> + +<P> +And for another quarter of an hour we were left standing in the office. +Then came Monsieur le Sous-préfet to get rid of the mayors, who wanted +different things for their villages. He looked delighted, and granted +everything. At last, having despatched the rest, he said to me, "Oh! +Monsieur le Maire, I know the object of your coming. You are come to +ask, for the person called George Weber, authorization to open a +public-house at Rothalp. Well, it's out of the question. That George +Weber is a Republican; he has already offered opposition to the +Plébiscite. You ought to have notified this to me: you have screened +him because he is your cousin. Authorizations to keep public-houses +are granted to steady men, devoted to his Majesty the Emperor, and who +keep a watch over their customers; but they are never granted to men +who require watching themselves. You should be aware of that." +</P> + +<P> +Then I perceived that my rascally deputy, that miserable Placiard, had +denounced us. That old dry-bones did nothing but draw up perpetual +petitions, begging for places, pensions, tobacco excise offices, +decorations for himself and his honorable family; speaking incessantly +of his services, his devotion to the dynasty, and his claims. His +claims were the denunciations, the informations which he laid before +the sous-préfecture; and, to tell the truth, in those days these were +the most valid claims of all. +</P> + +<P> +I was indignant, but I said nothing; I simply added a few words in +favor of Cousin George, assuring Monsieur le Sous-préfet that lies had +been told about him, that one should not believe everything, etc. He +half concealed a weary yawn; and as the councillors of the +arrondissement were laughing in the garden, he rose and said politely, +"Monsieur le Maire, you have your answer. Besides, you already have +two public-houses in your village; three would be too many." +</P> + +<P> +It was useless to stay after that, so I made a bow, at which he seemed +pleased, and returned quietly to Rothalp. The same evening I went to +repeat to George, word for word, the answer of the sous-préfet. +Instead of getting angry, as I expected, my cousin listened calmly. +His wife only cried out against that bad lot—she spoke of all the +sous-préfets in the most disrespectful manner. But my cousin, smoking +his pipe after supper, took it all very easily. +</P> + +<P> +"Just listen to me, Christian," said he. "In the first place, I am +much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken. All that you tell +me I knew beforehand; but I am not sorry to know it for certain. Yet I +could wish that the sous-préfet had had my letter. As it is, since I +am refused a license to sell a few glasses of wine retail, I will sell +wine wholesale. I have already a stock of white wine, and no later +than to-morrow I am off to Nancy. I buy a light cart and a good horse; +thence I drive to Thiancourt, where I lay in a stock of red wine. +After that I rove right and left all over the country, and I sell my +wine by the cask or the quarter-cask, according to the solvency of my +customers: instead of having one public-house, I will have twenty. I +must keep moving. With an inn, Marie Anne would still have been +obliged to cook; she has quite enough to do without that." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! yes," she said; "for thirty years I have been cooking dishes of +sauerkraut and sausage at Krantheimer's, at Montmartre, and at Auber's, +in the cloister St. Benoit." +</P> + +<P> +"Exactly so," said George; "and now you shall cook no longer; but you +shall look after the crops, the stacking of the hay, the storage of +fruit and potatoes. We shall get in our dividends, and I will trot +round the country with my little pony from village to village. +Monsieur le Sous-préfet shall know that George Weber can live without +him." +</P> + +<P> +Hearing this, I learned that they had money in the funds, besides all +the rest; and I reflected that my cousin was quite right to laugh at +all the sous-préfets in the world. +</P> + +<P> +He came with me to the door, shaking hands with me; and I said to +myself that it was abominable to have refused a publican's license to +respectable persons, when they gave it to such men as Nicolas Reiter +and Jean Kreps, whom their own wives called their best customers +because they dropped under the table every evening and had to be +carried to bed. +</P> + +<P> +On the other hand, I saw that it was better for me; for if my cousin +had been found infringing the law, I should have had to take +depositions, and there would have been a quarrel with Cousin George. +So that all was for the best; the wholesale business being only the +exciseman's affair. +</P> + +<P> +What George had said, he did next day. At six o'clock he was already +at the station, and in five or six days he had returned from Nancy upon +his own char-à-banc, drawn by a strong horse, five or six years old, in +its prime. The char-à-banc was a new one; a tilt could be put up in +wet weather, which could be raised or lowered when necessary to deliver +the wine or receive back the empty casks. +</P> + +<P> +The wine from Thiancourt followed. George stored it immediately, after +having paid the bill and settled with the carter. I was standing by. +</P> + +<P> +As for telling you how many casks he had then in the house, that would +be difficult without examining his books; but not a wine-merchant in +the neighborhood, not even in town, could boast of such a vault of wine +as he had, for excellence of quality, for variety in price, both red +and white, of Alsace and Lorraine. +</P> + +<P> +About that time, my cousin sent for me and Jacob to make a list of safe +customers. He wrote on, asking us, "How much may I give to So-and-So?" +</P> + +<P> +"So much." +</P> + +<P> +"How much to that man?" +</P> + +<P> +"So much." +</P> + +<P> +In the course of a single afternoon we had passed in review all the +innkeepers and publicans from Droulingen to Quatre Vents, from Quatre +Vents to the Dagsberg. Jacob and I knew what they were worth to the +last penny; for the man who pays readily for his flour, pays well for +his wine; and those who want pulling up by the miller are in no hurry +to open their purses to the others. +</P> + +<P> +That was the way Cousin George conducted his business. +</P> + +<P> +He took a lad from our place, the son of the cooper Gros, to drive; and +he himself was salesman. +</P> + +<P> +From that day he was only seen passing through Rothalp at a quick trot, +his lad loading and unloading. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin, also, had a notion of distilling in the winter. He bought +up a quantity of old second-hand barrels to hold the fruits which he +hoped to secure at a cheap rate in autumn, and laid up a great store of +firewood. Our country people had nothing to do but to look at him to +learn something; but the people down our way all think themselves so +amazingly clever, and that does not help to make folks richer. +</P> + +<P> +Well, it is plain to you that our cousin's prospects were looking very +bright. Every day, returning from his journey to Saverne or to +Phalsbourg, he would stop his cart before my door, and come to see me +in the mill, crying out: "Hallo! good afternoon, Christian. How are +you to-day?" +</P> + +<P> +Then we used to step into the back parlor, on account of the noise and +the dust, and we talked about the price of corn, cattle, provender, and +everything that is interesting to people in our condition. +</P> + +<P> +What astonished him most of all was the number of Germans to be met +with in the mountains and in the plains. +</P> + +<P> +"I see nobody else," said he; "wood-cutters, brewers' men, coopers, +tinkers, photographers, contractors. I will lay a wager, Christian, +that your young man Frantz is a German, too." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; he comes from the Grand Duchy of Baden." +</P> + +<P> +"How does this happen?" asked George. "What is the meaning of it all?" +</P> + +<P> +"They are good workmen," said I, "and they ask only half the wages." +</P> + +<P> +"And ours—what becomes of them?" +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, you see, Cousin George, that is their business." +</P> + +<P> +"I understand," he said, "that we are making a great mistake. Even in +Paris, this crowd of Germans—crossing-sweepers, shop and warehousemen, +carters, book-keepers, professors of every kind—astonished me; and +since Sadowa, there are twice as many. The more territory they annex, +the farther they extend their view. Where is the advantage of our +being Frenchmen—paying every year heavier taxes; sending our children +to be drawn for the conscription, and paying for their exemption; +bearing all the expenses of the State, all the insults of the préfets, +the sous-préfets, and the police-inspectors, and the annoyances of +common spies and informers, if those fellows, who have nothing at all +to bear, enjoy the same advantages with ourselves, and even greater +ones; since our own people are sent off to make room for these, who by +their great numbers lower the price of hand-labor? This benefits the +manufacturers, the contractors, the bourgeois class, but it is misery +for the mass of the people. I cannot understand it at all. Our +rulers, up there, must be losing their senses. If that goes on, the +working-men will cease to care for their country, since it cares so +little for them; and the Germans who are favored, and who hate us, will +quietly put us out of our own doors." +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke my cousin, and I knew not what answer to make. +</P> + +<P> +But about this time I had a great trouble, and although this affair is +my private business alone, I must tell you about it. +</P> + +<P> +Since the arrival of George, my daughter Grédel, instead of looking +after our business as she used to do, washing clothes, milking cows, +and so on, was all the blessed day at Marie Anne's. Jacob complained, +and said: "What is she about down there? By and by I shall have to +prepare the clothes for the wash and hang them upon the hedges to dry, +and churn butter. Cannot Grédel do her own work? Does she think we +are her servants?" +</P> + +<P> +He was right. But Grédel never troubled herself. She never has +thought of any one besides herself. She was down there along with +George's wife, who talked to her from morning till night about Paris, +the grand squares, the markets, the price of eggs and of meat, what was +charged at the barrières; of this, that, and the other: cooking, and +what not. +</P> + +<P> +Marie Anne wanted company. But this did not suit me at all; and the +less because Grédel had had a lover in the village for some time, and +when this is the case, the best thing to be done is always to keep your +daughter at home and watch her closely. +</P> + +<P> +It was only a common clerk at a stone-quarry in Wilsberg, a late +artillery sergeant, Jean Baptiste Werner, who had taken the liberty to +cast his eyes upon our daughter. We had nothing to say against this +young man. He was a fine, tall man, thin, with a bold expression and +brown mustaches, and who did his duty very well at the quarry by Father +Heitz; but he could earn no more than his three francs a day: and any +one may see that the daughter of Christian Weber was not to be thrown +away upon a man who earns three francs a day. No, that would never do. +</P> + +<P> +Nevertheless, I had often seen this Jean Baptiste Werner going in the +morning to his work with his foot-rule under his arm, stopping at the +mill-dam, as if to watch the geese and the ducks paddling about the +sluice or the hens circling around the cock on the dunghill; and at the +same moment Grédel would be slowly combing her hair at her window +before the little looking-glass, leaning her head outside. I had also +noticed that they said good-morning to each other a good way off, and +that that clerk always looked excited and flurried at the sight of my +daughter; and I had even been obliged to give Grédel notice to go and +comb her hair somewhere else when that man passed, or to shut her +window. +</P> + +<P> +This is my case, simply told. +</P> + +<P> +That young man worried me. My wife, too, was on her guard. +</P> + +<P> +You may now understand why I should have preferred to have seen our +daughter at home; but it was not so easy to forbid her to go to my +cousin's. George and his wife might have been angry; and that troubled +us. +</P> + +<P> +Fortunately about that time the eldest son of Father Heitz,* the owner +of the quarry, asked for Grédel in marriage. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* It is usual there for fathers of families to be distinguished as +Father So-and-So. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +For a long while, Monsieur Mathias Heitz, junior, had come every Sunday +from Wilsberg to the "Cruchon d'Or," to amuse himself with Jacob, as +young men do when they have intentions with regard to a family. He was +a fine young man, fat, with red cheeks and ears, and always well +dressed, with a flowered velvet waistcoat, and seals to his +watch-chain; in a word, just such a young man as a girl with any good +sense would be glad to have for a husband. +</P> + +<P> +He had property too; he was the eldest of five children. I reckoned +that his own share might be fifteen to twenty thousand francs after the +death of his parents. +</P> + +<P> +Well, this young man demanded Grédel in marriage, and at once Jacob, my +wife, and myself were agreed to accept him. +</P> + +<P> +Only my wife thought that we ought to consult Cousin George and Marie +Anne. Grédel was just there when I went in with Catherine; but behold! +on the first mention of the thing she began to melt into tears, and to +say she would rather die than marry Mathias Heitz. You may imagine how +angry we were. My wife was going to slap her face or box her ears; but +my cousin became angry now, and told us that we ought never to oblige a +girl to marry against her will, because this was the way to make +miserable households. Then he led us out into the passage, telling us +that he took the responsibility of this affair: that he wished to +obtain information, and that we were to tell the young man that we +required a month for reflection. +</P> + +<P> +We could not refuse him that. Grédel would no longer come home; my +cousin's wife begged us not to plague her, and we had to give way to +them; but it was one of the greatest troubles of my life. And I +thought: "Now you cannot give your daughter to whoever you like; is not +this really abominable?" +</P> + +<P> +I felt angry with myself for having listened to my cousin: but, +nevertheless, Grédel stayed with them a whole week, in consequence of +which we were obliged to hire a charwoman; and Jacob exclaimed that +Grédel could not have offered him a worse insult than to refuse his +best comrade, a rich fellow, who boldly paid down his money for ten, +fifteen, and twenty bottles at the club without winking. +</P> + +<P> +However, he never mentioned it to Cousin George, for whom he felt the +greatest respect on account of his expectations from him, and whose +strong language dismayed him. +</P> + +<P> +At last my wife found that Grédel was staying too long away from home; +the people of the village would talk about it; so one evening I went to +see George, to ask him what he had learned about Heitz's son. +</P> + +<P> +It was after supper. Grédel, seeing me come in, slipped out into the +kitchen, and my cousin said to me frankly: "Listen, Christian: here is +the matter in two words—Grédel loves another." +</P> + +<P> +"Whom?" +</P> + +<P> +"Jean Baptiste Werner." +</P> + +<P> +"Father Heitz's clerk? the son of the woodward Werner, who has never +had anything but potatoes to eat? Is she in love with him? Let the +wretch come—let him come and ask her! I'll kick him down the stairs! +And Grédel to grieve me so? Oh! I should never have believed it of +her!" +</P> + +<P> +I could have cried. +</P> + +<P> +"Come, Christian," said my cousin, "you must be reasonable." +</P> + +<P> +"Reasonable! she deserves to have her neck wrung!" +</P> + +<P> +I was in a fury; I wanted to lay hold on her. Happily, she had gone +into the garden, and George held me back. He obliged me to sit down +again, and said: "What is Mathias Heitz? a fat fool who knows nothing +but how to play at cards and drink. He was put to college at +Phalsbourg, at M. Verrot's, like all the other respectable young men in +the district; but he now drives about in a char-à-banc in a flowered +waistcoat, with jingling seals: he could not possibly earn a couple of +pence—and the old man would like to be rid of him by marrying him. I +have obtained information about him. He may come in for from fifteen +to twenty thousand francs some day; but what are fifteen thousand +francs for an ass? He will eat them, he will drink them—perhaps he +has already swallowed half—and if there is a family, what are fifteen +or even twenty thousand francs between five or six children? Formerly, +when girls used to have an outfit for a marriage portion, and the +eldest son succeeded his father, things went on pretty well. It did +not want much talent to carry on a well-established business, or to +follow up a trade from father to son. But at the present day, +mother-wit and good sense stand in the foremost rank. Grandfather +Heitz was an industrious man; he made money; but Father Mathias has +never added a sou to his property, and the son has not a grain of good +sense." +</P> + +<P> +"But the other fellow—why he has nothing at all." +</P> + +<P> +"The other, Jean Baptiste Werner, is a good man, who has done his duty +by Father Heitz; he knows everything, manages everything, takes in +orders, makes all the arrangements for the carriage of stone by carts +or by railway. Heitz puts the money into his pocket, and Werner has +all the work, for want of a little capital to set himself up in +business. He has seen foreign service. I have seen his certificates +of character in Africa, in Mexico: they are excellent. If I were in +your place, I would give Grédel to him." +</P> + +<P> +"Never!" cried I, thumping upon the table; "I had rather drown her." +</P> + +<P> +Half the wine-glasses were shattered on the floor; but my cousin was +not angry. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, Christian," said he, "you are wrong. Think it over. Grédel +will remain here. I will answer for her. You must not take her away +at present. You would be very likely to ill-treat her, and then you +would repent of it." +</P> + +<P> +"Let her stay as long as you like!" said I, taking up my hat; "let her +never darken my doors again." And I rushed out. +</P> + +<P> +Never in my life had I been so angry and so grieved. At home I did not +even dare to say what I had learned; but Jacob suspected it, and one +day, as Werner was stopping in front of the mill, he shook his +pitchfork at him, shouting: "Come on!" But Werner pretended not to +hear him, and went on his way. +</P> + +<P> +I was at last, however, obliged to tell my wife the whole matter. At +first she was near fainting; but she soon recovered, and said to me: +"Well, if Grédel won't have young Mathias, we shall keep our hundred +louis, and we shall have no need to hire a new servant. I should +prefer that, for one cannot trust strange servants in a house." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; but how can we declare to Mathias Heitz that Grédel refuses his +son?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, don't trouble yourself, Christian," said she; "leave me alone, and +don't let us quarrel with Cousin George: that's the principal thing. I +will say that Grédel is too young to be married; that is the proper +thing to say, and nobody can answer that." +</P> + +<P> +Catherine quieted me in this way. But this business was still racking +my brain, when extraordinary things came to pass, which we were far +from expecting, and which were to turn our hair gray, and that of many +others with us. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER III +</H3> + +<P> +One morning the secretary of the sous-préfet wrote to me to come to +Sarrebourg. From time to time we used to receive orders, as +magistrates, to go and give an account at the sous-préfecture of what +was going on in our district. +</P> + +<P> +I said to myself, immediately on receiving this letter from Secretary +Gérard, that it was something about our Agricultural Society, which had +not yet delivered the prizes gained by the ducks and the geese a few +weeks before. +</P> + +<P> +It was true that the Paris newspapers had for three days past been +discussing a Prince of Hohenzollern, who had just been named King of +Spain; but what could that signify to us at Rothalp, Illingen, +Droulingen, and Henridorf, whether the King of Spain was called +Hohenzollern or by any other name? +</P> + +<P> +In my opinion, it could not be about that affair that Monsieur le +Sous-préfet wanted to talk to us, but about the old or a new +Agricultural Society, or something at least which concerned us in +particular. The idea of the parish road and the bells came also into +my mind; perhaps that was the object we were sent for. +</P> + +<P> +At last I took up my staff and started for Sarrebourg. +</P> + +<P> +Arriving there, I found the whole length of the principal street +crowded with mayors, police-inspectors, and <I>juges-de-paix</I>.* Mother +Adler's inn and all the little public-houses were so full that they +could not have held another customer. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* Magistrates. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Then I said to myself, no doubt something quite new is in the wind: as, +for instance; a fête like that when her Majesty the Empress and the +Prince Imperial, three years before, passed through Nancy to celebrate +the union of Lorraine with France. Thereupon I went to the +sous-préfecture, where I found already several mayors of the +neighborhood talking at the door. They were discussing the price of +corn, the high price of cattle food; they were called in one after +another. +</P> + +<P> +In half an hour my turn came; Monsieur Christian Weber's name was +called, and I entered with my hat in my hand. +</P> + +<P> +Monsieur le Sous-préfet with his secretary Gerard, with his pen stuck +behind his ear, were seated there: the secretary began to mend his pen; +and Monsieur le Sous-préfet asked me what was going on in my part of +the country? +</P> + +<P> +"In our country, Monsieur le Sous-préfet? why, nothing at all. There +is a great drought; no rain has fallen for six weeks; the potatoes are +very small, and..." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't mean that, Monsieur le Maire: what do they think of the Prince +Hohenzollern and the Crown of Spain?" +</P> + +<P> +On hearing this I scratched my head, saying to myself, "What will you +answer to that now? What must you say?" +</P> + +<P> +Then Monsieur le Sous-préfet asked: "What is the spirit of your +population?" +</P> + +<P> +The spirit of our population? How could I get out of that? +</P> + +<P> +"You see, Monsieur le Sous-préfet, in our villages the people are no +scholars; they don't read the papers." +</P> + +<P> +"But tell me, what do they think of the war?" +</P> + +<P> +"What war?" +</P> + +<P> +"If, now, we should have war with Germany, would those people be +satisfied?" +</P> + +<P> +Then I began to catch a glimpse of his meaning, and I said: "You know, +Monsieur le Sous-préfet, that we have voted in the Plébiscite to have +peace, because everybody likes trade and business and quietness at +home; we only want to have work and..." +</P> + +<P> +"Of course, of course, that is plain enough; we all want peace: his +Majesty the Emperor, and her Majesty the Empress, and everybody love +peace! But if we are attacked: if Count Bismarck and the King of +Prussia attack us?" +</P> + +<P> +"Then, Monsieur le Sous-préfet, we shall be obliged to defend ourselves +in the best way we can; by all sorts of means, with pitchforks, with +sticks..." +</P> + +<P> +"Put that down, Monsieur Gérard, write down those words. You are +right, Monsieur le Maire: I felt sure of you beforehand," said Monsieur +le Sous-préfet, shaking hands with me: "You are a worthy man." +</P> + +<P> +Tears came into my eyes. He came with me to the door, saying: "The +determination of your people is admirable; tell them so: tell them that +we wish for peace; that our only thought is for peace; that his Majesty +and their excellencies the Ministers want nothing but peace; but that +France cannot endure the insults of an ambitious power. Communicate +your own ardor to the village of Rothalp. Good, very good. <I>Au +revoir</I>, Monsieur le Maire, farewell." +</P> + +<P> +Then I went out, much astonished; another mayor took my place, and I +thought, "What! does that Bismarck mean to attack us! Oh, the villain!" +</P> + +<P> +But as yet I could tell neither why nor how. +</P> + +<P> +I repaired to Mother Adler's, where I ordered bread and cheese and a +bottle of white wine, according to custom, before returning home; and +there I heard all those gentlemen, the Government officials, the +controllers, the tax-collectors, the judges, the receivers, etc., +assembled in the public room, telling one another that the Prussians +were going to invade us; that they had already taken half of Germany, +and that they were wanting now to lay the Spaniards upon our back in +order to take the rest: just as they had put Italy upon the back of the +Austrians, before Sadowa. +</P> + +<P> +All the mayors present were of the same opinion; they all answered that +they would defend themselves, if we were attacked; for the Lorrainers +and the Alsacians have never been behindhand in defending themselves: +all the world knows that. +</P> + +<P> +I went on listening; at last, having paid my bill, I started to return +home. +</P> + +<P> +I went out of Sarrebourg, and had walked for half an hour in the dust, +reflecting upon what had just taken place, when I heard a conveyance +coming at a rapid rate behind me. I turned round. It was Cousin +George upon his char-à-banc, at which I was much pleased. +</P> + +<P> +"Is that you, cousin?" said he, pulling up. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; I am just come from Sarrebourg, and I am not sorry to meet with +you, for it is terribly warm." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, up with you," said he. "You have had a great gathering to-day; +I saw all the public-houses full." +</P> + +<P> +I was up, I took my seat, and the conveyance went off again at a trot. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said I; "it is a strange business; you would never guess why we +have been sent for to the sous-préfecture." +</P> + +<P> +"What for?" +</P> + +<P> +Then I told him all about it; being much excited against the villain +Bismarck, who wanted to invade us, and had just invented this +Hohenzollern pretext to drive us to extremities. +</P> + +<P> +George listened. At last he said: "My poor Christian! the sous-préfet +was quite right in calling you a worthy fellow; and all those other +mayors that I saw down there, with their red noses, are worthy men; but +do you know my opinion upon all those matters?" +</P> + +<P> +"What do you think, George?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, my belief is, that they are leading you like a string of asses +by the bridle. That sous-préfet will present his report to the préfet, +the préfet to the Minister of the Interior, Monsieur Chevandier de +Valdrôme,—the organizer of the Plébiscite—he who told you to vote +'Yes' to have peace—and that Minister will present his report to the +Emperor. They all know that the Emperor desires war, because he needs +it for his dynasty." +</P> + +<P> +"What! he wants war?" +</P> + +<P> +"No doubt he does. In spite of all, forty-five thousand soldiers have +voted against the Plébiscite. The army is turning round against the +dynasty. There is no more promotion: medals, crosses, promotions were +distributed in profusion at first, now all that has stopped; the +inferior officers have no more hope of passing into the higher ranks, +because the army is filled with nobles, with Jesuits from the schools +of the Sacred College: in the Court calendars nothing is seen but +<I>de</I>'s. The soldiers, who spring from the people, begin to discern +that they are being gradually extinguished: they are not in a pleasant +temper. But war may put everything straight again: a few battles are +wanted to throw light upon the malcontents; there must be a victory to +crush the Republicans, for the Republicans are gaining confidence: they +are lifting up their heads. After a victory, a few thousand of them +can be sent to Lambessa and to Cayenne, just as after the Second of +December. At the same time, the Jesuits will be placed at the head of +the schools, as they were under Charles X., the Pope will be restored, +Italy and Germany will be dismembered, and the dynasty will be placed +on a strong foundation for twenty years. Every twenty years they will +begin again, and the dynasty will strike deep root. But war there must +be." +</P> + +<P> +"But what do you mean? It is Bismarck who is beginning it," said I: +"it is he who is picking a German quarrel." +</P> + +<P> +"Bismarck," replied my cousin, "is well acquainted with everything that +is going on, and so are the very lowest workmen in Paris; but you, you +know nothing at all. Your only talk is about potatoes and cabbages: +your thoughts never go beyond this. You are kept in ignorance. You +are, as it were, the dung of the Empire—the manure to fatten the +dynasty. Bismarck is aware that our <I>honest man</I> wants war, to temper +his army afresh, and shut the mouths of those whose talk is of economy, +liberty, honor, and justice; he knows that never will Prussia be so +strong again as she is now—she already covers three-fourths of +Germany; all the Germans will march at her side to fight against +France: they can put more than a million of men in the field in fifteen +days, and they will be three or four against one; with such odds there +is no need of genius, the war will go forward of itself—they are sure +of crushing the enemy." +</P> + +<P> +"But the Emperor must know that as well as you, George," said I; +"therefore he will be for peace." +</P> + +<P> +"No, he is relying upon his mitrailleuses: and then he wants to +strengthen his dynasty—what does the rest matter to him? To establish +his dynasty he took an oath before God and man to the Republic, and +then he trampled upon his oath and the Republic; he brought destruction +upon thousands of good men, who were defending the laws against him; he +has enriched thousands of thieves who uphold him; he has corrupted our +youth by the evil example of the prosperity of brigands, and the +misfortunes of the well-disposed; he has brought low everything that +was worthy of respect, he has exalted everything which excites disgust +and contempt. All the men who have approached this pestilence have +been contaminated, to the very marrow of their bones. You, Christian, +evidently cannot comprehend these abominable things; but the worst +rogues in this country, the wildest vagabonds among your peasants, +could never form an opinion of the villany of this <I>honest man</I>: they +are saints compared with him; at the very sight of him the heart of +every true Frenchman rises up against him: for the sake of his dynasty +he would sell and sacrifice us all to the last man." +</P> + +<P> +George, in uttering these words, was trembling with excitement: I saw +that he was convinced to the bottom of his heart of what he said. +Fortunately we were alone on the road, far from any village; no one +could hear us. +</P> + +<P> +"But that Hohenzollern," I said, after a few minutes' silence, "that +Leopold Hohenzollern—is not he the cause of all that is going on?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," said George; "if misfortunes come upon us, the <I>honest man</I> alone +will be the cause of it. If you did but read a newspaper, you would +see that the Spaniards wanted for their king, Montpensier, a son of +Louis Philippe; that could only have turned out to our good: +Montpensier would naturally have become the ally of France. But that +was against the interests of the Napoleon dynasty; so the <I>honest man</I> +threatened Spain; then the Spaniards nominated this Prussian prince in +the place of Montpensier; a prince who could not stand alone, but whom +a million of Germans would support if necessary. They fixed upon him +to annoy our gentleman; of course they had no need to ask for his +advice. Did France consult any one? did she trouble herself about +England, Spain, or Germany, when she proclaimed the Republic, or when +she proclaimed Louis Bonaparte Emperor? Has he then a right to thrust +his nose into their affairs? No; it is unpleasant for us; but the +Spaniards were right; there was no need for them to put themselves out +to please our <I>worthy man</I> and his fine family. And now—happen what +may—I look no longer for peace; the Germans are withdrawing from our +country in all directions—they are joining their regiments; the order +has been given, and they obey; it is a bad sign. In all the villages +that I have been passing through, and upon every road, I have seen +these fine fellows, their bundles over their shoulders—they are off +home!" +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke Cousin George to me. I thought this was a little too bad; +but, on arriving home, the first thing my wife said to me was, "Do you +know that Frantz is going?" +</P> + +<P> +"Our young man?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, he wants his wages." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, indeed. Let him come here at the back, and we will have a talk." +</P> + +<P> +I was much surprised, and I made him come into my room at the bottom of +the mill, where I keep my papers and my books. His cow-skin pack was +already fastened upon his shoulder. +</P> + +<P> +"Are you going away, Frantz? Have you anything to complain of?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, nothing at all, Monsieur Weber. But I am obliged to go; for I +have received orders to join my regiment." +</P> + +<P> +"Are you a soldier, then?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, in the Landwehr. We are all soldiers in Germany." +</P> + +<P> +"But if you liked to stay here, who would come and fetch you?" +</P> + +<P> +"That is an impossibility, M. Weber. I should be declared a deserter. +I could never return home again. They would take away all my property, +present and to come; my brothers and sisters would come in for it." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, that is a different thing! Now I understand. There—there's your +certificate of character." +</P> + +<P> +I had written a good certificate for him, for he was a good workman. I +paid him what I owed him to the last farthing, and wished him a +prosperous journey. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George was right; those Germans were all moving homeward. You +would never have thought there were so many in the country; some had +passed themselves off for Swiss, some for Luxemburgers; others had +quite settled down, and no one would ever have suspected that they owed +two or three more years' service to their country. This gave rise to +disputes. Those whose situations they had taken, and who bore ill-will +against them, fell upon them; the <I>gendarmerie</I> beat up the mountains; +things were taking an ugly turn. +</P> + +<P> +It was in vain that I affirmed at the mayoralty-house that the Emperor +breathed only peace; for the Gazettes of the préfecture talked of +nothing but the insults we had had to endure, the ambition of Prussia, +revenge for Sadowa, the Catholic nations who were going to declare <I>en +masse</I> in our favor, and all the powers which affirmed the justice of +our cause: the enthusiasm for war grew higher and higher day by day; +especially that of the pedlers, the tinkers, the small dealers, and all +those good fellows who come out of the prisons, and who are continually +seeking for work without finding any; though they do find walls to get +over, doors to break in, cupboards to plunder. All these excellent +people declared that it was for the honor of France to make war upon +Germany. +</P> + +<P> +And then the Paris newspapers in the pay of the Government, as we have +more recently learned, continued arriving and were circulated gratis, +saying that our ambassador Benedetti had gone to see Frederick William +at the waters of Ems, to entreat him not to precipitate us into the +horrors of war; that the King had answered that all that was nothing to +him, for his Cousin Leopold of Hohenzollern had only consulted him out +of respect, as head of the family; that he was too good a relation to +advise him not to accept so good a windfall, which was coming down to +him out of the clouds. +</P> + +<P> +Then, indeed, did the indignation of the Gazettes burst upon the +Germans: they must, by all means, be brought to their senses. Now, +fancy the position of a mayor, who only two months before had made all +his village vote in the Plébiscite, promising them peace, and who saw +clearly at last how they had only made use of him as a tool to dupe his +people! I dared no longer look my cousin in the face, for he had +warned me of the thing; and now I knew what to think of the honorable +members of the Government. +</P> + +<P> +Affairs were going on so badly that war seemed imminent, when one fine +morning we learned that Hohenzollern had waived his right to be King of +Spain. Ah! now we were out of the mess: now we could breathe more +freely. That day my cousin himself was smiling; he came to the mill +and said to me: "The Emperor and his Ministers, his préfets and +sous-préfets, have not such long noses after all! How well things were +going on too! And now they will be obliged to wait for another +opportunity to begin. How they must feel sold!" +</P> + +<P> +We both laughed with delight. +</P> + +<P> +More than twenty-five of the principal inhabitants came that day to +shake hands with me at the mayoralty-house. It was concluded that his +excellency, Monsieur Emile Ollivier, would never be able to tinker this +war again, and that peace would be preserved in spite of him: in spite +of the Emperor, in spite of Marshal Leboeuf, who had declared to the +Senate <I>that we were ready—five times ready, and that during the whole +campaign we should never be short of so much as a gaiter button</I>. +</P> + +<P> +Hohenzollern was praised up to the skies for having shown such good +sense; and as the reserves had been called out, many young men were +glad to be able to remain in the bosom of their families. +</P> + +<P> +In a word, it was concluded that the whole affair was at an end; when +our <I>good man</I> and his honorable Minister informed us that we had begun +to rejoice too soon. All at once, the report ran that Frederick +William had shown our ambassador the door, saying something so terribly +strong against the honor of his Majesty Napoleon III., that nobody +dared repeat it. It appeared that his Majesty the Emperor, seeing that +the King of Prussia had withdrawn his authorization from the Prince of +Hohenzollern to accept the Crown of Spain, had not been satisfied with +that; and that he had given orders to his ambassador to demand, +furthermore, his renunciation of any crown, whatever that the Spaniards +might offer him in all time to come—for himself or his family; and +that this King, who does not enjoy at all times the best of tempers, +had said something very strong touching <I>our honest man</I>. +</P> + +<P> +That day I was at the mayoralty-house about eleven o'clock. I had just +celebrated the marriage of André Fix with Kaan's daughter, and the +wedding-party had started for church, when the postman Michel comes in +and throws down the little <I>Moniteur</I> upon the table. Then I sat down +to read about the great battle in the Legislative Chambers, fought by +Thiers, Gambetta, Jules Favre, Glais-Bizoin and others, against the +Ministers, in defence of peace. +</P> + +<P> +It was magnificent. But this had not prevented the majority, appointed +to do everything, from declaring war against the Germans, on account of +what the King of Prussia had said. +</P> + +<P> +What could he then have said? His excellency Emile Ollivier has never +dared to repeat it! My Cousin George declared that he had said +something that was right, and naturally very unpleasant: but it is +known now, by the reports of our ambassador, that the King of Prussia +had said <I>nothing at all</I>, and that the indignation of M. Ollivier was +nothing but a disgraceful sham to deceive the Chambers, and make them +vote for war. +</P> + +<P> +Well, this was the commencement of our calamities; and; for my part, I +find that this did not present a cheerful prospect. No! After having +endured such miseries, it is not pleasant to remember that we owe them +all to M. Emile Ollivier, to Monsieur Leboeuf, to Monsieur Bonaparte, +and to other men of that stamp, who are living at this moment +comfortably in their country-houses in Italy, in Switzerland, in +England; whilst so many unhappy creatures have had their lives +sacrificed, or have been utterly ruined; have lost father, children, +and friends: but we Alsacians and Lorrainers have lost more than +all—our own mother-country. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IV +</H3> + +<P> +The day following this declaration, Cousin George, who could never look +upon anything cheerfully, started for Belfort. He had ordered some +wine at Dijon, and he wished to stop it from coming. It was the 22d +July. George only returned five days later, on the 27th, having had +the greatest difficulty in getting there in time. +</P> + +<P> +During these five days I had a hard time. Orders were coming every +hour to hurry on the reserves and the Gardes Mobiles, and to cancel +renewable furloughs; the gendarmerie had no rest. The Government +gazette was telling us of the enthusiasm of the nation for the war. It +was pitiable; can you imagine young men sitting quietly at home, +thinking: "In five or six months I shall be exempt from service, I may +marry, settle, earn money," all at once, without either rhyme or +reason, becoming enthusiastic to go and knock over men they know +nothing of, and to risk their own bones against them. Is there a +shadow of good sense in such notions? +</P> + +<P> +And the Germans! Will any one persuade us that they were coming for +their own pleasure—all these thousands of workmen, tradesmen, +manufacturers, good citizens, who were living in peace in their towns +and their villages? Will any one maintain that they came and drew up +in lines facing our guns for their private satisfaction, with an +officer behind them, pistol in hand, to shoot them in the back if they +gave way? Do you suppose they found any amusement in that? Come now, +was not his excellency Monsieur Ollivier the only man who went into +war, as he himself said, "with a light heart?" He was safe to come +back, he was: he had not much to fear; he is quite well; he made a +fortune in a very short time! But the lads of our neighborhood, +Mathias Heitz, Jean Baptiste Werner, my son Jacob, and hundreds of +others, were in no such hurry: they would much rather have stayed in +their villages. +</P> + +<P> +Later on it was another matter, when you were fighting for your +country; then, of course, many went off as a matter of duty, without +being summoned, whilst Monsieur Ollivier and his friends were hiding, +God knows where! But at that particular moment when all our +misfortunes might have been averted, it is a falsehood to say that we +went enthusiastically to have ourselves cut to pieces for a pack of +intriguers and stage-players, whom we were just beginning to find out. +</P> + +<P> +When we saw our son Jacob, in his blouse, his bundle under his arm, +come into the mill, saying, "Now, father, I am going; you must not +forget to pull up the dam in half an hour, for the water will be up:" +when he said this to me, I tell you my heart trembled; the cries of his +mother in the room behind made my hair stand on end. I could have +wished to say a few words, to cheer up the lad, but my tongue refused +to move; and if I had held his excellency, M. Ollivier, or his +respected master, by the throat in a corner, they would have made a +queer figure: I should have strangled them in a moment! At last Jacob +went. +</P> + +<P> +All the young men of Sarrebourg, of Château Salins, and our +neighborhood, fifteen or sixteen hundred in number, were at Phalsbourg +to relieve the 84th, who at any moment might expect to be called away, +and who were complaining of their colonel for not claiming the foremost +rank for his regiment. The officers were afraid of arriving too late; +they wanted promotion, crosses, medals: fighting was their trade. +</P> + +<P> +What I have said about enthusiasm is true; it is equally true of the +Germans and the French; they had no desire to exterminate one another. +Bismarck and our <I>honest man</I> alone are responsible: at their door lies +all the blood that has been shed. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George returned from Belfort on the 27th, in the evening. I +fancy I still see him entering our room at nightfall; Grédel had +returned to us the day before, and we were at supper, with the tin lamp +upon the table; from my place, on the right, near the window, I was +able to watch the mill-dam. George arrived. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! cousin, here you are back again! Did you get on all right?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I have nothing to complain of," said he, taking a chair. "I +arrived just in time to countermand my order; but it was only by good +luck. What confusion all the way from Belfort to Strasbourg! the +troops, the recruits, the guns, the horses, the munitions of war, the +barrels of biscuits, all are arriving at the railway in heaps. You +would not know the country. Orders are asked for everywhere. The +telegraph-wires are no longer for private use. The commissaries don't +know where to find their stores, colonels are looking for their +regiments, generals for their brigades and divisions. They are seeking +for salt, sugar, coffee, bacon, meat, saddles and bridles—and they are +getting charts of the Baltic for a campaign in the Vosges! Oh!" cried +my cousin, uplifting his hands, "is it possible? Have we come to +that—-we! we! Now it will be seen how expensive a thing is a +government of thieves! I warn you, Christian, it will be a failure! +Perhaps there will not even be found rifles in the arsenals, after the +hundreds of millions voted to get rifles. You will see; you will see!" +</P> + +<P> +He had begun to stride to and fro excitedly, and we, sitting on our +chairs, were looking at him open-mouthed, staring first right and then +left. His anger rose higher and higher, and he said, "Such is the +genius of our honest man, he conducts everything: he is our +commander-in-chief! A retired artillery captain, with whom I travelled +from Schlestadt to Strasbourg, told me that in consequence of the bad +organization of our forces, we should be unable to place more than two +hundred and fifty thousand men in line along our frontier from +Luxembourg to Switzerland; and that the Germans, with their superior +and long-prepared organization, could oppose to us, in eight days, a +force of five to six hundred thousand men; so that they will be more +than two to one at the outset, and they will crush us in spite of the +valor of our soldiers. This old officer, full of good sense, and who +has travelled in Germany, told me, besides, that the artillery of the +Prussians carries farther and is worked more rapidly than ours; which +would enable the Germans to dismount our batteries and our +mitrailleuses without getting any harm themselves. It seems that our +great man never thought of that." +</P> + +<P> +Then George began to laugh, and, as we said nothing, he went on: "And +the enemy—the Prussians, Bavarians, Badeners, Wurtembergers, the +<I>Courrier du Bas-Rhin</I> declares that they are coming by regiments and +divisions from Frankfort and Munich to Rastadt, with guns, munitions, +and provisions in abundance; that all the country swarms with them, +from Karlsruhe to Baden; that they have blown up the bridge of Kehl, to +prevent us from outflanking them; that we have not troops enough at +Wissembourg. But what is the use of complaining? Our +commander-in-chief knows better than the <I>Courrier du Bas-Rhin</I>; he is +an iron-clad fellow, who takes no advice: a man must have some courage +to offer him advice!" +</P> + +<P> +And all at once, stopping short, "Christian," he said, "I have come to +give you a little advice." +</P> + +<P> +"What?" +</P> + +<P> +"Hide all the money you have got; for, from what I have seen down +there, in a few days the enemy will be in Alsace." +</P> + +<P> +Imagine my astonishment at hearing these words. George was not the man +to joke about serious matters, nor was he a timid man: on the contrary, +you would have to go far to find a braver man. Therefore, fancy my +wife's and Grédel's alarm. +</P> + +<P> +"What, George," said I, "do you think that possible?" +</P> + +<P> +"Listen to me," said he. "When on the one side you see nothing but +empty beings, without education, without judgment, prudence, or method; +and on the other, men who for fifty years have been preparing a mortal +blow—anything is possible. Yes, I believe it; in a fortnight the +Germans will be in Alsace. Our mountains will check them; the +fortresses of Bitche, of Petite Pierre, of Phalsbourg and Lichtenberg; +the abatis, and the intrenchments which will be formed in the passes; +the ambuscades of every kind which will be set, the bridges and the +railway tunnels that they will blow up—all this will prevent them from +going farther for three or four months until winter; but, in the +meantime, they will send this way reconnoitring parties—Uhlans, +hussars, brigands of every kind—who will snap up everything, pillage +everywhere—wheat, flour, hay, straw, bacon, cattle, and principally +money. War will be made upon our backs. We Alsacians and Lorrainers, +we shall have to pay the bill. I know all about it. I have been all +over the country-side; believe me. Hide everything; that is what I +mean to do; and, if anything happens, at least it will not be our +fault. I would not go to bed without giving you this warning; so +good-night, Christian; good-night, everybody!" +</P> + +<P> +He left us, and we sat a few moments gazing stupidly at each other. My +wife and Grédel wanted to hide everything that very night. Grédel, +ever since she had got Jean Baptiste Werner into her head, was thinking +of nothing but her marriage-portion. She knew that we had about a +hundred louis in cent-sous pieces in a basket at the bottom of the +cupboard; she said to herself, "That's my marriage-portion!" And this +troubled her more than anything: she even grew bolder, and wanted to +keep the keys herself. But her mother is not a woman to be led: every +minute she cried: "Take care, Grédel! mind what you are about!" +</P> + +<P> +She looked daggers at her; and I was continually obliged to come to +preserve peace between them; for Catherine is not gifted with patience. +And so all our troubles came together. +</P> + +<P> +But, in spite of what George had just been saying, I was not afraid. +The Germans were less than sixteen leagues from us, it is true, but +they would have first to cross the Rhine; then we knew that at +Mederbronn the people were complaining of the troops cantoned in the +villages: this was a proof that there was no lack of soldiers; and then +MacMahon was at Strasbourg; the Turcos, the Zouaves, and the Chasseurs +d'Afrique were coming up. +</P> + +<P> +So I said to my wife that there was no hurry yet; that Cousin George +had long detested the Emperor; but that all that did not mean much, and +it was better to see things for one's self; that I should go to Saverne +market, and if things looked bad, then I would sell all our corn and +flour, which would come to a hundred louis, and which we would bury +directly with the rest. +</P> + +<P> +My wife took courage; and if I had not had a great deal to grind for +the bakers in our village, I should have gone next day to Saverne and +should have seen what was going on. Unfortunately, ever since Frantz +and Jacob had left, the mill was on my hands, and I scarcely had time +to turn round. +</P> + +<P> +Jacob was a great trouble to me besides, asking for money by the +postman Michel. This man told me that the Mobiles had not yet been +called out, and that they were lounging from one public-house to +another in gangs to kill time; that they had received no rifles; that +they were not chartered in the barracks; and that they did not get a +farthing for their food. +</P> + +<P> +This disorder disgusted me; and I reflected that an Emperor who sends +for all the young men in harvest-time, ought at least to feed them, and +not leave them to be an expense to their parents. For all that I sent +money to Jacob: I could not allow him to suffer hunger. But it was a +trouble to my mind to keep him down there with my money, sauntering +about with his hands in his pockets, whilst I, at my age, was obliged +to carry sacks up into the loft, to fetch them down again, to load the +carts alone, and, besides, to watch the mill; for no one could be met +with now, and the old day-laborer, Donadieu, quite a cripple, was all +the help I had. After that, only imagine our anxiety, our fatigue, and +our embarrassment to know what to do. +</P> + +<P> +The other people in the village were in no better spirits than +ourselves. The old men and women thought of their sons shut up in the +town, and the great drought continuing: we could rely upon nothing. +The smallpox had broken out, too. Nothing would sell, nothing could be +sent by railway: planks, beams, felled timber, building-stone, all lay +at the saw-pits or the stone-quarry. The sous-préfet kept on troubling +me to search and find out three or four scamps who had not reported +themselves, and the consequence of all this was that I did not get to +Saverne that week. +</P> + +<P> +Then it was announced that at last the Emperor had just quitted Paris, +to place himself at the head of his armies; and five or six days after +came the news of his great victory at Sarrebrück, where the +mitrailleuses had mown down the Prussians; where the little Prince had +picked up bullets, "which made old soldiers shed tears of emotion." +</P> + +<P> +On learning this the people became crazy with joy. On all sides were +heard cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" and Monsieur le Curé preached the +extermination of the heretic Prussians. Never had the like been seen. +That very day, toward evening, just after stopping the mill, all at +once I heard in the distance, toward the road, cries of "<I>Aux armes, +citoyens! formez vos bataillons!</I>" +</P> + +<P> +The dust from the road rose up into the clouds. It was the 84th +departing from Phalsbourg; they were going to Metz, and the people who +were working in the fields near the road, said, on returning at night, +that the poor soldiers, with their knapsacks on their shoulders, could +scarcely march for the heat; that the people were treating them with +eau-de-vie and wine at all the doors in Metting, and they said, +"Good-by! long life to you!" that the officers, too, were shaking hands +with everybody, whilst the people shouted, "Vive l'Empereur!" +</P> + +<P> +Yes, this victory of Sarrebrück had changed the face of things in our +villages; the love of war was returning. War is always popular when it +is successful, and there is a prospect of extending our own territory +into other peoples' countries. +</P> + +<P> +That night about nine o'clock I went to caution my cousin to hold his +tongue; for after this great victory one word against the dynasty might +send him a very long way off. He was alone with his wife, and said to +me, "Thank you, Christian, I have seen the despatch. A few brave +fellows have been killed, and they have shown the young Prince to the +army. That poor little weakly creature has picked up a few bullets on +the battle-field. He is the heir of his uncle, the terrible captain of +Jena and Austerlitz! Only one officer has been killed; it is not much; +but if the heir of the dynasty had had but a scratch, the gazettes +would have shed tears, and it would have been our duty to fall +fainting." +</P> + +<P> +"Do try to be quiet," said I, looking to see if the windows were all +close. "Do take care, George. Don't commit yourself to Placiard and +the gendarmes." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said he, "the enemies of the dynasty are at this moment in worse +danger than the little Prince. If victories go on, they will run the +risk of being plucked pretty bare. I am quite aware of that, my +cousin; and so I thank you for having come to warn me." +</P> + +<P> +This is all that he said to me, and I returned home full of thoughts. +</P> + +<P> +Next day, Thursday, market-day, I drove my first two wagon-loads of +flour to Saverne, and sold them at a good figure. That day I observed +the tremendous movement along the railroads, of which Cousin George had +spoken; the carriage of mitrailleuses, guns, chests of biscuits, and +the enthusiasm of the people, who were pouring out wine for the +soldiers. +</P> + +<P> +It was just like a fair in the principal street, from the chateau to +the station—a fair of little white loaves and sausages; but the +Turcos, with their blue jackets, their linen trousers, and their +scarlet caps, took the place of honor: everybody wanted to treat them. +</P> + +<P> +I had never before seen any of these men; their yellow skins, their +thick lips, the conspicuous whites of their eyes, surprised me; and I +said to myself, seeing the long strides they took with their thin legs, +that the Germans would find them unpleasant neighbors. Their officers, +too, with their swords at their sides, and their pointed beards, looked +splendid soldiers. At every public-house door, a few Chasseurs +d'Afrique had tied their small light horses, all alike and beautifully +formed like deer. No one refused them anything; and in all directions, +in the inns, the talk was of ambulances and collections for the +wounded. Well, seeing all this, George's ideas seemed to me more and +more opposed to sound sense, and I felt sure that we were going to +crush all resistance. +</P> + +<P> +About two o'clock, having dined at the Boeuf, I took the way to the +village through Phalsbourg, to see Jacob in passing. As I went up the +hill, something glittered from time to time on the slope through the +woods, when all at once hundreds of cuirassiers came out upon the road +by the Alsace fountain. They were advancing at a slow pace by twos, +their helmets and their cuirasses threw back flashes of light upon all +the trees, and the trampling of their hoofs rolled like the rush of a +mighty river. +</P> + +<P> +Then I drew my wagon to one side to see all these men march past me, +sitting immovable in their saddles as if they were sleeping, the head +inclined forward, and the mustache hanging, riding strong, square-built +horses, the canvas bag suspended from the side, and the sabre ringing +against the boot. Thus they filed past me for half an hour. They +extended their long lines, and stretched on yet to the Schlittenbach. +I thought there would be no end to them. Yet these were only two +regiments; two others were encamped upon the glacis of Phalsbourg, +where I arrived about five in the afternoon. They were driving the +pickets into the turf with axes; they were lighting fires for cooking; +the horses were neighing, and the townspeople—men, women, and +children—were standing gazing at them. +</P> + +<P> +I passed on my way, reflecting upon the strength of such an army, and +pitying, by anticipation, the ill-fated Germans whom they were going to +encounter. Entering through the gate of Germany, I saw the officers +looking for lodgings, the Gardes Mobiles, in blouses, mounting guard. +They had received their rifles that morning; and the evening before, +Monsieur le Sous-préfet of Sarrebourg had come himself to appoint the +officers of the National Guard. This is what I had learned at the +Vacheron brewery, where I had stopped, leaving my cart outside at the +corner of the "Trois Pigeons." +</P> + +<P> +Everybody was talking about our victory at Sarrebrück, especially those +cuirassiers, who were emptying bottles by the hundred, to allay the +dust of the road. They looked quite pleased, and were saying that war +on a large scale was beginning again, and that the heavy cavalry would +be in demand. It was quite a pleasure to look on them, with their red +ears, and to hear them rejoicing at the prospect of meeting the enemy +soon. +</P> + +<P> +In the midst of all these swarms of people, of servants running, +citizens coming and going, I could have wished to see Jacob; but where +was I to look for him? At last I recognized a lad of our +village—Nicolas Maïsse—the son of the wood-turner, our neighbor, who +immediately undertook to find him. He went out, and in a quarter of an +hour Jacob appeared. +</P> + +<P> +The poor fellow embraced me. The tears came into my eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"Well now," said I, "sit down. Are you pretty well?" +</P> + +<P> +"I had rather be at home," said he. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, but that is impossible now; you must have patience." +</P> + +<P> +I also invited young Maïsse to take a glass with us, and both +complained bitterly that Mathias Heitz, junior, had been made a +lieutenant, who knew no more of the science of war than they did, and +who now had ordered of Kuhn, the tailor, an officer's uniform, +gold-laced up to the shoulders. Yet Mathias was a friend of Jacob's. +But justice is justice. +</P> + +<P> +This piece of news filled me with indignation: what should Mathias +Heitz be made an officer for? He had never learned anything at +college; he would never have been able to earn a couple of +<I>liards</I>—whilst our Jacob was a good miller's apprentice. +</P> + +<P> +It was abominable. However, I made no remark; I only asked if Jean +Baptiste Werner, who had a few days before joined the artillery of the +National Guard, was an officer too? +</P> + +<P> +Then they replied angrily that Jean Baptiste Werner, in spite of his +African and Mexican campaigns, was only a gunner in the Mariet battery, +behind the powder magazines. Those who knew nothing became officers; +those who knew something of war, like Mariet and Werner, were privates, +or at the most sergeants. All this showed me that Cousin George was +right in saying that we should be driven like beasts, and that our +chiefs were void of common-sense. +</P> + +<P> +Looking at all these people coming and going, the time passed away. +About eight o'clock, as we were hungry, and I wished to keep my boy +with me as long as I could, I sent for a good salad and sausages, and +we were eating together, with full hearts, to be sure, but with a good +appetite. But a few moments after the retreat, just when the +cuirassiers were going to camp out, and their officers, heavy and +weary, were going to rest in their lodgings, a few bugle notes were +sounded in the <I>place d'armes</I>, and we heard a cry—"To horse! to +horse!" +</P> + +<P> +Immediately all was excitement. A despatch had arrived; the officers +put on their helmets, fastened on their swords, and came running out +through the gate of Germany. Countenances changed; every one asked, +"What is the meaning of this?" +</P> + +<P> +At the same time the police inspector came up; he had seen my cart, and +cried, "Strangers must leave the place—the gates are going to be +closed." +</P> + +<P> +Then I had only just time to embrace my son, to press Nicolas's hand, +and to start at a sharp gallop for the gate of France. The drawbridge +was just on the rise as I passed it; five minutes after I was galloping +along the white high-road by moonlight, on the way to Metting. Outside +on the glacis, there was not a sound; the pickets had been drawn, and +the two regiments of cavalry were on the road to Saverne. +</P> + +<P> +I arrived home late: everybody was asleep in our village. Nobody +suspected what was about to happen within a week. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER V +</H3> + +<P> +The whole way I thought of nothing but the cuirassiers. This order to +march immediately appeared to me to betoken no good: something serious +must have occurred; and as, upon the stroke of eleven, I was putting my +horses up, after having put my cart under its shed, the idea came into +my head that it was time now to hide my money. I was bringing back +from Saverne sixteen hundred livres: this heavy leathern purse in my +pocket was perhaps what reminded me. I remembered what Cousin George +had said about Uhlans and other scamps of that sort, and I felt a cold +shiver come over me. +</P> + +<P> +Having, then, gone upstairs very softly, I awoke my wife: "Get up, +Catherine." +</P> + +<P> +"What is the matter?" +</P> + +<P> +"Get up: it is time to hide our money." +</P> + +<P> +"But what is going on?" +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing. Be quiet—make no noise—Grédel is asleep. You will carry +the basket: put into it your ring and your ear-rings, everything that +we have got. You hear me! I am going to empty the ditch, and we will +bury everything at the bottom of it." +</P> + +<P> +Then, without answering, she arose. +</P> + +<P> +I went down to the mill, opened the back-door softly, and listened. +Nothing was stirring in the village; you might have heard a cat moving. +The mill had stopped, and the water was pretty high. I lifted the +mill-dam, the water began to rush, boiling, down the gulley; but our +neighbors were used to this noise even in their sleep, so all remained +quiet. +</P> + +<P> +Then I went in again, and I was busy emptying into a corner the little +box of oak in which I kept my tools—the pincers, the hammer, the +screw-driver, and the nails, when my wife, in her slippers, came +downstairs. She had the basket under her arm, and was carrying the +lighted lantern. I blew it out in a moment, thinking: Never was a +woman such a fool. +</P> + +<P> +Downstairs I asked Catherine if everything was in the basket. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes." +</P> + +<P> +"Right. But I have brought from Saverne sixteen hundred francs: the +wheat and the flour sold well." +</P> + +<P> +I had put some bran into the box; everything was carefully laid in the +bottom; and then I put on a padlock, and we went out, after having +looked to see if all was quiet in the neighborhood. The sluice was +already almost empty; there was only one or two feet of water. I +cleared away the few stones which kept the rest of the water from +running out, and went into it with my spade and pickaxe as far as just +beneath the dam, where I began to make a deep hole; the water was +hindering me, but it was flowing still. +</P> + +<P> +Catherine, above, was keeping watch: sometimes she gave a low "Hush!" +</P> + +<P> +Then we listened, but it was nothing—the mewing of a cat, the noise of +the running water—and I went on digging. If anyone had had the +misfortune to surprise us, I should have been capable of doing him a +mischief. Happily no one came; and about two o'clock in the morning +the hole was three or four feet deep. I let down the box, and laid it +down level, first stamping soil down upon it with my heavy shoes, then +gravel, then large stones, then sand; the mud would cover all over of +itself: there is always plenty of mud in a millstream. +</P> + +<P> +After this I came out again covered with mud. I shut down the dam, and +the water began to rise. About three o'clock, at the dawn of day, the +sluice was almost full. I could have begun grinding again; and nobody +would ever have imagined that in this great whirling stream, nine feet +under water and three feet under ground, lay a snug little square box +of oak, clamped with iron, with a good padlock on it, and more than +four thousand livres inside. I chuckled inwardly, and said: "Now let +the rascals come!" +</P> + +<P> +And Catherine was well pleased too. But about four, just as I was +going up to bed again, comes Grédel, pale with alarm, crying: "Where is +the money!" +</P> + +<P> +She had seen the cupboard open and the basket empty. Never had she had +such a fright in her life before. Thinking that her marriage-portion +was gone, her ragged hair stood upon end; she was as pale as a sheet. +"Be quiet," I said, "the money is in a safe place." +</P> + +<P> +"Where?" +</P> + +<P> +"It is hidden." +</P> + +<P> +"Where?" +</P> + +<P> +She looked as if she was going to seize me by the collar, but her +mother said to her: "That is no business of yours." +</P> + +<P> +Then she became furious, and said, that if we came to die, she would +not know where to find her marriage-portion. +</P> + +<P> +This quarrelling annoyed me, and I said to her: "We are not going to +die; on the contrary, we shall live a long while yet, to prevent you +and your Jean Baptiste from inheriting our goods." +</P> + +<P> +And thereupon I went to bed, leaving Grédel and her mother to come to a +settlement together. +</P> + +<P> +All I can say is that girls, when they have got anything into their +heads, become too bold with their parents, and all the excellent +training they have had ends in nothing. Thank God, I had nothing to +reproach myself with on that score, nor her mother either. Grédel had +had four times as many blows as Jacob, because she deserved it, on +account of her wanting to keep everything, putting it all into her own +cupboard, and saying, "There, that's mine!" +</P> + +<P> +Yes, indeed, she had had plenty of correction of that kind: but you +cannot beat a girl of twenty: you cannot correct girls at that age; and +that was just my misfortune: it ought to go on forever! +</P> + +<P> +Well, it can't be helped. +</P> + +<P> +She upset the house and rummaged the mill from top to bottom, she +visited the garden, and her mother said to her, "You see, we have got +it in a safe place; since you cannot find it, the Uhlans won't." +</P> + +<P> +I remember that just as we were going up to sleep, that day, the 5th of +August, early in the morning, Catherine and I had seen Cousin George in +his char-à-banc coming down the valley of Dosenheim, and it seemed to +us that he was out very early. The village was waking up; other +people, too, were going to work: I lay down, and about eight o'clock my +wife woke me to tell me that the postman, Michel, was there. I came +down, and saw Michel standing in our parlor with his letter-bag under +his arm. He was thoughtful, and told me that the worst reports were +abroad; that they were speaking of the great battle near Wissembourg, +where we had been defeated; that several maintained that we had lost +ten thousand men, and the Germans seventeen thousand; but that there +was nothing certain, because it was not known whence these rumors +proceeded, only that the commanding officer of Phalsbourg, Taillant, +had proclaimed that morning that the inhabitants would be obliged to +lay in provisions for six weeks. Naturally, such a proclamation set +people a-thinking, and they said: "Have we a siege before us? Have we +gone back to the times of the great retreat and downfall of the first +Emperor? Ought things forever to end in the same fashion?" +</P> + +<P> +My wife, Grédel, and I, stood listening to Michel, with lips +compressed, without interrupting him. +</P> + +<P> +"And you, Michel," said I, when he had done, "what do you think of it +all?" +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Maire, I am a poor postman; I want my place; and if my +five hundred francs a year were taken from me, what would become of my +wife and children?" +</P> + +<P> +Then I saw that he considered our prospects were not good. He handed +me a letter from Monsieur le Sous-préfet—it was the last—telling me +to watch false reports; that false news should be severely punished, by +order of our préfet, Monsieur Podevin. +</P> + +<P> +We could have wished no better than that the news had been false! But +at that time, everything that displeased the sous-préfets, the préfets, +the Ministers, and the Emperor, was false, and everything that pleased +them, everything that helped to deceive people—like that peaceful +Plébiscite—was truth! +</P> + +<P> +Let us change the subject: the thought of these things turns me sick! +</P> + +<P> +Michel went away, and all that day might be noticed a stir of +excitement in our village; men coming and going, women watching, people +going into the wood, each with a bag, spade, and pickaxe; stables +clearing out; a great movement, and all faces full of care: I have +always thought that at that moment every one was hiding, burying +anything he could hide or bury. I was sorry I had not begun to sell my +corn sooner, when my cousin had cautioned me a week before; but my +duties as mayor had prevented me: we must pay for our honors. I had +still four cart-loads of corn in my barn—now where could I put them? +And the cattle, and the furniture, the bedding, provisions of every +sort? Never will our people forget those days, when every one was +expecting, listening, and saying: "We are like the bird upon the twig. +We have toiled, and sweated, and saved for fifty years, to get a little +property of our own; to-morrow shall we have anything left? And next +week, next month—shall we not be starving to death? And in those days +of distress, shall we be able to borrow a couple of liards upon our +land, or our house? Who will lend to us? And all this on account of +whom? Scoundrels who have taken us in." +</P> + +<P> +Ah! if there is any justice above, as every honest man believes, these +abominable fellows will have a heavy reckoning to pay. So many +miserable men, women, children await them there; they are there to +demand satisfaction for all their sufferings. Yes, I believe it. But +they—oh! they believe in nothing! There are, indeed, dreadful +brigands in this world! +</P> + +<P> +All that day was spent thus, in weariness and anxiety. Nothing was +known. We questioned the people who were coming from Dosenheim, +Neuviller, or from farther still, but they gave no answer but this: +"Make your preparations! The enemy is advancing!" +</P> + +<P> +And then my stupid fool of a deputy, Placiard, who for fifteen years +did nothing but cry for tobacco licenses, stamp offices, promotion for +his sons, for his son-in-law, and even for himself—a sort of beggar, +who spent his life in drawing up petitions and denunciations—he came +into the mill, saying, "Monsieur le Maire, everything is going on +well—çamarche—the enemy are being drawn into the plain: they are +coming into the net. To-morrow we shall hear that they are all +exterminated, every one!" +</P> + +<P> +And the municipal councillors, Arnold, Frantz, Sépel, Baptiste Dida, +the wood-monger, came crowding in, saying that the enemy must be +exterminated; that fire must be set to the forest of Haguenau to roast +them, and so on! Every one had his own plan. What fools men can be! +</P> + +<P> +But the worst of it was when my wife, having learned from Michel the +proclamations in the town, went up into our bacon stores, to send a few +provisions to Jacob; and she perceived our two best hams were missing, +with a pig's cheek, and some sausages which had been smoked weeks. +</P> + +<P> +Then you should have seen her flying down the stairs, declaring that +the house was full of thieves; that there was no trusting anybody; and +Grédel, crying louder than she, that surely Frantz, that thief of a +Badener, had made off with them. But mother had visited the bacon-room +a couple of days after Frantz had left; she had seen that everything +was straight; and her wrath redoubled. +</P> + +<P> +Then said Grédel that perhaps Jacob, before leaving home, had put the +hams into his bag with all the rest; but mother screamed, "It is a +falsehood! I should have seen it. Jacob has never taken anything +without asking for it. He is an honest lad." +</P> + +<P> +The clatter of the mill was music compared to this uproar: I could have +wished to take to flight. +</P> + +<P> +About seven my cousin came back upon his char-à-banc. He was returning +from Alsace; and I immediately ran into his house to hear what news he +had. George, in his large parlor, was pulling off his boots and +putting on his blouse when I entered. +</P> + +<P> +"Is that you, Christian?" said he. "Is your money safe?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes." +</P> + +<P> +"Very well. I have just heard fine news at Bouxviller. Our affairs +are in splendid order! We have famous generals! Oh, yes! here is +rather a queer beginning; and, if matters go on in this way, we shall +come to a remarkable end." +</P> + +<P> +His wife, Marie Anne, was coming in from the kitchen: she set upon the +table a leg of mutton, bread, and wine. George sat down, and whilst +eating, told me that two regiments of the line, a regiment of Turcos, a +battalion of light infantry, and a regiment of light horse, with three +guns, had been posted in advance of Wissembourg, and that they were +there quietly bathing in the Lauter, and washing their clothes, right +in front of fifty thousand Germans, hidden in the woods; not to mention +eighty thousand more on our right, who were only waiting for a good +opportunity to cross the Rhine. They had been posted, as it were, in +the very jaws of a wolf, which had only to give a snap to catch them, +every one—and this had not failed to take place! +</P> + +<P> +The Germans had surprised our small army corps the morning before; +fierce encounters had taken place in the vines around Wissembourg; our +men were short of artillery; the Turcos, the light-armed men, and the +line had fought like lions, one to six: they had even taken eight guns +in the beginning of the action; but German supports coming up in heavy +masses had at last cut them to pieces; they had bombarded Wissembourg, +and set fire to the town; only a few of our men had been able to +retreat to the cover of the woods of Bitche going up the Vosse. It was +said that a general had been killed, and that villages were lying in +ruins. +</P> + +<P> +It was at Bouxviller that my cousin had heard of this disaster, some of +the light horsemen having arrived the same evening. There was also a +talk of deserters; as if soldiers, after being routed, without +knowledge of a woody country full of mountains, going straight before +them to escape from the enemy, should be denounced as deserters. This +is one of the abominations that we have seen since that time. Many +heartless people preferred crying out that these poor soldiers had +deserted rather than give them bread and wine: it was more convenient, +and cheaper. +</P> + +<P> +"Now," said George, "all the army of Strasbourg, and that of the +interior, who should have been in perfect order, fresh, rested, and +provided with everything at Haguenau, but the rear of which is still +lagging behind on the railways as far as Luneville; all these are +running down there, to check the invasion. Fourteen regiments of +cavalry, principally cuirassiers and chasseurs, are assembling at +Brumath. Something is expected there; MacMahon is already on the +heights of Reichshoffen, with the commander of engineers, Mohl, of +Haguenau, and other staff officers, to select his position. As fast as +the troops arrive they extend before Mederbronn. I heard this from +some people who were flying with wives and children, their beds and +other chattels on carts, as I was leaving Bouxviller about three +o'clock. They wanted to reach the fort of Petite Pierre; but hearing +that the fort is occupied by a company, they have moved toward +Strasbourg. I think they were right. A great city, like Strasbourg, +has always more resources than a small place, where they have only a +few palisades stuck up to hide fifty men." +</P> + +<P> +This was what Cousin George had learned that very day. +</P> + +<P> +Hearing him speak, my first thought was to run to the mill, load as +much furniture as I could upon two wagons, and drive at once to +Phalsbourg; but my cousin told me that the gates would be closed; that +we should have to wait outside until the reopening of the barriers, and +that we must hope that it would be time enough to-morrow. +</P> + +<P> +According to him, the great battle would not be fought for two or three +days yet, because a great number of Germans had yet to cross the river, +and they would, no doubt, be opposed. It is true that the fifty +thousand men who had made themselves masters of Wissembourg might +descend the Sauer; but then we should be nearly equal, and it was to +the interest of the Germans only to fight when they were three to one. +George had heard some officers discussing this point at the inn, in the +presence of many listeners, and he believed, according to this, that +the 5th army corps, which was extending in the direction of Metz, by +Bitche and Sarreguemines, under the orders of General de Failly, would +have time to arrive and support MacMahon. I thought so, too: it seemed +a matter of course. +</P> + +<P> +We talked over these miseries till nine o'clock. My wife and Grédel +had come to carry their quarrels even to my Cousin Marie Anne's, who +said to them: "Oh! do try to be reasonable. What matter two or three +hams, Catherine? Perhaps you will soon be glad to know that they have +done good to Jacob, instead of seeing them eaten up by Uhlans under +your own eyes." +</P> + +<P> +You may be sure that my wife did not agree with this. But at ten +o'clock, Cousin Marie Anne, full of thought, having said that her +husband was tired and that he had need of rest, we left, after having +wished him good-evening, and we returned home. +</P> + +<P> +That night—if my wife had not awoke from time to time, to tell me that +we were robbed, that the thieves were taking everything from us, and +that we should be ruined at last—I should have slept very well; but +there seemed no end to her worrying, and I saw that she suspected +Grédel of having given the hams to Michel for Jean Baptiste Werner, +without, however, daring to say so much. I was thinking of other +things, and was glad to see her go down in the morning to attend to her +kitchen; not till then did I get an hour or two of sleep. +</P> + +<P> +The next day all was quiet in the village; everybody had hid his +valuables, and they only feared one thing, and that was a sortie from +Phalsbourg to carry off our cattle. All the children were set to watch +in the direction of Wéchem; and if anything had stirred in that +quarter, all the cattle would have been driven into the woods in ten +minutes. +</P> + +<P> +But there was no movement. All the soldiers of the line had gone, and +the commanding officer, Taillant, could not send the lads of our +village to carry away their own parents' cattle. So all this day, the +10th of August, was quiet enough in our mountains. +</P> + +<P> +About twelve o'clock some wood-cutters of Krappenfelz came to tell us +that they could hear cannon on the heights of the Falberg, in the +direction of Alsace; but they were not believed, and it was said: +</P> + +<P> +"These are inventions to frighten us." For many people take a pleasure +in frightening others. +</P> + +<P> +All was quiet until about ten o'clock at night. It was very warm; I +was sitting on a bench before my mill, in my shirt-sleeves, thinking of +all my troubles. From time to time a thick cloud overshadowed the +moon, which had not happened for a long time, and rain was hoped for. +Grédel was washing the plates and dishes in the kitchen; my wife was +trotting up and down, peeping into the cupboards to see if anything +else had been stolen besides her hams; in the village, windows and +shutters were closing one after another; and I was going up to bed too, +when a kind of a rumor rose from the wood and attracted my attention; +it was a distant murmuring; something was galloping there, carts were +rolling, a gust of wind was passing. What could it be? My wife and +Grédel had gone out, and were listening too. At that moment, from the +other end of the village, arose a dispute which prevented us from +making out this noise any longer, which was approaching from the +mountain, and I said to Catherine: "The drunkards at the 'Cruchon d'Or' +begin these disturbances every night. I must put an end to that, for +it is a disgrace to the parish." +</P> + +<P> +But I had scarcely said this when a crowd of people appeared in the +street opposite the mill, shouting, "A deserter! a deserter!" +</P> + +<P> +And the shrill voice of my deputy Placiard rose above all the rest, +crying: "Take care of the horse! Mind you don't let him escape!" +</P> + +<P> +A tall cuirassier was moving quietly in the midst of all this mob, +every man in which wanted to lay hold of him—one by the arm, another +by the collar. He was making no resistance, and his horse followed him +limping, and hanging his head; the <I>bangard</I> was leading him by the +bridle. +</P> + +<P> +Placiard then seeing me at the door, cried: "Monsieur le Maire, I bring +you a deserter, one of those who fled from Wissembourg, and who are now +prowling about the country to live and glut at the expense of the +country people. He is drunk even now. I caught him myself." All the +rest, men and women, shouted: "Shut him up in a stable! Send for the +gendarmes to fetch him away! Do this—do that"—and so on. +</P> + +<P> +I was much astonished to see this fine tall fellow, with his helmet and +his cuirass, who could have shouldered his way in a minute through all +these people, going with them like a lamb. Cousin George had come up +at the same moment. We hardly knew what to do about this business, for +man and horse were standing there perfectly still, as if stupefied. +</P> + +<P> +At last I felt I must say something, and I said: "Come in." +</P> + +<P> +The <I>bangard</I> tied up the horse to the ring in the barn, and we all +burst in a great crowd into my large parlor downstairs, slamming the +door in the face of all those brawlers who had nothing to do in the +house; but they remained outside, never ceasing for a moment to shout: +"A deserter!" And half the village was coming: in all directions you +could hear the wooden clogs clattering. +</P> + +<P> +Once in the room, my wife fetched a candle from the kitchen. Then, +catching sight of this strong and square-built man, with his thick +mustaches, his tall figure, his sword at his side, his sleeves and his +cuirass stained with blood, and the skin on one side of his face torn +away and bruised all round to the back of the head, we saw at once that +he was not a deserter, and that something terrible had happened in our +neighborhood; and Placiard having again begun to tell us how he had +himself caught this soldier in his garden, where the poor wretch was +going to hide, George cried indignantly: "Come now, does a man like +that hide himself? I tell you, M. Placiard, that it would have taken +twenty like you to hold him, if he had chosen to resist." +</P> + +<P> +The cuirassier then turned his head and gazed at George; but he spoke +not a word. He seemed to be mute with stupefaction. +</P> + +<P> +"You have come from a fight, my friend, haven't you?" said my cousin, +gently. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, sir." +</P> + +<P> +"So they have been fighting to-day?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes." +</P> + +<P> +"Where?" +</P> + +<P> +The cuirassier pointed in the direction of the Falberg, on the left by +the saw-mills. "Down there," he said, "behind the mountains." +</P> + +<P> +"At Reichshoffen?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, that is it: at Reichshoffen." +</P> + +<P> +"This man is exhausted," said George: "Catherine, bring some wine." My +wife took the bottle out of the cupboard and filled a glass; but the +cuirassier would not drink: he looked on the ground before him, as if +something was before his eyes. What he had just told us made us turn +pale. +</P> + +<P> +"And," said George, "the cuirassiers charged?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said the soldier, "all of them." +</P> + +<P> +"Where is your regiment now?" He raised his head. +</P> + +<P> +"My regiment? it is down there in the vineyards, amongst the hops, in +the river...." +</P> + +<P> +"What! in the river?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes: there are no more cuirassiers!" +</P> + +<P> +"No more cuirassiers?" cried my cousin; "the six regiments?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, it is all over!" said the soldier, in a low voice: "the grapeshot +has mown them down. There are none left!" +</P> + +<A NAME="img-090"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-090.jpg" ALT=""THE GRAPESHOT HAS MOWN THEM DOWN. THERE ARE NONE LEFT!"" BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +"THE GRAPESHOT HAS MOWN THEM DOWN. THERE ARE NONE LEFT!" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Oh!" cried Placiard, "now you see: what did I say? He is one of those +villains who propagate false reports. Can six regiments be mown down? +Did you not yourself say, Monsieur le Maire, that those six regiments +alone would bear down everything before them?" +</P> + +<P> +I could answer nothing; but the perspiration ran down my face. +</P> + +<P> +"You must lock him up somewhere, and let the gendarmes know," continued +Placiard. "Such are the orders of Monsieur le Sous-préfet." +</P> + +<P> +The cuirassier wiped with his sleeves the blood which was trickling +upon his cheek; he appeared to hear nothing. +</P> + +<P> +Out of all the open windows were leaning the forms of the village +people, with attentive ears. +</P> + +<P> +George and I looked at each other in alarm. +</P> + +<P> +"You have blood upon you," said my cousin, pointing to the soldier's +cuirass, who started and answered: +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; that is the blood of a white lancer: I killed him!" +</P> + +<P> +"And that wound upon your cheek?" +</P> + +<P> +"That was given me with a sword handle. I got that from a Bavarian +officer—it stunned me—I could no longer see—my horse galloped away +with me." +</P> + +<P> +"So you were hand-to-hand?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, twice; we could not use our swords: the men caught hold of one +another, fought and killed one another with sword hilts." +</P> + +<P> +Placiard was again going to begin his exclamations, when George became +furious: "Hold your tongue, you abominable toady! Are you not ashamed +of insulting a brave soldier, who has fought for his country?" +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Maire," cried Placiard, "will you suffer me to be insulted +under your roof while I am fulfilling my duties as deputy?" +</P> + +<P> +I was much puzzled: but George, looking angrily at him, was going to +answer for me; when a loud cry arose outside in the midst of a furious +clattering of horses: a terrible cry, which pierced to the very marrow +of our bones. +</P> + +<P> +"The Prussians! The Prussians!" +</P> + +<P> +At the same moment a troop of disbanded horsemen were flying past our +windows at full speed: they flashed past us like lightning; the crowd +fell back; the women screamed: "Lord have mercy upon us! we are all +lost!" +</P> + +<P> +After these cries, and the passage of these men, I stood as if rooted +to the floor, listening to what was going on outside; but in another +minute all was silence. Turning round, I saw that everybody, +neighbors, men and women, Placiard, the rural policeman, all had +slipped out behind. Grédel, my wife, George, the cuirassier, and +myself, stood alone in the room. My cousin said to me: "This man has +told you the truth; the great battle has been fought and lost to-day! +These are the first fugitives who have just passed. Now is the time +for calmness and courage; let everybody be prepared: we are going to +witness terrible things." +</P> + +<P> +And turning to the soldier: "You may go, my friend," he said, "your +horse is there; but if you had rather stay——" +</P> + +<P> +"No; I will not be made prisoner!" +</P> + +<P> +"Then come, I will put you on the way." +</P> + +<P> +We went out together. The horse before the barn had not moved; I +helped the cuirassier to mount: George said to him: "Here, on the +right, is the road to Metz; on the left to Phalsbourg; at Phalsbourg, +by going to the right, you will be on the road to Paris." +</P> + +<P> +And the horse began to walk, dragging itself painfully. Then only did +we see that a shred of flesh was hanging down its leg, and that it had +lost a great deal of blood. My cousin followed, forgetting to say +good-night. Was it possible to sleep after that? +</P> + +<P> +From time to time during the night horsemen rode past at the gallop. +Once, at daybreak, I went to the mill-dam, to look down the valley; +they were coming out of the woods by fives, sixes, and tens, leaping +out of the hedges, smashing the young trees; instead of following the +road, they passed through the fields, crossed the river, and rode up +the hill in front, without troubling about the corps. There seemed no +end of them! +</P> + +<P> +About six the bells began to ring for matins. It was Sunday, the 7th +August, 1870; the weather was magnificent. Monsieur le Curé crossed +the street at nine, to go to church, but only a few old women attended +the service to pray. +</P> + +<P> +Then commenced the endless passage of the defeated army retreating upon +Sarrebourg, down the valley; a spectacle of desolation such as I shall +never forget in my life. Hundreds of men who could scarcely be +recognized as Frenchmen were coming up in disordered bands; cavalry, +infantry, cuirassiers without cuirasses, horsemen on foot, foot +soldiers on horseback, three-fourths unarmed! Crowds of men without +officers, all going straight on in silence. +</P> + +<P> +What has always surprised me is that no officers were to be seen. What +had become of them? I cannot say. +</P> + +<P> +No more singing. No more cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" "À Berlin! à +Berlin!" +</P> + +<P> +Dismay and discouragement were manifest in every countenance. +</P> + +<P> +Those who shall come after will see worse things than this: since men +are wolves, foxes, hawks, owls, all this must come round again: a +hundred times, a thousand times; from age to age, until the +consummation of time: it is the glory of kings and emperors passing by! +</P> + +<P> +They all cry, "Jesus, have pity upon us, miserable sinners! Jesus, +Saviour, bless us!" +</P> + +<P> +But all this time they are hard at work with the hooked bill and the +sharp claws upon the unhappy carcass of mankind. Each tears away his +morsel! And yet they all have faith, Lutherans and Catholics: they are +all worthy people! And so on forever. +</P> + +<P> +Thus passed our army after the battle of Reichshoffen; and the others +the Germans were following: they were at Haguenau, at Tugwiller, at +Bouxviller; they were advancing from Dosenheim, to enter our valley; +very soon we were to see them! +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VI +</H3> + +<P> +All that day we were in a state of fear, Grédel alone was afraid of +nothing; she came in and out, bringing us the news of Rothalp. +</P> + +<P> +Many people from Tugwiller, Neuwiller, Dosenheim, passed through the +village with carts full of furniture, bedding, mattresses, all in +confusion, shouting, calling to each other, whipping their horses, +turning round to see if the Uhlans were not at their heels; it was the +general flight before the deluge. These unhappy beings had lost their +heads. They said that the Prussians were taking possession of all the +boys of fifteen or sixteen to lead their horses or carry their bags. +</P> + +<P> +Two soldiers of the line who passed about twelve were still carrying +their rifles; they were white with dust. I called them in, through the +window, and gave them a glass of wine. They belonged to the 18th, and +told us that their regiment no longer existed; that all their officers +were killed or wounded; that another regiment, I cannot remember which, +had fired upon them for a long time; that at last ammunition was +wanting; that at the fort of La Petite Pierre the garrison had refused +to receive them; and that the 5th army corps, commanded by General de +Failly, posted in the neighborhood of Bitche, might have come in time +to fall into position; and a good deal more besides. +</P> + +<P> +These were brave men, whose hearts had not failed them. They started +again in the direction of Phalsbourg, and we wished them good luck. +</P> + +<P> +In the afternoon Marie Anne came to see us. Her husband had started +for the town early, saying that nothing positive could be learned in +our place; that the soldiers saw nothing but their own little corner of +the battle-field, without troubling themselves about the rest, and that +he would learn exactly down there if we had any hope left. +</P> + +<P> +George was to return for dinner; but at seven o'clock he was not home +yet. His wife was uneasy. Bad news kept coming in; peasants were +arriving from Neuwiller, who said that the Prussians were already +marching upon Saverne, and were making requisitions as they went. The +peasants were flying to Dabo in the mountains; the women, through force +of habit, were telling their beads as they walked; whilst the men, +great consumers of eau-de-vie, were flourishing their sticks, and +looking in their rear with threatening gestures, which did not hinder +them from stepping out rapidly. +</P> + +<P> +One of these men, whom I asked if he had seen the battle, told me that +the dead were heaped up in the fields like sacks of flour in my mill. +I think he was inventing that, or he had heard it from others. +</P> + +<P> +Night was coming on, and Cousin Marie Anne was going home, when all at +once George came in. +</P> + +<P> +"Is my wife here, Christian?" he asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; you will sup with us?" +</P> + +<P> +"No; I have had something to eat down there. But what sights I have +seen! It is enough to drive one mad." +</P> + +<P> +"And Jacob?" asked my wife. +</P> + +<P> +"Jacob is learning drill. He got a rifle the day before yesterday, and +to-morrow he will have to fight." +</P> + +<P> +George sat down in the window-corner while we were at supper, and he +told us that on his arrival at Phalsbourg, about six in the morning, +the gate of France had just been opened, but that that of Germany, +facing Saverne, remained closed; that in that direction from the +outposts to Quatre Vents, nothing was to be seen but fugitives, +calling, and firing pistol-shots to get themselves admitted; that he +had had time to put up his horse and cart at the Ville de Bâle, and to +go upon the ramparts to witness this spectacle, when at the same +instant the drawbridge fell, and the crowd of Turcos, Zouaves, +foot-soldiers, officers, generals, all in a confused mass, had rushed +through the gate; in the whole number, he had seen but one flag, +surrounded by about sixty men of the 55th, commanded by a lieutenant; +the rest were mingled together, in hopeless confusion, the most part +without arms, and under no sort of discipline; they had lost all +respect for their chiefs. It was a rout—a complete rout. +</P> + +<P> +He had seen superior officers invaded at their own tables under the +tent of the Café Meyer, by private soldiers, and veterans throwing +themselves back in their chairs with elbows squared in the presence of +their officers, looking defiantly upon them, and shouting, "A bottle!" +The waiters came obsequiously to wait upon them for fear of a scene, +whilst the officers pretending to hear and see nothing, seemed to him +the worst thing he had seen yet. Yet it was deserved; for these +officers—officers of rank—knew no more about the roads, paths, +streams and rivers of the country than their soldiers, who knew nothing +at all. They did not even know the way from Phalsbourg to Sarrebourg +by the high-road, which a child of eight might know. +</P> + +<P> +He had heard a staff-officer ask if Sarrebourg was an open town; he had +seen whole battalions halting upon that road, not knowing whether they +were right. +</P> + +<P> +We should ourselves see these deplorable things next day, for our +retreating soldiers did nothing but turn and turn again ten times upon +the same roads, around the same mountains, and ended by returning to +the same spot again so tired, exhausted, and starved, that the +Prussians, if they had come, would only have had to pick them up at +their leisure. +</P> + +<P> +Yet George had one moment's satisfaction in this melancholy +disorganization; it was to see, as he told us, those sixty men of the +56th halt in good order upon the <I>place</I>, and there rest their flag +against a tree. The lieutenant who commanded them made them lie on the +ground, near their rifles, and almost immediately they fell asleep in +the midst of the seething crowd. The young officer himself went +quietly to sit alone at a small table at the café. +</P> + +<P> +"He," said my cousin, "had a map cut into squares, which he began to +study in detail. It gave me pleasure to look at him; he reminded me of +our naval officers. He knew something! And whilst his men were +asleep, and his rescued flag was standing there, he watched, after all +this terrible defeat. Colonels, commanders, were arriving depressed +and wearied; the lieutenant did not stir. At last he folded up his map +and put it back into his pocket, then he went to lie down in the midst +of his men, and soon fell asleep too. He," said my cousin, "<I>was</I> an +officer! As for the rest, I look upon them as the cause of our ruin: +they have never commanded, they have never learned. There is no want +of able men in the artillery and engineers; but they are only there to +do their part: they command only their own arm, and are compelled to +obey superior orders, even when those orders have no sense in them." +</P> + +<P> +One thing which made my cousin tremble with anger, was to learn that +the Emperor had the supreme command, and that nothing might be done +without taking his Majesty's instructions at headquarters: not a bridge +might be blown up, not a tunnel, before receiving his Majesty's +permission! +</P> + +<P> +"What is the use of sending or receiving despatches?" said George. "I +only hope our <I>honest man</I> will be found to have given orders to blow +up the Archeviller tunnel, or the Prussians will overrun the whole of +France; they will convey their guns, their munitions of war, their +provisions, and their men by railway, whilst our poor soldiers will +drag along on foot and perish miserably!" +</P> + +<P> +Listening to him our distress increased more and more. +</P> + +<P> +He had seen in the place a few guns saved from capture, with their +horses fearfully mangled, and already so thin with overwork, that one +might have thought they had come from the farthest end of Russia. And +all these men, coming and going, laid themselves down in a line under +the walls to sleep, at the risk of being run over a hundred times. +</P> + +<P> +The doors and windows of all the houses were open; the soldiers might +be seen densely crowded in the side streets, the passages, the rooms, +the vestibules and yards, busily eating. The townspeople gave them all +they had; the poorest shed tears that they had nothing to give, so many +poor wretches inspired pity; they were so commiserated that they had +been beaten. In richer houses they were cooking from morning till +night; when one troop was satisfied another took their place. +</P> + +<P> +George, relating these things, had his eyes filled with tears. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, there are a good many kind people in the world yet," said he. +"Very soon those poor Phalsbourgers, when they are blockaded, will have +nothing to put into their own mouths; their six weeks' victuals are +already consumed, without mentioning their other provisions. Compared +with these poor townspeople, we peasants are selfish monsters." +</P> + +<P> +He fixed his eyes upon us, and we answered nothing. I had already +driven our cows into the wood, with the flocks of the village. +Doubtless he knew of it! But surely we must keep something to eat! +George was right; but one cannot help thinking of the morrow: those who +do not are sure to repent sooner or later. +</P> + +<P> +Well, well—all the same, it was very fine of these townspeople; but +they have suffered heavily for it: during four months the officer in +command kept everything for his soldiers, and took away from the +inhabitants all that they had whether they were willing or not. +</P> + +<P> +I do affirm these things. People will take them for what they are +worth; but it is only the simple truth! What afflicted us still more +was to hear what George had to tell us of the battle. +</P> + +<P> +In the midst of that great crowd he had long sought for some one to +tell him all about it. At last the sight of an old sergeant of +<I>chasseurs-à-pied</I>, thin and tough as whip-cord, his sleeve covered +with stripes, and with a bright eye, made him think: "There's my man! +I am sure he has had a clear insight into things; if he will talk to +me, I shall get at the bottom of the story." +</P> + +<P> +So he had invited him into the inn, to take a glass of wine. The +sergeant examined him for a moment, accepted, and they entered together +the Ville de Bâle at the end of the court, for all the rooms were full +of people; and there, eating a slice of ham and drinking a couple of +bottles of Lironcourt, the sergeant having his heart opened, and +receiving, moreover, a cent-sous piece, had declared that all our +misfortunes arose from two causes: first, that a height on the right +had not been occupied, whence the Germans had made their appearance +only about twelve o'clock, and from which they could not be dislodged +because they commanded the whole field of battle; and because their +artillery, more numerous and better than ours, searched us through and +through with shell and grape; their practice was so admirable that it +was no use falling back, or bearing to the right or the left: at the +first shot their balls fell into the midst of our ranks. We have since +heard that the heights to which the sergeant referred were those of +Gunstedt. +</P> + +<P> +He then told George that the 5th corps, commanded by De Failly, which +was expected from hour to hour, never appeared at all; that even if he +had come, we probably should not have won the battle, for the Germans +were three or four to one—but that we might have effected a retreat in +good order by Mederbronn upon Saverne. +</P> + +<P> +This old sergeant was from the Nièvre; George has often spoken to me of +him since, and told me that, in his opinion, he knew much more than +many of MacMahon's officers; that he possessed good sense, and had a +clear perception of things. George was of opinion that, with a little +training, many Frenchmen of the lower ranks would be found to possess +military genius, and that they might be confidently relied upon; but +that our love of dancing and plays had done us harm, since it was +supposed that good dancers and good actors would be able men: which +would be the cause of our ruin if we did not abandon such notions. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin told me many other things that evening which have escaped my +memory; our terrible anxiety for the future prevented me from listening +properly. But all the misfortunes in the world have not the power of +depriving a man of sleep; though for the last two days we had never +slept. George and his wife went home about ten, and we went to bed. +</P> + +<P> +Next day I had to celebrate the marriage of Chrétien Richi with his +first cousin Lisbette; notice had been given for a week, and when +invitations are sent out such things cannot be postponed. I should +have liked to be carrying my hay and straw into the wood, for cattle +cannot live upon air; and as I was pressed, for time, I sent for +Placiard to take my place. But he could nowhere be found; he had gone +into hiding like all the functionaries of the Empire, who are always +ready to receive their salaries and to denounce people in quiet times, +and very sharp in taking themselves off the moment they ought to be at +their posts. +</P> + +<P> +At ten o'clock, then, I was obliged to put on my sash and go; the +wedding party were waiting, and I went up into the hall with them. I +sat in the armchair, telling the bridegroom and bride to draw near, +which of course they did. +</P> + +<P> +I was beginning to read the chapter on the duties of husband and wife, +when in a moment a great shouting arose outside: "The Prussians! the +Prussians!" One of the groomsmen, with his bunch of roses, left; +Chrétien Richi turned round, the bride and the rest looked at the door; +and I stood there, all alone, stuck fast with the clerk, Adam Fix. In +a moment the groomsman returned, crying out that the people of +Phalsbourg were making a sortie into the wood to lift our cattle; and +that they were coming too to search our houses. Then I could have sent +all the wedding-party to Patagonia, when I fancied the position of my +wife and Grédel in such a predicament; but a mayor is obliged to keep +his dignity, and I cried out: "Do you want to be married? Yes or no?" +</P> + +<P> +They returned in a moment, and answered "Yes!" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you <I>are</I> married!" +</P> + +<P> +And I went out while the witnesses signed, and ran to the mill. +</P> + +<P> +Happily this report of a sortie from Phalsbourg was false. A gendarme +had just passed through the village, bearing orders from MacMahon, and +hence came all this alarm. +</P> + +<P> +Nothing new happened until seven in the evening. A few fugitives were +still gaining the town; but at nightfall began the passage of the 5th +army corps, commanded by General de Failly. +</P> + +<P> +So, then, these thirty thousand men, instead of descending into Alsace +by Niederbronn, were now coming behind us by the road to Metz, on this +side of the mountains. They were not even thinking of defending our +passes, but were taking flight into Lorraine! +</P> + +<P> +Half our village had turned out, astonished to see this army moving in +a compact mass, upon Sarrebourg and Fénétrange. Until then it had been +thought that a second battle would be fought at Saverne. People had +been speaking of defending the Falberg, the Vachberg, and all the +narrow, rock-strewn passes; the roads through which might have been +broken up and defended with abatis, from which a few good shots might +have kept whole regiments in check; but the sight of these thousands of +men who were forsaking us without having fought—their guns, their +mitrailleuses, and the cavalry galloping and rolling in a cloud along +the highway, to get farther out of the enemy's reach—made our hearts +bleed. Nobody could understand it. +</P> + +<P> +Then a poor disabled soldier, lying on the grass, told me that they had +been ordered from Bitche to Niederbronn, from Niederbronn to Bitche, +and then from Bitche to Petersbach and Ottwiller, by dreadful roads, +and that now they could hold on no longer: they were all exhausted! +And in spite of myself, I thought that if men worn out to this degree +were obliged to fight against fresh troops continually reinforced, they +would be beaten before they could strike a blow! Yes, indeed, the want +of knowledge of the country is one of the causes of our miseries. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel, Catherine, and I, returned to the mill in the greatest distress. +</P> + +<P> +It had at last begun to rain, after two months' drought. It was a +heavy rain, which lasted all the night. +</P> + +<P> +My wife and Grédel had gone to bed, but I could not close my eyes. I +walked up and down in the mill, listening to this down-pour, the heavy +rumbling of the guns, the pattering of endless footsteps in the mud. +It was march, march—marching without a pause. +</P> + +<P> +How melancholy! and how I pitied these unhappy soldiers, spent with +hunger and fatigue, and compelled to retreat thus. +</P> + +<P> +Now and then I looked at them through the window-panes, down which the +rain was streaming. They were marching on foot, on horseback, one by +one, by companies, in troops, like shadows. And every time that I +opened the window to let in fresh air, in the midst of this vast +trampling of feet, those neighings, and sometimes the curses of the +soldiers of the artillery-train, or the horseman whose horse had +dropped from fatigue or refused to move farther, I could hear in the +far distance, across the plain two or three leagues from us, the +whistle of the trains still coming and going in the passes. +</P> + +<P> +Then noticing upon the wall one of those maps of the theatre of war +which the Government had sent us three weeks ago, and which extended +from Alsace as far as Poland, I tore it down, crumpled it up in my +hand, and flung it out. Everything came back to me full of disgust. +Those maps, those fine maps, were part of the play; just like the +conspiracies devised by the police, and the explanations of the +sous-préfets to make us vote "Yes" in the Plébiscite. Oh, you +play-actors! you gang of swindlers! Have you done enough yet to lead +astray your imbecile people? Have you made them miserable enough with +your ill-contrived plays? +</P> + +<P> +And it is said that the whole affair is going to be played over again: +that they mean to put a ring through our noses to lead us along; that +many rogues are reckoning upon it to settle their little affairs, to +slip back into their old shoes and get fat again by slow degrees, +humping their backs just like our curé's cat when she has found her +saucer again after having taken a turn in the woods or the garden: it +is possible, indeed! But then France will be an object of contempt; +and if those fellows succeed, she will be worse than contemptible, and +honorable men will blush to be called Frenchmen! +</P> + +<P> +At daybreak I went to raise the mill-dam, for this heavy rain had +overflowed the sluice. The last stragglers were passing. As I was +looking up the village, my neighbor Ritter, the publican, was coming +out from under the cart-shed with his lantern; a stranger was following +him—a young man in a gray overcoat, tight trousers, a kind of leather +portfolio hanging at his side, a small felt hat turned up over his +ears, and a red ribbon at his button-hole. +</P> + +<P> +This I concluded was a Parisian; for all the Parisians are alike, just +as the English are: you may tell them among a thousand. +</P> + +<P> +I looked and listened. +</P> + +<P> +"So," said this man, "you have no horse?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, sir; all our beasts are in the wood, and at such a time as this we +cannot leave the village." +</P> + +<P> +"But twenty francs are pretty good pay for four or five hours." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, at ordinary times; but not now." +</P> + +<P> +Then I advanced, asking: "Monsieur offers twenty francs to go what +distance?" +</P> + +<P> +"To Sarrebourg," said the stranger, astonished to see me. +</P> + +<P> +"If you will say thirty, I will undertake to convey you there. I am a +miller; I always want my horses; there are no others in the village." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, do; put in your horses." +</P> + +<P> +These thirty francs for eight leagues had flashed upon me. My wife had +just come down into the kitchen, and I told her of it; she thought I +was doing right. +</P> + +<P> +Having then eaten a mouthful, with a glass of wine, I went out to +harness my horses to my light cart. The Parisian was already there +waiting for me, his leather portmanteau in his hand. I threw into the +cart a bundle of straw; he sat down near me, and we went off at a trot. +</P> + +<P> +This stranger seeing my dappled grays galloping through the mud, seemed +pleased. First he asked me the news of our part of the country, which +I told him from the beginning. Then in his turn he began to tell me a +good deal that was not yet known by us. He composed gazettes; he was +one of those who followed the Emperor to record his victories. He was +coming from Metz, and told me that General Frossard had just lost a +great battle at Forbach, through his own fault in not being in the +field while his troops were fighting, but being engaged at billiards +instead. +</P> + +<P> +You may be sure I felt that to be impossible; it would be too +abominable; but the Parisian said so it was, and so have many repeated +since. +</P> + +<P> +"So that the Prussians," said he, "broke through us, and I have had to +lose a horse to get out of the confusion: the Uhlans were pursuing; +they followed nearly to a place called Droulingen." +</P> + +<P> +"That is only four leagues from this place," said I. "Are they already +there?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes; but they fell back immediately to rejoin the main body, which is +advancing upon Toul. I had hoped to recover lost ground by telling of +our victories in Alsace; unfortunately at Droulingen, the sad news of +Reichshoffen,* and the alarm of the flying inhabitants, have informed +me that we are driven in along our whole line; there is no doubt these +Prussians are strong; they are very strong. But the Emperor will +arrange all that with Bismarck!" +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* Called generally by us, the Battle of Woerth. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Then he told me there was an understanding between the Emperor and +Bismarck; that the Prussians would take Alsace; that they would give us +Belgium in exchange; that we should pay the expenses of the war, and +then things would all return into their old routine. +</P> + +<P> +"His Majesty is indisposed," said he, "and has need of rest; we shall +soon have Napoleon IV., with the regency of her Majesty the Empress, +the French are fond of change." +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke this newspaper-writer, who had been decorated, who can tell +why? He thought of nothing but of getting safe into Sarrebourg, to +catch the train, and send a letter to his paper; nothing else mattered +to him. It is well that I had taken a pair of horses, for it went on +raining. Suddenly we came upon the rear of De Failly's army; his guns, +powder-wagons, and his regiments so crowded the road, that I had to +take to the fields, my wheels sinking in up to the axle-trees. +</P> + +<P> +Nearing Sarrebourg, we saw also on our left the rear of the other +routed army, the Turcos, the Zouaves, the chasseurs, the long trains of +MacMahon's guns; so that we were between the two fugitive routs: De +Failly's troops, by their disorder, looked just as if they had been +defeated, like the other army. All the people who have seen this in +our country can confirm my account, though it seems incredible. +</P> + +<P> +At last, I arrived at the Sarrebourg station, when the Parisian paid me +thirty francs, which my horses had fairly earned. The families of all +the railway <I>employés</I> were just getting into the train for Paris; and +you may be sure that this Government newspaper-writer was delighted to +find himself there. He had his free pass: but for that the unlucky man +would have had to stay against his will; like many others who at the +present time are boasting loudly of having made a firm stand, waiting +for the enemy. +</P> + +<P> +I quickly started home again by cross-roads, and about twelve I reached +Rothalp. The artillery was thundering amongst the mountains; crowds of +people were climbing and running down the little hill near the church +to listen to the distant roar. Cousin George was calmly smoking his +pipe at the window, looking at all these people coming and going. +</P> + +<P> +"What is going on?" said I, stopping my cart before his door. +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing," said he; "only the Prussians attacking the little fort of +Lichtenberg. But where are you coming from?" +</P> + +<P> +"From Sarrebourg." +</P> + +<P> +And I related to him in a few words what the Parisian had told me. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! now it is all plain," said he. "I could not understand why the +5th corps was filing off into Lorraine, without making one day's stand +in our mountains, which are so easily defended: it did really seem too +cowardly. But now that Frossard is beaten at Forbach, the thing is +explained: our flank is turned. De Failly is afraid of being taken +between two victorious armies. He has only to gain ground, for the +cattle-dealer David has just told me that he has seen Uhlans behind +Fénétrange. The line of the Vosges is surrendered; and we owe this +misfortune to Monsieur Frossard, tutor to the Prince Imperial!" +</P> + +<P> +The school-master, Adam Fix, was then coming down from the hill with +his wife, and cried that a battle was going on near Bitche. He did not +stop, on account of the rain. George told me to listen a few minutes. +We could hear deep and distant reports of heavy guns, and others not so +loud. +</P> + +<P> +"Those heavy reports," said George, "come from the great siege-guns of +the fort; the others are the enemy's lighter artillery. At this +moment, the German army, at six leagues from us, victorious in Alsace, +is on the road from Woerth to Siewettler, to unite with the army that +is moving on Metz; it is defiling past the guns of the fort. To-morrow +we shall see their advanced guard march past us. It is a melancholy +story, to be defeated through the fault of an imbecile and his +courtiers; but we must always remember, as a small consolation, to +every man his turn." He began again to smoke, and I went on my way +home, where I put up my horses. I had earned my thirty francs in six +hours; but this did not give me complete satisfaction. My wife and +Grédel were also on the hill listening to the firing; half the village +were up there; and all at once I saw Placiard, who could not be found +the day before, jumping through the gardens, puffing and panting for +breath. +</P> + +<P> +"You hear, Monsieur le Maire," he cried—"you hear the battle? It is +King Victor Emmanuel coming to our help with a hundred and fifty +thousand men!" +</P> + +<P> +At this I could no longer contain myself, and I cried, "Monsieur +Placiard, if you take me for a fool, you are quite mistaken; and if you +are one, you had better hold your tongue. It is no use any longer +telling these poor people false news, as you have been doing for +eighteen years, to keep up their hopes to the last moment. This will +never more bring tobacco-excise to you, and stamp-offices to your sons. +The time for play-acting is over. You are telling me this through love +of lying; but I have had enough of all these abominable tricks; I now +see things clearly. We have been plundered from end to end by fellows +of your sort, and now we are going to pay for you, without having had +any benefit ourselves. If the Prussians become our masters, if they +bestow places and salaries, you will be their best friend; you will +denounce the patriots in the commune, and you will have them to vote +plébiscites for Bismarck! What does it matter to you whether you are a +Frenchman or a German? Your true lord, your true king, your true +emperor, is the man who pays!" +</P> + +<P> +As fast as I spoke my wrath increased, and all at once I shouted: +"Wait, Monsieur l'Adjoint, wait till I come out; I will pay you off for +the Emperor, for his Ministers, and all the infamous crew of your sort +who have brought the Prussians into France!" But I had scarcely +reached the door, when he had already turned the corner. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VII +</H3> + +<P> +On that day we had yet more alarms. +</P> + +<P> +Between one and two o'clock, standing before my mill, I fancied I could +hear a drum beating up the valley. All the village was lamenting, and +crying, "Here are the Prussians!" +</P> + +<P> +All along the street, people were coming out, gazing, listening; boys +ran into the woods, mothers screamed. A few men more fearful than the +rest went off too, each with a loaf under his arm; women, raised their +hands to Heaven, calling them back and declaring they would go with +them. And whilst I was gazing upon this sad spectacle, suddenly two +carts came up, full gallop, from the valley of Graufthal. +</P> + +<P> +It was the noise of these two vehicles that I had mistaken for drums +approaching. A week later I should not have made this mistake, for the +Germans steal along like wolves: there is no drumming or bugling, as +with us; and you have twenty thousand men on your hands before you know +it. +</P> + +<P> +The people riding in the carts were crying, "The Prussians are at the +back of the saw-mills!" +</P> + +<P> +They could be heard afar off; especially the women, who were raising +themselves in the cart, throwing up their hands. +</P> + +<P> +At a hundred yards from the mill the cart stopped, and recognizing +Father Diemer, municipal councillor, who was driving, I cried to him, +"Hallo, Diemer! pull up a moment. What is going on down there?" +</P> + +<P> +"The Prussians are coming, Monsieur le Maire," he said. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, well, well, if they must come sooner or later, what does it +signify? Do come down." +</P> + +<P> +He came down, and told me that he had been that morning to the +forest-house of Domenthal in his conveyance, to fetch away his wife and +daughter who had been staying there with relations for a few days; and +that on his way back he had seen in a little valley, the Fischbachel, +Prussian infantry, their arms stacked, resting on the edge of the wood, +making themselves at home; which had made him gallop away in a hurry. +</P> + +<P> +That was what he had seen. +</P> + +<P> +Then other men came up, woodmen, who said that they were some of our +own light infantry, and that Diemer had made a mistake; then more +arrived, declaring that they <I>were</I> Prussians; and so it went on till +night. +</P> + +<P> +About seven o'clock I saw an old French soldier, the last who came +through our village; his leg was bandaged with a handkerchief, and he +sat upon the bench before my house asking me for a piece of bread and a +glass of water, for the love of God! I went directly and told Grédel +to fetch him bread and wine. She poured out the wine herself for this +poor fellow, who was suffering great pain. He had a ball in his leg; +and, in truth, the wound smelt badly, for he had not been able to dress +it, and he had dragged himself through the woods from Woerth. +</P> + +<P> +He had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, and told us that the +colonel of his regiment had fallen, crying, "Friends, you are badly +commanded! Cease to obey your generals!" +</P> + +<P> +He only rested for a few minutes, not to let his leg grow stiff, and +went on his weary way to Phalsbourg. +</P> + +<P> +He was the last French soldier that I saw after the battle of +Reichshoffen. +</P> + +<P> +At night we were told that the peasants of Graufthal had found a gun +stuck fast in the valley; and two hours later, whilst we were supping, +our neighbor Katel came in pale as death, crying, "The Prussians are at +your door!" +</P> + +<P> +Then I went out. Ten or fifteen Uhlans were standing there smoking +their short wooden pipes, and watering their horses at the mill-stream. +</P> + +<P> +Imagine my surprise, especially when one of these Uhlans began to greet +me in bad Prussian-German: "Oho! good-evening, Monsieur le Maire! I +hope you have been pretty well, Monsieur le Maire, since I last had not +the pleasure of seeing you?" +</P> + +<P> +He was the officer of the troop. My wife, and Grédel, too, were +looking from the door. As I made no answer, he said, "And Mademoiselle +Grédel! here you are, as fresh and as happy as ever. I suppose you +still sing morning and evening, while you are washing up?" +</P> + +<P> +Then Grédel, who has good eyes, cried, "It is that great knave who came +to take views in our country last year with his little box on four long +legs!" +</P> + +<P> +And, even in the dusk, I could recognize one of those German +photographers who had been travelling about the mountains a few months +before, taking the likenesses of all our village folks. This man's +name was Otto Krell; he was tall, pale, and thin, his nose was like a +razor back, and he had a way of winking with his left eye while paying +you compliments. Ah! the scoundrel! it was he, indeed, and now he was +an Uhlan officer: when Grédel had spoken, I recognized him perfectly. +</P> + +<P> +"Exactly so, Mademoiselle Grédel," said he, from his tall horse. "It +is I myself. You would have made a good gendarme; you would have known +a rogue from an honest man in a moment." +</P> + +<P> +He burst out laughing, and Grédel said, "Speak in a language I can +understand; I cannot make out your patois." +</P> + +<P> +"But you understand very well the patois of Monsieur Jean Baptiste +Werner," answered this gallows-bird, making a grimace. "How is good +Monsieur Jean Baptiste? Is he in as good spirits as ever? Have you +still got your little likeness of him, you know, close to your +heart—that young gentleman, I mean, that I had to take three times, +because he never came out handsome enough?" +</P> + +<P> +Then Grédel, ashamed, ran into the house, and my wife took refuge in +her room. +</P> + +<P> +Then he said to me, "I am glad to see you, Monsieur le Maire, in such +excellent health. I came to you, first of all, to wish you +good-morning; but then, I must acknowledge, my visit has another +object." +</P> + +<P> +And as I still answered nothing, being too full of indignation, he +asked me: +</P> + +<P> +"Have you still got those nice Swiss cows? splendid animals? and the +twenty-five sheep you had last year?" +</P> + +<P> +I understood in a moment what he was driving at, and I cried: "We have +nothing at all; there is nothing in this village; we are all ruined; we +cannot furnish you a single thing." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! come now, please don't be angry, Monsieur Weber. I took your +likeness, with your scarlet waistcoat and your great square-cut coat; I +know you very well, indeed! you are a fine fellow! I have orders to +inform you that to-morrow morning 15,000 men will call here for +refreshments; that they are fond of good beef and mutton, and not above +enjoying good white bread, and wine of Alsace, also vegetables, and +coffee, and French cigars. On this paper you will find a list of what +they want. So you had better make the necessary arrangements to +satisfy them; or else, Monsieur le Maire, they will help themselves to +your cows, even if they have to go and look for them in the woods of +the Biechelberg, where you have sent them; they will help themselves to +your sacks of flour, and your wine, that nice, light wine of Rikevir; +they will take everything, and then they will burn down your house. +Take my advice, welcome them as German brothers, coming to deliver you +from French bondage: for you are Germans, Monsieur Weber, in this part +of the country. Therefore prepare this requisition yourself. If you +want a thing done well, do it yourself; you will find this plan most +advantageous. It is out of friendship to you, as a German brother, and +in return for the good dinner you gave me last year that I say this. +And now, good-night." +</P> + +<P> +He turned round to his men, and all together filed off in the darkness, +going up by the left toward Berlingen. +</P> + +<P> +Then, without even going into my own house, I ran to my cousin's, to +tell him what had happened. He was going to bed. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, what is the matter?" said he. +</P> + +<P> +Completely upset, I told him the visit I had had from these robbers, +and what demands they had made. My cousin and his wife listened +attentively; then George, after a minute's thought, said: "Christian, +force is force! If 15,000 men are to pass here, it means that 15,000 +will pass by Metting, 15,000 by Quatre Vents, 15,000 by Lützelbourg, +and so forth. We are invaded; Phalsbourg will be blockaded, and if we +stir, we shall be knocked on the head without notice before we can +count ten. What would you have? It's war! Those who lose must pay +the bill. The good men who have been plundering us for eighteen years +have lost for us, and we are going to pay for them; that is plain +enough. Only, if we make grimaces while we pay, they ask more; and if +we go to work without much grumbling, they will shave us not quite so +close: they will pretend to treat us with consideration and indulgence; +they won't rob quite so roughly; they will be a little more gentle, and +strip you with more civility. I have seen that in my campaigns. Here +is the advice which I give, for your own and everybody else's interest. +First of all, this very evening, you must send for your cows from the +Biechelberg; you will tell David Hertz to drive the two best to his +slaughter-house; and when the Prussians come and they have seen these +two fine animals, David will kill them before their eyes. He will +distribute the pieces under the orders of the commanders. That will +just make broth in the morning for the 15,000 men, and if that is not +enough, send for my best cow. All the village will be pleased, and +they will say, 'The mayor and his cousin are sacrificing themselves for +the commune.' +</P> + +<P> +"That will be a very good beginning; but then as we shall have begun +with ourselves, and nobody can make any objection after that, you had +better put an ox of Placiard's under requisition, then a cow of Jean +Adam's, then another of Father Diemer's, and so on, in proportion to +their wants; and that will go on till the end of the cows, the oxen, +the pigs, the sheep and the goats. And you must do the same with the +bread, the flour, the vegetables, the wine; always beginning at you and +me. It is sad; it is a great trouble; but his Majesty the Emperor, his +Ministers, his relations, his friends and acquaintances have gambled +away our hay, our straw, our cattle, our money, our meadows, our +houses, our sons, and ourselves, pretending all the while to consult +us; they have lost like fools: they never kept their eye on the game, +because their own little provision was already laid by, somewhere in +Switzerland, in Italy, in England, or elsewhere; and they risked +nothing but that vast flock which they were always accustomed to shear, +and which they call the people. Well, my poor Christian, that flock is +ourselves—we peasants! If I were younger; if I could make forced +marches as I did at thirty, I should join the army and fight; but in +the present state of things, all I can do is, like you, to bow down my +back, with a heart full of wrath, until the nation has more sense, and +appoints other chiefs to command." +</P> + +<P> +The advice of George met with my approbation, and I sent the herdsmen +to fetch my cows at the Biechelberg. I told him, besides, to give +notice to the principal inhabitants that if they did not bring back +their beasts to the village, the Prussians would go themselves and +fetch them, because they knew the country roads better than ourselves; +and that they would put into the pot first of all the cattle of those +who did not come forward willingly. +</P> + +<P> +My wife and Grédel were standing by as I gave this order to Martin +Kopp: they exclaimed against it, saying that I was losing my senses; +but I had more sense than they had, and I followed the advice of +George, who had never misled me. +</P> + +<P> +It was on the night of the 9th to the 10th of August that the small +fortress of Lichtenberg, defended by a few veterans without ammunition, +opened its gates to the Prussians; that MacMahon left Sarrebourg with +the remainder of his forces, without blowing up the tunnel at +Archeviller, because his Majesty's orders had not arrived; that the +Germans, concentrated at Saverne, after extending right and left from +Phalsbourg, sent first their Uhlans by the valley of Lützelbourg to +inspect the railway, supposing that it would be blown up, then sent an +engine through the tunnel, then ventured a train laden with stones, and +were much astonished to find it arriving in Lorraine without +difficulty; that MacMahon made his retreat on foot, whilst they +advanced on trucks and carriages: and that they were able to send on +their guns, their stores, their provisions, their horses and their men +toward Paris; maintaining their troops by exhausting the provisions of +Alsace and the other side of the Vosges. These things we learned +afterward. +</P> + +<P> +That same night the Prussians put their first guns into battery at the +Quatre Vents to bombard the town, whilst they went completely round to +the other side, by the fine road over the Falberg, which seemed to have +been constructed through the forest expressly for their convenience. +</P> + +<P> +They lost no time, examined and inspected everything, and found +everything in perfect order to suit their convenience. +</P> + +<P> +That night passed away quietly; they had too many things to look after +to trouble themselves about our little village hidden in the woods, +knowing well that we could neither run away nor defend ourselves; for +all our young men were in the town, and we were unarmed and without any +material of war. They left us to be gobbled up whenever they liked. +</P> + +<P> +Many have asserted, and still believe, that we have been delivered up +to the Germans in exchange for Belgium; because Alsace, according to +the Emperor, was a German and Lutheran country, and Belgium, French and +Catholic. But Cousin George has always said that these conjectures +were erroneous, and that our misfortunes arose entirely from the +thievishness of the Government; and chiefly of those who, under color +of upholding the dynasty, were making a good bag, granted themselves +pensions, enriched themselves by sweeping strokes of cunning, and +became great men at a cheap rate: and also from the folly of the +people, who were kept steeped in ignorance, to make them praise the +tricks and the robberies of the rest. +</P> + +<P> +My opinion is the same. +</P> + +<P> +It was the cupidity of some in depriving the country of a powerful and +numerous army, able to defend us; whilst, on the other hand, they +deprived what army there was of provisions, arms, and munitions of war: +surely this was enough! There is no need to go further to seek for the +causes of our shame and our miseries. +</P> + +<P> +Therefore our cattle returned from the Biechelberg in obedience to my +orders; and my two best cows waited in the stable, eating a few +handfuls of hay, until the first requisition of the Prussians should +arrive. +</P> + +<P> +The village people who saw this highly approved of my conduct, never +imagining that their turn would come so soon. +</P> + +<P> +Time passed away, and it was supposed that this quiet might last a good +while, when a squadron of Prussian lancers, and, a little farther on, a +squadron of hussars, appeared at the bottom of our valley. +</P> + +<P> +For an advanced guard they had a few Uhlans—an order which we have +since noticed they observed constantly; three hundred paces to the +front rode two horsemen, each with a pistol in his hand resting on the +thigh, and who halted from time to time to question people, threatening +to kill them if they did not give plain answers to their questions; and +behind them came the main body, always at the same distance. +</P> + +<P> +We, standing under our projecting eaves, or leaning out of our windows, +men, women, and children, gazed upon the men who were coming to devour +us, to ruin us, and strip the very flesh off our bones. It was, as it +were, the Plébiscite advancing upon us under our own eyes, armed with +pistol and sword, the guns and the bayonets behind. +</P> + +<P> +First, the cavalry extended from the hill at Berlingen to the +Graufthal, to Wéchem, to Mittelbronn, and farther still; then marched +up several regiments of infantry, their black and white standards +flying. +</P> + +<P> +We were watching all this without stirring. The officers, in spiked +helmets, were galloping to and fro, carrying orders; the curé Daniel, +in his presbytery, had lifted his little white blinds, and our neighbor +Katel exclaimed, "Dear, dear, one would never have thought there could +be so many heretics in the world." +</P> + +<P> +This is exactly the state of ignorance that had been kept up amongst us +from generation to generation: making people believe that there was +nobody in the universe besides themselves; that we were a thousand to +one, and that our religion was universal. Pure and simple folly, +upheld by lies! +</P> + +<P> +It was a great help to us to have such grand notions about ourselves! +It made us feel enormously strong! +</P> + +<P> +But hypocrites can always get out of their scrapes: they vanish in the +distance with well-lined pockets, and their victims are left behind +sticking in the mud up to the chin! +</P> + +<P> +Since our reverend fathers the Jesuits have so many spies posted about +in the world, they should have told us how strong the heretics were, +and not suffered us to believe until the last that we were the only +masters of the earth. But they considered: "These French fools will +allow themselves to be hacked down to the very last man for our honor; +they will drive back the Lutherans; and then we shall make a great +figure: the Holy Father will be infallible, and we shall rule under his +name." +</P> + +<P> +These things are so evident now, that one is almost ashamed to mention +them. +</P> + +<P> +As soon as the cavalry were posted on the heights of the place, at the +rear of the hills, the infantry regiments, standing with ordered arms, +began to march off. +</P> + +<P> +I could hear from my door the loud voices of the officers, the neighing +of the horses, and the departure of the battalions, which filed off, +keeping step in admirable order. Ah! if our officers had been as +highly trained, and our soldiers as firmly disciplined as the Germans, +Alsace and Lorraine would still have been French. +</P> + +<P> +I may be told that a good patriot ought to refrain from saying such +things; but what is the use of hiding facts? Would hiding them prevent +them from being true? I say these things on purpose to open people's +eyes. If we want to recover what we have lost, everything must be +changed; our officers must be educated, our soldiers disciplined, our +contractors must supply stores, clothing, and provisions without +blunders and deficiencies, or if they fail they must be shot; the life +of a brave and generous nation is better worth than that of a knave, +whose ignorance, laziness, or cupidity may cause the loss of provinces. +</P> + +<P> +We must have a large, national army, like that of the Germans, and, to +possess this army, every man must serve; the cripples and deformed in +offices; every man besides, in the ranks. Full permission must be +given to wear spectacles, which do not hinder a man from fighting; and +citizens, as well as workmen and peasants, must come under fire. +Unless we do this, we shall be beaten—beaten again, and utterly ruined! +</P> + +<P> +And above all, as Cousin George said, we must place at the head of +affairs a man with a cool head, a warm heart, and great experience; in +whose eyes the honor of the nation shall be above his own interest, and +on whose word all men may rely, because he has already proved that his +confidence in himself will not desert him, even in the most perilous +times. +</P> + +<P> +But we are yet very far from this; and one would really believe, in +looking at the conceited countenances of the fugitives who are +returning from England, Belgium, Switzerland, and farther yet, that +they have won important victories, and that the country does them +injustice in not hailing them as deliverers. +</P> + +<P> +And now I will quietly pursue this history of our village; whoever +wants to come round me again with hypocritical pretences of honesty, +will have to get up very early in the morning indeed. +</P> + +<P> +After the Germans had posted their infantry within the squares formed +by the cavalry, they dragged guns and ammunition up the height of +Wéchem, in the rear of our hills. Then the thoughts of Jacob, and all +our poor lads, whom they were going to shell, came upon us, and mother +began to cry bitterly. Grédel, too, thinking of her Jean Baptiste, had +become furious; if, by misfortune, we had had a gun in the house, she +would have been quite capable of firing upon the Prussians, and so +getting us all exterminated; she ran upstairs and downstairs, put her +head out at the window, and a German having raised his head, saying, +"Oh! what a pretty girl!" she shouted, "Be sure always to come out ten +against one, or it will be all up with you!" +</P> + +<P> +I was downstairs, and you may imagine my alarm. I went up to beg her +to be quiet, if she did not want the whole village to be destroyed; but +she answered rudely, "I don't care—let them burn us all out! I wish I +was in the town, and not with all these thieves." +</P> + +<P> +I went down quickly, not to hear more. +</P> + +<P> +The rain had begun to fall again, and these Prussians kept pouring in, +by regiments, by squadrons: more than forty thousand men covered the +plain; some formed in the fields, in the meadows, trampling down the +second crop of grass and the potatoes—all our hopes were there under +their feet! others went on their way; their wheels sunk into the clay, +but they had such excellent horses that all went on under the lashes of +their long whips, as the Germans use them. They climbed up all the +slopes; the hedges and young trees were bent and broken everywhere. +</P> + +<P> +When might is right, and you feel yourself the weakest, silence is +wisdom. +</P> + +<P> +The report ran that they were going to attack Phalsbourg in the +afternoon; and our poor Mobiles, and our sixty artillery recruits +pressed to serve the guns, were about to have a dreadful storm falling +upon them, as a beginning to their experience. Those heaps of shells +they were hurrying up to Wéchem forced from us all cries of "Poor town! +poor townspeople! poor women! poor children!" +</P> + +<P> +The rain increased, and the river overflowed its banks down all the +valley from Graufthal to Metting. A few officers were walking down the +street to look for shelter; I saw a good number go into Cousin +George's, principally hussars, and at the same moment a gentleman in a +round hat, black cloak and trousers, stepped before the mill and asked +me: "Monsieur le Maire?" +</P> + +<P> +"I am the mayor." +</P> + +<P> +"Very good. I am the army chaplain, and I am come to lodge with you." +</P> + +<P> +I thought that better than having ten or fifteen scoundrels in my +house; but he had scarcely closed his lips when another came, an +officer of light horse, who cried: "His highness has chosen this house +to lodge in." +</P> + +<P> +Very good—what could I reply? +</P> + +<P> +A brigadier, who was following this officer, springs off his horse, +goes under the shed, and peeps into the stable. "Turn out all that," +said he. +</P> + +<P> +"Turn out my horses, my cattle?" I exclaimed. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes—and quickly too. His highness has twelve horses: he must have +room." +</P> + +<P> +I was going to answer, but the officer began to swear and storm so +loudly, without listening to anything I could plead, shouting at me +that every one of my beasts would be driven to be slaughtered +immediately if I made any difficulty, that without saying another word, +I drove them all out, my heart swelling, and my head bowed with +despair. Grédel, watching from her window, saw this, and coming down, +red with anger, said to the officer: "You must be a great coward to +behave so roughly to an old man who cannot defend himself." +</P> + +<P> +My hair stood on end with horror; but the officer vouchsafed not a +word, and went off instantly. +</P> + +<P> +Then the chaplain whispered in my ear: "You are going to have the honor +of entertaining Monseigneur, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and +you must call him 'Your highness.'" +</P> + +<P> +I thought with myself: "You, and your highness, and all the highnesses +in the world, I wish you were all of you five hundred thousand feet in +the bowels of the earth. You are a bad lot. You came into the world +for the misery of mankind. Thieves! rogues!" +</P> + +<P> +I only thought these things: I would not have said them for the world. +Several persons had been shot in our mountains the last two +days—fathers of families—and the remembrance of these things makes +one prudent. +</P> + +<P> +As I was reflecting upon our misfortunes, his highness arrived, with +his aides-de-camp and his servants. They alighted, entered the house, +hung up their wet clothes against the wall, and filled the kitchen. My +wife ran upstairs, I stood in a corner behind the stove: we had nothing +left to call our own. +</P> + +<P> +This Duke of Saxe was so tall that he could scarcely walk upright under +my roof. He was a handsome man, covered with gold-lace ornaments; and +so were the two great villains who followed him—Colonel Egloffstein +and Major Baron d'Engel. Yes, I could find no fault with them on +account of their height or their appetites; nor did they seem to mind +us in the least. They laughed, they chatted, they swung themselves +round in my room, jingling their swords on the stone floor, on the +stairs, everywhere, without paying the smallest attention to me—I +seemed to be in <I>their</I> house. +</P> + +<P> +From their arrival until their departure, the fire never once went out +in my kitchen; my wood blazed; my pans and kettles, my roasting-jack, +went on with their business; they twisted the necks of my fowls, my +ducks, my geese, plucked them, and roasted them: they fetched splendid +pieces of beef, which they minced to make rissoles, and sliced to make +what they called "biftecks"; then they opened my drawers and cupboards, +spread my tablecloths on my table, rinsed out my glasses and my +bottles, and fetched my wine out of my cellar. +</P> + +<P> +They waited upon his highness and his officers; the doors and windows +stood open, the rain poured in; orderlies came on horseback to receive +orders, and darted away; and about five o'clock the guns began to +thunder and roar at Quatre Vents. The bombardment was beginning in +that direction; the two bastions of the arsenal and the bakery answered. +</P> + +<P> +That was the bombardment of the 11th, in which Thibaut's house was +delivered to the flames. It would be long before we should see the +last of it; but as we had never before heard the like, and these +rolling thunders filled our valley between the woods and the rocks of +Biechelberg, we trembled. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel, every time that our heavy guns replied, said: "Those are ours; +we are not all dead yet! Do you hear that?" +</P> + +<P> +I pushed her out, and his highness asked, "What is that?" +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing," said I; "it is only my daughter: she is crazy." +</P> + +<P> +About a quarter to seven the firing ceased. +</P> + +<P> +The Baron d'Engel, who had gone out a few minutes before, came back to +say that a flag of truce had gone to summon the place to surrender; and +that on its refusal the bombardment would re-open at once. +</P> + +<P> +There was a short silence. His highness was eating. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly entered a colonel of hussars—a hideous being, with a +retreating forehead, a squint in his eye, and red hair—decorated all +over with ribbons and crosses, like a North American Indian. He walks +in. Salutations, hand-shaking all round, and a good deal of laughing. +They seat themselves again, they devour—they swallow everything! And +that hussar begins telling that he has taken MacMahon's tent—a +magnificent tent, with mirrors, china, ladies' hats and crinolines. He +laughed, grinning up to his ears; and his highness was highly +delighted, saying that MacMahon would have given a representation of +his victory to the great ladies of Paris. +</P> + +<P> +Of course this was an abominable lie; but the Prussians are not afraid +of lying. +</P> + +<P> +That hussar—whose name I cannot remember, although I have often heard +it from others—said besides, that, after having ridden a couple of +hours through the forest of Elsashausen, he had fallen upon the village +of Gundershoffen, where a few companies of French infantry had +established themselves, and that he had surprised and massacred them +all to the last man, without the loss of a single horseman! +</P> + +<P> +Then he began to laugh again, saying that in war you often might have +an agreeable time of it, and that this would be among his most cheerful +reminiscences. +</P> + +<P> +Hearing him from my seat behind the stove, I said: "And are these men +called Christians? Why, they are worse than wolves! They would drink +human blood out of skulls, and boast of it!" +</P> + +<P> +They went on talking in this fashion, when a very young officer came to +say that the defenders of Phalsbourg refused to surrender, and that +they were going to shell the town, to set fire to it. +</P> + +<P> +I could listen no longer. Grédel and my wife went to shut themselves +in upstairs, and I went out to breathe a different air from these wild +monsters. +</P> + +<P> +It was raining still. I wanted fresh air—I should have liked to throw +myself into the river with all my clothes on. +</P> + +<P> +Fresh regiments were passing. Now it was white cuirassiers; they +extended along the meadows below Metting; other regiments in dense +masses advanced on Sarrebourg. Down there the bayonets and the helmets +sparkled and glistened in the setting sun, in spite of the torrents of +rain. It was easy to see that our unfortunate army of two hundred +thousand men could not resist such a deluge. +</P> + +<P> +But the three hundred thousand other soldiers that we should have had, +and which we had been paying for the last eighteen years, where then +were they? They were in the reports presented by the Ministers of War +to the Legislative Assembly; and the money which should have paid for +their complete equipment and their armament, that was in London, put +down to his Majesty's account: the <I>honest man</I>, he had laid up savings. +</P> + +<P> +All these Germans, encamped as far as the eye could see under the rain, +were beginning to cut down our fruit-trees to warm themselves; in all +directions our beautiful apple-trees, our pear-trees, still laden with +fruit, came to the ground; then they were stripped bare, chopped to +pieces, and burnt with the sap in them: the falling rain did not +prevent the wood from lighting, on account of the quantity underneath +which the fire dried at last. +</P> + +<P> +The whole plain and the table-land above were in a blaze with these +fires. +</P> + +<P> +What a loss for the country! +</P> + +<P> +It had taken fifty-six years, since 1814, to grow these trees; they +were in full bearing; for fifty years our children and grand-children +will not see their equals around our village; the whole are destroyed! +With this spectacle before my eyes, indignation stifled my voice; I +turned my eyes away, and went to Cousin George's, hoping to hear there +a few words of encouragement. +</P> + +<P> +I was right; the house was full; Cousin Marie Anne, a bold and +unceremonious woman, was busy cooking for all her lodgers. Amongst the +number were two of her old customers at the Rue Mouffetard; a Jew, who +had come to Paris to learn gardening at the Jardin des Plantes, and a +saddler, both seated near the hearth with an appearance of shame and +melancholy in their countenances. The soldiers, who were crowding even +the passage, smoked, and examined now and then to see if the meat and +potatoes looked promising in the big copper in the washhouse: there was +no other in the house large enough to boil such a large quantity of +provisions. +</P> + +<P> +Every soldier had an enormous slice of beef, a loaf, a portion of wine, +and even some ground coffee; some had under their arms a rope of +onions, turnips, a head of cabbage, stolen right and left. These were +the hussars. +</P> + +<P> +In the large parlor were the officers, who had just returned in +succession from their reconnaissances; as they went up into the room, +you could hear the clanking of their swords and their huge boots making +the staircase shake. +</P> + +<P> +As I was coming in by the back door, not having been able to make way +through the passage, George was coming out of the room; he saw me above +the helmets of all these people, and cried to me: "Christian! stay +outside; I am stifled here! I am coming!" +</P> + +<P> +Room was made for him, and we went down together into the garden, under +the shelter of his stack of wood. Then he lighted a pipe, and asked +me: "Well, how are you going on down there?" +</P> + +<P> +I told him all. +</P> + +<P> +"I," said he, "have already had to receive the colonel of the hussars +last night. An hour after the visit of the Uhlans, there is a tap on +the shutters; I open. Two squadrons of hussars were standing there, +round the house; there was no way of escape." +</P> + +<P> +"'Open!' +</P> + +<P> +"I obey. The colonel, a sort of a wolf, whom I saw just now going to +your house, enters the first, pistol in hand; he examines all round: +'You are alone?' +</P> + +<P> +"'Yes; with my wife.' +</P> + +<P> +"'Very well!' +</P> + +<P> +"Then he went into the passage, and called an aide-de-camp. Three or +four soldiers came in; they carry chairs and a table into the kitchen. +The colonel unfolds a large map upon the floor; he takes off his boots, +and lays himself upon it. Then he calls: 'Such a one, are you here?' +</P> + +<P> +"'Present, colonel.' +</P> + +<P> +"Then six or seven captains and lieutenants enter. +</P> + +<P> +"'Such an one, do you see the road to Metting!' +</P> + +<P> +"They had all taken small maps out of their pockets. +</P> + +<P> +"'Yes, colonel.' +</P> + +<P> +"'And from Metting to Sarrebourg?' +</P> + +<P> +"'Yes, colonel.' +</P> + +<P> +"'Tell me the names.' +</P> + +<P> +"And the officer named the villages, the farms, the streams, the +rivers, the clumps of wood, the curves in the road, and even the +intersection of footpaths. +</P> + +<P> +"The colonel followed with his nail. +</P> + +<P> +"'That will do! Now go and take twenty men and push on as far as St. +Jean, by such a road. You will see! In case of resistance, you will +inform me. Come, sharp!' +</P> + +<P> +"And the officer goes off. +</P> + +<P> +"The colonel, still lying upon his map, calls another. +</P> + +<P> +"'Present, colonel.' +</P> + +<P> +"'You see Lixheim?' +</P> + +<P> +"'Yes, colonel.' +</P> + +<P> +"And so on. +</P> + +<P> +"In half an hour's time, he had sent off a whole squadron on +reconnaissances to Sarrebourg, Lixheim, Diemeringen, Lützelbourg, +Fénétrange, everywhere in that direction. And when they had all +started, except twenty or thirty horses left behind, he got up from the +floor, and said to me: 'You will give me a good bed, and you will +prepare breakfast for to-morrow at seven o'clock; all those officers +will breakfast with me: they will have good appetites. You have +poultry and bacon. Your wife is a good cook, I know; and you have good +wine. I require that everything shall be good. You hear me!' +</P> + +<P> +"I made no answer, and I went out to tell my wife, who had just dressed +and was coming downstairs. She had heard what was said, and answered, +'Yes, we will obey, since the robbers have the power on their side.' +</P> + +<P> +"That knave of a colonel could hear perfectly well; but it was no +matter to him: his business was to get what he wanted. +</P> + +<P> +"My wife took him upstairs and showed him his bed. He looked +underneath it, into all the cupboards, the closet; then he opened the +two windows in the corner to see his men below at their posts; and then +he lay down. +</P> + +<P> +"Until morning all was quiet. +</P> + +<P> +"Then the others came back. The colonel listened to them; he +immediately sent some of the men who had stayed behind to Dosenheim, in +the direction of Saverne; and about a couple of hours after these same +hussars returned with the advanced guard of the army corps. The +colonel had ascertained that all the mountain passes were abandoned, +and that Lorraine might be entered without danger; that MacMahon and De +Failly had arrived in the open plain, and that there would be no battle +in our neighborhood." +</P> + +<P> +This is all that Cousin George told me, smoking his pipe. +</P> + +<P> +They had just thrown open the door which opens into the garden, to let +air into the kitchen, and we looked from our retreat upon all those +Germans with their helmets, their wet clothes, their strings of +vegetables, and their joints of meat under their arms. As fast as it +was cooked Marie Anne served out the broth, the meat, and the +vegetables to those who presented themselves with their basins; when +they went out, others came. Never could fresher meat be seen, and in +such quantities: one of their pieces would have sufficed four or five +Frenchmen. +</P> + +<P> +How sad to think that our own men had suffered hunger in our own +country, both before and after the battle! How it makes the heart sink! +</P> + +<P> +Without having said a word, George and I had thought the same thing, +for all at once he said: "Yes, those people have managed matters better +than we have. That meat is not from this country, since they have not +yet requisitioned the cattle. It has come by rail; I saw that this +morning on the arrival of the gun-carriages. They have also received +for the officers large puddings, bullocks' paunches stuffed with minced +meats, and other eatables that I am not acquainted with; only their +bread is black, but they seem to enjoy it. Their contractors don't +come from the clouds, like ours; they may not set rows of figures quite +so straight even as ours; but their soldiers get meat, bread, wine, and +coffee, whilst ours are starving, as we ourselves have seen. If they +had received half the rations of these men, the peasants of Mederbronn +would never have complained of them: they could still have fed the +unfortunate men upon their retreat." +</P> + +<P> +About eleven at night I returned to the mill a little calmer. The +sentinels knew me already. His highness was asleep; so were also his +two aides-de-camp and the chaplain: they had taken possession of our +beds without ceremony. The servants had gone to sleep in the barn upon +my straw; and as for me, I did not know where to go. Still, I was a +little more composed in thinking upon what my cousin had told me. If +these Germans received their provisions by railway, all might be well; +I hoped we might yet keep our cattle, and that then these people would +proceed farther. With this hope I lay on the flour-sacks in the mill +and fell fast asleep. +</P> + +<P> +But next day I saw how completely mistaken George was in the matter of +provisions. I am not speaking only of all that was stolen in our +village; every moment people came to me with complaints, as if I was +responsible for everything. +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Maire, they have taken the bacon out of my chimney." +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Maire, they have stolen the boots from under my bed." +</P> + +<P> +"Monsieur le Maire, they have given my hay to their horses. What must +I do to feed my cow?" +</P> + +<P> +And so on. +</P> + +<P> +The Prussians are the worst thieves in the world; they have no shame; +they would take the bread out of your very mouth to swallow it. +</P> + +<P> +These complaints made me so angry that I took courage to speak to his +highness, who listened very kindly, and said it was very unfortunate, +but that I should remember the French proverb, "À la guerre, comme à la +guerre;" and that this proverb applied to peasants as well as to +soldiers. +</P> + +<P> +I could have borne all this if the requisitions had not begun; but now +the quartermasters were making their appearance, to settle with me, as +they said. +</P> + +<P> +It was of no use to urge that we were poor people, already +three-fourths ruined; they answered: "Settle your own business. We +must have so many tons of hay; so many bushels of oats, barley, flour; +so much of meat, both beef and mutton, of good quality; or else, +Monsieur le Maire, we will burn down your village." +</P> + +<P> +His highness the Duke of Saxe and his officers had just gone to inspect +the camp around the place; I was left alone. I wanted to ring the +church bells to assemble the municipal council, but all bell-ringing +was forbidden. Then I sent round the rural policeman to summon each +councillor, one after the other; but the councillors did not stir: they +thought that by remaining at home they would prevent the Prussians from +doing anything. +</P> + +<P> +In this extremity I made Martin Kopp publish by beat of drum the list +of all that the village had to supply in provisions and articles of +every kind, before eleven in the morning; entreating all honest people +to make haste, if they did not want to see their houses in flames from +one end of the village to the other. +</P> + +<P> +Scarcely had this notice been given out, when everybody made haste to +bring all they could. +</P> + +<P> +The quartermasters made out an inventory; they carried away my best +cow, and gave me a receipt for everything in the name of his Majesty +the King of Prussia. +</P> + +<P> +The general indignation was terrible. +</P> + +<P> +Such was the robbery and violence, in those earlier days, that not so +much as a pound of salt meat could have been bought by us in the whole +country; and as for fresh meat, it was no use thinking of it. Well, +when the Prussians resorted to requisition, everything was obtained, by +means of that threat of <I>fire</I>! It was known what they had done in +Alsace, and, of course, they were supposed easily capable of beginning +again. +</P> + +<P> +After these requisitions, which might be regarded as a little bouquet +for his highness, the Prussians raised their camp, announcing to us the +arrival of new-comers. I also heard M. le Baron d'Engel command one of +his orderlies to order at Sarrebourg six thousand rations of bread and +of coffee. Then I saw clearly that it was intended we should feed all +these fellows till the end of the campaign, and my sad reflections may +easily be imagined. The German commissariat no longer seemed to me so +admirable. I could see that it was simply organized robbery and +pillage. +</P> + +<P> +The Duke and his followers had scarcely departed, when a captain of +blue hussars, Monsieur Collomb, came to take his place, with six +horses, and his adjutant, the Count Bernhardy, with three more horses. +They came from Saverne wet through, having spent the night in the open +air, and this gave them a terrible appetite. +</P> + +<P> +I explained that everything had been taken from us—that we had nothing +left to eat for ourselves; but they would not believe me, and my wife +was obliged to turn the house topsy-turvy to find something for them to +eat. +</P> + +<P> +While eating and drinking enough for four, these two gentlemen found +time to tell us that they had hung eleven peasants of Gunstedt on the +day of the battle of Reichshoffen! They also told us, what was quite +true, that next day provisions would arrive in our village. Unhappily, +this long train of provisions, which seemed endless, passed on direct +to Sarrebourg. +</P> + +<P> +This was the 12th of August. +</P> + +<P> +We had, then, this captain, his adjutant, their servants, and their +horses on our shoulders; all of whom we had to feed to the full until +the day of their departure. +</P> + +<P> +The batteries of Phalsbourg had dismounted the German guns at the +Quatre Vents. Sick and wounded in great numbers had been sent to the +great military hospital at Saverne; there were a few left in the +school-room of Pfalsweyer: this annoyed the Prussians. One would have +thought that it was our duty to let them come and rob, pillage, and +bombard and burn us, without defending ourselves; that we were guilty +of crimes against them, and that they had rights over us, as a nation +of valets. +</P> + +<P> +They actually thought this. +</P> + +<P> +And I have always heard these Germans making such complaints: whether +they took us for fools, or were fools themselves, I do not know exactly +which; but I think there was something of both. +</P> + +<P> +After the passage of a convoy of provisions, which went past us for two +hours, came cannon, powder-wagons, and shells. Never had our poor +village heard such a noise; it was like a torrent roaring over the +rocks. +</P> + +<P> +The 11th corps was passing. There were twelve like it, each from +eighty to ninety thousand men. +</P> + +<P> +We now knew nothing whatever about our own troops, nor our relations +and friends in the town. We were shut up as in an island, in the midst +of this deluge of Prussians, Bavarians, Wurtemburgers, Badeners, who +streamed through in long, interminable columns, and seemed to have no +end. +</P> + +<P> +It appears that the requisitions which had been made the night before, +and that immense convoy of provisions, were not enough for their army, +so they no longer cared to address themselves to Monsieur le Maire; for +the officers whom we lodged having left us early in the morning, all at +once, about seven o'clock, loud cries arose in the village: the +Prussians were coming to carry off all our remaining cattle at one +swoop. But this time they had not taken their measures so cleverly; +they had not guarded the backs of our houses, and every one began to +drive his beasts into the wood—oxen, cows, goats, all were clambering +up the hill, the women and the girls, the old men and children behind. +</P> + +<P> +Thus they caught scarcely anything. +</P> + +<P> +From that hour, in spite of their threats, our cattle remained in the +woods; and it was also known that we had <I>francs-tireurs</I> traversing +the country. Some said that they were Turcos escaped from Woerth, +others that they were French chasseurs; but the Prussians no longer +ventured out of the high-roads in small parties; and this is, no doubt, +the reason why they did not go to find our cattle in the Krapenfelz. +</P> + +<P> +The next day, the 13th of August, the Prussians were seen in motion in +the direction of Wéchem. A Prussian prince, advanced in years, with +long nose and chin, and always on horseback, was at Metting; and the +rumor ran that the great bombardment of Phalsbourg was going to begin, +and that more than sixty guns were in position above the mill at +Wéchem: that they were throwing up earthworks to cover the guns, and +that it was going to be very serious. +</P> + +<P> +That very day, when I was least expecting it, the quartermasters came +back to requisition meat. But I told them that all the beasts were in +the wood, through their own fault; that they had insisted on taking +everything at once, and now they would get nothing. +</P> + +<P> +On hearing these perfectly correct observations of mine, they tried +threats. Then I said to them: "Take me—eat me—I am old and lean. +You will not get much out of me." +</P> + +<P> +However, as they threatened us with fire, I gave public notice that the +Prussians still claimed, in the name of the King of Prussia, ten +hundred-weight of oats and of barley, three thousand of straw, and as +much of hay; and that if the whole was not delivered in the market +square on the stroke of twelve, they would set fire to the place +without compassion. +</P> + +<P> +And this time, too, it all came. +</P> + +<P> +These Germans had found out the way to compel people to strip +themselves even of their very shirts! Fire! fire! There lies the true +genius of the Prussians. No one had imagined <I>fire</I>—the power of +<I>fire</I>, like these brigands. God alone had brought down fire hitherto +upon His miserable creatures to punish heavy crimes, as at Sodom and +Gomorrah; they resorted to it to rob and plunder us! It was the +punishment of our folly. +</P> + +<P> +But let us hope that nations will not always be so wicked. God will +take pity upon us. I do not say the God of the Jesuits, nor of the +Prussians, who are Protestant Jesuits! But He whom, every man feels in +his own heart; He who draws from us the tears of pity and compassion, +which we drop upon our brothers unjustly slain; He is the God of whom I +speak, and it is to Him that I cry when I say: "Look upon our +sufferings! Have we deserved them? are we accountable for our +ignorance? If so, then punish us! But if others are to blame: if they +have refused us schools; if they have never taught us anything that we +ought to know; if they have profited by our credulity to impose upon +us, oh! God, pardon us, and restore to us our country, our dear +country, Alsace and Lorraine! Let us not be reduced to receiving blows +like the German soldiers! Degrade not our children, our poor children, +to become servants and beasts of burden to the German nobles! My God! +we have been verily guilty in believing our 'honest man,' who swore to +Thee with full intent to break his oath: and his Ministers, who plunged +into war 'with a light heart!' after having promised us peace, and who +first secured their own safety and well-lined pockets! Nevertheless, +we of Alsace and Lorraine, the most faithful children of the Great +Revolution, have not deserved that we should become Germans and +Prussians! Alas! what a calamity! ..." +</P> + +<P> +I have just been weeping! After such a flood of miseries and +abominable acts my heart over flows! +</P> + +<P> +Now I pursue my sad story; and I will try never to forget that I am +relating a true history, which everybody knows; which all the world has +seen. +</P> + +<P> +That same day, toward evening, several vans full of Alsacians, +returning from Blamont, passed through our village to return home. The +Prussians had obliged them to walk; their horses were nothing but bags +of bones; and the people, emaciated, yellow-looking, had been so +battered with blows, so famished with hunger, that they staggered at +every step. +</P> + +<P> +They had not received so much as a ration of bread on the whole +journey; the Germans devoured everything! They would have seen our +poor fellows—whom they had compelled to bear the burden of their +baggage—they would have seen them drop with weariness and starvation +before their eyes, without giving them a drop of water! But for our +unhappy invaded Lorraine brothers, who fed them out of their own +poverty, they would have perished, every one. +</P> + +<P> +This is the truth! We experienced it ourselves not long afterward; for +the same fate was reserved to us. +</P> + +<P> +After the passage of these miserable creatures, to whom I gave a little +bread—though we had scarcely any left, since the Germans, only two +days before, had robbed us of twenty-seven loaves just fresh out of the +oven—after this melancholy sight, we saw coming with a terrible +clatter and ringing of sabres, one after the other, three Prussian +aides-de-camp, who were announced to us; the first as a colonel, the +second a general, and the third I cannot remember what—a duke, a +prince, something of that kind! +</P> + +<P> +It was the colonel whom I had the honor, as they called it, to +entertain, Colonel Waller, of the 10th regiment of Silesian grenadiers; +and then followed the general, who did me the honor to sup at my house +at my expense. This man's name was Macha-Cowsky. They had the +pleasure of informing us that that very night Phalsbourg was going to +be thoroughly shelled. Those gentlemen are full of the greatest +delicacy; they imagined that this good news was going to delight me, my +wife, and my daughter! +</P> + +<P> +The flag of the Silesian grenadiers was brought into the colonel's +apartment. This regiment was arriving from the Austrian frontier; it +had waited for the declaration of neutrality of the good Catholics down +there, to come by rail and unite with the twelve army corps which were +invading us with so much glory. +</P> + +<P> +I learned this by overhearing their conversation. +</P> + +<P> +That was a very bad night for us. The officers wanted to be waited on +separately, one after the other; my poor wife was obliged to cook for +them, to bring them plates—in a word, to be their servant; and Grédel, +in spite of her indignation, was helping her mother, pale with passion +and biting her lips to keep it down. +</P> + +<P> +The general and the colonel took their supper at nine, the aide-de-camp +at ten; and so forth all the night through, without giving a thought to +the exhaustion and trouble of the poor women. +</P> + +<P> +They were laughing a good deal over what Monsieur le Curé of Wilsberg +had said the night before; who had told them that the misfortunes of +Napoleon had arisen from his withdrawing his troops from Rome, and that +"whoever ate of the Pope would burst asunder!" +</P> + +<P> +They enjoyed these words and had great fun over them. +</P> + +<P> +I, in my corner, came to the conclusion that from a fool you must +expect nothing but folly. +</P> + +<P> +At last I dropped off to sleep, with my head upon my knees; but +scarcely had daylight appeared when the house was filled with the +ringing of spurs and steel scabbards, and above all rose the loud voice +of the aide-de-camp: "Where are you, you scoundrel! will you come, ass! +fool! brute! come this way, will you!" +</P> + +<P> +This is the way he called his servant! This is exactly the way they +treat their soldiers, who listen to them gravely, the hand raised +beside the ear, eyes looking right before them, without uttering a +sound! He is lucky, too, if the speech finishes without a smart box on +the ears or a kick in the rear! This is what they hope to see us +coming to some day; this is what they call "instructing us in the noble +virtues of the Germans." +</P> + +<P> +The colonel breakfasted at about five in the morning; a company came +for the flag, and the regiments marched off. We were rejoicing, when +about seven, the bombardment opened with an awful crashing noise. +Sixty guns at Wéchem were firing at the same time. +</P> + +<P> +The town replied; but at half-past eight a heavy cloud of smoke was +already overhanging Phalsbourg; the heavy guns of the fortress only +replied with the more spirit; the shells whizzed, the bombs burst upon +the hill-side, and the thunders of the bastion of Wilsenberg roared and +rolled in echoing claps to the remotest ends of Alsace. +</P> + +<P> +My wife and Grédel, seated opposite each other, looked silently in each +other's faces; I paced up and down with my head bowed, thinking of +Jacob, and of all those good people who at that moment had before their +eyes the spectacle of their burning houses and furniture, the fruit of +their fifty years of labor. +</P> + +<P> +At ten I came out; the dense column of smoke had spread wider and +wider; it extended toward the hospital and the church; it seemed like a +vast black flag which drooped low from time to time and rose again to +meet the clouds. +</P> + +<P> +A squadron of cuirassiers, and behind them another of hussars, dashed +past up the face of the hill; but they came down again with lightning +speed in the direction of Metting, where the Prussian prince had his +head-quarters. +</P> + +<P> +The shells of the sixty guns went on their way rising through the air +and falling into the smoke; the bombs and the shells from the town +dropped behind the Prussian batteries, and exploded in the fields. +</P> + +<P> +The echoes could be heard from the Lützelbourg, thundering from one +moment to another. The old castle down below must have shaken and +trembled upon its rock. +</P> + +<P> +In the midst of all this terrible din the pillage was beginning afresh; +bands of robbers were breaking from their ranks, and whilst the +officers were admiring the burning town through their field-glasses, +<I>they</I> were running from house to house, pointing their bayonets at the +women and demanding eau-de-vie, butter, eggs, cheese, anything that +they expected to find according to the inspector's reports. If you +kept bees, they must have honey; if you kept poultry, it must be fowls +or eggs. And these brigands, in bands of five or six, rummaged and +plundered everywhere. They committed other horrible deeds, which it is +not fit even to mention. +</P> + +<P> +These are your good old German manners! +</P> + +<P> +And they reproach us with our Turcos; but the Turcos are saints +compared with these filthy vagabonds, who are still polluting our +hospitals. +</P> + +<P> +Coming nearer to us, these robbers found a man awaiting them firmly at +his door; I had grasped a pitchfork, Grédel stood behind with an axe. +Then, having, I suppose, no written order to rob, and fearful lest my +neighbors should come to my side, they sneaked away farther. +</P> + +<P> +But about eleven, a lieutenant, with a canteen woman, came to order me +to give up to him a few pints of wine; saying that he would pay me +every sou, by and by. This was a polite way of robbing; for who would +be such a fool as to refuse credit to a man who has you by the throat. +I took them down to the cellar, the woman filled her two little +barrels, and then they departed. +</P> + +<P> +About one the colonel returned at the head of his regiment, and +advanced as far as the door without alighting from his horse, asking +for a glass of wine and a piece of bread, which my wife presented him. +He could not stop another moment. +</P> + +<P> +Scarcely had he left us, when again the canteen woman's barrels had to +be replenished. This time it was an ensign, who swore that the debt +should be fully paid that very night. He emptied my cask, and went off +with a conceited strut. +</P> + +<P> +Whilst all this was going on, the cannon were thundering, the smoke +rising higher and thicker. The bombs from Phalsbourg burst on the +plateau of Berlingen. At half-past four half the town was blazing; at +five the flames seemed spreading farther yet; and the church steeple, +which was built of stone, seemed still to be standing erect, but as +hollow as a cage; the bells had melted, the solid beams and the roof +fallen in; from a distance of five miles you could see right through +it. About ten, the people in our village, standing before their houses +with clasped hands, suddenly saw the flames pierce to an immense height +through the dense smoke into the sky. +</P> + +<P> +The cannon ceased to roar. A flag of truce had just gone forward once +more to summon the place to surrender. But our lads are not of the +sort who give themselves up; nor the people of Phalsbourg either: on +the contrary, the more the fire consumed, the less they had to lose; +and fortunately, the biscuit and the flour which had been intended for +Metz, since the battle of Reichshoffen had remained at the storehouses, +so that there were provisions enough for a long while. Only meat and +salt were failing: as if people with any sense ought not to have a +stock of salt in every fortified town, kept safe in cellars, enough to +last ten years. Salt is not expensive; it never spoils; at the end of +a century it is found as good as at first. But our commissaries of +stores are so perfect! A poor miller could not presume to offer this +simple piece of advice. Yet the want of salt was the cause of the +worst sufferings of the inhabitants during the last two months of the +siege. +</P> + +<P> +The flag of truce returned at night, and we learned that there was no +surrender. +</P> + +<P> +Then a few more shells were fired, which killed some of those who had +already left the shelter of the casemates—some women, and other poor +creatures. At last the firing ceased on both sides. It was about +nine. The profound silence after all this uproar seemed strange. I +was standing at my own door looking round, when suddenly, in the dark +street, my cousin appeared. +</P> + +<P> +"Is anybody there?" +</P> + +<P> +"No." +</P> + +<P> +And we entered the room, where were Grédel and my wife. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said he, laughing and winking, "our boys won't give in. The +commanding officer is a brave fellow." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said my wife, "but what has become of Jacob?" +</P> + +<P> +"Pooh!" said George, "he is perfectly well. I have seen very different +bombardments from these; at Saint Jean d'Ulloa they fired upon us with +shells of a hundred-and-twenty pounds; these are only sixes and +twelves. Well, after all when a man has seen his thirtieth or fortieth +year, it is a good deal to say. Don't be uneasy; I assure you that +your boy is quite well: besides, are not the ramparts the best place?" +</P> + +<P> +Then he sat down and lighted his pipe. The blazing town sent out such +a glow of light that the shadows of our casements were quivering on the +illumined bed-curtains. +</P> + +<P> +"It is burning fiercely," said my cousin. "How hot they must be down +there! But how unfortunate that the Archeviller tunnel should not have +been blown up! and that the orders of his Majesty; did not arrive to +apply the match to the train that was ready laid. What a misfortune +for France to have such an incompetent man at her head! The town holds +out; if the tunnel had only been blown up, the Germans would have been +obliged to take the town! The bombardment makes no impression; they +would have been obliged to proceed by regular approaches, by digging +trenches, and then make two or three assaults. This would have +detained them a fortnight, three weeks, or a month; and during this +interval, the country might have taken breath. I know that the +Prussians have a road by Forbach and Sarre Union to hold the railway at +Nancy; but Toul is there! And then there is a wide difference between +marching on foot one day's march, and then another day's march with +guns, and ammunition, and all sorts of provisions dragging after you, +convoys to be escorted and watched for fear of sudden attacks; and +holding a perfect railroad which brings everything quietly under your +hands! Yes, it is indeed a misfortune to be ruled by an idiot, who has +people around him declaring he is an eagle." +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke my cousin; and my wife informed him that it would please her +much better to see the Germans pass by than to have to entertain them. +</P> + +<P> +"You speak just like a woman," answered George. "No doubt we are +suffering losses; but do you suppose that France will not indemnify us? +Do you think we shall always be having idiots and sycophants for our +deputies? If we are not paid for this, who, in future, will think of +defending his country? We should all open our doors to the enemy: this +would be the destruction of France. Get these notions out of your +head, Catherine, and be sure that the interest of the individual is +identical with that of the nation. Ah! if that tunnel had been blown +up the Germans would have been in a very different position!" +</P> + +<P> +Thereupon, my cousin fixed his eyes upon that unhappy town, which +resembled a sea of fire; out of two hundred houses, fifty-two, besides +the church, were a prey to the flames. No noise could be heard on +account of the distance, but sometimes a red glare shot even to us, and +the moon, sailing through the clouds on our left peacefully went on her +way as she has done since the beginning of the world. All the hateful +passions, all the fearful crimes of men never disturb the stars of +heaven in their silent paths! George, having gazed with teeth set and +lips compressed, left us without another word. +</P> + +<P> +We sat up all that night. You may be sure that no one slept in the +whole village; for every one had there a son, a brother, or a friend. +</P> + +<P> +The next day, the 15th of August, when the morning mists had cleared +away, the smoke was rising still, but it was not so thick. Then the +main body of the German army proceeded on their march to Nancy; and the +lieutenant, who, the night before, had promised to pay me for my wine, +had stepped out left foot foremost, having forgotten to say good-by to +me. If the rest of the German officers are at all like that fellow, I +would strongly recommend no one ever to trust them even with a single +<I>liard</I> on their mere word. +</P> + +<P> +After the departure of this second army, came the 6th corps; the next +day, Sunday, and the day after there passed cavalry regiments: +chasseurs, lancers, hussars, brown, green, and black, without number. +They all marched past us down our valley, and their faces were toward +the interior of France. Yet there remained a force of infantry and +artillery around Phalsbourg, at Wéchem, Wilsberg, at Biechelberg, the +Quatre Vents, the Baraques, etc. The rumor ran that they were to be +reinforced with heavier artillery, to lay regular siege to the place; +but what they had was just sufficient to secure the railroad, the +Archeviller tunnel, and in our direction the pass of the Graufthal. +</P> + +<P> +The provisions, the stores, the spare horses, and the infantry followed +the valley of Lützelbourg; their cavalry were in part following after +ours. +</P> + +<P> +Since that time we have seen no bombardments, except on a small scale. +Sorties might easily have been made by the townspeople, for all +right-minded people would rather have given their cattle to the town +than see them requisitioned by the Prussians. +</P> + +<P> +Yes, indeed, it was those requisitions which tormented us the most. +Oh, these requisitions! The seven or eight thousand men who were +blockading the town lived at our expense, and denied themselves nothing. +</P> + +<P> +But a little later, during the blockade of Metz, we were to experience +worse miseries yet. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VIII +</H3> + +<P> +A few days after the passage of the last squadrons of hussars, we +learned that the Phalsbourgers had made a sortie to carry off cattle +from the Biechelberg. That night we might have captured the whole of +the garrison of our village; but the officer in command of the party +was a poor creature. Instead of approaching in silence, he had ordered +guns to be fired at two hundred paces from the enemy's advanced posts, +to frighten the Prussians! But they, in great alarm, had sprung out of +their beds, where they lay fast asleep, and had all decamped, firing +back at our men; and the peasants lost no time in driving their cattle +into the woods. +</P> + +<P> +From this you may see what notions our officers had about war. +</P> + +<P> +"The men of 1814," said our old forester, Martin Kopp, "set to work in +a different way; they were sure to fetch back bullocks, cows, and +prisoners into the town." +</P> + +<P> +When Cousin George was spoken to of these matters, he shrugged his +shoulders and made no remark. +</P> + +<P> +Worse than all, the Prussians made fun of us unlucky villagers of +Rothalp, calling us "<I>la grande nation!</I>" But was it our fault if our +officers, who had almost all been brought up by the Jesuits, knew +nothing of their profession? If our lads had been drilled, if every +man had been compelled to serve, as they are in Germany; and if every +man had been given the post for which he was best fitted, according to +his acquirements and his spirit, I don't think the Prussians would have +got so much fun out of "<I>la grande nation</I>." +</P> + +<P> +This was the only sortie attempted during the siege. The commander, +Talliant, who had plenty of sense, was quite aware that with officers +of this stamp, and soldiers who knew nothing of drill, it was better to +keep behind the ramparts and try to live without meat. +</P> + +<P> +About the same time the officer in command of the post of the Landwehr +at Wéchem, the greatest drunkard and the worst bully we have ever seen +in our part of the country, came to pay me his first visit, along with +fifteen men with fixed bayonets. +</P> + +<P> +His object was to requisition in our village three hundred loaves of +bread, some hay, straw, and oats in proportion. +</P> + +<P> +In the first place he walked into my mill, crying, "Hallo! +good-morning, M. le Maire!" +</P> + +<P> +Seeing those bayonets at my door, a fidgety feeling came over me. +</P> + +<P> +"I am come to bring you a proclamation from his Majesty the King of +Prussia. Read that!" +</P> + +<P> +And I read the following proclamation: +</P> + +<P> +"We, William, King of Prussia, make known to the inhabitants of the +French territory that the Emperor Napoleon III., having attacked the +German nation by sea and by land, whose desire was and is to live at +peace with France, has compelled us to assume the command of our +armies, and, consequently upon the events of war, to cross the French +frontier; but that I make war upon soldiers and not upon French +citizens, who shall continue to enjoy perfect security, both as regards +their persons and their property, as long as they shall not themselves +compel me, by hostile measures against the German troops, to withdraw +my protection from them." +</P> + +<P> +"You will post up this proclamation," said the lieutenant to me, "upon +your door, upon that of the mayoralty-office, and upon the church-door. +Well! are you glad?" +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," said I. +</P> + +<P> +"Then," he replied, "we are good friends; and good friends must help +one another. Come, my boys," he cried to his soldiers, with a loud +laugh, "come on—let us all go in. Here you may fancy yourselves at +home. You will be refused nothing. Come in!" +</P> + +<P> +And these robbers first entered the mill; then they passed on into the +kitchen; from the kitchen into the house, and then they went down into +the cellar. +</P> + +<P> +My wife and Grédel had sought safety in flight. +</P> + +<P> +Then commenced a regular organized pillage. +</P> + +<P> +They cleared out my chimney of its last hams and flitches of bacon, +they broke in my last barrel of wine; they opened my wardrobe—scenting +down to the very bottom like a pack of hounds. I saw one of these +soldiers lay hands even upon the candle out of the candlestick and +stuff it into his boot. +</P> + +<P> +One of my lambs having begun to bleat: +</P> + +<P> +"Hallo!" cried the lieutenant. "Sheep! we want mutton." +</P> + +<P> +And the infamous rascals went off to the stable to seize upon my sheep. +</P> + +<P> +When there was nothing left to rob, this gallant officer handed me the +list of regular requisitions, saying, "We require these articles. You +will bring the whole of them this very evening to Wéchem, or we shall +be obliged to repeat our visit: you comprehend, Monsieur le Maire? +And, especially, do not forget the proclamations, his Majesty's +proclamations; that is of the first importance: it was our principal +object in coming. Now, Monsieur le Maire, <I>au revoir, au revoir</I>!" +</P> + +<P> +The abominable brute held out his hand to me in its coarse leather +glove—I turned my back upon him; he pretended not to see it, and +marched off in the midst of his soldiers, all loaded like pack-horses, +laughing, munching, tippling; for every man had filled his tin flask +and stuffed his canvas bag full. +</P> + +<P> +Farther on they visited several of the other principal houses—my +cousin's, the curé Daniel's. They were so loaded with plunder that, +after their last visit, they halted to lay under requisition a horse +and cart, which seemed to them handier than carrying all that they had +stolen. +</P> + +<P> +War is a famous school for thieves and brigands; by the end of twenty +years mankind would be a vast pack of villains. +</P> + +<P> +Perhaps this may yet be our fate; for I remember that the old +school-master at Bouxviller told us that there had been once in ancient +times populous nations, richer than we are, who might have prospered +for thousands of years by means of commerce and industry, but who had +been so madly bent upon their own extermination by means of war, that +their country became at last sandy wastes, where not a blade of grass +grows now and nothing is found but scattered rocks. +</P> + +<P> +This is our impending fate; and I fear I may see it before I die, if +such men as Bismarck, Bonaparte, William, De Moltke, and all those +creatures of blood and rapine do not swiftly meet with their deserved +retribution. +</P> + +<P> +The pillaging lieutenant that I told you of just now was made a captain +at the end of the war—the reward of his merit. I cannot just now +recollect his name; but when I mention that he used to roam from +village to village, from one public-house to another, soaking in, like +a sand-bank, wine, beer, and ardent spirits; that he bellowed out songs +like a bull-calf; that he used in a maudlin way to prate about little +birds; that he levied requisitions at random; and that he used to +return to his quarters about one, or two, or three o'clock in the +morning, so intoxicated that it was incredible that a human being in +such a state could keep his seat on horseback, and yet was ready to +begin again next morning; yes, I need but mention these circumstances, +and everybody will recognize in a minute the big German brute! +</P> + +<P> +The other Landwehr officers, in command at Wilsberg, Quatre Vents, +Mittelbronn, and elsewhere, were scarcely better. After the departure +of the princes, the dukes, and the barons, these men looked upon +themselves as the lords of the land. Every day we used to hear of +fresh crimes committed by them upon poor defenceless creatures. One +day, at Mittelbronn, they shot a poor idiot who had been running +barefoot in the woods for ten years, hurting nobody; the next day, at +Wilsberg, they stripped naked a poor boy who unfortunately had come too +near their batteries, and the officer himself, with his heavy boots +kicked him till the blood ran; and then, at the Quatre Vents, they +pulled out of the cellar two feeble old men, and exposed them two days +and nights to the rain and the cold, threatening to kill them if they +did but stir; they pillaged oxen, sheep, hay, straw, smashed furniture, +burst in windows, day after day, for the mere pleasure of killing and +destroying. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-168"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-168.jpg" ALT="THEY DREW TWO POOR OLD MEN FROM THEIR CELLAR." BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +THEY DREW TWO POOR OLD MEN FROM THEIR CELLAR. +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Sometimes they found amusement in threatening to make the curés and the +Maires drive the cattle which they themselves had lifted. And as the +Germans enjoy the reputation with us of being very learned, I feel +bound to declare that I have never seen one, whether officer or +private, with a book in his hand. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George said, with good reason, that all their learning bears +upon their military profession: the spy system, and the study of maps +for officers, and discipline under corporal punishment for the rest. +The only clear notion they have in their heads is that they must obey +their chiefs and calmly receive slaps in the face. +</P> + +<P> +The young men employed in trade are great travellers. They get +information in other countries; they are sly; they never answer +questions; they are good servants, and cheap; but at the first signal, +back they go to get kicked; and they think nothing of shooting their +old shopmates, and those whose bread they have been eating for years. +</P> + +<P> +In their country some are born to slap, others to be slapped. They +regard this as a law of nature; a man is honorable or not according as +he may be the son of a nobleman or a tradesman, a baron or a workman. +With them, the less honorable the man the better the soldier; he is +only expected to obey, to black boots, and to rub down the officer's +horse when he is ordered: a banker's, or a rich citizen's son obeys +just like any one else! Hence there is no doubt that their armies are +well disciplined. George said that their superior officers handled a +hundred thousand men with greater ease than ours could manage ten +thousand, and that, for that purpose, less talent was needed. No +doubt! If I, who am only a miller, had by chance been born King of +Prussia, I should lead them all by the bridle, like my horses, and +better. I should simply be careful, on the eve of any difficult +enterprise, to consult two or three clever fellows who should clear up +my ideas for me, and engage in my service highly educated young men to +look after affairs. Then the machine would act of itself, just like my +mill, where the cogs work into each other without troubling me. The +machinery does everything; genius, good sense, and good feeling are not +wanted. +</P> + +<P> +These ideas have come into my mind, thinking upon what I have observed +since the opening of this campaign; and this is why I say we must have +discipline to play this game over again; only, as the French possess +the sentiment of honor, they must be made to understand that he who has +no discipline is wanting in honor, and betrays his country. Then, +without kicking and slapping, we shall obtain discipline; we may handle +vast masses, and shall beat the Germans, as we have done hundreds of +times before. +</P> + +<P> +These things should be taught in every school, and the schools should +be numberless; at the very head of the catechism should be written: +"The first virtue of the citizen under arms is obedience; the man who +disobeys is a coward, a traitor to the Republic." +</P> + +<P> +These were my thoughts; and now I continue my story. +</P> + +<P> +After the passage of the German armies, our unhappy country was, as it +were, walled round with a rampart of silence; for all the men who were +blockading Phalsbourg, and the few detachments which were still passing +with provisions, stores, flocks of sheep, and herds of oxen through the +valley, were under orders not to speak to us, but leave us to the +influence of fear. We received no more newspapers, no more letters, +nor the least fragment of intelligence from the interior. We could +hear the bombardment of Strasbourg when the wind blew from the Rhine. +All was in flames down there; but, as no one dared to come and go, on +account of the enemy's posts placed at every point, nothing was known. +Melancholy and grief were killing us. No one worked. What was the use +of working, when the bravest, the most industrious, the most thrifty +saw the fruit of their labor devoured by innumerable brigands? Men +almost regretted having done their duty by their children, in depriving +themselves of necessaries, to feed in the end such base wretches as +these. They would say: "Is there any justice left in the world? Are +not upright men, tender mothers of families, and dutiful children, +fools? Would it not be better to become thieves and rogues at once? +Do not all the rewards fall to the brutish? Are not those hypocrites +who preach religion and mercy? Our only duty is to become the +strongest. Well, let us be the strongest; let us pass over the bodies +of our fellow-creatures, who have done us no harm; let us spy, cheat, +and pillage: if we are the strongest, we shall be in the right." +</P> + +<P> +Here is the list of the requisitions, made in the poorest cabins, for +every Prussian who lodged there: judge what must have been our misery. +</P> + +<P> +"For every man lodging with you, you will have to furnish daily 750 +grammes of bread, 500 grammes of meat, 250 grammes of coffee, 60 +grammes of tobacco, or five cigars, a half litre of wine, or a litre of +beer, or a tenth part of a litre of eau-de-vie. Besides, for every +horse, twelve kilos of oats, five kilos of hay, and two and a half +kilos of straw."* +</P> + +<P> +</P> + +<P> +* Bread, about 2 lbs.; meat, 1-½ lbs.; coffee, 8 oz.; tobacco, 2 oz.; +wine, ¾ pint; or beer, 1-½ pints; oats, 26 lbs., etc. +</P> + +<P> +</P> + +<P> +Every one will say, "How was it possible for unfortunate peasants to +supply all that? It is impossible." +</P> + +<P> +Well, no. The Prussians did get it, in this wise: They made excursions +to the very farthest farms, they carried off everything, hay, straw; +elsewhere they carried off the cattle; elsewhere, corn; elsewhere, +again, wine, eau-de-vie, beer; elsewhere they demanded contributions in +money. Every man gave up what he had to give, so that by the end of +the campaign there was nothing left. +</P> + +<P> +Yes, indeed! We were comfortable before this war; we were rich without +knowing it. Never had I supposed that we had in our country such +quantities of hay, so many head of cattle. +</P> + +<P> +It is true that, at the last, they gave us bonds; but not until +three-quarters and more of our provisions had been consumed. And now +they make a pretence of indemnifying us; but in thirty years, supposing +there is peace—in thirty years our village will not possess what it +had last year. +</P> + +<P> +Ah! vote, vote in plébiscites, you poor, miserable peasants! Vote for +bonds for hay, straw, and meat, milliards and provinces for the +Prussians! Our <I>honest man</I> promises peace; he who has broken his +oath—trust in his word! +</P> + +<P> +Whenever I think on these things, my hair stands on end. And those who +voted against the Plébiscite, they have had to pay just as dearly. How +bitterly they must feel our folly; and how anxious they must be to +educate us! +</P> + +<P> +Imagine the condition of my wife and of my daughter seeing us so +denuded! for women cleave to their savings much more closely than men; +and then mother was only thinking of Jacob, and Grédel of her Jean +Baptiste. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George knew this. He tried several times to get news of the +town. A few Turcos, who had escaped from the carnage of Froeschwiller, +had remained in town, and every day a few got through the postern to +have a shot at the Germans. On the other hand, as the attack on the +place had been sudden and unforeseen, there had been no time to throw +down the trees, the hedges, the cottages, and the tombstones in the +cemetery. So this work began afresh: everything within cannon-shot was +razed without mercy. +</P> + +<P> +George tried to reach these men, but the enemy's posts were still too +close. At last he got news, but in a way which can scarcely be +told—by an abandoned woman, who was allowed in the German lines. This +creditable person told us that Jacob was well; and, no doubt, she also +brought some kind of good news to Grédel, who from that moment was +another woman. The very next day she began to talk to us about her +marriage-portion, and insisted upon knowing where we had hidden it. I +told her that it was in the wood, at the foot of a tree. Then she was +in alarm lest the Prussians should have discovered it, for they +searched everywhere; they had exact inventories of what was owned by +every householder. They had gone even to the very end of our cellars +to discover choice wines: for instance, at Mathis's, at the saw-mills, +and at Frantz Sépel's, at Metting. Nothing could escape them, having +had for years our own German servants to give them every information, +who privately kept an account of our cattle, hay, corn, wine, and +everything every house could supply. These Germans are the most +perfect spies in the world; they come into the world to spy, as birds +do to thieve: it is part of their nature. Let the Americans and all +the people who are kind enough to receive them think of this. Their +imprudence may some day cost them dearly. I am not inventing. I am +not saying a word too much. We are an example. Let the world profit +by it. +</P> + +<P> +So Grédel feared for our hoard. I told her I had been to see, and that +nothing in the neighborhood had been disturbed. +</P> + +<P> +But, after having quieted her, I myself had a great fright. +</P> + +<P> +One Sunday evening, about thirty Prussians, commanded by their famous +lieutenant, came to the mill, striking the floor with the butt-ends of +their muskets, and shouting that they must have wine and eau-de-vie. +</P> + +<P> +I gave them the keys of the cellar. +</P> + +<P> +"That is not what I want," said the lieutenant. "You took sixteen +hundred livres at Saverne last month; where are they?" +</P> + +<P> +Then I saw that I had been denounced. It was Placiard, or some of that +rabble; for denunciations were beginning. <I>All who have since declared +for the Germans were already beginning this business</I>. I could not +deny it, and I said: "It is true. As I was owing money at Phalsbourg, +I paid what I owed, and I placed the rest in safety under the care of +lawyer Fingado." +</P> + +<P> +"Where is that lawyer?" +</P> + +<P> +"In the town guarded by the sixty big guns that you know of." +</P> + +<P> +Then the lieutenant paced up and down, growling, "You are an old fox. +I don't believe you. You have hid your money somewhere. You shall +send in your contribution in money." +</P> + +<P> +"I will furnish, like others, my contribution for six men with what I +have got. Here are my hay, my wheat, my straw, my flour. Whatever is +left you may have; when there is nothing left, you may seek elsewhere. +You may kill the people; you may burn towns and villages; but you +cannot take money from those who have none." +</P> + +<P> +He stared at me, and one of the soldiers, mad with rage, seized me by +the collar, roaring, "Show us your hoard, old rascal!" +</P> + +<P> +Several others were pushing me out of doors; my wife came crying and +sobbing; but Grédel darted in, armed with a hatchet, crying to these +robbers, "Pack of cowards! You have no courage—you are all like +Schinderhannes!" +</P> + +<P> +She was going to fall upon them; but I bade her: "Grédel, go in again." +</P> + +<P> +At the same time I threw open my waistcoat, and told the brute who was +pointing his bayonet at my breast: "Now thrust, wretch; let it be over!" +</P> + +<P> +It seems that there was something at that moment in my attitude which +awed them; for the lieutenant, who did nothing but scour the country +with his band, exclaimed: "Come, let us leave monsieur le maire alone. +When we have taken the place, we shall find his money at the lawyer's. +Come, my lads, come on; let us go and look elsewhere. His Majesty +wants crown-pieces: we will find them. Good-by, Monsieur le Maire. +Let us bear no malice." +</P> + +<P> +He was laughing; but I was as pale as death, and went in trembling. +</P> + +<P> +I fell ill. +</P> + +<P> +Many people in the country were suffering from dysentery, which we owe +again to these gormandizers, for they devoured everything; honey, +butter, cheese, green fruit, beef, mutton, everything was ingulfed +anyhow down their huge swallows. At Pfalsweyer they had even swallowed +vinegar for wine. I cannot tell what they ate at home, but the +voracity of these people would make you suppose that at home they knew +no food but potatoes and cold water. +</P> + +<P> +In their sanitary regulations there was plenty of room for improvement; +health and decency were alike disregarded. +</P> + +<P> +That year the crows came early; they swept down to earth in great +clouds. But for this help, a plague would have fallen upon us. +</P> + +<P> +I cannot relate all the other torments these Prussians inflicted upon +us; such as compelling us to cut down wood for them in the forest, to +split it, to pile it up in front of their advanced posts; threatening +the peasants with having to go to the front and dig in the trenches. +On account of this, whole villages fled without a minute's warning, and +the Landwehr took the opportunity to pillage the houses without +resistance. Worse than all, they polluted and desecrated the +churches—to the great distress of all right-minded people, whether +Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. This proved that these fellows +respected nothing; that they took a pleasure in humiliating the souls +of men in their tenderest and holiest feelings; for even with ungodly +men a church, a temple, a synagogue are venerable places. There our +mothers carried us to receive the blessing of God; there we called God +to witness our love for her with whom we had chosen to travel together +the journey of life; thither we bore father and mother to commend their +souls to the mercy of God after they had ceased to suffer in this world. +</P> + +<P> +These wretched men dared do this; therefore shall they be execrated +from generation to generation, and our hatred shall be inextinguishable! +</P> + +<P> +Whilst all these miseries were overwhelming us, rumors of all sorts ran +through the country. One day Cousin George came to tell us that he had +heard from an innkeeper from Sarrebourg that a great battle had been +fought near Metz; that we might have been victorious, but that the +Emperor, not knowing where to find his proper place, got in everybody's +way; that he would first fly to the right, then to the left, carrying +with him his escort of three or four thousand men, to guard his person +and his ammunition-wagons; that it had been found absolutely necessary +to declare his command vacant, and to send him to Verdun to get rid of +him; for he durst not return to Paris, where indignation against his +dynasty broke out louder and louder. +</P> + +<P> +"Now," said my cousin, "Bazaine is at the head of our best army. It is +a sad thing to be obliged to intrust the destinies of our country to +the hands of the man who made himself too well known in Mexico; whilst +the Minister of War, old De Montauban, has distinguished himself in +China, and in Africa in that Doineau affair. Yes, these are three men +worthy to lay their heads close together—the Emperor, Bazaine, and +Palikao! Well, let us hope on: hope costs nothing!" +</P> + +<P> +Thus passed away the month of August—the most miserable month of +August in all our lives! +</P> + +<P> +On the first of September, about ten o'clock at night, everybody was +asleep in the village, when the cannon of Phalsbourg began to roar: it +was the heavy guns on the bastion of Wilschberg, and those of the +infantry barracks. Our little houses shook. +</P> + +<P> +All rose from their beds and got lights. At every report our windows +rattled. I went out; a crowd of other peasants, men and women, were +listening and gazing. The night was dark, and the red lightning +flashes from the two bastions lighted up the hills second after second. +</P> + +<P> +Then curiosity carried me away. I wished to know what it was, and in +spite of all my wife could say, I started with three or four neighbors +for Berlingen. As fast as we ascended amongst the bushes, the din +became louder; on reaching the brow of this hill, we heard a great stir +all round us. The people of Berlingen had fled into the wood: two +shells had fallen in the village. It was from this height that I +observed the effect of the heavy guns, the bombs and shells rushing in +the direction where we stood, hissing and roaring just like the noise +of a steam-engine, and making such dreadful sounds that one could not +help shrinking. +</P> + +<P> +At the same time we could hear a distant rolling of carriages at full +gallop; they were driving from Quatre Vents to Wilschberg: no doubt it +was a convoy of provisions and stores, which the Phalsbourgers had +observed a long way off: the moon was clouded; but young people have +sharp eyes. After seeing this, we came down again, and I recognized my +cousin, who was walking near me. +</P> + +<P> +"Good-evening, Christian," said he, "what do you think of that?" +</P> + +<P> +"I am thinking that men have invented dreadful engines to destroy each +other." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, but this is nothing as yet, Christian; it is but the small +beginning of the story: in a year or two peace will be signed between +the King of Prussia and France; but eternal hatred has arisen between +the two nations—just, fearful, unforgiving hatred. What did we want +of the Germans? Did we want any of their provinces? No, the majority +of Frenchmen cared for no such thing. Did we covet their glory? No, +we had military glory enough, and to spare. So that they had no +inducement to treat us as enemies. Well, whilst we were trying, in the +presence of all Europe, the experiment of universal suffrage at our own +risk and peril—and this step so fair, so equitable, but still so +dangerous with an ignorant people, had placed a bad man at the +helm—these <I>good Christians</I> took advantage of our weakness to strike +the blow they had been fifty-four years in preparing. They have +succeeded! But woe to us! woe to them! This war will cost more blood +and tears than the Zinzel could carry to the Rhine!" +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke Cousin George: and, unhappily, from that day I have had +reason to acknowledge that he was right. Those who were far from the +enemy are now close, and those who are farther off will be forced to +take a part. Let the men of the south of France remember that they are +French as well as we, and if they don't want to feel the sharp claw of +the Prussian upon their shoulders, let them rise in time: next to +Lorraine comes Champagne; next to Alsace comes Franche Comté and +Burgundy; these are fertile lands, and the Germans are fond of good +wine. Clear-sighted men had long forewarned us that the Germans wanted +Alsace and Lorraine: we could not believe it; now the same men tell us, +"The Germans want the whole of France! This race of slappers and +slapped want to govern all Europe! Hearken! The day of the Chambords, +upheld by the Jesuits, and of the Bonapartes, supported by spies and +fools, has gone by forever! Let us be united under the Republic, or +the Germans will devour us!" I think the men who tender this advice +have a claim to be heard. +</P> + +<P> +The day after the cannonade we learned that some carts had been upset +and pillaged near Berlingen. Then the Prussian major declared that the +commune was responsible for the loss, and that it would have to pay up +five hundred francs damages. +</P> + +<P> +Five hundred francs! Alas! where could they be found after this +pillage? +</P> + +<P> +Happily, the Mayor of Berlingen succeeded in making the discovery that +the sentinels who had the charge of the carts had themselves committed +the robbery, to make presents to the depraved creatures who infested +the camp, and the general contributions went on as before. +</P> + +<P> +Early in September the weather was fine; and I shall always remember +that the oats dropped by the German convoys began to grow all along the +road they had taken. No doubt there was a similar green track all the +way from Bavaria far into the interior of France. +</P> + +<P> +What a loss for our country! for it always fell to our share to replace +anything that was lost or stolen. Of course the Prussians are too +honorable to pick or steal anywhere! +</P> + +<P> +In that comparatively quiet time by night we could hear the bombardment +of Strasbourg. About one in the morning, while the village was asleep, +and all else in the distance was wrapped in silence, then those deep +and loud reports were heard one by one. The citadel alone received +five shells and one bomb per minute. Sometimes the fire increased in +intensity; the din became terrible; the earth seemed to be trembling +far away down there: it sounded like the heavy strokes of the +gravedigger at the bottom of a grave. +</P> + +<P> +And this went on forty-two days and forty-two nights without +intermission: the new Church, the Library, and hundreds of houses were +burned to the ground; the Cathedral was riddled with shot; a shell even +carried away the iron cross at its summit. The unhappy Strasbourgers +cast longing eyes westward; none came to help. The men who have told +me of these things when all was over could not refrain from tears. +</P> + +<P> +Of Metz we heard nothing; rumors of battles, combats in Lorraine, ran +through the country: rumors of whose authenticity we knew nothing. +</P> + +<P> +The silence of the Germans was maintained; but one evening they burst +into loud hurrahs from Wéchem to Biechelberg, from Biechelberg to +Quatre Vents. George and his wife came with pale faces. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you know the despatch?" +</P> + +<P> +"No; what is it?" +</P> + +<P> +"The <I>honest man</I> has just surrendered at Sedan with eighty thousand +Frenchmen! From the beginning of the world the like of it has never +been seen. He has given up his sword to the King of Prussia—his +famous sword of the 2d December. He thought more of his own safety and +his ammunition-wagons than of the honor of his name and of the honor of +France! Oh, the arch-deceiver! he has deceived me even in this: I did +think he was brave!" +</P> + +<P> +George lost all command over himself. +</P> + +<P> +"There," said he, "that was to be the end of it! His own army was +those ten or fifteen thousand Decemberlings supplied by the Préfecture +of Police, armed with loaded staves and life-preservers to break the +heads of the defenders of the laws. He thought himself able to lead a +French army to victory, as if they were his gang of thieves; he has let +them into a sort of a sink, and there, in spite of the valor of our +soldiers, he has delivered them up to the King of Prussia: in exchange +for what? We shall know by and by. Our unhappy sons refused to +surrender: they would have preferred to die sword in hand, trying to +fight their way out; it was his Majesty who, three times, gave orders +to hoist the white flag!" +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke my cousin, and we, more dead than alive, could hear nothing +but the shouts and rejoicings outside. +</P> + +<P> +A flag of truce had just been despatched to the town. The Landwehr, +who for some time had been occupying the place of the troops of the +line with us—men of mature age, more devoted to peace than to the +glory of King William—thought that all was over; that the King of +Prussia would keep his word; that he would not continue against the +nation the war begun against Bonaparte, and that the town would be sure +to surrender now. +</P> + +<P> +But the commander, Taillant, merely replied that the gates of +Phalsbourg would be opened whenever he should receive his Majesty's +written commands; that the fact of Napoleon's having given up his sword +was no reason why he should abandon his post; and that every man ought +to be on his guard, in readiness for whatever might happen. +</P> + +<P> +The flag of truce returned, and the joy of the Landwehr was calmed down. +</P> + +<P> +At this time I saw something which gave me infinite pleasure, and which +I still enjoy thinking of. +</P> + +<P> +I had taken a short turn to Saverne by way of the Falberg, behind the +German posts, hoping to learn news. Besides, I had some small debts to +get in; money was wanted every day, and no one knew where to find it. +</P> + +<P> +About five o'clock in the evening, I was returning home; the weather +was fine; business had prospered, and I was stepping into the wayside +inn at Tzise to take a glass of wine. In the parlor were seated a +dozen Bavarians, quarrelling with as many Prussians seated round the +deal tables. They had laid their helmets on the window-seats, and were +enjoying themselves away from their officers; no doubt on their return +from some marauding expedition. +</P> + +<P> +A Bavarian was exclaiming: "We are always put in the front, we are. +The victory of Woerth is ours; but for us you would have been beaten. +And it is we who have just taken the Emperor and all his army. You +other fellows, you do nothing but wait in the rear for the honor and +glory, and the profit, too!" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, now," answered the Prussian, "what would you have done but for +us? Have you got a general to show? Tell me your men. You are in the +front line, true enough. You bear your broken bones with patience—I +don't deny that. But who commands you? The Prince Royal of Prussia, +Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, our old General de Moltke, and his +Majesty King William! Don't tell us of your victories. Victories +belong to the chiefs. Even if you were every one killed to the last +man, what difference would that make? Does an architect owe his fame +to his materials? What have picks, and spades, and trowels to do with +victory?" +</P> + +<P> +"What! the spades!" cried a Bavarian; "do you call us spades?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, we do!" shouted the Prussian, arrogantly thumping the table. +</P> + +<P> +Then, bang, bang went the pots and the bottles; and I only just had +time to escape, laughing, and thinking: "After all, these poor +Bavarians are right—they get the blows, and the others get the glory. +Bismarck must be sly to have got them to accept such an arrangement. +It is rather strong. And, then, what is the use of saying that the +King of Bavaria is led by the Jesuits." +</P> + +<P> +About the 8th or 10th of September, the report ran that the Republic +had been proclaimed at Paris; that the Empress, the Princess Mathilde, +Palikao, and all the rest had fled; that a Government of National +Defence had been proclaimed; that every Frenchman from twenty to forty +years of age had been summoned to arms. But we were sure of nothing, +except the bombardment of Strasbourg and the battles round Metz. +</P> + +<P> +Justice compels me to say that everybody looked upon the conduct of +Bazaine as admirable—that he was looked upon as the saviour of France. +It was thought that he was bearing the weight of all the Germans upon +his shoulders, and that, finally, he would break out, and deliver Toul, +Phalsbourg, Bitche, Strasbourg, and crush all the investing armies. +</P> + +<P> +Often at that time George said to me: "It will soon be our turn. We +shall all have to march. My plans are already made; my rifle and +cartridge-box are ready. You must have the alarm-bell sounded as soon +as we hear the cannon about Sarreguemines and Fénétrange. We shall +take the Germans between two fires." +</P> + +<P> +He said this to me in the evening, when we were alone, and I am sure I +could have wished no better; but prudence was essential: the Landwehr +kept increasing in number from day to day. They used to come and sit +in our midst around the stove; they smoked their long porcelain pipes, +with their heads down, in silence. As a certain number understood +French, without telling us so, there was no talking together in their +presence: every one kept his thoughts to himself. +</P> + +<P> +All these Landwehr from Baden, Wurtemberg, and Bavaria, were commanded +by Prussian officers, so that Prussia supplied the officers, and the +German States the soldiers: by these means they learn obedience to +their true lords and masters. The Prussians were made to command, the +others humbly to obey: thus they gained the victory. And now it must +remain so for ages; for the Alsacians and Lorrainers might revolt, +France might rise, and troubles might come in all directions. Yes, all +these good Landwehr will remain under arms from father to son; and the +more numerous their victories, the higher the Prussians will climb upon +their backs, and keep them firmly down. +</P> + +<P> +One thing annoyed them considerable; this was a stir in the Vosges, and +a talk of francs-tireurs, and of revolted villages about Epinal. Of +course this stirred us up too. These Landwehr treated the +francs-tireurs as brigands in ambush to shoot down respectable fathers +of families, to rob convoys, and threatened to hang them. +</P> + +<P> +For all that, many thought—"If only a few came our way with powder and +muskets, we would join them and try to get rid of our troubles +ourselves." +</P> + +<P> +Hope rose with these francs-tireurs; but the requisitions harassed us +all the more. +</P> + +<P> +The pillage was not quite so bad, but it went on still. When our +Landwehr, whom we were obliged to lodge and keep, went off to mount +guard at Phalsbourg, others came in troops from the neighboring +villages, shouting, storming, and bawling for oxen, sheep, bacon! And +when they had terribly frightened the women, these fellows, after all, +were satisfied with a few eggs, a cheese, or a rope of onions; and then +they would take their departure quite delighted. +</P> + +<P> +Our own Landwehr no doubt did the same, for they never seemed short of +vegetables to cook; and these good fathers of families conscientiously +divided it with all the abominable creatures who followed them and had +no other way of living. How else could it be? It takes time to turn a +man into a beast, but a few months of war soon bring men back into the +savage state. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IX +</H3> + +<P> +On the 29th of September, a Prussian vaguemestre* brought me some +proclamations with orders to make them public. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* The person in command of a wagon train—also an Army letter-carrier. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +These proclamations declared that we were now part of the department of +La Moselle, and that we were under a Prussian prefect, the Count Henkel +de Bonnermark, who was himself under the orders of the Governor-General +of Alsace and Lorraine, the Count Bismarck-Bohlen, provisionally +residing at Haguenau. +</P> + +<P> +I cannot tell what evil spirit then laid hold of me; the Landwehr had +brought us the day before the news of the capitulation of Strasbourg; I +had been worried past all endurance by all the requisitions which I was +ordered to call for, and I boldly declared my refusal to post that +proclamation: that it was against my conscience; that I looked upon +myself as a Frenchman still, and they need not expect an honest man to +perform such an errand as that. +</P> + +<P> +The vaguemestre seemed astonished to hear me. He was a stout man, with +thick brown mustaches, and prominent eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"Will you be good enough to write that down, M. le Maire?" he said. +</P> + +<P> +"Why not? I am tired out with all these vexatious acts. Let my place +be given to your friend, M. Placiard: I should be thankful. Let him +order these requisitions. I look upon them as mere robbery." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, write that down," said he. "I obey orders: I have nothing to do +with the rest." +</P> + +<P> +Then, without another thought, I opened my desk, and wrote that +Christian Weber, Mayor of Rothalp, considered it against his conscience +to proclaim Bismarck-Bohlen Governor of a French province, and that he +refused absolutely. +</P> + +<P> +I signed my name to it, with the date, 29th September, 1870; and it was +the greatest folly I ever committed in my life: it has cost me dear. +</P> + +<P> +The vaguemestre took the paper, put it in his pocket, and went away. +Two or three hours after, when I had thought it over a little, I began +to repent, and I wished I could have the paper back again. +</P> + +<P> +That evening, after supper, I went to tell George the whole affair; he +was quite pleased. +</P> + +<P> +"Very good, indeed, Christian," said he. "Now your position is clear. +I have often felt sorry that you should be obliged, for the interest of +the commune and to avoid pillage, to give bonds to the Prussians. +People are so absurd! Seeing the signature of the mayor, they make +him, in a way, responsible for everything; every one fancies he is +bearing more than his share. Now you are rid of your burden; you could +not go so far as to requisition in the name of Henkel de Bonnermark, +self-styled prefect of La Moselle; let some one else do that work; they +will have no difficulty in finding as many ill-conditioned idiots as +they want for that purpose." +</P> + +<P> +My cousin's approbation gave me satisfaction, and I was going home, +when the same vaguemestre, in whose hands I had placed my resignation +in the morning, entered, followed by three or four Landwehr. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is something for you," said he, handing me a note, which I read +aloud: +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"The persons called Christian Weber, miller, and George Weber, +wine-merchant, in the village of Rothalp, will, to-morrow, drive to +Droulingen, four thousand kilos of hay and ten thousand kilos of straw, +without fail. By order—FLOEGEL." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"Very well," I replied. For although this requisition appeared to me +to be rather heavy, I would not betray my indignation before our +enemies; they would have been too much delighted. "Very well, I will +drive my hay and my straw to Droulingen." +</P> + +<P> +"You will drive it yourself," said the vaguemestre, brutally. "All the +horses and carts in the village have been put into requisition; you +have too often forgotten your own." +</P> + +<P> +"I can prove that my horses and my carts have been worked oftener than +any one's," I replied, with rising wrath. "There are your receipts; I +hope you won't deny them!" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, it doesn't matter," said he. "The horses, the carts, the hay +and straw are demanded; that is plain." +</P> + +<P> +"Quite plain," said Cousin George. "The strongest may always command." +</P> + +<P> +"Exactly so," said the vaguemestre. +</P> + +<P> +He went out with his men, and George, without anger, said, "This is +war! Let us be calm. Perhaps our turn will come now that the <I>honest +man</I> is no longer in command of our armies. In the meantime the best +thing we can do, if we do not want to lose our horses and our carts +besides, will be to load to-night, and to start very early in the +morning. We shall return before seven o'clock to supper; and then they +won't be able to take any more of our hay and straw, because we shall +have none left." +</P> + +<P> +For my part, I was near bursting with rage; but, as he set the example, +by stripping off his coat and putting on his blouse, I went to wake up +old Father Offran to help me to load. +</P> + +<P> +My wife and Grédel were expecting me: for the vaguemestre and his men +had called at the mill, before coming to George's house, and they were +trembling with apprehension. I told them to be calm; that it was only +taking some hay and straw to Droulingen, where I should get a receipt +for future payment. +</P> + +<P> +Whether they believed it or not, they went in again. +</P> + +<P> +I lighted the lantern, Offran mounted up into the loft and threw me +down the trusses, which I caught upon a fork. About two in the +morning, the two carts being loaded, I fed the horses and rested a few +minutes. +</P> + +<P> +At five o'clock, George, outside, was already calling "Christian, I am +here!" +</P> + +<P> +I got up, put on my hat and my blouse, opened the stable from the +inside, put the horses in, and we started in the fresh and early +morning, supposing we should return at night. +</P> + +<P> +In all the villages that we passed through, troops of Landwehr were +sitting before their huts, ragged, with patched knees and filthy +beards, like the description of the Cossacks of former days, smoking +their pipes; and the cavalry and infantry were coming and going. +</P> + +<P> +Those who remained in garrison in the villages were obliged by their +orders to give up their good walking-boots to the others, and to wear +their old shoes. +</P> + +<P> +Mounted officers, with their low, flat caps pulled down upon their +noses, were skimming along the paths by the road-side like the wind. +In the old wayside inns, in the corners of the yards the dung-hills +were heaped up with entrails and skins of beasts: hides, stuffed with +straw, were hanging also from the banisters of the old galleries, where +we used to see washed linen hanging out to dry. Misery, unspeakable +misery, and gnawing anxiety were marked upon the countenances of the +people. The Germans alone looked fat and sleek in their broken boots; +they had good white bread, good red wine, good meat, and smoked good +tobacco or cigars: they were living like fighting-cocks. +</P> + +<P> +At a certain former time, these people had complained bitterly of our +invasion of their country, without remembering that they had begun by +invading ourselves. And yet they were right. At the close of the +First Empire, the French were only fighting for one man; but the +Germans had since had their revenge twice, in 1814 and 1815, and for +fifty years they had always been coming to us as friends, and were +received like brothers: we bore no malice against them, and they seemed +to bear none against us; peace had softened us. We only wished for +their prosperity, as well as for our own; for nations are really happy +only when their neighbors are prospering: then business and industry +all move hand in hand together. That was our position! We said +nothing more of our victories; we talked of our defeats, so as to do +full justice to their courage and their patriotism; we acknowledged our +faults; they pretended to acknowledge theirs, and talked of fraternity. +We believed in their uprightness, in their candor and frankness: we +were really fond of them. +</P> + +<P> +Now hatred has arisen between us. +</P> + +<P> +Whose the fault? +</P> + +<P> +First, our stupidity, our ignorance. We all believed that the +Plébiscite was for peace; the Ministers, the préfets, the sous-préfets, +the magistrates, the commissioners of police, everybody in authority +confirmed this. A villain has used it to declare war! But the Germans +were glad of the war; they were full of hatred, and malice, and envy, +without betraying it: they had long watched us and studied us; they +endured everlasting drill and perpetual fatigue to become the +strongest, and sought with pains for an opportunity to get war declared +against themselves, and so set themselves right in the eyes of Europe. +The Spanish complication was but a trap laid by Bismarck for Bonaparte. +The Germans said to one another: "We have twelve hundred thousand men +under arms; we are four to one. Let us seize the opportunity! If the +French Government take it into their heads to organize and discipline +the Garde Mobile, all might be lost.... Quick, quick!" +</P> + +<P> +This is the uprightness, frankness, and fraternity of the Germans! +</P> + +<P> +Our idiot fell into the trap. The Germans overwhelmed us with their +multitudes. They are our masters; they hold our country; we are paying +them milliards! and now they are coming back, just as before, into our +towns and cities in troops, smiling upon us, extending the right hand: +"Ha! ha! how are you now? Have you been pretty well all this long +while? What! don't you know me? You look angry! Ah! but you really +shouldn't. Such friends, such good old friends! Come, now! give me a +small order, only a small one; and don't let us think of that unhappy +war!" +</P> + +<P> +Faugh! Let us look another way; it is too horrible. +</P> + +<P> +To excuse them, I say (for one must always seek excuses for everything) +man is not by nature so debased; there must be causes to explain, so +great a want of natural pride; and I say to myself—that these are poor +creatures trained to submission, and that these unfortunate beings do +as the birds do that the birdcatcher holds captives in his net; they +sing, they chirp, to decoy others. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! how jolly it is here! how delightful here in Old Germany, with an +Emperor, kings, princes, German dukes, grand-dukes, counts, and barons! +What an honor to fight and die for the German Fatherland! The German +is the foremost man in the world." +</P> + +<P> +Yes. Yes. Poor devils! We know all about that. That is the song +your masters taught you at school! For the King of Prussia and his +nobility you work, you spy, you have your bones broken on the +battle-field! They pay you with hollow phrases about the noble German, +the German Fatherland, the German sky, the German Rhine; and when you +sing false, with rough German slaps upon your German faces. +</P> + +<P> +No; no! it is of no use; the Alsacians and the Lorrainers will never +whistle like you: they have learned another tune. +</P> + +<P> +Well! all this did not save us from being nipped, George and me, and +from being made aware that at the least resistance they would wring our +necks like chickens. So we put a good face upon a bad game, observing +the desolation of all this country, where the cattle plague had just +broken out. At Lohre, at Ottviller, in a score of places, this +terrible disease, the most ruinous for the peasantry, was already +beginning its ravages; and the Prussians, who eat more than four times +the quantity of meat that we do—when it belongs to other people—were +afraid of coming short. +</P> + +<P> +Their veterinary doctors knew but one remedy; when a beast fell ill, +refused its fodder, and became low-spirited, they slaughtered it, and +buried it with hide and horns, six feet under ground. This was not +much cleverer than the bombardment of towns to force them to surrender, +or the firing of villages to compel people to pay their requisitions. +But then it answered the purpose! +</P> + +<P> +The Germans in this campaign have taught us their best inventions! +They had thought them over for years, whilst our school-masters and our +gazettes were telling us that they were passing away their time in +dreaming of philosophy, and other things of so extraordinary a kind +that the French could not understand the thing at all. +</P> + +<P> +About eleven we were at Droulingen, where was a Silesian battalion +ready to march to Metz. It seems that some cavalry were to follow us, +and that the requisitions had exhausted the fodder in the country, for +our hay and straw were immediately housed in a barn at the end of the +village, and the major gave us a receipt. He was a gray-bearded +Prussian, and he examined us with wrinkled eyes, just like an old +gendarme who is about to take your description. +</P> + +<P> +This business concluded, George and I thought we might return at once; +when, looking through the window, we saw them loading our carts with +the baggage of the battalion. Then I came out, exclaiming: "Hallo! +those carts are ours! We only came to make a delivery of hay and +straw!" +</P> + +<P> +The Silesian commander, a tall, stiff, and uncompromising-looking +fellow, who was standing at the door, just turned his head, and, as the +soldiers were stopping, quietly said: "Go on!" +</P> + +<P> +"But, captain," said I, "here is my receipt from the major!" +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing to me," said he, walking into the mess-room, where the table +was laid for the officers. +</P> + +<P> +We stood outside in a state of indignation, as you may believe. The +soldiers were enjoying the joke. I was very near giving them a rap +with my whip-handle; but a couple of sentinels marching up and down +with arms shouldered, would certainly have passed their bayonets +through me. I turned pale, and went into Finck's public-house, where +George had turned in before me. The small parlor was full of soldiers, +who were eating and drinking as none but Prussians can eat and drink; +almost putting it into their noses. +</P> + +<P> +The sight and the smell drove us out, and George, standing at the door, +said to me: "Our wives will be anxious; had we not better find somebody +to tell them what has happened to us?" +</P> + +<P> +But it was no use wishing or looking; there was nobody. +</P> + +<P> +The officers' horses along the wall, their bridles loose, were quietly +munching their feed, and ours, which were already tired, got nothing. +</P> + +<P> +"Hey!" said I to the <I>feld-weibel</I>, who was overlooking the loading of +the carts; "I hope you will not think of starting without giving a +handful to our horses?" +</P> + +<P> +"If you have got any money, you clown," said he, grinning, "you can +give them hay, and even oats, as much as you like. There, look at the +sign-board before you: 'Hay and oats sold here.'" +</P> + +<P> +That moment I heaped up more hatred against the Prussians than I shall +be able to satiate in all my life. +</P> + +<P> +"Come on," cried George, pulling me by the arm; for he saw my +indignation. +</P> + +<P> +And we went into the "Bay Horse," which was as full of people as the +other, but larger and higher. We fed our horses; then, sitting alone +in a corner we ate a crust of bread and took a glass of wine, watching +the movements of the troops outside. I went out to give my horses a +couple of buckets of water, for I knew that the Germans would never +take that trouble. +</P> + +<P> +George called to him the little pedler Friedel, who was passing by with +his pack, to tell him to inform our wives that we should not be home +till to-morrow morning, being obliged to go on to Sarreguemines. +Friedel promised, and went on his way. +</P> + +<P> +Almost immediately, the word of command and the rattle of arms warned +us that the battalion was about to march. We only had the time to pay +and to lay hold of the horses' bridles. +</P> + +<P> +It was pleasant weather for walking—neither too much sun nor too much +shade; fine autumn weather. +</P> + +<P> +And since, in comparing the Germans with our own soldiers as to their +marching powers, I have often thought that they never would have +reached Paris but for our railroads. Their infantry are just as +conspicuous for their slowness and their heaviness as their cavalry are +for their swiftness and activity. These people are splay-footed, and +they cannot keep up long. When they are running, their clumsy boots +make a terrible clatter; which is perhaps the reason why they wear +them: they encourage each other by this means, and imagine they dismay +the enemy. A single company of theirs makes more noise than one of our +regiments. But they soon break out in a perspiration, and their great +delight is to get up and have a ride. +</P> + +<P> +Toward evening, by five o'clock, we had only gone about three leagues +from Droulingen, when, instead of continuing on their way, the +commander gave the battalion orders to turn out of it into a parish +road on the left. Whether it was to avoid the lodgings by the way, +which were all exhausted, or for some other reason, I cannot say. +</P> + +<P> +Seeing this, I ran to the commanding officer in the greatest distress. +</P> + +<P> +"But in the name of heaven, captain," said I, "are you not going on to +Sarreguemines? We are fathers of families; we have wives and children! +You promised that at Sarreguemines we might unload and return home." +</P> + +<P> +George was coming, too, to complain; but he had not yet reached us, +when the commander, from on horseback, roared at us with a voice of +rage: "Will you return to your carts, or I will have you beaten till +all is blue? Will you make haste back?" +</P> + +<P> +Then we returned to take hold of our bridles, with our heads hanging +down. Three hours after, at nightfall, we came into a miserable +village, full of small crosses along the road, and where the people had +nothing to give us; for famine had overtaken them. +</P> + +<P> +We had scarcely halted, when a convoy of bread, meat, and wine arrived, +escorted by a few hussars. No doubt it came from Alberstoff. Every +soldier received his ration, but we got not so much as an onion: not a +crust of bread—nothing—nor our horses either. +</P> + +<P> +That night George and I alone rested under the shelter of a deserted +smithy, while the Prussians were asleep in every hut and in the barns, +and the sentinels paced their rounds about our carts, with their +muskets shouldered; we began to deliberate what we ought to do. +</P> + +<P> +George, who already foreboded the miseries which were awaiting us, +would have started that moment, leaving both horses and carts; but I +could not entertain such an idea as that. Give up my pair of beautiful +dappled gray horses, which I had bred and reared in my own orchard at +the back of the mill! It was impossible. +</P> + +<P> +"Listen to me," said George. "Remember the Alsacians who have been +passing by us the last fortnight: they look as if they had come out of +their graves; they had never received the smallest ration: they would +have been carried even to Paris if they had not run away. You see that +these Germans have no bowels. They are possessed with a bitter hatred +against the French, which makes them as hard as iron; they have been +incited against us at their schools; they would like to exterminate us +to the last man. Let us expect nothing of them; that will be the +safest. I have only six francs in my pocket; what have you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Eight livres and ten sous." +</P> + +<P> +"With that, Christian, we cannot go far. The nearer we get to Metz, +the worse ruin we shall find the country in. If we were but able to +write home, and ask for a little money! but you see they have sentinels +on every road, at all the lane ends: they allow neither +foot-passengers, nor letters, nor news to pass. Believe me, let us try +to escape." +</P> + +<P> +All these good arguments were useless. I thought that, with a little +patience, perhaps at the next village, other horses and other carriages +might be found to requisition, and that we might be allowed quietly to +return home. That would have been natural and proper; and so in any +country in the world they would have done. +</P> + +<P> +George, seeing that he was unable to shake my resolution, lay down upon +a bench and went to sleep. I could not shut my eyes. +</P> + +<P> +Next day, at six o'clock, we had to resume the march; the Silesians +well-refreshed, we with empty stomachs. +</P> + +<P> +We were moving in the direction of Gros Tenquin. The farther we +advanced, the less I knew of the country. It was the country around +Metz, le pays Messin, an old French district, and our misery increased +at every stage. The Prussians continued to receive whatever they +required, and took no further trouble with us than merely preventing us +from leaving their company: they treated us like beasts of burden; and, +in spite of all our economy, our money was wasting away. +</P> + +<P> +Never was so sad a position as ours; for, on the fourth or fifth day, +the officer, guessing from our appearance that we were meditating +flight, quite unceremoniously said in our presence to the sentinels: +"If those people stir out of the road, fire upon them." +</P> + +<P> +We met many others in a similar position to ours, in the midst of these +squadrons and these regiments, which were continually crossing each +other and were covering the roads. At the sight of each other, we felt +as if we could burst into tears. +</P> + +<P> +George always kept up his spirits, and even from time to time he +assumed an air of gayety, asking a light of the soldiers to light his +pipe, and singing sea-songs, which made the Prussian officers laugh. +They said: "This fellow is a real Frenchman: he sees things in a bright +light." +</P> + +<P> +I could not understand that at all: no, indeed! I said to myself that +my cousin was losing his senses. +</P> + +<P> +What grieved me still more was to see my fine horses perishing—my poor +horses, so sleek, so spirited, so steady; the best horses in the +commune, and which I had reared with so much satisfaction. Oh, how +deplorable! ... Passing along the hedges, by the roadside, I pulled +here and there handfuls of grass, to give them a taste of something +green, and in a moment they would stare at it, toss up their heads, and +devour this poor stuff. The poor brutes could be seen wasting away, +and this pained me more than anything. +</P> + +<P> +Then the thoughts of my wife and Grédel, and their uneasiness, what +they were doing, what was becoming of the mill and our village—what +the people would say when they knew that their mayor was gone, and then +the town, and Jacob—everything overwhelmed me, and made my heart sink +within me. +</P> + +<P> +But the worst of all, and what I shall never forget, was in the +neighborhood of Metz. +</P> + +<P> +For a fortnight or three weeks there had been no more fighting; the +city and Bazaine's army were surrounded by huge earthworks, which the +Prussians had armed with guns. We could see that afar off, following +the road on our right. We could see many places, too, where the soil +had been recently turned over; and George said they were pits, in which +hundreds of dead lay buried. A few burnt and bombarded villages, +farms, and castles in ruins, were also seen in the neighborhood. There +was no more fighting; but there was a talk of francs-tireurs, and the +Silesians looked uncomfortable. +</P> + +<P> +At last, on the tenth day since our departure, after having crossed and +recrossed the country in all directions, we arrived about three o'clock +at a large village on the Moselle, when the battalion came to a halt. +Several detachments from our battalion had filled up the gaps in other +battalions, so that there remained with us only the third part of the +men who had come from Droulingen. +</P> + +<P> +After the distribution of provender, seeing that the officers' horses +had been fed, and that they were putting their bridles on, I just went +and picked up a few handfuls of hay and straw which were lying on the +ground, to give to mine. I had collected a small bundle, when a +corporal on guard in the neighborhood, having noticed what I was doing, +came and seized me by the whiskers, shaking me, and striking me on the +face. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! you greedy old miser! Is that the way you feed your beasts?" +</P> + +<P> +I was beside myself with rage, and had already lifted my whip-handle to +send the rascal sprawling on the earth, when Cousin George precipitated +himself between us, crying: "Christian! what are you dreaming of?" +</P> + +<P> +He wrested the whip from me, and whilst I was quivering in every limb, +he began to excuse me to the dirty Prussian; saying that I had acted +hastily, that I had thought the hay was to be left, that it ought to be +considered that our horses too followed the battalion, etc. +</P> + +<P> +The fellow listened, drawn up like a gendarme, and said: "Well, then, I +will pass it over this time; but if he begins his tricks again, it will +be quite another thing." +</P> + +<P> +Then I went into the stable and stretched myself in the empty rack, my +hat drawn over my face, without stirring for a couple of hours. +</P> + +<P> +The battalion was going to march again. George was looking for me +everywhere. At last he found me. I rose, came out, and the sight of +all these soldiers dressed in line, with their rifles and their +helmets, made my blood run cold: I wished for death. +</P> + +<P> +George spoke not a word, and we moved forward; but from that moment I +had resolved upon flight, at any price, abandoning everything. +</P> + +<P> +The same evening, an extraordinary event happened; we received a little +straw! We lay in the open air, under our carts, because the village at +which we had just arrived was full of troops. I had only twelve sous +left, and George but twenty or thirty. He went to buy a little bread +and eau-de-vie in a public-house; we dipped our bread in it, and in +this way we were just able to sustain life. +</P> + +<P> +Every time the corporal passed, who had laid his hand upon me, my knife +moved of its own accord in my pocket, and I said to myself: "Shall an +Alsacian, an old Alsacian, endure this affront without revenge? Shall +it be said that Alsacians allow themselves to be knocked about by such +spawn as these fellows, whom we have thrashed a hundred times in days +gone by, and who used to run away from us like hares?" +</P> + +<P> +George, who could see by my countenance what I was thinking of, said: +"Christian! Listen to me. Don't get angry. Set down these blows to +the account of the Plébiscite, like the bonds for bread, flour, hay, +meat, and the rest. It was you who voted all that: the Germans are not +the causes! They are brute beasts, so used to have their faces +slapped, that they catch every opportunity to give others the like, +when there is no danger, and when they are ten to one. These slaps +don't produce the same effect on them as on us; they are felt only on +the surface, no farther! So comfort yourself; this monstrous beast +never thought he was inflicting any disgrace upon you: he took you for +one of his own sort." +</P> + +<P> +But, instead of pacifying me, George only made me the more indignant; +especially when he told me that the Germans, talking together, had told +how Queen Augusta of Prussia had just sent her own cook to the Emperor +Napoleon to cook nice little dishes for him, and her own band to play +agreeable music under his balcony! +</P> + +<P> +I had had enough! I lay under our cart, and all that night I had none +but bad dreams. +</P> + +<P> +We had always hoped that, on coming near a railway, the remains of the +battalion would get in, and that we should be sent home; unhappily our +men were intended to fill up gaps in other battalions: companies were +detached right and left, but there were always enough left to want our +conveyances, and to prevent us from setting off home. +</P> + +<P> +We had not had clean shirts for a fortnight; we had not once taken off +our shoes, knowing that we should have too much difficulty in getting +them on again; we had been wetted through with rain and dried by the +sun five and twenty times; we had suffered all the misery and +wretchedness of hunger, we were reduced to scarecrows by weariness and +suffering; but neither cousin nor I suffered from dysentery like those +Germans; the poorest nourishment still sustained us; but the bacon, the +fresh meat, the fruits, the raw vegetables, devoured by these creatures +without the least discretion, worked upon them dreadfully: no +experience could teach them wisdom; their natural voracity made them +devoid of all prudence. +</P> + +<P> +As a climax to our miseries, the officers of our battalion were talking +of marching on Paris. +</P> + +<P> +The Prussians knew a month beforehand that Bazaine would never come out +of his camp, and that he would finally surrender after he had consumed +all the provisions in Metz; they said this openly, and looked upon +Marshal Bazaine as our best general: they praised and exalted him for +his splendid campaign. The only fault they could find was, that he had +not shut himself up sooner; because then things would have been settled +much earlier. They complained, too, of our Emperor, and affirmed that +the best thing we could do would be to set him on his throne again. +</P> + +<P> +George and I heard these things repeated a hundred times at the inns +and public-houses where we halted. The French innkeepers made us sit +behind the stove, and for pity, passed us sometimes the leavings of the +soup; but for this, we should have perished of hunger. They asked us +in whispers what the Germans were saying, and when we repeated their +sayings, the poor people said to us: "Really, how fond the Prussians +are of us! Certainly they do owe some comfort to the men who have +surrendered! Every brave deed deserves to be rewarded." +</P> + +<P> +One of the Lorraine innkeepers said this to us; he was also the first +to tell us that Gambetta, having escaped from Paris in a balloon, was +now at Tours with Glais-Bizoin and several others, to raise a powerful +army behind the Loire. In these parts they got the Belgian papers, and +whenever we heard a bit of good news it screwed up our courage a little. +</P> + +<P> +Quantities of provisions and stores were passing: immense flocks of +sheep and herds of oxen, cases of sausages, barrels of bread, wine, and +flour; sometimes regiments also. The trains for the East were carrying +wounded in heaps, stretched one over another in the carriages upon +mattresses, their pale faces seeking fresh air and coolness at all the +windows. German doctors with the red cross upon their arms were +accompanying them, and in every village there were ambulances. +</P> + +<P> +The heavy rains and the first frosts had come. A thousand rumors were +afloat of great battles under the walls of Paris. The Prussians were +especially wroth with Gambetta: "that Gambetta! the bandit!" as they +called him, who was preventing them from having peace and bringing back +Napoleon. Never have I seen men so enraged with an enemy because he +would not surrender. The officers and soldiers talked of nothing else. +</P> + +<P> +"That Gambetta," said they, "is the cause of all our trouble. His +francs-tireurs deserve to be strung up. But for him, peace would be +made. We should already have got Alsace and Lorraine; and the Emperor +Napoleon, at the head of the army of Metz, would have been on his way +to restore order at Paris." +</P> + +<P> +At every convoy of wounded their indignation mounted higher. They +thought it perfectly natural and proper that <I>they</I> should set fire to +us, devastate our country, plunder and shoot us; but for us to defend +ourselves, was infamous! +</P> + +<P> +Is it possible to imagine a baser hypocrisy? For they did not think +what they were saying; they wanted to make us believe that our cause +was a bad one; yet how could there be a holier and a more glorious one? +</P> + +<P> +Of course every Frenchman, from the oldest to the youngest—and +principally the women—prayed for Gambetta's success, and more than +once tears of emotion dropped at the thought that, perhaps, he might +save us. Crowds of young men left the country to join him, and then +the Prussians burdened their parents with a war contribution of fifty +francs a day. They were ruining them; and yet this did not prevent +others from following in numerous bands. +</P> + +<P> +The Prussians threatened with the galleys whosoever should connive at +the flight, as they called it, of these volunteers, whether by giving +them money, or supplying them with guides, or by any other means. +Violence, cruelty, falsehood—all sorts of means seemed good to the +Germans to reduce us to submission; but arms were the least resorted to +of all these means, because they did not wish to lose men, and in +fighting they might have done so. +</P> + +<P> +We had stopped three days at the village of Jametz, in the direction of +Montmédy. It was in the latter part of October; the rain was pouring; +George and I had been received by an old Lorraine woman, tall and +spare, Mother Marie-Jeanne, whose son was serving in Metz. She had a +small cottage by the roadside, with a little loft above which you +reached by a ladder, and a small garden behind, entirely ravaged. A +few ropes of onions, a few peas and beans in a basket, were all her +provisions. She concealed nothing; and whenever a Prussian came in to +ask for anything she feigned deafness and answered nothing. Her +misery, her broken windows, her dilapidated walls and the little +cupboard left wide open, soon induced these greedy gluttons to go +somewhere else, supposing there was nothing for them there. +</P> + +<P> +This poor woman had observed our wretched plight; she had invited us +in, asking us where we were from, and we had told her of our +misfortunes. She herself had told us that there remained a few bundles +of hay in the loft and that we might take them, as she had no need for +them; the Germans having eaten her cow. +</P> + +<P> +We climbed up there to sleep by night and drew up the ladder after us, +listening to the rain plashing on the roof and running off the tiles. +</P> + +<P> +George had but ten sous left and I had nothing, when, on the third day, +as we were lying in the hayloft, about two in the morning, the bugle +sounded. Something had happened: an order had come—I don't know what. +</P> + +<P> +We listened attentively. There were hurrying footsteps; the butts of +the muskets were rattling on the pavement: they were assembling, +falling in, and in all directions were cries: +</P> + +<P> +"The drivers! the drivers! where are they?" +</P> + +<P> +The commander was swearing: he shouted furiously, +</P> + +<P> +"Fetch them here! find them! shoot the vagabonds." +</P> + +<P> +We did not stir a finger. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly the door burst open. The Prussians demanded in German and in +French: "Where are the drivers—those Alsacian drivers?" +</P> + +<P> +The aged dame answered not a word; she shook her head, and looked as +deaf as a post, just as usual. At last, out they rushed again. The +rascals had indeed seen the trap-door in the ceiling, but it seems they +were in a hurry and could not find a ladder without losing time. At +last, whether they saw it or not, presently we heard the tramping of +the men in the mud, the cracking of the whips, the rolling of the +carts, and then all was silent. +</P> + +<P> +The battalion had disappeared. +</P> + +<P> +Then only, after they had left half an hour, the kind old woman below +began to call us. "You can come down," she said; "they are gone now." +</P> + +<P> +And we came down. +</P> + +<P> +The poor woman said, laughing heartily, "Now you are safe! Only you +must lose no time; there might come an order to catch you. There, eat +that." +</P> + +<P> +She took out of the cupboard a large basin full of soup made of +beans—for she used to cook enough for three or four days at a +time—and warmed it over the fire. +</P> + +<P> +"Eat it all; never mind me! I have got more beans left." +</P> + +<P> +There was no need for pressing, and in a couple of minutes the basin +was empty. +</P> + +<P> +The good woman looked on with pleasure, and George said to her: "We +have not had such a meal for a week." +</P> + +<P> +"So much the better! I am glad to have done you any service! And now +go. I wish I could give you some money; but I have none." +</P> + +<P> +"You have saved our lives," I said. "God grant you may see your son +again. But I have another request to make before we go." +</P> + +<P> +"What is it, then?" +</P> + +<P> +"Leave to give you a kiss." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, gladly, my poor Alsacians, with all my heart! I am not pretty as +I used to be; but it is all the same." +</P> + +<P> +And we kissed her as we would a mother. +</P> + +<P> +When we went to the door, the daylight was breaking. +</P> + +<P> +"Before you lies the road to Dun-sur-Meuse," she said, "don't take +that; that is the road the Prussians have taken: no doubt the commander +has given a description of you in the next village. But here is the +road to Metz by Damvillers and Etain; follow that. If you are stopped +say that your horses were worked to death, and you were released." +</P> + +<P> +This poor old woman was full of good sense. We pressed her hand again, +with tears in our eyes, and then we set off, following the road she had +pointed out to us. +</P> + +<P> +I should be very much puzzled now to tell you all the villages we +passed between Jametz and Rothalp. All that country between Metz, +Montmédy and Verdun was swarming with cavalry and infantry, living at +the expense of the people, and keeping them, as it were, in a net, to +eat them as they were wanted. The troops of the line, and especially +the gunners, kept around the fortresses; the rest, the Landwehr in +masses, occupied even the smallest hamlets and made requisitions +everywhere. +</P> + +<P> +In one little village between Jametz and Damvillers, we heard on our +right a sharp rattle of musketry along a road, and George said to me: +"Behind there our battalion is engaged. All I hope is that the brave +commander who talked of shooting us may get a ball through him, and +your corporal too." +</P> + +<P> +The village people standing at their doors said, "It is the +francs-tireurs!" +</P> + +<P> +And joy broke out in every countenance, especially when an old man ran +up from the path by the cemetery, crying: "Two carriages, full of +wounded, are coming—two large Alsacian wagons; they are escorted by +hussars." +</P> + +<P> +We had just stopped at a grocer's shop in the market square, and were +asking the woman who kept this little shop if there was no watchmaker +in the place—for my cousin wished to sell his watch, which he had +hidden beneath his shirt, since we had left Droulingen—and the woman +was coming down the steps to point out the spot, when the old man began +to cry, "Here come the Alsacian carts!" +</P> + +<P> +Immediately, without waiting for more, we set off at a run to the other +end of the village; but near to a little river, whose name I cannot +remember, just over a clump of pollard willows, we caught the glitter +of a couple of helmets, and this made us take a path along the +river-side, which was then running over in consequence of the heavy +rains. We went on thus a considerable distance, having sometimes the +water up to our knees. +</P> + +<P> +In about half an hour we were getting out of these reed beds, and had +just caught sight, above the hill on our left, of the steeple of +another village, when a cry of "Wer da!"* stopped us short, near a +deserted hut two or three hundred paces from the first house. At the +same moment a Landwehr started out of the empty house, his rifle +pointed at us; and his finger on the trigger. +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* "Who goes there?" +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +George seeing no means of escape, answered, "Guter freund!"* +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* "A friend." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"Stand there," cried the German: "don't stir, or I fire." +</P> + +<P> +We were, of course, obliged to stop, and only ten minutes afterward, a +picket coming out of the village to relieve the sentinel, carried us +off like vagrants to the mayoralty-house. There the captain of the +Landwehr questioned us at great length as to who we were, whence we +came, the cause of our departure, and why we had no passes. +</P> + +<P> +We repeated that our horses were dead of overwork, and that we had been +told to return home; but he refused to believe us. At last, however, +as George was asking him for money to pursue our journey, he began to +exclaim: "To the —— with you, scoundrels! Am I to furnish you with +provisions and rations! Go; and mind you don't come this way again, or +it will be worse for you!" +</P> + +<P> +We went out very well satisfied. +</P> + +<P> +At the bottom of the stairs, George was thinking of going up again to +ask for a pass; but I was so alarmed lest this captain should change +his mind, that I obliged my cousin to put a good distance between that +fellow and ourselves with all possible speed; which we did, without any +other misadventure until we came to Etain. There George sold his gold +watch and chain for sixty-five francs; making, however, the watchmaker +promise that if he remitted to him seventy-five francs before the end +of the month, the watch and chain should be returned to him. +</P> + +<P> +The watchmaker promised, and cousin then taking me by the arm, said: +"Now, Christian, come on; we have fasted long enough, let us have a +banquet." +</P> + +<P> +And a hundred paces farther on, at the street corner, we went into one +of those little inns where YOU may have a bed for a few sous. +</P> + +<P> +The men there, in a little dark room, were not gentlemen; they were +taking their bottles of wine, with their caps over one ear, and shirt +collars loose and open; but seeing us at the door, ragged as we were, +with three-weeks' shirts, and beards and hats saturated and out of all +shape and discolored with rain and sun, they took us at first for +bear-leaders, or dromedary drivers. +</P> + +<P> +The hostess, a fat woman, came forward to ask what we wanted. +</P> + +<P> +"Your best strong soup, a good piece of beef, a bottle of good wine, +and as much bread as we can eat," said George. +</P> + +<P> +The fat woman gazed at us with winking eyes, and without moving, as if +to ask: "All very fine! but who is going to pay me?" +</P> + +<P> +George displayed a five-franc piece, and at once she replied, smiling: +"Gentlemen, we will attend to you immediately." +</P> + +<P> +Around us were murmurings: "They are Alsacians! they are Germans! they +are this, they are that!" +</P> + +<P> +But we heeded nothing, we spread our elbows upon the table; and the +soup having appeared in a huge basin, it was evident that our appetites +were good; as for the beef, a regular Prussian morsel, it was gone in a +twinkling, although it weighed two pounds, and was flanked with +potatoes and other vegetables. Then, the first bottle having +disappeared, George had called for a second; and our eyes were +beginning to be opened; we regarded the people in another light; and +one of the bystanders having ventured to repeat that we were Germans, +George turned sharply round and cried: "Who says we are Germans? Come +let us see! If he has any spirit, let him rise. We Germans!" +</P> + +<P> +Then he took up the bottle and shattered it upon the table in a +thousand fragments. I saw that he was losing his head, and cried to +him: "George, for Heaven's sake don't: you will get us taken up!" +</P> + +<P> +But all the spectators agreed with him. +</P> + +<P> +"It is abominable!" cried George. "Let the man who said we are Germans +stand out and speak; let him come out with me; let him choose sabre, or +sword, whatever he likes, it is all the same to me." +</P> + +<P> +The speaker thus called upon, a youth rose and said: "Pardon me, I +apologize; I thought——" +</P> + +<P> +"You had no right to think," said George; "such things never should be +said. We are Alsacians, true Frenchmen, men of mature age; my +companion's son is at Phalsbourg in the Mobiles, and I have served in +the Marines. We have been carried away, dragged off by the Germans; we +have lost our horses and our carriages, and now on arriving here, our +own fellow-countrymen insult us in this way because we have said a few +words in Alsacian, just as Bretons would speak in Breton and Provençals +in Provençal." +</P> + +<P> +"I ask your pardon," repeated the young man. "I was in the wrong—I +acknowledge it. You are good Frenchmen." +</P> + +<P> +"I forgive you," said George, scrutinizing him; "but how old are you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Eighteen." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, go where you ought to be, and show that you, too, are as good a +Frenchman as we are. There are no young men left in Alsace. You +understand my meaning." +</P> + +<P> +Everybody was listening. The young man went out, and as cousin was +asking for another bottle, the landlady whispered to him over his +shoulder: "You are good Frenchmen; but you have spoken before a great +many people—strangers, that I know nothing of. You had better go." +</P> + +<P> +Immediately, George recovered his senses; he laid a cent-sous piece on +the table, the woman gave him two francs fifty centimes change, and we +went out. +</P> + +<P> +Once out, George said to me: "Let us step out: anger makes a fool of a +man." +</P> + +<P> +And we set off down one little street, then up another, till we came +out into the open fields. Night was approaching; if we had been taken +again, it would have been a worse business than the first; and we knew +that so well, that that night and the next day we dared not even enter +the villages, for fear of being seized and brought back to our +battalion. +</P> + +<P> +At last, fatigue obliged us to enter an enclosure. It was very cold +for the season; but we had become accustomed to our wretchedness, and +we slept against a wall, upon a bit of straw matting, just as in our +own beds. Rising in the morning at the dawn of day, we found ourselves +covered with hoar-frost, and George, straining his eyes in the +distance, asked: "Do you know that place down there, Christian?" +</P> + +<P> +I looked. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, it is Château-Salins!" +</P> + +<P> +Ah! now all was well. At Château-Salins lived an old cousin, +Desjardins, the first dyer in the country: Desjardins's grandfather and +ours had married sisters before the Revolution. He was a Lutheran, and +even a Calvinist; we were Catholics; but nevertheless, we knew each +other, and were fond of each other, as very near relations. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER X +</H3> + +<P> +We arrived at the door of Jacques Desjardins about seven in the +morning; he had just got up, and was taking coffee with his wife and +his children. +</P> + +<P> +At the first sight of us, Desjardins stood with his mouth wide open, +and his wife and his children were preparing for flight, or to call for +help; but when I said: "Good-morning, cousin; it is we," Desjardins +cried: "Good heavens! it is Christian and George Weber! What has +happened?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, it is we, indeed, cousin," said George. "See what a condition +the Prussians have brought us to." +</P> + +<P> +"The Prussians! Ah, the brigands!" said Desjardins. "Lise, send to +the butcher for some chops—get some wine up. Ah! my poor cousins. I +think you must want to change your clothes, too." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said George; "and to shave." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, come then. While your breakfast is getting ready, you will +change your shirts and clothes. You will put on mine, until yours have +been washed. Good gracious! is it possible?" +</P> + +<P> +He took us into a beautiful room upstairs; he opened the linen drawers. +Cousin Lise was coming to fill our basins with clean warm water. +</P> + +<P> +"Put on my shoes and stockings, too," said Desjardins. "Here are my +razors. Make yourselves comfortable. Ah! those thieves and rogues of +Germans! Did they, indeed, treat you in that way—a mayor, and a +person of such respectability?" +</P> + +<P> +Then she left the room, and we began to throw off our clothes. The +sight of our stockings, our neckerchiefs, and our shirts, made this +kind old Father Desjardins groan; for he was one of the best of men. +He could hardly believe his eyes, and said: "My poor cousins! you have +had a dreadful bad time." +</P> + +<P> +Our first business was to get a good wash. The nice, clean white +shirts were already spread open upon the bed; and I cannot tell you +what pleasure I experienced in feeling this nice fresh linen next to my +skin. +</P> + +<P> +After this I shaved, while George was recounting our misfortunes to our +cousin, who interrupted him at every moment, crying: "What! what! Did +the barbarous creatures carry their cruelty to such a point? Then they +are bandits indeed! Never has the like been seen!" +</P> + +<P> +I wiped myself dry and comfortable, even to behind the ears, and passed +the razor to George. Our Cousin Desjardins lent me a pair of +stockings, trousers, a blouse, and nice dry shoes. We were about the +same height, and never had I been more comfortable in my life. +</P> + +<P> +Then George dressed; and just as we were finishing, the servant came +tapping at the door, to announce breakfast; and we came down full of +grateful feelings. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin Lise and the children were waiting to embrace us; for they did +not dare come near us before, and now they were anxious to excuse +themselves for having received us so badly. But it was natural enough, +and we did not feel hurt. +</P> + +<P> +I need not tell you with what appetites we breakfasted. George began +again the story of our misfortunes for Cousin Lise and the children, +who were listening with eyes wide open with amazement, and cried: "Is +it really possible? How much you must have suffered, and how happy you +must be now you are safe!" +</P> + +<P> +When we had finished she told us that all this was the doing of the +Jesuits; that those people had sent abroad evil reports of the +Protestants, and that now, the Prussians having proved victorious, they +were preaching against Gambetta and Garibaldi. She told us that it was +those people who had excited the Emperor to declare war, supposing that +their Society would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by it; +that if the French should conquer, they would crush the Lutherans; and +that if the French lost, Chambord would be set up again, to restore to +the Pope the ancient patrimony of St. Peter. +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke Cousin Lise, an elderly woman with hair turning gray, and +who took a pleasure in discussing these subjects. +</P> + +<P> +But George, after emptying his glass, answered that the true cause of +all our misfortunes was the army; that that army was not the army of +the nation, but of the Emperor, who bestowed rank, honors, pensions, +and grants of money; that the interests of such an army is ever opposed +to that of the country and the people, because the army wants war, to +get promotion; but the people want peace, to work, bring up their +children, and gain a livelihood. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin Desjardins agreed with him; and when coffee was brought, Lise +and her children went out. Pipes were lighted, and our cousin told us +the latest news. +</P> + +<P> +Desjardins had many books, like most of the Protestants, and received +newspapers from all quarters; first of all, the <I>Indépendance Belge</I>, +then papers from Cologne, Frankfort, Berne in Switzerland, Geneva, and +elsewhere. At his age—having a son fifty years old—he did not +trouble himself much now about dyeing or business, and spent his time +in reading. +</P> + +<P> +He was therefore a better-informed man than we were, and one in whom we +could place full confidence. It was from him that we heard of the +splendid defence of Chateaudun, the landing of Garibaldi at Marseilles, +and his appointment as General of the Army of the Vosges, the march of +the Bavarians under Von der Tann upon the Loire, and the arrival of the +francs-tireurs in our mountains, in the direction of Epinal and +Raon-l'Etape. He read to us that fine proclamation of Gambetta to the +French people, setting forth the high purpose of the inhabitants of +Paris, their inexhaustible means of defence, the organization of the +citizens as National Guards, the union and harmony of all in this +moment of difficulty, and the victualling of the city for several +months, which would raise the spirit of the provinces and give them +courage to follow so noble an example. +</P> + +<P> +I still remember this passage, which stirred me like a trumpet: +</P> + +<P> +"Citizens of the departments, this position of affairs imposes +important duties upon you. The first of all is to allow no other +occupation whatever to divert your attention from the war—from a +struggle to the very last extremity; the second is, until peace shall +be made, loyally to accept the Republican power, which has sprung +equally from necessity and from right principle. You must have but one +thought: to rescue France from the abyss into which it has been plunged +by the Empire. There is no want of men: all that is wanting is +determination, decision, and continuity in the execution of plans; what +we have lost by the disgraceful capitulation of Sedan is arms. The +whole of the resources of our nation had been directed upon Sedan, +Metz, and Strasbourg; and we might justly conclude that by one final +and guilty plot, the author of all our disasters had schemed, in +falling, to deprive us of all means of repairing the ruin he had +caused!" +</P> + +<P> +"He is quite capable," cried George. "Yes, I am sure the <I>honest man</I> +contrived to leave himself a back door into Prussia." +</P> + +<P> +Cousin Desjardins continued: "At this moment, thanks to the +extraordinary exertions of patriotic men, arrangements have been +concluded, the end and object of which is to draw to ourselves all the +disposable muskets in all the markets of the globe. The difficulty of +effecting this negotiation was very serious: it is now overcome. With +regard to equipments and clothing, manufactories and workshops will be +multiplied, and materials laid under requisition wherever needed; +neither hands nor zeal on the part of workers are wanting, nor will +money be lacking. All our immense resources must be called into play, +the lethargy of the rural districts shaken into activity, partisan +warfare spread in all directions. Let us, therefore, rise as one man, +and suffer death rather than submit to the disgrace of a partition of +our country." +</P> + +<P> +The enthusiasm of George rose with every sentence. +</P> + +<P> +"Good! good!" cried he, "this is speaking to some purpose. Once give +the impulse, and the object will soon be gained. Our youths will take +up arms <I>en masse</I>. One victory, only one, and all France would rise; +we should fall like hail on the backs of the scoundrels; they would be +looked out for at every corner in the woods: not a man would live to +get back again!" +</P> + +<P> +Cousin Desjardins, having folded up his papers, said nothing; I, too, +was full of my own thoughts. +</P> + +<P> +"And you, cousin," said I, "have you any confidence?" +</P> + +<P> +And only after a minute's silence, and having taken a good pinch of +snuff, to waken up his ideas—for he took snuff, like all the old +folks, but did not smoke; after a minute he said: "No, Christian, I +have no hope; but it is not the Germans that I fear: they have taken +Strasbourg; after a time they will have Metz by starvation—that is +already settled. They are besieging Verdun; Soissons has just fallen +into their hands; they have invested Paris; they are advancing upon +Orleans. Well, in spite of all this, it is not the Germans that I +fear." +</P> + +<P> +"Who then?" asked George. +</P> + +<P> +Without noticing the question, he continued: "France is so strong, so +brave, so rich, so intelligent, that in a few months she could have +flung these barbarians across the Rhine again; but what alarms me, is +the enemies in our midst." +</P> + +<P> +"Nobody is moving," said I. +</P> + +<P> +"It is just because no one is moving that the Germans are on the +Loire," said he, fixing his clear, gray eyes upon me. "If the question +was to restore Chambord, Ferdinand Philippe, or even Bonaparte IV., you +would see all the old councillors-general, all the councillors of the +arrondissements, all the old préfets, sous-préfets, magistrates, police +inspectors, receivers of taxes, comptrollers, <I>gardes généraux</I>, +mayors, and deputy mayors in the field. No matter which of the three, +for the principal object is to have a Monsieur who has crosses, +promotions, pensions, and perquisites to give: whichever of the lot, it +is all the same to them; they only want just one such man! These +people would move heaven and earth for their man: they would put the +peasants into lines by thousands, they would sing the Marseillaise, +they would shout the 'country is in danger!' And the bishops, the +priests, the curés, the vicars, would preach the holy war; France would +drive the Prussians to the farthest corner of Prussia; arms, munitions +of war, stores would be found for every day! But as it is a Republic, +and as the Republic demands the separation of Church and State, free +education, compulsory military service; as it declares that all must +contribute to the public good, that a rich fool is not a better man +than a poor but able man; and because, on this principle, merit would +be everything, and intrigues and knavery go to the wall, they had +rather see France dismembered than consent to a Republic! What would +become of the good places of the senators, the peers of France, +prefects, chamberlains, squires, receivers-general, stewards, marshals, +influential deputies, and bishops under a Republic? They would all be +put into one basket: and they don't want that. They would rather the +King of Prussia than the Republic, if the King of Prussia would only +engage to keep all the good places for them. Yes, in their eyes <I>la +patrie</I> means lucrative places and pensions. It is not the first time +that the Germans have been relied upon to restore order in France. +Marie Antoinette had already ceded Alsace to Austria, to have her +antechambers filled again with smooth-faced, obsequious old servitors. +Passing events bring back those times again. Formerly the hunters +after pensions, the egotists who wanted to snap up everything and leave +nothing for the people, were called <I>nobles</I>; now it is the <I>bourgeois</I> +trained by the Jesuits. But at that time the chiefs of the Republic +were resolved upon the triumph of justice. They did not leave the +functionaries and the generals of Louis XVI. at the head of the +administrations and of the armies. These great patriots had +common-sense. They established Republican municipalities in every +commune; they gave the command of our armies to Republican generals; +they restrained the reactionnaires; and having cleared our territory of +Germans, they judged those who had called them in; and France was saved. +</P> + +<P> +"The same thing would happen to-day, in spite of all the preparations +of Germany, in spite of the treason of Bonaparte, who, seeing his +dynasty sacrificed by his own incapacity, gave up our last army at +Sedan to stay the victory of the Republic. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, notwithstanding the egotism of this unhappy man, we might yet +beat the Germans, if the Royalists were not at the head of our affairs; +but they are everywhere. In Paris, they command the National Guard and +the army; in the provinces, they are forming those famous +councils-general, whence have been drawn the juries to acquit Pierre +Bonaparte, and who would without shame sentence Gambetta to death if +they were assembled to try him. Instead of helping this brave man, +this good patriot, to save France, they will obstruct him; they will +run sticks between the spokes of his wheels; they will hinder him from +getting the necessary levies; they will clamp the enthusiasm of the +people. See what all these German papers say: they cannot sufficiently +abuse Gambetta, who is defending his country, nor sufficiently flatter +the councils-general named under the Empire." +</P> + +<P> +"But, then," said George, "must we surrender?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," replied Desjardins. "Although we are sure of being vanquished, +we must show that we are still the old race: that its roots are not +dead, and that the tree will sprout again. If we had reeled and fallen +under the blow of Sedan, the contempt of Europe and of the whole world +would have covered us forever. The nation has risen since. It seems +incredible. Without armies, or guns, or muskets, or victuals, or +military stores, betrayed, surprised, overrun in all directions, this +nation has risen again! It defends itself! One brave man has been +found sufficient to raise its courage. What other nation would have +done as much? I am, therefore, of opinion that the struggle must be +maintained to the end, that the Germans may be made, as it were, +ashamed of their victory. They have been fifty years preparing; they +have hidden themselves from us, to spy upon us in time of peace; they +have dissembled their hatred; they have brought their whole power to +bear upon us; they have studied the question under every aspect; they +threw against us, at the opening of the campaign, 600,000 men against +220,000; they are going to attack our raw conscripts with their best +troops; they will be five and six against one; they will call Russia to +their help if they want it; and then they will proclaim, 'We are the +conquerors!' They will not be ashamed to say, 'We have vanquished +France. Now it is we who are <I>La Grande Nation</I>!'" +</P> + +<P> +"All that," said George, "is possible. But in the meantime, we may win +a battle; and, if we gain a victory, things will be different. We +shall gain fresh courage, and the Landwehr who are sent against +us—almost all fathers of families—will ask no better than to return +home." +</P> + +<P> +"The Landwehr have not a word to say," replied Desjardins: "they are +not consulted; those fellows march where they are ordered; they have +long been subject to military discipline. It is a machine: nothing but +a machine; but a machine of crushing weight." +</P> + +<P> +Then Cousin Desjardins told us that, having travelled long in Germany +before and after 1848, on business, he had seen how these people +detested us: that they envied us; that we were an offence to them; that +hatred of the French was taught in their schools; that they thought +themselves our superiors, on account of their religion, which is simple +and natural; while ours, with all its ceremonies, its Latin chants, its +tapers and its tinsel, induced them to look upon us as an inferior +race, like the negroes, who are only fond of red, and hang rings in +their noses; that, especially, they deemed their women more virtuous +and more worthy of respect than ours: this they attribute also to their +superior religion, which keeps them at home, while ours pass their time +in all sorts of ceremonies, and neglect their first duties. +</P> + +<P> +Desjardins had even had a serious dispute upon this subject with a +school-master, being unable to hear an open avowal of such an opinion +of Frenchwomen; amongst whom we number Jeanne d'Arc and other heroines, +whose grandeur of character German women are unable to comprehend. +</P> + +<P> +He told us that, from this point of view, the Germans, and especially +the Prussians, considered us Alsacians and Lorrainers as exiles from +fatherland, and unfortunate in being under the dominion of a debased +race kept in ignorance by the priests. +</P> + +<P> +George, on hearing this, became furious, and cried that we had more +intelligence and more sense than all the Germans put together. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I believe so, too," replied Cousin Desjardins; "only we ought to +use it; we ought to set up schools everywhere; the lowest Frenchman +should be able to read and write our own language; and this is exactly +what the lovers of good places don't wish for. If the people had been +educated, we should have known what was going on upon the other side of +the Rhine; we should have had national armies, able generals, a +watchful commissariat, a sound organization, enlightened and +conscientious deputies; we should have had all that we are now wanting; +we should not have placed the power of making war or peace in the hands +of an imbecile; we should not have stupidly attacked the Germans, and +the Germans, seeing us ready to receive them, would have been careful +not to attack us. All our defeats, all our divisions, our internal +troubles, our revolutions, our battles and massacres in the streets; +the transportations, the hatred between classes—all this comes of +ignorance; and this abominable ignorance is the doing of the selfish +statesmen who have governed us for seventy years. Good sense, justice, +and patriotism would lead them to inform the people; they preferred an +alliance with the Jesuits to degrade the people; can any treason be +worse?" +</P> + +<P> +George, who had long entertained the same view, had nothing to add; but +he still argued that we might gain a victory, and that then we should +be saved. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin Desjardins shook his head, saying: "Our forces are of too +inferior a quality; Gambetta will never have time to organize them; and +if the traitors thought that he would, they would deliver up Metz at +once, in order that the second German army, Prince Frederick Charles's, +might reach the Loire in time to prevent our army from raising the +siege of Paris: for then, I think, the country might be saved. But +this will not come to pass. When I saw generals coming out of Metz to +go and consult the Empress in England, I knew that our cause was lost. +And then the forces of King William are immense. Those 300,000 +Russians who, as the papers tell us, are ready to march upon +Constantinople, are only waiting the nod of the King of Prussia to +start by the railways and come to overwhelm us, if the Germans don't +think themselves numerous enough to vanquish us with 1,200,000 men. +The decisive opinion of Europe is that there shall be no republic in +France—no, not at any price; for, if the republic was established +here, every monarchy would be shaken; the nations would all follow our +example, and there would be an end of war; we should have a European +confederation; kings, emperors, princes, courtiers, and professional +soldiers might all be bowed off the stage. Only commerce, industry, +science and arts would be thought of; to be anything, a man would have +to know something. The talent of drawing up men in line to be mown +down by cannon and mitrailleuses, would be relegated to the rear ranks; +and a hundred years hence, men would hardly believe that such things +have ever been; it would be too stupid." +</P> + +<P> +Desjardins then told us how, in 1830, travelling about Solingen to buy +dye-stuffs, he had noticed that the Prussians thought of nothing but +war. From that very time they exhausted themselves to keep on foot, +and ready to march, an army of 400,000 disciplined men. Since then, +after their fusion with the forces of North Germany, Bavaria, +Wurtemberg, and Baden, the total would amount to more than a million of +men, without reckoning the landsturm: composed, it is true, of men in +years, but who have all served, and can handle a rifle, load a gun, and +ride well. +</P> + +<P> +"Here, then, is what Monsieur Bonaparte has brought upon our shoulders +without necessity," said he; "and it is against such a power that +Gambetta is undertaking to organize in haste the youth that are left, +and of whom the greater part have never served. I confess my hopes are +small. God grant that I may be mistaken; but I fear that Alsace and +Lorraine are for the time ingulfed in Germany. The war will continue +for a time; treachery will go on working; and, finally, after all our +sufferings, messieurs the sometime Ministers and councillors-general, +the former préfets and sous-préfets, the old functionaries of every +grade, in a word, all the egotists will be on the look-out, and will +say: 'Let us make an arrangement with Bismarck. Let us make peace at +the expense of Alsace and Lorraine; and let us name a king who shall +find us first-rate places; France will still be rich enough to find us +salaries and pensions.'" +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke Cousin Desjardins; and George, growing more and more angry, +striking the table with his fist, said, "What I cannot understand is +that the English desert us, and that they should allow the Prussians to +extend their territory as they like." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah," said Desjardins, smiling, "the English are not what they once +were. They have become too rich; they cling to their comforts. Their +great statesmen are no longer Pitts and Chathams, who looked to the +future greatness of their nation and took measures to secure it: +provided only that business prospers from day to day, future +generations and the greatness of Britain give them no concern." +</P> + +<P> +"Just so," said George. "If you had sailed, as I have done, in the +North Sea and the Baltic, if you had seen what an enormous maritime +power North Germany may possibly become in a few years, with her +hundred and sixty leagues of seacoast, her harbors of Dantzig, Stettin, +Hamburg, and Bremen, whither the finest rivers bring all the best +products of Central Europe, all kinds of raw material, not only from +Germany and Poland, but also from Russia; if you had seen that +population of sailors, of traders, which increases daily, you would be +unable to understand the indifference of the English. Have they lost +the use of their eyes? Has the love of Protestantism and comfort +deprived them of all discernment? I cannot tell; but they must see +that if King William and Bismarck want Alsace and Lorraine, it is not +exactly for the love of us Alsacians and Lorrainers, but to hold the +course of the Rhine from its source in the German cantons of +Switzerland down to its outfall at Rotterdam; and that in holding this +great river they will control all the commerce of our industrial +provinces and be able to feed the Dutch colonies with their produce, +which will make them the first maritime power on the Continent; and +that, to carry out their purpose without being molested—whilst the +Russians are attacking Constantinople, they will install themselves +quietly in the Dutch ports, as they did in the case of Hanover, and +will offer us Belgium, and perhaps even something more! All this is +evident." +</P> + +<P> +"No doubt, cousin," said Desjardins. "I also believe that every fault +brings its own punishment: the English will suffer for their faults, as +we are doing for ours; and the Germans, after having terrified the +world with their ambition, will one day be made to rue their cruelty, +their hypocrisy, and their robberies. God is just! But in the +meantime, until that day shall arrive, we are confiscated, and all our +observations are useless." +</P> + +<P> +And so the conversation went on: I cannot remember it entirely, but I +have given you the substance of it. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap11"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XI +</H3> + +<P> +We remained with Cousin Desjardins all that day. Cousin Lise had our +shirts washed, our clothes cleaned, and our shoes dried before the +fire, after having first filled them with hot embers; and the next day +we took our leave of these excellent people, thanking them from the +bottom of our hearts. +</P> + +<P> +We were very impatient to see our native place again, of which we had +had no news for a month; and especially our poor wives, who must have +supposed us lost. +</P> + +<P> +The weather was damp; there were forebodings of a hard winter. +</P> + +<P> +At Dieuze the rumor reached us that Bazaine had just surrendered Metz, +with all his army, his flags, his guns, rifles, stores, and wounded, +unconditionally! +</P> + +<P> +The Prussian officers were drinking champagne at the inn where we +halted. They were laughing! George was pale; I felt an oppression on +my heart. +</P> + +<P> +Some people who were there, carriers—German Jews, who followed their +armies with carts, to load them with the clocks, the pots and pans, the +linen, the furniture, and everything which the officers and soldiers +sold them after having pillaged them in our houses—told us how horses +were given away round Metz for nothing; that Arab horses were sold for +a hundred sous, but that nobody would have them, horses' provender +selling at an exorbitant price; that these poor beasts were eating one +another—they devoured each other's hair to the quick, and even gnawed +the bark off trees to which they were tied; that our captive soldiers +dropped down with hunger in the ditches by the roadside, and then the +Prussians abused them for drunkards. We heard, also, that the +inhabitants of Metz, on hearing the terms of capitulation, had meant to +rise and put Bazaine to death, but that all through the siege three +mitrailleuses had been placed in front of his head-quarters, and that +he had escaped the day before this shameful capitulation was to take +place. +</P> + +<P> +All this appeared to us almost impossible. Metz surrender +unconditionally! Metz, the strongest town in France, defended by an +army of a hundred thousand well-seasoned troops: the last army left to +us after Sedan! +</P> + +<P> +But it was true, nevertheless! +</P> + +<P> +And in spite of all that can be said of the ignorance and the folly of +the chiefs, to account for this terrible disaster, I cannot but believe +that our <I>honest man</I> gave his orders to the very last; that Bazaine +obeyed, and that they did everything together. Besides, Bazaine went +to join him immediately at Wilhelmshöhe, where the cuisine was so +excellent; there they reposed after their toils, until the opportunity +should return of recommencing a campaign after the fashion of the 2d of +December, in which men were entrapped by night in their beds, while +they were relying upon <I>the honest man's</I> oath; or in the style of the +Mexican war, where he ran away, deserting the men he had sworn to +defend! In this sort of campaign, and if the people continue to have +confidence in such men, as many assert will happen, they may begin +again some fine morning, and once more get hold of the keys of the +treasury; they will once more distribute crosses, and salaries, and +pensions to their friends and acquaintances; and in a few years +Bismarck will discover that the Germans possess claims upon Champagne +and Burgundy. +</P> + +<P> +Well, everything is possible; we have seen such strange things these +last twenty years. +</P> + +<P> +At Fénétrange, through which we passed about two o'clock, nothing was +known. +</P> + +<P> +At six in the evening we arrived upon the plateau of Metting, near the +farm called Donat, and saw in the dim distance, two leagues from us, +Phalsbourg, without its ramparts, and its demilunes; its church and its +streets in ashes! The Germans were hidden by the undulations of the +surrounding country, their cannon were on the hill-sides, and sentinels +were posted behind the quarries. +</P> + +<P> +There was deep silence: not a shot was heard: it was the blockade! +Famine was doing quietly what the bombardment had been unable to effect. +</P> + +<P> +Then, with heads bowed down, we passed through the little wood on our +left, full of dead leaves, and we saw our little village of Rothalp, +three hundred paces behind the orchards and the fields; it looked dead +too: ruin had passed over it—the requisitions had utterly exhausted +it; winter, with its snow and ice, was waiting at every door. +</P> + +<P> +The mill was working; which astonished me. +</P> + +<P> +George and I, without speaking, clasped each other's hands; then he +strode toward his house, and I passed rapidly to mine, with a full +heart. +</P> + +<P> +Prussian soldiers were unloading a wagon-load of corn under my shed; +fear laid hold of me, and I thought, "Have the wretches driven away my +wife and daughter?" +</P> + +<P> +Happily Catherine appeared at the door directly; she had seen me +coming, and extended her arms, crying, "Is it you, Christian? Oh! what +we have suffered!" +</P> + +<P> +She hung upon my neck, crying and sobbing. Then came Grédel; we all +clung together, crying like children. +</P> + +<P> +The Prussians, ten paces off, stared at us. A few neighbors were +crying, "Here is the old mayor come back again!" +</P> + +<P> +At last we entered our little room. I sat facing the bed, gazing at +the old bed-curtains, the branch of box-tree at the end of the alcove, +the old walls, the old beams across the ceiling, the little +window-panes, and my good wife and my wayward daughter, whom I love. +Everything seemed to me so nice. I said to myself, "We are not all +dead yet. Ah! if now I could but see Jacob, I should be quite happy." +</P> + +<P> +My wife, with her face buried in her apron between her knees, never +ceased sobbing, and Grédel, standing in the middle of the room, was +looking upon us. At last she asked me: "And the horses, and the carts, +where are they?" +</P> + +<P> +"Down there, somewhere near Montmédy." +</P> + +<P> +"And Cousin George?" +</P> + +<P> +"He is with Marie Anne. We have had to abandon everything—we escaped +together—we were so wretched! The Germans would have let us die with +hunger." +</P> + +<P> +"What! have they ill-used you, father?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, they have beaten me." +</P> + +<P> +"Beaten you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, they tore my beard—they struck me in the face." +</P> + +<P> +Grédel, hearing this, went almost beside herself; she threw a window +open, and shaking her fist at the Germans outside, she screamed to +them, "Ah, you brigands! You have beaten my father—the best of men!" +</P> + +<P> +Then she burst into tears, and came up to kiss me, saying, "They shall +be paid out for all that!" I felt moved. +</P> + +<P> +My wife, having become calmer, began to tell me all they had suffered: +their grief at receiving no news of us since the third day after the +passage of the pedler; then the appointment of Placiard in my place, +and the load of requisitions he had laid upon us, saying that I was a +Jacobin. +</P> + +<P> +He associated with none but Germans now; he received them in his house, +shook hands with them, invited them to dinner, and spoke nothing but +Prussian German. He was now just as good a servant of King William as +he had been of the Empire. Instead of writing letters to Paris to get +stamp-offices and tobacco-excise-offices, he now wrote to +Bismarck-Bohlen, and already the good man had received large promises +of advancement for his sons, and son-in-law. He himself was to be made +superintendent of something or other, at a good salary. +</P> + +<P> +I listened without surprise; I was sure of this beforehand. +</P> + +<P> +One thing gave me great pleasure, which was to see the mill-dam full of +water: so the chest was still at the bottom. And Grédel having left +the room to get supper, that was the first thing I asked Catherine. +</P> + +<P> +She answered that nothing had been disturbed: that the water had never +sunk an inch. Then I felt easy in my mind, and thanked God for having +saved us from utter ruin. +</P> + +<P> +The Germans had been making their own bread for the last fortnight; +they used to come and grind at my mill, without paying a liard. How to +get through our trouble seemed impossible to find out. There was +nothing left to eat. Happily the Landwehr had quickly become used to +our white bread, and, to get it, they willingly gave up a portion of +their enormous rations of meat. They would also exchange fat sheep for +chickens and geese, being tired of always eating joints of mutton, and +Catherine had driven many a good bargain with them. We had, indeed, +one cow left in the Krapenfelz, but we had to carry her fodder every +day among these rocks, to milk her, and come back laden. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel, ever bolder and bolder, went herself. She kept a hatchet under +her arm, and she told me smiling that one of those drunken Germans +having insulted her, and threatened to follow her into the wood, she +had felled him with one blow of her hatchet, and rolled his body into +the stream. +</P> + +<P> +Nothing frightened her: the Landwehr who lodged with us—big, bearded +men—dreaded her like fire; she ordered them about as if they were her +servants: "Do this! do that! Grease me those shoes, but don't eat the +grease, like your fellows at Metting; if you do, it will be the worse +for you! Go fetch water! You sha'n't go into the store-room straight +out of the stable! your smell is already bad enough without horse-dung! +You are every one of you as dirty as beggars, and yet there is no want +of water: go and wash at the pump." +</P> + +<P> +And they obediently went. +</P> + +<P> +She had forbidden them to go upstairs, telling them, "<I>I</I> live up +there! that's my room. The first man who dares put his foot there, I +will split his head open with my hatchet." +</P> + +<P> +And not a man dared disobey. +</P> + +<P> +Those people, from the time they had set over us their governor +Bismarck-Bohlen, had no doubt received orders to be careful with us, to +treat us kindly, to promise us indemnities. Captain Floegel went on +drinking from morning till night, from night till morning; but instead +of calling us rascals, wretches! he called us "his good Germans, his +dear Alsacian and Lorraine brothers," promising us all the prosperity +in the world, as soon as we should have the happiness of living under +the old laws of Fatherland. +</P> + +<P> +They were already talking of dismissing all French school-masters, and +then we began to see the abominable carelessness of our government in +the matter of public education. Half of our unhappy peasants did not +know a word of French: for two hundred years they had been left +grovelling in ignorance! +</P> + +<P> +Now the Germans have laid hands upon us, and are telling them that the +French are enemies of their race; that they have kept them in bondage +to get all they could out of them, to live at their cost, and to use +their bodies for their own protection in time of danger. Who can say +it is not so? Are not all appearances against us? And if the Germans +bestow on the peasants the education which all our governments have +denied them, will not these people have reason to attach themselves to +their new country? +</P> + +<P> +The Germans having altered their bearing toward us, and seeking to win +us over, lodged in our houses. They were Landwehr, who thought only of +their wives and children, wishing for the end of the war, and much +fearing the appearance of the francs-tireurs. +</P> + +<P> +The arrival of Garibaldi in the Vosges with his two sons was announced, +and often George, pointing from his door at the summit of the Donon and +the Schneeberg, already white with snow, would say: "There is fighting +going on down there! Ah, Christian, if we were young again, what a +fine blow we might deliver in our mountain passes!" +</P> + +<P> +Our greatest sorrow was to know that famine was prevailing in the town, +as well as small-pox. More than three hundred sick, out of fifteen +hundred inhabitants, were filling the College, where the hospital had +been established. There was no salt, no tobacco, no meat. The flags +of truce which were continually coming and going on the road to +Lützelbourg, reported that the place could not hold out any longer. +</P> + +<P> +There had been a talk of bringing heavy guns from Strasbourg and from +Metz, after the surrender of these two places; but I remember that the +<I>Hauptmann</I> who was lodging with the curé, M. Daniel, declared that it +was not worth while; that a fresh bombardment would cost his Majesty +King William at least three millions; and that the best way was to let +these people die their noble death quietly, like a lamp going out for +want of oil. With these words the <I>Hauptmann</I> put on airs of humanity, +continually repeating that we ought to save human life, and economize +ammunition. +</P> + +<P> +And what had become of Jacob in the midst of this misery? And Jean +Baptiste Werner? I am obliged to mention him too, for God knows what +madness was possessing Grédel at the thought that he might be suffering +hunger: she was no longer human; she was a mad creature without control +over herself, and she often made me wonder at the meek patience of the +Landwehr. When one or another wanted to ask her for anything, she +would show them the door, crying: "Go out; this is not your place!" +</P> + +<P> +She even openly wished them all to be massacred; and then she would say +to them, in mockery: "Go, then! attack the town! ... go and storm the +place! ... You don't dare! ... You are afraid for your skin! You had +rather starve people, bombard women and children, burn the houses of +poor creatures, hiding yourselves behind your heaps of clay! You must +be cowards to set to work that way. If ours were out, and you were in, +they would have been a dozen times upon the walls: but you are afraid +of getting your ribs stove in! You are prudent men!" +</P> + +<P> +And they, seated at our door, with their heads hanging down, spoke not +a word, but went on smoking, as if they did not hear. +</P> + +<P> +Yet one day these peaceable men showed a considerable amount of +indignation, not against Grédel or us, but against their own generals. +</P> + +<P> +It was some time after the capture of Metz. The cold weather had set +in. Our Landwehr returning from mounting guard were squeezed around +the stove, and outside lay the first fall of snow. And as they were +sitting thus, thinking of nothing but eating and drinking, the bugle +blew outside a long blast and a loud one, the echoes of which died far +away in the distant mountains. +</P> + +<P> +An order had arrived to buckle on their knapsacks, shoulder their +rifles, and march for Orleans at once. +</P> + +<P> +You should have seen the long, dismal faces of these fellows. You +should have heard them protesting that they were Landwehr, and could +not be made to leave German provinces. I believe that if there had +been at that moment a sortie of fifty men from Phalsbourg, they would +have given themselves up prisoners, every one, to remain where they +were. +</P> + +<P> +But Captain Floegel, with his red nose and his harsh voice, had come to +give the word of command, "Fall in!" +</P> + +<P> +They had to obey. So there they stood in line before our mill, three +or four hundred of them, and were then obliged to march up the hill to +Mittelbronn, whilst the villagers, from their windows, were crying, "A +good riddance!" +</P> + +<P> +It was supposed, too, that the blockade of Phalsbourg would be raised, +and everybody was preparing baskets, bags, and all things needful to +carry victuals to our poor lads. Grédel, who was most unceremonious, +had her own private basket to carry. It was quite a grand removal. +</P> + +<P> +But where did this order to march come from? What was the meaning of +it all? +</P> + +<P> +I was standing at our door, meditating upon this, when Cousin Marie +Anne came up, whispering to me, "We have won a great battle: all the +men at Metz are running to the Loire." +</P> + +<P> +"How do you know that, cousin?" +</P> + +<P> +"From an Englishman who came to our house last night." +</P> + +<P> +"And where has this battle taken place?" +</P> + +<P> +"Wait a moment," said she. "At Coulmiers, near Orleans. The Germans +are in full retreat; their officers are taking refuge in the +mayoralty-office with their men, to escape being slaughtered." +</P> + +<P> +I asked no more questions, and I ran to Cousin George's, very curious +to see this Englishman and hear what he might have to tell us. +</P> + +<P> +As I went in, my cousin was seated at the table with this foreigner. +They had just breakfasted, and they seemed very jolly together. Marie +Anne followed me. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is my cousin, the former mayor of this village," said George, +seeing me open the door. +</P> + +<P> +Immediately the Englishman turned round. He was a young man of about +five and thirty, tall and thin, with a hooked nose, hazel eyes full of +animation, clean shaved, and buttoned up close in a long gray surtout. +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, very good!" said he, speaking a little nasally, and with his teeth +close, as is the habit of his countrymen. "Monsieur was mayor?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, sir." +</P> + +<P> +"And you refused to post the proclamations of the Governor, +Bismarck-Bohlen?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, sir." +</P> + +<P> +"Very good—very good." +</P> + +<P> +I sat down, and, without any preamble, this Englishman ran on with +eight or ten questions: upon the requisitions, the pillaging, the +number of carriages and horses carried away into the interior; how many +had come back since the invasion; how many were still left in France; +what we thought of the Germans; if there was any chance of our agreeing +together: had we rather remain French, or become neutral, like the +Swiss. +</P> + +<P> +He had all these questions in his head, and I went on answering, +without reflecting that it was a very strange thing to interrogate +people in this way. +</P> + +<P> +George was laughing, and, when it was over, he said, "Now, my lord, you +may go on with your article." +</P> + +<P> +The Englishman smiled, and said, "Yes, that will do! I believe you +have spoken the truth." +</P> + +<P> +We drank a glass of wine together, which George had found somewhere. +</P> + +<P> +"This is good wine," said the Englishman. "So the Prussians have not +taken everything." +</P> + +<P> +"No, they have not discovered everything; we have a few good +hiding-places yet." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! exactly so—yes—I understand." +</P> + +<P> +George wanted to question him too, but the Englishman did not answer as +fast as we; he thought well over his answers, before he would say yes +or no! +</P> + +<P> +It was not from him that Cousin George had learned the latest +intelligence; it was from a heap of newspapers which the Englishman had +left upon the table the night before as he went to bed—English and +Belgian newspapers—which George had read hastily up to midnight: for +he had learned English in his travels, which our friend was not aware +of. +</P> + +<P> +Besides the battle of Coulmiers, he had learned many other things: the +organization of an army in the North under General Bourbaki; the march +of the Germans upon Dijon; the insurrection at Marseilles; the noble +declaration of Gambetta against those who were accusing him of throwing +the blame of our disasters upon the army, and not upon its chiefs; and +especially the declaration of Prince Gortschakoff "that the Emperor of +Russia refused to be bound any longer by the treaty which was to +restrain him from keeping in the Black Sea more than a certain number +of large ships of war." +</P> + +<P> +The Englishman had marked red crosses down this article; and George +told me by and by that these red crosses meant something very serious. +</P> + +<P> +The Englishman had a very fine horse in the stable; we went out +together to see it; it was a tall chestnut, able no doubt to run like a +deer. +</P> + +<P> +If I tell you these particulars, it is because we have since seen many +more English people, both men and women, all very inquisitive, and who +put questions to us, just like this one; whether to write articles, or +for their own information, I know not. +</P> + +<P> +George assured me that the article writers spared no expense to earn +their pay honorably; that they went great distances—hundreds of +leagues—going to the fountain-head; that they would have considered +themselves guilty of robbing their fellow-countrymen, if they invented +anything: which, besides, would very soon be discovered, and would +deprive them of all credit in England. +</P> + +<P> +I believe it; and I only wish news-hunters of equal integrity for our +country. Instead of having newspapers full of long arguments, which +float before you like clouds, and out of which no one can extract the +least profit, we should get positive facts that would help us to clear +up our ideas: of which we are in great need. +</P> + +<P> +So we thought we were rid of our Landwehr, when presently they +returned, having received counter orders, which seemed to us a very bad +sign. +</P> + +<P> +George, who had just accompanied his Englishman back to Sarrebourg, +came into our house, and sat by the stove, deep in thought. He had +never seemed to me so sad; when I asked him if he had received any bad +news, he answered: "No, I have heard nothing new; but what has happened +shows plainly that the German army of Metz has arrived in time to +prevent our troops from raising the blockade of Paris after the victory +of Coulmiers." +</P> + +<P> +And all at once his anger broke out against the Dumouriez and the +Pichegrus, men without genius, who were selling their country to serve +a false dynasty. +</P> + +<P> +"A week or a fortnight more, and we should have been saved." +</P> + +<P> +He smote the table with his fist, and seemed ready to cry. All at once +he went out, unable to contain himself any longer, and we saw him in +the moonlight cross the meadow behind and disappear into his house. +</P> + +<P> +It was the middle of November; the frost grew more intense and hardened +the ground everywhere: every morning the trees were covered with +hoar-frost. +</P> + +<P> +We were now compelled to do forced labor; not only to supply wood, but +also to go and cleave it for the Landwehr. I paid Father Offran, who +supplied my place; it was an additional expense, and the day of ruin, +utter ruin, was drawing close. +</P> + +<P> +Of course the Landwehr, offended at having been hissed all through the +village, had lost all consideration for us, and but for stringent +orders, they would have wrung our necks on the spot; every time they +were able to tell us a piece of bad news, they would come up laughing, +dropping the butt-ends of their rifles on the stone floor, and crying: +"Well, now, here's another crash! There goes another stampede of +Frenchmen! Orleans evacuated! Champigny to be abandoned! Capital! +all goes on right! Now, then, you people, is that soup ready? Hurry! +good news like these give one a good appetite!" +</P> + +<P> +"Try to hold your tongues, if you can, pack of beggars," cried Grédel; +"we don't believe your lies." +</P> + +<P> +Then they grinned again, and said: "There is no need you should believe +us, if only you get put into our basket; when you are there you will +believe! Then look out! If you stir a finger we'll nail you to the +wall like mangy cats. Aha! did you laugh and hiss when you saw us +going? but there are more yet to come. You will regret us, +Mademoiselle Grédel; you will regret us some day; you will cry, 'if we +had but our good Landwehr again!' but it will be too late." +</P> + +<P> +What surprises me is that Grédel never seems to have thought of +poisoning them; luckily it was not the time of the year for the red +toadstools: besides, we were obliged to boil our soup in the same +kettle; or these wary people would have had their suspicions, and +obliged us to taste their meat, as they did at the Quatre Vents, the +Baraques du Bois de Chênes, and in several other places. +</P> + +<P> +They then drew their lines closer and closer round the place: upon all +the roads which led to the advanced posts they placed guns, and watched +by them day and night; they regulated their range and line of fire by +day with pickets and with grooves cut in the ground, to enable them to +change its direction and sweep the roads and paths, even in the dark +nights, in case of an attack. +</P> + +<P> +The snow was then falling in great flakes; all the country was covered +with snow, and often at midnight or at one or two in the morning, the +musketry opened, and they cried in the street: "A sortie! a sortie!" +</P> + +<P> +And all the villagers, who still kept their cattle at home by order of +the new mayor Placiard, were compelled to drive them to a distance, +into the fields, to prevent the French, if they reached us, from +finding anything in the stables. +</P> + +<P> +Ah! that abominable, good-for-nothing scoundrel Placiard, that famous +pillar of the Empire, what abominations he has perpetrated, what toils +has he undergone to merit the esteem of the Prussians! +</P> + +<P> +Does it not seem sad that such thieves should sometimes quietly +terminate their existence in a good bed? +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap12"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XII +</H3> + +<P> +About the end of November there happened an extraordinary thing, of +which I must give you an account. +</P> + +<P> +On the first fall of snow, our Landwehr had built on the hill, in the +rear of their guns, huts of considerable size, covered with earth, open +to the south and closed against the north wind. Under these they +lighted great fires, and every hour relieved guard. +</P> + +<P> +They had also received from home immense packages of warm clothing, +blankets, cloaks, shirts, and woollen stockings; they called these +love-gifts. Captain Floegel distributed these to his men, at his +discretion. +</P> + +<P> +Now, it happened that one night, when the Landwehr lodging with us were +on guard, that I, knowing they would not return before day, had gone +down to shut the back door which opens upon the fields. The moon had +set, but the snow was shining white, streaked with the dark shadows of +the trees; and just as I was going to lock up, what do I see in my +orchard behind the large pear-tree on the left? A Turco with his +little red cap over his ear, his blue jacket corded and braided all +over, his belt and his gaiters. There he was, leaning in the attitude +of attention, the butt-end of his rifle resting on the ground, his eyes +glowing like those of a cat. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-262"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-262.jpg" ALT="THERE HE WAS, LEANING FORWARD TO LISTEN." BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +THERE HE WAS, LEANING FORWARD TO LISTEN. +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +He heard the door open, and turned abruptly round. +</P> + +<P> +Then, glad to see one of our own men again, I felt my heart beat, and +gazing stealthily round for fear of the neighbors, I signed to him to +draw near. +</P> + +<P> +All were asleep in the village; no lights were shining at the windows. +</P> + +<P> +He came down in four or five paces, clearing the fences at a bound, and +entered the mill. +</P> + +<P> +Immediately I closed the door again, and said: "Good Frenchman?" +</P> + +<P> +He pressed my hand in the dark, and followed me into the back room, +where my wife and Grédel were still sitting up. +</P> + +<P> +Imagine their astonishment! +</P> + +<P> +"Here is a man from the town," I said: "he's a real Turco. We shall +hear news." +</P> + +<P> +At the same moment we observed that the Turco's bayonet was red, even +to the shank, and that the blood had even run down the barrel of his +rifle; but we said nothing. +</P> + +<P> +This Turco was a fine man, dark brown, with a little curly beard, black +eyes, and white teeth, just as the apostles are painted. I have never +seen a finer man. +</P> + +<P> +He was not sorry to feel the warmth of a good fire. Grédel having made +room for him, he took a seat, thanking her with a nod of his head, and +repeating: "Good Frenchman!" +</P> + +<P> +I asked him if he was hungry; he said yes; and my wife immediately went +to fetch him a large basin of soup, which he enjoyed greatly. She gave +him also a good slice of bread and of beef; but instead of eating it he +dropped it into his bag, asking us for salt and tobacco. +</P> + +<P> +He spoke as these people all do—thou-ing us. He even wanted to kiss +Grédel's hand. She blushed, and asked him, without any ceremony, +before our faces, if he knew Jean Baptiste Werner? +</P> + +<P> +"Jean Baptiste!" said he. "Bastion No. 3—formerly African gunner. +Yes, I know him. Good man! brave Frenchman!" +</P> + +<P> +"He is not wounded?" +</P> + +<P> +"No." +</P> + +<P> +"Not ill?" +</P> + +<P> +"No." +</P> + +<P> +Then Grédel began to cry in her apron; and mother asked the Turco if he +knew Jacob Weber, of the 3d company of Mobiles; but the Turco did not +know our Jacob; he could only tell us that the Mobiles had lost very +few men, which comforted my wife and me. Then he told us that a +captain in the Garde Mobile, a Jew named Cerfber, sent as a flag of +truce to Lützelbourg, had taken the opportunity to desert, and that the +German general, being disgusted at his baseness, had refused to receive +him, upon which the wretch had gone into Germany. I was nowise +surprised at this. I knew Cerfber; he was mayor of Niederwillen, at +four leagues from us, and more Bonapartist than Bonaparte himself. +Unable to surrender the rest, as his master had done at Sedan, he had +surrendered himself. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel had gone out while the Turco was telling us these news; she +returned presently with a large quantity of provisions. She had taken +all my tobacco, and begged the Turco to take it to Jean Baptiste and +Jacob. She had not quite the face to say before me that it was for +Jean Baptiste alone; that would have been going a little too far; but +she said, "It is for the two." The Turco promised to perform this +commission; then Grédel gave him several things for himself; but he +wanted especially salt, and fortunately we possessed enough to fill his +bag. My wife stood sentinel in the passage. Thank God there was no +stir for a whole hour; during which this Turco answered, as well as he +was able, all the questions we asked him. +</P> + +<P> +We understood that there was much sickness in the town; that several +articles of consumption were utterly exhausted, among others, meat, +salt, and tobacco; and that the inhabitants were weary of being shut in +without any news from outside. +</P> + +<P> +About one in the morning, the wind, having risen, was shaking the door, +and we fancied we could hear the Landwehr returning. The Turco noticed +it, and made signs to us that he would go. +</P> + +<P> +We could have wished to detain him, but the danger was too great. He +therefore took up his rifle again, and asked to kiss my wife's hand, +just as the gypsies do in our country. Then pointing to his bag, he +said: "For Jacob and Jean Baptiste!" +</P> + +<P> +I took him back through the orchard. The weather was frightful; the +air was full of snow, whirled into drifts by a stormy wind; but he knew +his way, and began by running with his body bending low as far as the +tall hedge on the left; a moment after he was out of sight. I listened +a long while. The watch-fires of the Landwehr were shining on the +hill, above Wéchem; their sentinels were challenging and answering each +other in the darkness; but not a shot was fired. +</P> + +<P> +I returned. My wife and Grédel seemed happy; and we all went to bed. +</P> + +<P> +Next day we learned that two Landwehr had been found killed—one near +the Avenue des Dames, between the town and the Quatre Vents, the other +at the end of Piquet, both fathers of families. The unfortunate men +had been surprised at their posts. +</P> + +<P> +What a miserable thing is war! The Germans have lost more men than we +have; but we will not be so cruel as to rejoice over this. +</P> + +<P> +And now, if I am asked my opinion about the Turcos, against whom the +Germans have raised such an outcry, I answer that they are good men and +true! Jacob and Jean Baptiste have received everything that we sent to +them. This Turco's word was worth more than that of the lieutenant and +the feld-weibel who had promised to pay me for my wine. +</P> + +<P> +No doubt, amongst the Turcos there are some bad fellows; but the +greater part are honest men, with a strong feeling of religion: men who +have known them at Phalsbourg and elsewhere acknowledge them to be men +of honor. They have stolen nothing, robbed nobody, never insulted a +woman. If they had campaigned on the other side of the Rhine, of +course they would have twisted the necks of ducks and hens, as all +soldiers do in an enemy's country: the Landwehr put no constraint upon +themselves in our country. But the idea would never have occurred to +the Turcos, as it had to German officers and generals, of sending for +packs of Jews to follow them and buy up, wholesale, the linen, +furniture, clocks—in a word, anything they found in private +individuals' houses. This is simple truth! Monsieur de Bismarck may +insult the Turcos as much as he pleases before his German Parliament, +which is ready to say "Amen" every time he opens his mouth. He might +as well not talk at all. Thieves are bad judges of common honesty! I +am aware that Monsieur le Prince de Bismarck thinks himself the first +politician in the world, because he has deceived a simpleton; but there +is a wide difference between a great man and a great dishonest man. By +and by this will be manifest, to the great misfortune of Europe. +</P> + +<P> +But it was a real comfort to have seen this Turco; and for several +days, when we were alone, my wife and Grédel talked of nothing else; +but sad reflections again got the upper hand. +</P> + +<P> +No one can form an idea of the misery, the feeling of desolation which +takes possession of you, when days and weeks pass by in the midst of +enemies without the least word reaching you from the interior; then you +feel the strength of the hold that your native land has upon you. The +Germans think to detach us from it by preventing us from learning what +is taking place there; but they are mistaken. The less you speak the +more you think; and your indignation, your disgust, your hatred for +violence, force, and injustice is ever on the increase. You conceive a +horror for those who have been the cause of such sufferings. Time +brings no change; on the contrary, it deepens the wound: one curse +succeeds another; and the deepest desire left is either for an end of +all, or vengeance. +</P> + +<P> +Besides, it is perfectly evident the Lorrainers and the Alsacians are a +bold, brave nation; and all the fine words in the world will not make +them forget the treatment they have suffered, after being surprised +defenceless. They would reproach themselves as cowards, did they cease +to hope for their revenge. I, Christian Weber, declare this, and no +honest man can blame me for it. Abject wretches alone accept injustice +as a final dispensation; and we have ever God over us all, who forbids +us to believe that murder, fire, and robbery may and ought to prevail +over right and conscience. +</P> + +<P> +Let us return to our story. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George had seen in the Englishman's newspapers that the +circulation of the <I>Indépendance Belge</I> and the <I>Journal de Genève</I> had +doubled and trebled since the commencement of the war, because they +filled the place of all the other journals which used to be received +from Paris; and without loss of time he had written to Brussels to +subscribe. +</P> + +<P> +The first week, having received no answer, he had sent the money in +Prussian notes in a second letter; for we had at that time only +Prussian thalers in paper, with which the Landwehr paid us for whatever +they did not take by force. We had no great confidence in this paper, +but it was worth the trial. +</P> + +<P> +The newspaper arrived. It was the first we had seen for four months, +and any one may understand the joy with which George came to tell me +this good news. +</P> + +<P> +Every evening from that time I went to hear the newspapers read at +Cousin George's. We could hardly understand anything at first, for at +every line we met with new names. Chanzy had the chief command upon +the Loire, Faidherbe in the north. And these two men, without any +soldiers besides Mobiles and volunteers, held the open country. They +even gained considerable advantages over an enemy that far outnumbered +them; whilst the marshals of the Empire had suffered themselves to be +vanquished and annihilated in three weeks, with our best troops. +</P> + +<P> +This shows that, in victories, generals have no more than half the +credit. +</P> + +<P> +Of all the old generals, Bourbaki was the only one left. +</P> + +<P> +As for Garibaldi, we knew him, and we could tell by the restless +movements of our Landwehr that he was approaching our mountains about +Belfort. He was the hope of our country: all our young men were going +to join him. +</P> + +<P> +We also learned that the Government was divided between Tours and +Paris; that Gambetta was bearing all the burden of the defence of the +country, as Minister of War; that he was everywhere at once, to +encourage the dispirited; that he had set up the chief place of +instruction for our young soldiers at Toulouse, and that the Prussians +were pursuing their horrible course in the invaded countries with +renewed fury; that a party of francs-tireurs having surprised a few +Uhlans at Nemours, a column of Germans had surrounded the town on the +next day, and set fire to it to the music of their bands, compelling +the members of the committee for the defence to be present at this +abominable act; that M. de Bismarck had laid hands upon certain +bourgeois of the interior, in reprisal for the captures made by our +ships five hundred leagues away in the North Sea; that Ricciotti +Garibaldi, having defeated the Prussians at Chatillon-sur-Seine, those +atrocious wretches had delivered the innocent town over to plunder, and +laid it under contribution for a million of francs; that respectable +persons belonging to the Grand Duchy of Baden, private individuals, +were crossing the Rhine with horses and carts to come and pillage +Alsace with impunity—all the towns and villages being occupied by +their troops. In a word, many other things of the kind; which plainly +prove that with the Prussians, war is an honest means of growing rich, +and getting possession of the property of the inoffensive inhabitants. +</P> + +<P> +At St. Quentin, one of their chiefs, the Colonel de Kahlden, gave +public notice to the inhabitants, that "if a shot was fired upon a +German soldier, <I>six inhabitants should be shot</I>; and that every +individual compromised or <I>suspected</I> would be punished with death." +</P> + +<P> +Everywhere, everywhere these great philosophers plundered and burned +without mercy whatever towns or villages dared resist! +</P> + +<P> +George said that these beings were not raised above the beasts of prey, +and that education only does for them what spiked collars do for +fighting dogs. +</P> + +<P> +We also heard of the capitulation of Thionville, after a terrible +bombardment, in which the Prussians had refused to allow the women and +children to leave the place! We heard of the first encounters of +Faidherbe in the north with Manteuffel; and the battles of Chanzy with +Frederick Charles, near Orleans. +</P> + +<P> +In spite of the inferiority of our numbers, and the inexperience of our +troops, we often got the upper hand. +</P> + +<P> +These news had restored us to hope. Unhappily, the heaviest blow of +all was to come. Phalsbourg, utterly exhausted by famine, was about to +surrender, after a resistance of five months. +</P> + +<P> +Oh! my ancient town of Phalsbourg, what affliction sank into our +hearts, when, on the evening of the 9th December, we heard your heavy +guns fire one after another, as if for a last appeal to France to come +to your rescue! Oh! what were then our sufferings, and what tears we +shed! +</P> + +<P> +"Now," said George, "it is all over! They are calling aloud to France, +our beloved France, unable to come! It is like a ship in distress, by +night, in the open sea, firing her guns for assistance, and no one +hears: she must sink in the deep." +</P> + +<P> +Ah! my old town of Phalsbourg, where we used to go to market; where we +used to see our own soldiers—our red-trousered soldiery, our merry +Frenchmen! We shall never more see behind our ramparts any but heavy +Germans and rough Prussians! And so it is over! The earth bears no +longer the same children; and men whom we never knew tell us, "You are +in our custody: we are your masters!" +</P> + +<P> +Can it be possible? No! ancient fortress of Vauban, you shall be +French again: "Nursery of brave men," as the first Bonaparte called +you. Let our sons come to manhood, and they shall drive from thy walls +these lumpish fellows who dare to talk of Germanizing you! +</P> + +<P> +But how our hearts bled on that day! Every one went to hide himself as +far back in his house as he could, murmuring, "Oh! my poor Phalsbourg, +we cannot help thee; but if our life could deliver thee, we would give +it." +</P> + +<P> +Yes! I have lived to behold this, and it is the most terrible +sensation I have ever experienced: the thought of meeting Jacob again +was no comfort; Grédel herself was listening with pale cheeks, and +counting the reports from second to second; and then the tears fell and +she cried: "It is over!" +</P> + +<P> +Next day, all the roads were covered with German and Prussian officers +galloping rapidly to the place; the report ran that the entry would +take place the same evening; every one was preparing a small stock of +provisions for his son, his relations, his friends, whom he dreaded +never more to see alive. +</P> + +<P> +On the morning of the 11th of December, leave was given to start for +the town; the sentinels posted at Wéchem had orders to allow +foot-passengers to pass. +</P> + +<P> +Phalsbourg, with its fifteen hundred Mobiles and its sixty gunners, +disdained to capitulate; it surrendered no rifles, no guns, no military +stores, no eagles, as Bazaine had done at Metz! The Commander Taillant +had not said to his men: "Let us, above all, for the reputation of our +army, avoid all acts of indiscipline, such as the destruction of arms +and material of war; since, according to military usage, strong places +and arms will return to France when peace is signed." No! quite the +contrary; he had ordered the destruction of whatever might prove useful +to the enemy: to drown the gunpowder, smash rifles, spike the guns, +burn up the bedding in the casemates; and when all this was done, he +had sent a message to the German general: "We have nothing left to eat! +To-morrow I will open the gates! Do what you please with me!" +</P> + +<P> +Here was a man, indeed! +</P> + +<P> +And the Germans ran, some laughing, others astonished, gazing at the +walls which they had won without a fight: for they have taken almost +every place without fighting; they have shelled the poor inhabitants +instead of storming the walls; they have starved the people. They may +boast of having burnt more towns and villages, and killed more women +and children in this one campaign, than all the other nations in all +the wars of Europe since the Revolution. +</P> + +<P> +But, to be sure, they were a religious people, much attached to the +doctrines of the Gospel, and who sing hymns with much feeling. Their +Emperor especially, after every successive bombardment, and every +massacre—whilst women, children, and old men are weeping around their +houses destroyed by the enemy's shells, and from the battle-fields +strewn with heaps of dead are rising the groans and cries of thousands +and thousands of sufferers whose lives are crushed, whose flesh is +torn, whose bodies are rent and bleeding!'—their Emperor, the +venerable man, lifts his blood-stained hands to heaven and thanks God +for having permitted him to commit these abominable deeds! Does he +look upon God as his accomplice in crime? +</P> + +<P> +Barbarian! one day thou shalt know that in the sight of the Eternal, +hypocrisy is an aggravation of crime. +</P> + +<P> +On the 11th of December, then, early in the morning, my wife, Grédel, +Cousin George, Marie Anne and myself, having locked up our houses, +started, each carrying a little parcel under our arms, to go and +embrace our children and our friends—if they yet survived. +</P> + +<P> +The snow was melting, a thick fog was covering the face of the country, +and we walked along in single file and in silence, gazing intently upon +the German batteries which we saw for the first time, in front of +Wéchem, by Gerbershoff farm, and at the <I>Arbre Vert</I>. +</P> + +<P> +Such desolation! Everything was cut down around the town; no more +summer-arbors, no more gardens or orchards, only the vast, naked +surface of snow-covered ground, with its hollows all bare; the bullet +marks on the ramparts, the embrasures all destroyed. +</P> + +<P> +A great crowd of other village people preceded and followed us; poor +old men, women, and a few children; they were walking straight on +without paying any attention to each other: all thought of the fate of +those they loved, which they would learn within an hour. +</P> + +<P> +Thus we arrived at the gate of France; it stood open and unguarded. +The moment we entered, the ruins were seen; houses tottering, streets +demolished, here a window left alone, there up in the air a chimney +scarcely supported; farther on some doorsteps and no door. In every +direction the bombshells had left their tracks. +</P> + +<P> +God of heaven! did we indeed behold such devastation? we did in truth. +We all saw it: it was no dream! +</P> + +<P> +The cold was piercing. The townspeople, haggard and pale, stared at us +arriving; recognitions took place, men and women approached and took +each other by the hand. +</P> + +<P> +"Well?" "Well," was the reply in a hollow whisper, in the midst of the +street encumbered with blackened beams of wood. "Have you suffered +much?" "Ah! yes." +</P> + +<P> +This was enough: no need for another word; and then we would proceed +farther. At every street corner a new scene of horror began. +</P> + +<P> +Catherine and I were seeking Jacob; no doubt Grédel was looking for +Jean Baptiste. +</P> + +<P> +We saw our poor Mobiles passing by, scarcely recognizable after those +five months. All through the fearful cold these unhappy men had had +nothing on but their summer blouses and linen trousers. Many of them +might have escaped and gained their villages, for the gates had stood +open since the evening before; but not a man thought of doing so; it +was not supposed that Mobiles would be treated like regular soldiers. +</P> + +<P> +On the <I>place</I>, in front of the fallen church filled with its own +ruins, we heard, for the first time, that the garrison were prisoners +of war. +</P> + +<P> +The cafés Vacheron, Meyer, and Hoffmann, riddled with balls, were +swarming with officers. +</P> + +<P> +We were gazing, not knowing whom to ask after Jacob, when a cry behind +us made us turn round; and there was Grédel in the arms of Jean +Baptiste Werner! Then I kept silence; my wife also. Since she would +have it so, well, so let it be; this matter concerned her much more +than it did us. +</P> + +<P> +Jean Baptiste, after the first moment, looked embarrassed at seeing us; +he approached us with a pale face, and as we spoke not a word to him, +George shook him by the hand, and cried: "Jean Baptiste, I know that +you have behaved well during this siege; we have learned it all with +pleasure: didn't we, Christian? didn't we, Catherine?" +</P> + +<P> +What answer could we make? I said "yes"—and mother, with tears in her +eyes, cried: "Jean Baptiste, is Jacob not wounded?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, Madame Weber; we have always been very comfortable together. +There is nothing the matter. I'll fetch him: only come in somewhere." +</P> + +<P> +"We are going to the Café Hoffmann," said she. "Try to find him, Jean +Baptiste." And as he was turning in the direction of the +mayoralty-house: +</P> + +<P> +"There," said he, "there he is coming round the corner by the chemist +Rèbe's shop." And we began, to cry "Jacob!" +</P> + +<P> +And our lad ran, crossing the <I>place</I>. +</P> + +<P> +A minute after, we were in each other's arms. +</P> + +<P> +He had on a coarse soldier's cloak, and canvas trousers; his cheeks +were hollow; he stared at us, and stammered: "Oh, is it you? You are +not all dead?" +</P> + +<P> +He looked stupefied; and his mother, holding him, murmured: "It is he!" +</P> + +<P> +She would not relinquish her hold upon him, and wiped her eyes with her +apron. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel and Jean Baptiste followed arm-in-arm, with George and Marie +Anne. We entered the Café Hoffmann together; we sat round a table in +the room at the left, and George ordered some coffee, for we all felt +the need of a little warmth. +</P> + +<P> +None of us wished to speak; we were downcast, and held each other by +the hand, gazing in each other's faces. +</P> + +<P> +The young officers of the Mobiles were talking together in the next +room; we could hear them saying that not one would sign the engagement +not to serve again during the campaign; that they would all go as +prisoners of war, and would accept no other lot than that of their men. +</P> + +<P> +This idea of seeing our Jacob go off as a prisoner of war, almost broke +our hearts, and my wife began to sob bitterly, with her head upon the +table. +</P> + +<P> +Jacob would have wished to come back to the mill along with us; I could +see this by his countenance; but he was not an officer, and his +<I>parole</I> was not asked for. And, in spite of all, hearing those +spirited young men, who were sacrificing their liberty to discharge a +duty, I should myself have said "No: a man must be a man!" +</P> + +<P> +Werner was talking with my cousin: they spoke in whispers; having, no +doubt, secret matters to discuss. I saw George slip something into his +hand. What could it be? I cannot say; but all at once Jean Baptiste +rising from his seat and kissing Grédel without any ceremony before our +faces, said that he was on service; that he would not see us again very +soon, as after the muster their march would begin, so that we should +have to say good-by at once. +</P> + +<P> +He held out both his hands to my wife and then to Marie Anne, after +which he went out with George and Grédel, leaving us much astonished. +</P> + +<P> +Jacob and Marie Anne remained with us; in a couple of minutes Grédel +and my cousin returned; Grédel, whose eyes were red, sat by the side of +Marie Anne without speaking, and we saw that her basket of provisions +was gone. +</P> + +<P> +The stir upon the <I>place</I> became greater and greater. The drums beat +the assembly, the officers of the Mobiles were coming out. I then +thought I would ask Jacob what had become of Mathias Heitz; he told us +that the wretched coward had been trembling with fright the whole time +of the siege, and that at last he had fallen ill of fear. Grédel did +not turn her head to listen; she would have nothing to do with him! +And, in truth, on hearing this, I felt I should prefer giving our +daughter to our ragman's son than to this fellow Mathias. +</P> + +<P> +The review was then commencing under the tall trees on the <I>place</I>, and +Jacob appeared with his comrades. No sadder spectacle will ever be +seen than that of our poor lads, about half a hundred Turcos and a few +Zouaves, the remnants of Froeschwiller, all haggard and pale, and their +clothes falling to pieces. They were unarmed, having destroyed their +arms before opening the gates. +</P> + +<P> +Presently Jacob ran to us, crying that they were ordered to their +barracks, and that they would have to start next day before twelve. +</P> + +<P> +Then his eyes filled with tears. His mother and I handed him our +parcels, in which we had enclosed three good linen shirts, a pair of +shoes almost new, woollen stockings, and a strong pair of trousers. +</P> + +<P> +I was wearing upon my shoulders my travelling cape; I placed it upon +his. Then I slipped into his pocket a small roll of thalers, and +George gave him two louis. After this, the tears and lamentations of +the women recommenced; we were obliged to promise to return on the +morrow. +</P> + +<P> +The garrison was defiling down the street; Jacob ran to fall in, and +disappeared with the rest, near the barracks. +</P> + +<P> +As for Jean Baptiste Werner, we saw him no more. +</P> + +<P> +The German officers were coming and going up and down the town to +distribute their troops amongst the townspeople. It was twelve +o'clock, and we returned to our village, sadder and more distressed +than ever. +</P> + +<P> +And now we knew that Jacob was safe; but we knew also that he was going +to be carried, we could not tell where, to the farthest depths of +Germany. +</P> + +<P> +My wife arrived home quite ill; the damp weather, her anxiety, her +anguish of mind, had cast her down utterly. She went to bed with a +shivering fit, and could not return next day to town, nor Grédel, who +was taking care of her, so I went alone. +</P> + +<P> +Orders had come to take the prisoners to Lützelbourg. On reaching the +square, near the chemist Rèbe's shop, I saw them all in their ranks, +moving by twos down the road. The inhabitants had closed their +shutters, not to witness this humiliation; for Hessian soldiers, with +arms shouldered, were escorting them: our poor boys were advancing +between them, their heads hanging sorrowfully down. +</P> + +<P> +I stopped at the chemist's corner, and waited, being unable to discern +Jacob in the midst of that crowd. All at once I recognized him, and I +cried, "Jacob!" He was going to throw himself into my arms; but the +Hessians repulsed me. We both burst into tears, and I went on walking +by the side of the escort, crying, "Courage! ... Write to us.... Your +mother is not quite well.... She could not come.... It is not much!" +</P> + +<P> +He answered nothing; and many others who were there had their friends +and relations before or behind them. +</P> + +<P> +We wanted to accompany them to Lützelbourg; unhappily, at the gate the +Prussians had posted sentinels, who stopped us, pointing their bayonets +at us. They would not even allow us to press our children's hands. +</P> + +<P> +On all sides were cries: "Adieu, Jean!" "Adieu, Pierre!" and they +replied: "Adieu! Farewell, father!" "Adieu! Farewell, mother!" and +then the sighs, the sobs, the tears.... +</P> + +<A NAME="img-278"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-278.jpg" ALT=""GOOD-BY, MY FATHER! GOOD-BY, MY MOTHER!"" BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +"GOOD-BY, MY FATHER! GOOD-BY, MY MOTHER!" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Ah! the Plébiscite, the Plébiscite! +</P> + +<P> +I was compelled to stay there an hour; at last they allowed me to pass. +I resumed my way home, my heart rent with anguish. I could see, hear +nothing but the cry, "Adieu! Adieu!" of all that crowd; and I thought +that men were made to make each other miserable; that it was a pity we +were ever born; that for a few days' happiness, acquired by long and +painful toil, we had years of endless misery; and that the people of +the earth, through their folly, their idleness, their wickedness, their +trust in consummate rogues, deserved what they got. +</P> + +<P> +Yes, I could have wished for another deluge: I should have cared less +to see the waters rise from the ends of Alsace and cover our mountains, +than to be bound under the yoke of the Germans. +</P> + +<P> +In this mood I reached home. +</P> + +<P> +I took care not to tell my wife all that had happened; on the contrary +I told her that I had embraced Jacob in my arms for her and for us all; +that he was full of spirits, and that he would soon write to us. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap13"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIII +</H3> + +<P> +We were now rid of our Landwehr, who were garrisoned at Phalsbourg, but +a part of whom were sent off into the interior. They were indignant, +and declared that if they had known that they were to be sent farther, +the blockade would have lasted longer; that they would have let the +cows, the bullocks, and the bread find their way in, many a time, in +spite of their chiefs; and that it was infamous to expose them to new +dangers when every man had done his part in the campaign. +</P> + +<P> +There was no enthusiasm in them; but, all the same, they marched in +step in their ranks, and were moved some on Belfort, some on Paris. +</P> + +<P> +We learned, through the German newspapers, that they had severer +sufferings to endure round Belfort than with us; that the garrison made +sorties, and drove them several leagues away; that their dead bodies +were rotting in heaps, behind the hedges, covered with snow and mud; +that the commander, Denfert, gave them many a heavy dig in the ribs; +and every day people coming from Alsace told us that such an one of the +poor fellows whom we had known had just been struck down by a ball, +maimed by a splinter or a shell, or bayoneted by our Mobiles. We could +not help pitying them, for they all had five or six children each, of +whom they were forever talking; and naturally, for when the parent-bird +dies the brood is lost. +</P> + +<P> +And all this for the honor and glory of the King of Prussia, of +Bismarck, of Moltke, and a few heroes of the same stamp, not one of +whom has had a scratch in the chances of war. +</P> + +<P> +How can one help shrugging one's shoulders and laughing inwardly at +seeing these Germans, with all their education, greater fools than +ourselves? They have won! That is to say, the survivors; for those +who are buried, or who have lost their limbs, have no great gain to +boast of, and can hardly rejoice over the success of the enterprise. +They have gained—what? The hatred of a people who had loved them; +they have gained that they will be obliged to fight every time their +lords or masters give the order; they have gained that they can say +Alsace and Lorraine are German, which is absolutely no gain whatever; +and besides this they have gained the envy of a vast number of people, +and the distrust of a vast many more, who will end by agreeing together +to fall upon them in a body, and treat them to fire and slaughter and +bombardment, of which they have set us the example. +</P> + +<P> +This is what the peasants, the artisans, and the bourgeois have gained: +as for the chiefs, they have won some a title, some a pension or an +épaulette: others have the satisfaction of saying, "I am the great +So-and-So! I am William, Emperor of Germany; a crown was set on my +head at Versailles, whilst thousands of my subjects were biting the +dust!" +</P> + +<P> +Alas! notwithstanding all this, these people will die, and in a hundred +years will be recognized as barbarians; their names will be inscribed +on the roll of the plagues of the human race, and there they will +remain to the end of time. +</P> + +<P> +But what is the use of reasoning with such philosophers as these? In +time they will acknowledge the truth of what I say! +</P> + +<P> +Now to our story again. +</P> + +<P> +They were fighting furiously round Belfort; our men did not drop off +asleep in casements; they occupied posts at a distance all round the +place: their sortie from Bourcoigne, and their slaughter of the +Bavarians at Haute-Perche, were making a great noise in Alsace. +</P> + +<P> +We learned from the <I>Indépendance</I> the battles of Chanzy at Vendôme +against the army of Mecklenburg; the fight by General Crémer at Nuits +against the army of Von Werder; the retreat of Manteuffel toward +Amiens, after having overwhelmed Rouen with forced contributions; the +bayonet attack upon the villages around Pont-Noyelles, in which +Faidherbe had defeated the enemy; and especially the grand measures of +Gambetta, who had at last dissolved the Councils-General named by the +Prefects of the Empire, and replaced them by really Republican +departmental commissions. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George highly approved of this step. This was of more +importance in his eyes than the decrees of our Prussian Préfet Henckel +de Bonnermark; though he had inflicted heavy fines upon the fathers and +mothers of the young men who had left home to join the French armies, +and had laid Lorraine, already ruined by the invasion, under a +contribution of 700,000 livres to compensate the losses suffered by the +German mercantile marine; plundering decrees which went nigh to tearing +the bread out of our mouths. +</P> + +<P> +Then George passed on to the campaign of Chanzy; for what could be +grander than this struggle of a young, inexperienced army, scarcely +organized, against forces double their number, commanded by the great +Prussian general who had been victorious at Woerth, Sedan, and Metz, +over the whole of the Imperial troops? +</P> + +<P> +George especially admired the noble protest of Chanzy, proclaiming to +the world the ferocity of the Germans, and pointing out with pride the +falsehoods of their generals, who invariably claimed the victory. +</P> + +<P> +"The Commander-in-Chief lays before the army the subjoined protest, +which he transmits, under a flag of truce, to the commander of the +Prussian troops at Vendôme, with the assurance that his indignation +will be shared by all, as well as his desire to take signal revenge for +such insults. +</P> + +<P> +"To the Prussian commander at Vendôme: +</P> + +<P> +"I am informed that unjustifiable acts of violence have been committed +by troops under your orders upon the unoffending inhabitants of St. +Calais. In spite of our humane treatment of your sick and wounded, +your officers have exacted money and commanded pillage. Such conduct +is an abuse of power, which will weigh heavily upon your consciences, +and which the patriotism of our people will enable them to endure; but +what I cannot permit is, that you should add to these injuries insults +which you know full well to be entirely gratuitous. +</P> + +<P> +"You have asserted that we were defeated; that assertion is false. We +have beaten you and held you in check since the 4th of this month. You +have presumed to attach the name of coward to men who are prevented +from answering you; pretending that they were coerced by the Government +of National Defence, which, as you said, compelled them to resist when +they wanted peace, and you were offering it. I deny this: I deny it by +the right given me by the resistance of entire France and this army +which confronts you, and which you have been hitherto unable to +vanquish. This communication reaffirms what our resistance ought +already to have taught you. Whatever may be the sacrifices still left +us to endure, we will struggle to the very end, without truce or pity; +since now we are resisting the attacks not of loyal and honorable +enemies but of devastating bands who aim solely at the ruin and +disgrace of a nation, which itself is striving to maintain its honor, +rank, and independence. To the generous treatment we have accorded to +your prisoners and wounded, your reply is insolence, fire, and plunder. +I therefore protest, with deep indignation, in the name of humanity and +the rights of men, which you will trample underfoot. +</P> + +<P> +"The present order will be read before the troops at three consecutive +muster-calls. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> + "CHANZY, <I>Commander-in-Chief</I>, +"HEAD-QUARTERS, <I>Le Mans, 26th December, 1870.</I>"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +These are the words of an honorable man and a patriot, words to make a +man lift up his head. +</P> + +<P> +And as Manteuffel, whose only merit consists in having been during his +youth the boon companion of the pious William; as this old courtier +followed the same system as Frederick Charles and Mecklenburg, of +lowering us to raise themselves, and to get their successes cheap; +General Faidherbe also obliged him to abate his pride after the affair +of Pont-Noyelles. +</P> + +<P> +"The French army have left in the hands of the enemy only a few +sailors, surprised in the village of Daours. It has kept its +positions, and has waited in vain for the enemy until two o'clock in +the afternoon of the next day." +</P> + +<P> +This was plain speaking, and it was clear on which side good faith was +to be looked for. +</P> + +<P> +Thus, after having opposed a million of men to 300,000 conscripts, +these Germans were even now obliged to lie in order not to discourage +their armies. +</P> + +<P> +Of course they could not but prevail in the end: France had had no time +to prepare anew, to arm, and to recover herself after this disgraceful +capitulation of the <I>honest man</I> and his friend Bazaine; but still she +resisted with terrible energy, and the Prussians at last became anxious +for peace too, and wished for it, perhaps, even more than ourselves. +</P> + +<P> +The proof of this is the numberless petitions of the Germans entreating +King William to bombard Paris. +</P> + +<P> +Humane Germans, fathers of families, pious men, seated quietly by their +counters at Hamburg, Cologne, or Berlin, in every town and village of +Germany, eating and drinking heartily, warming their fat legs before +the fire during this winter of unexampled severity, cried to their king +at Christmas time to bombard Paris, and set fire to the houses—to kill +and burn fathers and mothers of families like themselves, but reduced +to famine in their own dwellings! +</P> + +<P> +Have any but the Germans ever done the like? +</P> + +<P> +We too have besieged German towns, but never have petitions been sent +up like this under the Republic, or under the Empire, to ask our +soldiers to do more injury than war between brave men requires. And +since that period we have never uselessly shelled houses inhabited by +inoffensive persons; and even when we have had to bombard walled towns, +warning was given, as at Odessa and everywhere else, to give helpless +people time to depart for the interior, if they did not want to run the +risk of meeting with stray bullets; and permission was given to old +men, women, and children to come out—a privilege never granted by the +Prussians. +</P> + +<P> +Ah! the French may not be so pious, so learned, and so good as the +<I>good German people</I>, but they have better hearts and feelings of +compassion; they have less of the Gospel upon their lips, but they have +it in the bottoms of their souls. They are not hypocrites, and +therefore we Alsacians and Lorrainers had rather remain French than +belong to the <I>good German people</I>, and be like them. +</P> + +<P> +Indignities without a precedent have been committed by them: +"Shell—bombard—burn, in the name of Heaven! Set fire everywhere with +petroleum bombs!—You are too gracious a king!—Your scruples betray +too much weakness for this Babylon: Bombard quick: Bombardments have +succeeded better than anything else. Sire, your good and faithful +people entreat you to bombard everything—leave nothing standing!" +</P> + +<P> +Oh! scoundrels!—rascals!—if you have so often played the saint for +fifty years; if you have talked so edifyingly about friendship, +brotherhood, and the alliance of nations, it was because you did not +then think yourselves the strongest; now that you think you are, you +piously bombard women, old men, and children, in the name of the +Saviour! Faugh! it is simply disgusting! +</P> + +<P> +Every time that Cousin George read these assassins' petitions, he would +spring off his chair and cry: "Now I know what to think of fanatics of +every religion. These men have no need to play the hypocrite: their +religion does not oblige them to it. Well, they play the Jesuit for +the love of it, better than we do by profession. May they be execrated +and despised perpetually." +</P> + +<P> +Then he dilated with much warmth of feeling upon the kind reception +which the Parisians, in former days, used to accord to the Germans, for +forty years and more. Men who came to seek a livelihood among us, +without a penny, lean, humble, half-clad, with a little bundle of old +rags under their arms, asking for credit, even in George's and Marie +Anne's little inn, for a basin of broth, a bit of meat, and a glass of +wine, were kindly received; they were cheered up, and situations found +for them: everybody was anxious to put them in the right way, to +explain to them what they did not know. Soon they grew fat and +flourishing, and gained assurance; by servility they would win the +confidence of the head-clerk, who showed them all about the business; +and then some fine morning it was noised about that the head-clerk was +discharged and the German was in his place. He had had a private +interview with the head partner, and had proposed to do the work for +half the salary. Of course the partners are always glad to have good +workmen, humble and obsequious, and, above all, cheap. George had +witnessed this fifty times. +</P> + +<P> +But people did not get angry; they would say, +</P> + +<P> +"The poor fellow must earn a living somehow. The other is a Frenchman: +he will very soon secure another place." +</P> + +<P> +And it was thus that the Germans slipped quietly into the shoes of +those who had received them kindly and taught them their trade. +</P> + +<P> +A few old clerks used to get angry; but they were always held to be in +the wrong. "<I>That good German</I>" was justified! He had not meddled; +everything had gone on simply and naturally. +</P> + +<P> +And twenty, thirty, fifty thousand Germans used thus to come and +prosper in Paris; and then they would get a holiday to take a turn home +and exhibit the flesh and fat they had gained, and their gold trinkets. +</P> + +<P> +If they happened to be professors of languages or newspaper +correspondents, they were sure to break out down there against the +corruption of manners in this "modern Babylon." Great hulking fellows +they were, with long hooded cloaks, and gold or silver spectacles, who +had scandalized even their doorkeepers by bringing home night after +night "princesses" of Mabile and elsewhere, singing, drinking like a +sponge, shaking all the house, and preventing people from sleeping; +bringing, besides, other colleagues of the same stamp, and leading +disgraceful lives! +</P> + +<P> +But it is the fashion in Germany to cry out against "modern Babylon." +It flatters the secret envy of the Germans, and establishes the +character of the speaker for seriousness, gravity, and influence; as a +man worthy of every consideration, and who may hope—if his situation +in Paris is permanent—for the hand of "Herr Rector's" or "Herr +Doctor's" fair daughter: for in that country they are all doctors in +something or other. He had gone off as cold and comfortless as the +stones in the street; he would have become a school-master, or a small +clerk at a couple of hundred thalers all his life, in old Germany. He +weighed heavily upon his poor father, encumbered with a dozen children; +but he had grown fat, well-feathered, and well-trained in Paris; and +there he is now virtuously indignant against our own townswomen: +against the degenerate race which has given him his daily bread, and +pulled him out of the mire, instead of kicking him downstairs. +</P> + +<P> +This German fellow used to be republican, socialist, communist, etc. +He had fled from Cologne, or elsewhere, in consequence of the events of +1848. Nothing in our opinion was sufficiently strong, decided, or +advanced for him. He spouted about his sacrifices for the universal +Republic, his terrible campaign in the Duchy of Baden against the +Prussians, the loss of his place, of his property. We thought, what +sufferings he has endured! Surely, the Germans are the first Democrats +in the world! +</P> + +<P> +But now this very same gentleman is the most faithful servant of his +Majesty William, King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany. No doubt he +talks at Berlin of the sacrifices which he has made to the noble cause +of Germany, the battles he has fought in the public-houses amongst the +broken bottles of beer which he has been swallowing by the dozen, to +reclaim old Alsace, where lie deep the roots of the Germanic tongue. +He abounds in indignation against the "modern Babylon;" his name stands +at the head of the earliest petitions that Babylon should be burned, +till nothing but ashes were left: that that race of madmen should be +exterminated; and as during his residence in France he has rendered +police services to Bismarck, he is pretty sure to obtain a post in +Alsace-Lorraine, where all these old German spies are swooping down to +Germanize us. +</P> + +<P> +Thus spoke George, in his indignation; and Marie Anne, after listening +to him, said: "Ah, it is too true! Those men did deceive us; and they +did not even pay their debts. Some fine morning, when their bill had +run up, three-fourths of them would make a start, and they were never +heard of again. I have never had any confidence in any of them, except +the crossing-sweepers and the shoe-blacks: one knew where to find them; +but as for the professors, the newspaper correspondents, the inventors, +the book-worms—they have done us too many bad turns; and they were too +overbearing. They were filled with hatred and envy of our nation." +</P> + +<P> +Since the departure of the Landwehr, we were able to speak more freely: +those sulky eavesdroppers were no longer spying upon us, and we felt +the relief. +</P> + +<P> +Paris, as we saw in the <I>Indépendance</I>, was making sorties. The Gardes +Mobiles and the National Guards were being drilled and becoming better +skilled in the use of arms. Our sailors, in the forts, were admirable. +But the Germans grew stronger from day to day; they had brought such +enormous guns—called Krupp's—that the railways were unable to bear +them, the tunnels were not high enough to give them passage, and the +bridges gave way under their ponderous mass. This proves that if the +bombardment had not yet commenced, in spite of the innumerable +petitions of <I>the good Germans</I>, it was not for want of will on the +part of his Majesty King William, Messieurs Moltke, Bismarck, and all +those good men. Oh, no! our forts and our sorties hampered them a good +deal in gaining their positions! +</P> + +<P> +At last, about the end of December, "by the grace of God," as the +Emperor William said, they began by bombarding a few forts, and were +soon enabled to reach houses, hospitals, churches, and museums. +</P> + +<P> +George and Marie Anne knew all these places by name, and these +ferocious acts drew from them cries of horror. I, my wife, and Grédel +could not understand these accounts: having never been in Paris, we +could not form an idea of it. +</P> + +<P> +The German news-writers knew them, however; for daily they told us how +great a misfortune it was to be obliged to shell such rich libraries, +such beautiful galleries of pictures, such magnificent monuments, and +gardens so richly stocked with plants and rare collections; that it +made their hearts bleed: they professed themselves inconsolable at +being driven to such an extremity by the evil dispositions of those who +presumed to defend their property, their homes, their wives, their +children, contrary to every principle of justice! They pitied the +French for their want of common-sense; they said that their brains were +addled; that they were in their dotage, and uttered similar absurdities. +</P> + +<P> +But every time that they lost men, their fury rose: "The Germans are a +sacred race! Kill Germans! a superior race! it is a high crime. The +French, the Swiss, the Danes, the Dutch, Belgians, Poles, Hungarians, +even the Russians, are destined to be successively devoured by the +Germans." I have heard this with my own ears! Yes, the Russians, too, +they cannot dispense with the Germans; their manufactures, their trade, +their sciences come to them from Germany; they, too, belong to an +inferior race. The renowned Gortschakoff is unworthy to dust the boots +of Monsieur Bismarck, and the Emperor of Russia is most fortunate in +being allied by marriage to the Emperor William: it is a glorious +prerogative for him! +</P> + +<P> +The captain, Floegel, used often to repeat these things; and besides, +the Germans all say the same at this time; you have but to listen to +them: they are too strong now to need to hide their ambition. They +think they are conferring a great honor upon us Alsacians and +Lorrainers in acknowledging us as cousins, and gathering us to +themselves out of love. We were a superior race in "that degenerate +France;" but we are about to become little boys again amongst the noble +German people. We are the last new-comers into Germany, and shall +require time to acquire the noble German virtues: to become hypocrites, +spies, bombarders, plunderers; to learn to receive slaps and kicks +without winking. But what would you have? You cannot regenerate a +people in a day. +</P> + +<P> +The Prussians had announced that Paris would surrender after an +eight-days' bombardment; but as the Parisians held out; as there were +passing by Saverne innumerable convoys of wounded, scorched, maimed, +and sick by thousands; as General Faidherbe had gained a victory in the +North, the victory of Bapaume, in which we had driven the Prussians +from the field of battle all covered with their dead, and in which the +enemy had left in our hands not only all their wounded, but a great +number of prisoners; as the inhabitants of Paris had only one fault to +find with General Trochu, that he did not lead them out to the great +battle, and they were raising the cry of "victory or death;" since +Chanzy, repulsed at Le Mans, was falling back in good order, while in +the midst of the deep snows of January and the severest cold, Bourbaki +was still advancing upon Belfort; and Garibaldi with his francs-tireurs +was not losing courage; since the Germans were suffering from +exhaustion; and it takes but an hour, a minute, to turn all the chances +against one; and if Faidherbe had gained his victory nearer to Paris a +great sortie would have ensued, which might have entirely changed the +face of things—for these and other reasons, I suppose, all at once +there was much talk of humanity, mildness, peace; of the convocation of +an assembly at Bordeaux, where the true representatives of the nation +might settle everything, and restore order to our unhappy France. +</P> + +<P> +As soon as these rumors began to spread, George said that Alsace and +German Lorraine were to be sacrificed; that our egotists had come to an +understanding with the Germans; that all our defeats had been unable to +cast us down, and the Prussians were better pleased than ourselves to +come to an end of it, for they needed peace, having no reserves left to +throw into the scale; that Gambetta's enthusiasm and courage might at +once win over the most timid, and that then the Germans would be lost, +because a people that rises in a body, and at the same time possesses +arms and munitions of war in a third of our provinces, such a nation in +the long run would crush all resistance. +</P> + +<P> +I could say nothing. Even to-day I do not know what might have +happened. When Cousin George spoke, I was of his opinion; and then, +left to my own reflections, when I saw that immense body of prisoners +delivered by Bonaparte and Bazaine all at once; all our arms +surrendered at Metz and Strasbourg, and our fortresses fallen one after +another; then the ill-will, to say the least of all the former +place-holders under the Empire, three-fourths of whom were retaining +their posts—I thought it quite possible that we might wage against the +Germans a war much more dangerous than the first; that we might destroy +many more of the enemy at the same time with ourselves; but, if I had +been told to choose, I should have found it hard to decide. +</P> + +<P> +Of course, if the Prussians had been defeated in the interior, before +abandoning our country, they would have ruined us utterly, and set fire +to every village. I have myself several times heard a <I>Hauptmann</I> at +Phalsbourg say, "You had better pray for us! For woe to you, if we +should be repulsed! All that you have hitherto suffered would be but a +joke. We would not leave one stone upon another in Alsace and +Lorraine. That would be our defensive policy. So pray for the success +of our armies. If we should be obliged to retire, you would be much to +be pitied!" +</P> + +<P> +I can hear these words still. +</P> + +<P> +But I would not have minded even that: I would have sacrificed house, +mill, and all, if we could only have finally been victorious and +remained French; but I was in doubt. Misery makes a man lose, not +courage, but confidence; and confidence is half the battle won. +</P> + +<P> +About that time we received Jacob's first letter; he was at Rastadt, +and I need not tell you what a relief it was to his mother to think +that she could go and see him in one day. +</P> + +<P> +Here is the letter, which I copy for you: +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"MY DEAR FATHER AND MY DEAR MOTHER,— +</P> + +<P> +"Thank God, I am not dead yet; and I should be glad to hear from you, +if possible. You must know that, on arriving at Lützelbourg, we were +sent off by railway in cattle-trucks. We were thirty or forty +together; and we were not so comfortable as to be able to sit, since +there were no seats, nor to breathe the air, as there was only a small +hole to each side. Those of us who wanted to breathe or to drink, +found a bayonet before our noses, and charitable souls were forbidden +to give us a glass of water. We remained in this position more than +twenty hours, standing, unable even to stoop a little. Many were taken +ill; and as for me, my thigh bones seemed to run up into my ribs, so +that I could scarcely breathe, and I thought with my comrades that they +had undertaken to exterminate us after some new fashion. +</P> + +<P> +"During the night we crossed the Rhine, and then we went on rolling +along the line, and travelling along the other side as far as Rastadt, +where we are now. The hindmost trucks, where I was, remained; the +others went on into Germany. We were first put into the casemates +under the ramparts; damp, cold vaults, where many others who had +arrived before us were dying like flies in October. The straw was +rotting—so were the men. The doctors in the town and those of the +Baden regiments were afraid of seeing sickness spreading in the +country; and since the day before yesterday those who are able to walk +have been made to come out. They have put us into large wooden huts +covered in with tarred felt, where we have each received a fresh bundle +of straw. Here we live, seated on the ground. We play at cards, some +smoke pipes, and the Badeners mount guard over us. The hut in which I +am—about three times as large as the old market-hall of Phalsbourg—is +situated between two of the town bastions; and if by some evil chance +any of us took a fancy to revolt, we should be so overwhelmed with shot +and shell that in ten minutes not a man would be left alive. We are +well aware of this, and it keeps our indignation within bounds against +these Badeners, who treat us like cattle. We get food twice a day—a +little haricot or millet soup, with a very small piece of meat about +the size of a finger: just enough to keep us alive. After such a +blockade as ours, something more is wanted to set us up; our noses +stand out of our faces like crows' bills, our cheeks sink in deeper and +deeper; and but for the guns pointed at us, we should have risen a +dozen times. +</P> + +<P> +"I hope, however, I may get over it; father's cloak keeps me warm, and +Cousin George's louis are very useful. With money you can get +anything; only here you have to pay five times the value of what you +want, for these Badeners are worse than Jews; they all want to make +their fortunes in the shortest time out of the unhappy prisoners. +</P> + +<P> +"I use my money sparingly. Instead of smoking, I prefer buying from +time to time a little meat or a very small bottle of wine to fortify my +stomach; it is much better for my health, and is the more enjoyable +when your appetite is good. My appetite has never failed. When the +appetite fails, comes the typhus. I do not expect I shall catch +typhus. But, if it please God to let me return to Rothalp, the very +first day I will have a substantial meal of ham, veal pie, and red +wine. I will also invite my comrades, for it is a dreadful thing to be +hungry. And now, to tell you the truth, I repent of having never given +a couple of sous to some poor beggar who asked me for alms in the +winter, saying that he had nothing, I know what hunger is now, and I +feel sorry. If you meet one in this condition, father or mother, +invite him in, give him bread, let him warm himself, and give him two +or three sous when he goes. Fancy that you are doing it for your son; +it will bring me comfort. +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps mother will be able to come and see me: not many people are +allowed to come near us; a permit must be had from the commandant at +Rastadt. These Badeners and these Bavarians, who were said to be such +good Catholics, treat us as hardly as the Lutherans. I remember now +that Cousin George used to say that was only part of the play: he was +right. Instead of only praising and singing to our Lord, they would +much better follow His example. +</P> + +<P> +"Let mother try! Perhaps the commandant may have had a good dinner; +then he will be in a good temper, and will give her leave to come into +the huts: that is my wish. And now, to come to an end, I embrace you +all a hundred times; father, mother, Grédel, Cousin George, and Cousin +Marie Anne. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +"Your son,<BR> + "JACOB WEBER.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +"I forgot to tell you that several out of our battalion escaped from +Phalsbourg before and after the muster-call of the prisoners: in the +number was Jean Baptiste Werner. It is said that they have joined +Garibaldi: I wish I was with them. The Germans tell us that if they +can catch them they will shoot them down without pity; yes, but they +won't let themselves be caught; especially Jean Baptiste; he is a +soldier indeed! If we had but two hundred thousand of his sort, these +Badeners would not be bothering us with their haricot-soup, and their +cannons full of grape-shot. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +"RASTADT, <I>January</I> 6, 1871." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +From that moment my wife only thought of seeing Jacob again; she made +up her bundle, put into her basket sundry provisions, and in a couple +of days started for Rastadt. +</P> + +<P> +I put no hindrance in her way, thinking she would have no rest until +she had embraced our boy. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel was quite easy, knowing that Jean Baptiste Werner was with +Garibaldi. I even think she had had news from him; but she showed us +none of his letters, and had again begun to talk about her +marriage-portion, reminding me that her mother had had a hundred louis, +and that she ought to have the same. She insisted upon knowing where +our money was hidden, and I said to her, "Search; if you can find it, +it is yours." +</P> + +<P> +Girls who want to be married are so awfully selfish; if they can only +have the man they want, house, family, native land, all is one to them. +They are not all like that; but a good half. I was so annoyed with +Grédel that I began to wish her Jean Baptiste would come back, that I +might marry them and count out her money. +</P> + +<P> +But more serious affairs were then attracting the eyes of all Alsace +and France. +</P> + +<P> +Gambetta had been blamed for having detached Bourbaki's army to our +succor by raising the blockade of Belfort. It has been said that this +movement enabled the combined forces of Prince Frederick Charles, and +of Mecklenburg, to fall upon Chanzy and overwhelm him, and that our two +central armies ought to have naturally supported each other. Possibly! +I even believe that Gambetta committed a serious error in dividing our +forces: but, it must be acknowledged, that if the winter had not been +against us—if the cold had not, at that very crisis of our fate, +redoubled in intensity, preventing Bourbaki from advancing with his +guns and warlike stores with the rapidity necessary to prevent De +Werder from fortifying his position and receiving +reinforcements—Alsace would have been delivered, and we might even +have attacked Germany itself by the Grand Duchy of Baden. Then how +many men would have risen in a moment! Many times George and I, +watching these movements, said to each other: "If they only get to +Mutzig, we will go!" +</P> + +<P> +Yes, in war everything cannot succeed; and when you have against you +not only the enemy, but frost, ice, snow, bad roads; whilst the enemy +have the railroads, which they had been stupidly allowed to take at the +beginning of the campaign, and are receiving without fatigue or danger, +troops, provisions, munitions of war, whatever they want; then if good +plans don't turn out successful, it is not the last but the first +comers who are to be blamed. +</P> + +<P> +But for the heavy snows which blocked up the roads, Bourbaki would have +surprised Werder. The Germans were expecting this, for all at once the +requisitions began again. The Landwehr, this time from Metz, and +commanded by officers in spectacles, began to pass through our +villages; they were the last that we saw; they came from the farthest +extremity of Prussia. I heard them say that they had been three days +and three nights on the railway; and now they were continuing their +road to Belfort by forced marches, because other troops from Paris were +crowding the Lyons railway. +</P> + +<P> +George could not understand how men should come from Paris, and said: +"Those people are lying! If the troops engaged in the siege were +coming away, the Parisians would come out and follow them up." +</P> + +<P> +At the same time we learned that the Germans were evacuating Dijon, +Gray, Vesoul, places which the francs-tireurs of Garibaldi immediately +occupied; that Werder was throwing up great earthworks against Belfort; +things were looking serious; the last forces of Germany were coming +into action. +</P> + +<P> +Then, too, the <I>Indépendance</I> talked of nothing but peace, and the +convocation of a National Assembly at Bordeaux; the English newspapers +began again to commiserate our loss, as they had done at the beginning +of the war, saying that after the first battle her Majesty the Queen +would interpose between us. I believe that if the French had +conquered, the English Government would have cried, "Halt—enough! too +much blood has flown already." +</P> + +<P> +But as we were conquered, her Majesty did not come and separate us; no +doubt she was of opinion that everything was going on very favorably +for her son-in-law, the good Fritz! +</P> + +<P> +So all this acting on the part of the newspapers was beginning again; +and if Bourbaki's attempt had prospered, the outcries, the fine +phrases, the tender feelings for our poor human race, civilization and +international rights would have redoubled, to prevent us from pushing +our advantages too far. +</P> + +<P> +Unhappily, fortune was once more against us. When I say fortune, let +me be understood: the Germans, who had no more forces to draw from +their own country, still had some to spare around Paris, which they +could dispose of without fear: they felt no uneasiness in that quarter, +as we have learned since. +</P> + +<P> +If General Trochu had listened to the Parisians, who were unanimous in +their desire to fight, Manteuffel could not have withdrawn from the +besieging force 80,000 men to crush Bourbaki, 120 leagues away; nor +General Van Goeben 40,000 to fall upon Faidherbe in the north; nor +could others again have joined Frederick Charles to overwhelm Chanzy. +This is clear enough! The fortune of the Germans at this time was not +due to the genius of their chiefs, or the courage and the number of +their men; but to the inaction of General Trochu! Yes, this is the +fact! But it must also be owned that Gambetta, Bourbaki, Faidherbe, +and Chanzy ought to have allowed for this. +</P> + +<P> +However, France has not perished yet; but she has been most unfortunate! +</P> + +<P> +The cold was intense. Bourbaki was approaching Belfort; he took +Esprels and Villersexel at the point of the bayonet; then all Alsace +rejoiced to hear that he was at Montbéliard, Sar-le-Château, Vyans, +Comte-Hénaut and Chusey; retaking all this land of good people, more +ill-fated still than we, since they knew not a word of German, and that +bad race bore them ill-will in consequence. +</P> + +<P> +Our confidence was returning. Every evening George and I, by the +fireside, talked of these affairs; reading the paper three or four +times over, to get at something new. +</P> + +<P> +My wife had returned from Rastadt full of indignation against the +Badeners, for not having allowed her to see Jacob, or even to send him +the provisions she had brought. She had only seen, at a distance, the +wooden huts, with their four lines of sentinels, the palisades, and the +ditches that surrounded them. Grédel, Marie Anne, and she, talked only +of these poor prisoners; vowing to make a pilgrimage to Marienthal if +Jacob came back safe and sound. +</P> + +<P> +Fatigue, anxiety, the high price of provisions, the fear of coming +short altogether if the war went on, all this gave us matter for +serious reflection; and yet we went on hoping, when the <I>Indépendance</I> +brought us the report of General Chanzy upon the combats at Montfort, +Champagne, Parigne, l'Eveque, and other places where our columns, +overpowered by the 120,000 men of Frederick Charles and the Duke of +Mecklenburg, had been obliged to retire to their last lines around Le +Mans. That evening, as we were going home upon the stroke of ten, +George said: "I don't believe much in pilgrimages, although several of +my old shipmates in the <I>Boussole</I> had full confidence in our Lady of +Good Deliverance: I have never made any vows; these are no part of my +principles; but I promise to drink two bottles of good wine with +Christian in honor of the Republic, and to distribute one for every +poor man in the village if we gain the great battle of to-morrow. +According to Chanzy our army is driven to bay; it has fallen back upon +its last position, and the great blow will be struck. Good-night." +</P> + +<P> +"Good-night, George and Marie Anne." +</P> + +<P> +We went out by moonlight, the hoar-frost was glittering on the ground; +it was the 15th of January, 1871. +</P> + +<P> +The next day no <I>Indépendance</I> arrived, nor the next day; it often had +missed, and would come three or four numbers together. Fresh rumors +had spread; there was a report of a lost battle; the Landwehr at +Phalsbourg were rejoicing and drinking champagne. +</P> + +<P> +On the 18th, about two in the afternoon, the foot-postman Michel +arrived. I was waiting at my cousin's. We were walking up and down, +smoking and looking out of the windows; Michel was still in the +passage, when George opened the door and cried: "Well?" "Here they +are, Monsieur Weber." +</P> + +<P> +My cousin sat at his desk. "Now we will see," said he, changing color. +</P> + +<P> +But instead of beginning with the first, he opened the second, and read +aloud that report of Chanzy's in which he said that all was going on +well the evening before; but that a panic which seized upon the Breton +Mobiles had disordered the army, without the possibility of either he +or the Vice-Admiral Jaurréguiberry being able to check or stop it; so +that the Prussians had rushed pell-mell into the unhappy city of Le +Mans, mingled with our own troops, and taken a large body of prisoners. +</P> + +<P> +I saw the countenance of my cousin change every moment; at last, he +flung the journal upon the table, crying: "All is lost!" +</P> + +<P> +It was as if he had pierced my heart with a knife. Yet I took up the +paper and read to the end. Chanzy had not lost all hope of rallying +his army at Laval, and Gambetta was hastening to join him, to support +him with his courageous spirit. +</P> + +<P> +"There now," said George, "look at that!" +</P> + +<P> +Placiard was passing the house arm-in-arm with a Landwehr officer, +followed by a few men; they were making requisitions, and entered the +house opposite. "There is the Plébiscite in flesh and blood. Now that +scoundrel is working for his Imperial Majesty William I., for the +Germans have their emperor, as we have had ours; they will soon learn +the cost of glory; each has his turn! By and by, when the reins are +tightened, these poor Germans will be looking in every direction to see +if the French are not revolting; but France will be tranquil: they +themselves will have riveted their own chains, and their masters will +draw the reins tighter and tighter, saying: 'Now, then, Mechle!* +Attention! eyes right; eyes left. Ah! you lout, do you make a wry +face? I will show you that might is right in Germany, as everywhere +else, if you don't know it already. Whack! how do you like that, +Mechle? Aha! did you think you were getting victories for German +Fatherland and German liberty, idiot? You find out now that it was to +put yourself again under the yoke, as after 1815; just to show you the +difference between the noble German lord and a brute of your own sort. +Get on, Mechle!'" +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="footnote"> +* Nickname for the Germans, answering to the English "John Bull," and +the French "Jaques Bonhomme." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +George exclaimed: "How miserable to be surprised and deluged as we have +been daily by six hundred thousand Germans, and to have our hands bound +like culprits, without arms, munitions, orders, chiefs, or anything! +Ah! the deputies of the majority who voted for war would not demand +compulsory service; they feared to arm the nation. They would not risk +the bodies of their own sons; the people alone should fight to defend +their places, their salaries, their châteaux, their property of every +sort! Miserable self-seekers! they are the cause of our ruin! their +names should be exposed in every commune, to teach our children to +execrate them." +</P> + +<P> +He was becoming embittered, and it is not surprising, for every day we +heard of fresh reverses: first the surrender of Veronne, just when +Faidherbe was coming to deliver it, and the retreat of our army of the +North upon Lille and Cambrai, before the overwhelming forces of Van +Goeben, fresh from Paris; then the grand attack of Bourbaki from +Montbéliard to Mont Vaudois, which he had pursued three successive +days, the 15th, 16th, and 17th January without success, on account of +the reinforcements which Werder had received, and the horrible state of +the roads, broken up by the rain and the snow; lastly, the arrival of +Manteuffel, with his 80,000 men, also from Paris—to cut off his +retreat. +</P> + +<P> +Then we understood that the Landwehr had been right in telling us that +they were getting reinforcements from Paris; and George, who understood +such things better than I, suddenly conceived a horror for those who +were commanding there. +</P> + +<P> +"Either," he said, "the Parisians are afraid to fight—which I cannot +believe, for I know them—or the men in command are incapable—or +traitors. Hitherto relieving armies have been sent in support of a +besieged city; now we see the besiegers of a city twice as strong as +themselves in men, arms, and munitions of every kind, detaching whole +armies to crush our troops fighting in the provinces: the thing is +incredible! I am certain that the Parisians are demanding to be led +out, especially as they are suffering from famine. Well, if sorties +were taking place, the Germans would want all their men down there, and +would be unable to come and overwhelm our already overtasked armies." +</P> + +<P> +Let them explain these things as they will, George was right. Since +the Germans were able to send away from Paris 40,000 men in one +direction, and 80,000 in another, evidently they were free to undertake +what they pleased; instead of surrounding the city with troops, they +might have set helmets and cloaks upon sticks all round, for +scarecrows, as they do to keep sparrows out of a corn-field. +</P> + +<P> +Here, then, is how we have lost: it was the incapacity of the man who +was commanding at Paris, and the weakness of the Government of +Defence—and especially of Monsieur Jules Favre!—who, when they ought +to have replaced this orator by a man of action, as Gambetta demanded, +had not the courage to fulfil their duty. Everybody knows this; why +not say it openly? +</P> + +<P> +The only thing which cheered us a little about the end of this terrible +month of January, was to learn that the francs-tireurs had blown up the +bridge of Fontenoy, on the railroad between Nancy and Toul. But our +joy was not of long duration; for three or four days after, +proclamations posted at the door of the mayoralty-house gave notice +that the Germans had utterly consumed the village of Fontenoy, to +punish the inhabitants for not having denounced the francs-tireurs; and +that all we Lorrainers were condemned, for the same offence, to pay an +extraordinary contribution of ten millions to his Majesty, the Emperor +of Germany. At the same time, as the French workmen were refusing to +repair this bridge, the Prussian prefect of La Menotte wrote to the +Mayor of Nancy: +</P> + +<P> +"If to-morrow, Tuesday, January 24, at twelve o'clock, five hundred men +from the dockyards of the city are not at the station, first the +foremen, then a certain number of the workmen, will be arrested and +shot immediately." +</P> + +<P> +This prefect's name was Renard—"Count Renard." +</P> + +<P> +I mention this that his name may not be forgotten. +</P> + +<P> +But all this was nothing, compared with what was to follow. One +morning the Prussians had given me a few sacks of corn to grind; I +dared not refuse to work for them, as they would have crushed me with +blows and requisitions: they might have carried me off nearly to Metz +again, they might even have shot me. I had pleaded the snow, the ice, +the failure of the water, which prevented me from grinding; +unfortunately, rain had fallen in abundance, the snow was melting, the +mill-dam was full, and on the 2d or 3d of February (I am not sure +which, I am so confused) I was piling up the sacks of that wicked set +in my mill; Father Offran and Catherine were helping; Grédel, upstairs, +was dressing herself, after sweeping the house and lighting the kitchen +fire. It was about eight o'clock in the morning, when looking out into +the street by chance, where the water was rattling down the gutters, I +saw George and Marie Anne coming. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin was taking long strides, his wife coming after him; farther +on a Landwehr was coming too: the people were sweeping before their +doors, without caring how they bespattered the passers-by. George, +near the mill, cried out, "Do you know what is going on?" +</P> + +<P> +"No—what?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, an armistice has been concluded for twenty-one days; the Paris +forts are given up: the Prussians may set fire to the city when they +please. Now they may send all their troops and all their artillery +against Bourbaki; for the armistice does not extend to the operations +in the east." +</P> + +<P> +George was pale with excitement, his voice shook. Grédel, at the top +of the stairs, was hastily twisting her hair into a knot. +</P> + +<P> +"Look, Christian," said my cousin, pulling a paper out of his pocket; +"the armies of Bourbaki and Garibaldi are surrendered by this +armistice. Manteuffel has come down from Paris with 80,000 men to +occupy the passes of the Jura in their rear: the unfortunate men are +caught as in a vice, between him and Werder; and all who have escaped +from the hands of the Prussians and taken service again, like our poor +Mobiles of Phalsbourg, will be shot!" +</P> + +<P> +While cousin was speaking, Grédel had come downstairs, without even +putting on her slippers; she was leaning against him, as pale as death, +trying to read over his shoulder; when suddenly she tore the paper from +his hands. George wished he had said nothing; but it was too late! +</P> + +<P> +Grédel, after having read with clinched teeth, ran off like a mad +woman, uttering fearful screams: "Oh! the wretches! ... Oh! my poor +Jean Baptiste! ... Oh! the thieves! ... Oh! my poor Jean Baptiste!" +</P> + +<P> +She seemed to be seeking something to fight with. And as we stood +confounded at her outcries, I said: "Grédel, for Heaven's sake don't +scandalize us in this way. The people will hear you from the other end +of the village!" She answered in a fury: "Hold your tongue! You are +the cause of it all!" +</P> + +<P> +"I!" said I, indignantly. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, you!" she shrieked, with a terrible flashing in her eyes: "you, +with your Plébiscite; deceiving everybody by promising them peace! You +deserve to be along with Bazaine and the rest of them." +</P> + +<P> +And my wife cried: "That girl will be the death of us." +</P> + +<P> +She had sat down upon the stairs. Marie Anne, with her hands clasped, +said: "Do forgive her; her mind is going." +</P> + +<P> +Never had I felt so humbled; to be treated thus by my own daughter! +But Grédel respected nothing now; and Cousin George, trying to get in a +word, she exclaimed: "You! you! an old soldier! Are you not ashamed of +staying here, instead of going to fight? The Landwehr are as old as +you, with their gray hairs and their spectacles; they don't make +speeches; they all march. And that's why we are beaten!" +</P> + +<P> +At last I became furious; and I was looking for my cowhide behind the +door, to bring her to her senses, when, unfortunately, a Landwehr came +in to ask if the flour was ready. The moment Grédel caught sight of +him, she uttered such a savage shriek that my ears still tingle with +it, and in a second she had laid hold of her hatchet; George had +scarcely time to seize her by her twisted back hair, when the hatchet +had flown from her hand, whizzing through the air, and was quivering +three inches deep in the door-post. +</P> + +<P> +The Landwehr, an elderly man, with great eyes and a red nose, had seen +the steel flash past close to his ear; he had heard it whiz, and as +Grédel was struggling with George, crying: "Oh, the villain; I have +missed him!" he turned, and ran off at the top of his speed. I ran to +the mill-dam, supposing he was going to the mayor's, but no, he ran a +great deal farther than that, and never stopped till he reached Wéchem. +</P> + +<P> +Then Grédel became aware that she had made a mistake; she went up into +her room, put on her shoes, took her basket, went into the kitchen for +a knife and a loaf, and then she left the house; running down the other +side of the hill to gain the Krapenfelz, where our cow was with several +others, under the charge of the old rag-dealer. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a very bad business," said George, fixing his eyes upon me; +"that Landwehr will denounce you: this evening the Prussian gendarmes +will be here. I'm sure I don't know, my poor Christian, where you got +that girl from; amongst those who have gone before us, there must have +been some very different from your poor mother, and grandmother +Catherine." +</P> + +<P> +"What would you have," said Marie Anne; "she is fond of her Jean +Baptiste." And I thought: "If he but had her now; it is not I would +refuse them permission to marry now; no, not I. I only wish they were +married already!" +</P> + +<P> +I was thinking how I might settle this dangerous business. George said +we must overtake the Landwehr, and slip three or four cent-sous pieces +in his hand, to induce him to hold his tongue: the Prussians are +softened with money. But where could he be found now? How was he to +be overtaken? I had no longer my two beautiful nags. So I resolved to +leave it all to Providence. +</P> + +<P> +To my great surprise, the Landwehr never returned. That same day two +other Germans, with Lieutenant Hartig, came to take an invoice of the +flour, without mentioning that affair: one would have thought that +nothing had occurred. The next day, and the day after that, we were +still in painful expectation; but that man gave no sign of appearing. +No doubt he must have been a marauder; one of those base fellows who +enter houses without orders, to receive requisitions of every kind, to +sell again in the neighboring villages; such things had been done more +than once since the arrival of the Germans. This is the conclusion I +came to by and by; but at that time the fear of seeing that fellow +returning with the gendarmes, left me no peace; every minute my wife, +standing at the door, would say: "Christian, run! Here are the +Prussian gendarmes coming!" +</P> + +<P> +For a cow, or a Jew astride upon a donkey at the end of the road, she +would throw one into fits. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel remained a week in the woods in the Krapenfelz. Every day the +woodman brought her news of what was going on in the village. At last +she came back, laughing; she went up into her room to change her +clothes, and resumed her work without any allusion to the past. We did +not want to start the subject of Jean Baptiste again; but she herself, +seeing us dispirited, at last said to us: "Pooh! it's all right now. +There; look at that!" +</P> + +<P> +It was a letter from Jean Baptiste Werner, which she had received among +the rocks on the Krapenfelz. In that letter, which I read with much +astonishment, Werner related that he had at first wished to join +Garibaldi at Dijon; but that for want of money he had been obliged to +stop at Besançon, where the volunteers of the Vosges and of Alsace were +being organized; that upon the arrival of Bourbaki, he had enlisted as +a gunner in the 20th corps. Two days after there were engagements at +Esprels and Villersexel, where more than four thousand Prussians had +remained on the field. The cold was extraordinary. The Prussians, +repulsed by our columns, had retired from village to village, on the +other side of the Lisaine, between Montbéliard and Mont Vaudois. There +Werner, behind a deep ravine, had mounted batteries of +twenty-four-pounders, well protected, on three stages, one over +another; his army and his reinforcements were concentrated and securely +intrenched. In spite of this, Bourbaki, wanting to relieve Belfort and +descend into Alsace, had given orders for a general assault, and all +that country, for three days, resembled a sea of smoke and flame under +the tremendous fire of the hostile armies. Unhappily, the passage +could not be forced; and the exhaustion of munitions, the fatigue, the +sharp sufferings of cold and hunger—for there were no stores of +clothing and provisions in our rear—all these causes had compelled us +to retire, but in the hope of renewing the assault; when all at once +the news spread that another German army was standing in our line of +retreat, near Dôle: a considerable army, from Paris. They had hurried +to get clear as far as possible by gaining Pontarlier; but these fresh +troops had a great advantage over us. Werder, also, was following us +up; and we were going to be surrounded on all sides around Besançon. +Jean Baptiste went on to say that then Bourbaki had attempted his own +life, and was seriously wounded; that General Clinchamp had then +assumed the command-in-chief; but that all these disasters would not +have hindered us from arriving at Lyons, across the Jura, if the Maires +of the villages had not published the armistice, causing the army to +neglect to secure a line of retreat; that a great number had even lain +down their arms and withdrawn into the villages; that the Prussians had +kept advancing, and that only in the evening, when they had occupied +all the passes, General Manteuffel declared that the armistice did not +extend to operations in the east, and that our army must lay down their +arms, as those of Sedan and Metz had done! But the soldiers of the +Republic refused to surrender, and they had made a passage through the +ice, the snow, and thousands of Prussian corpses, to Switzerland. +</P> + +<P> +Jean Baptiste Werner related, in this long letter, full particulars of +all that he had suffered; the attacks delivered by the corps of General +Billot, who was charged to protect the retreat, upon the rocks, at the +foot of precipices, in all the deep passes where the enemy lay in wait +to cut off our retreat; how many of our poor fellows had perished of +cold and hunger! And then the admirable reception given to our unhappy +soldiers by the noble Swiss, who had received them not as strangers, +but as brothers: every town, village, and house, was opened to them +with kindness. It is manifest that the Swiss are a great people; for +greatness is not to be measured by the extent of a country, and the +number of the inhabitants, as the Germans suppose; but by the humanity +of the people, the elevation of their character, their respect for +unsuccessful courage, their love of justice and of liberty. +</P> + +<P> +How much help have the Swiss sent us in succor, in money, in clothing, +in food, in seed corn, for our poor fellow-countrymen ruined by the +war! It came to Saverne, to Phalsbourg, to Petite Pierre—everywhere. +Ah, we perceived then that heaven and earth had not altogether deserted +us; we saw that there were yet brave hearts, true republicans; that all +men were not born for fire, pillage, and slaughter; that there are men +in the world besides hypocrites—true Christians, inspired by Him who +said to men: "love one another; ye are brethren." He would not have +invented petroleum bombshells, or declared that brute-force dominated +over right, like those barbarians from the other side of the Rhine. +</P> + +<P> +That letter of Jean Baptiste Werner's pleased me; it was clear that he +was a brave man and a good patriot. But in the meanwhile, the policy +of Bismarck and Jules Favre went on its way. The order of the day was, +"elect deputies to sit in the assembly at Bordeaux," which was to +decide for peace, or the continuance of the war: the twenty-one days' +armistice had no other object, it was said. +</P> + +<P> +So those who did not care to become Prussians took up arms, George and +I the first; myself with the greatest zeal, for every day I reproached +myself with that abominable Plébiscite as a crime. And now began the +old story again: no Legitimists, no Bonapartists, no Orleanists could +be found; all cried: "We are Republicans. Vote for us!" +</P> + +<P> +But in every part of the country through which the Prussians had gone, +the Plébiscite was remembered; the people were beginning to understand +that this unworthy farce was our ruin, and that men should be judged by +their actions, not their words. +</P> + +<P> +At Strasbourg, at Nancy, all who desired to remain French nominated two +lists of old republicans, who immediately started for Bordeaux. +Gambetta was elected by us and by La Meurthe; he was also elected in +many other departments, with Thiers, Garibaldi, Faidherbe, Chanzy, etc. +</P> + +<P> +These elections once more revived our hopes. We supposed that +everything had taken place in the West and the South as with us. +</P> + +<P> +Gambetta, who never lost his sound judgment in critical moments, had +declared that all the old official deputies of Bonaparte, all the +senators, councillors of State, and prefects of the Empire, were +disqualified for election. George commended him. "When a spendthrift +devours all his living in debauchery, he is put under restraint; much +more, therefore," he urged, "ought men to be restrained who have +devoured the wealth of the nation and put our two finest provinces in +jeopardy. All these men ought forever to be held incapable of +exercising political functions." +</P> + +<P> +But Bismarck, who relied chiefly on the old Imperial functionaries, by +way of testifying his gratitude to the <I>honest man</I> for all he had done +for Prussia—for his noble behavior at Sedan, and his gift of Metz to +his Majesty, William—protested against this manifesto by Gambetta: he +declared that the elections would not then be free, and that liberty +was so dear to his heart, that he had rather break the armistice than +in any way cramp the freedom of the elections. +</P> + +<P> +George, on hearing this, broke out into a rage. "What," he cried, +"this Bismarck, who has warned the Prussian deputies to be careful of +their expressions in speaking of the nobleness and the majesty of King +William, 'because laws exist in Prussia against servants who presume to +insult their masters'—this very Bismarck comes here to defend liberty, +and support the accomplices of Bonaparte! Oh! these defenders of +liberty!" +</P> + +<P> +Unhappily, all this was useless; the Prussians were already in the +forts of Paris, and the menaces of Bismarck had more weight in France +than the words of Gambetta. Therefore, once more we had to yield to +his Majesty, William, and many of our deputies are indebted to him for +their admission into the Chambers of Bordeaux. +</P> + +<P> +These defenders of the Republic immediately showed that they were not +ungrateful to Bismarck; for they hissed Garibaldi, who had come from +Italy, old, sick, and infirm, with his two sons, to fight the enemies +of France, and uphold justice, when all Europe held aloof! +</P> + +<P> +Garibaldi was not even allowed to reply: these representatives of the +people hissed him down! He calmly withdrew! +</P> + +<P> +The Sunday following—I am ashamed to say it—our curé Daniel, and many +other curés in our neighborhood, preached that Garibaldi was a +<I>canaille</I>. I am not condemning them; I am simply stating a fact. +They had received orders from their bishops, and they obeyed; for the +poor country priest is at his bishop's mercy, and under his orders, +like a whip in a driver's hand; if he disobeys, he is turned out! I +know that many would rather have been silent than said such things, and +I pity them! +</P> + +<P> +Well, Bismarck might well laugh; he had more friends among us than was +believed. Those who want to make their profits out of nations, always +come to an understanding; their interests and their enemies are the +same. +</P> + +<P> +Then the Assembly of Bordeaux voted peace. No hard matter; only +involving the sacrifice of Alsace and Lorraine, and five milliards as +an indemnity for the trouble which the Prussians had taken in +bombarding, devastating, and stripping us! +</P> + +<P> +Then our unhappy deputies of Alsace and Lorraine were declared to be +German by their French brothers, against every feeling of justice; for +nobody in the world had the right to make Germans of us; to rend us +from the body of our French mother-country, and fling us bleeding into +the barbarian's camp, as a lump of living flesh is thrown to a wild +beast, to satisfy it; no, no one in the world had this right. We alone +freely ought to choose, and decide by our own votes, whether we would +become Germans or remain French. But with Bismarck and William, right, +liberty, and justice are powerless; might is everything. Our sorrowing +deputies at last protested: +</P> + +<P> +"The representatives of Alsace and Lorraine, previous to any +negotiations for peace, have laid upon the table of the National +Assembly a declaration, by which they affirm, in the clearest and most +emphatic language, that their will and their right is to remain +Frenchmen. +</P> + +<P> +"Delivered up, in contempt of justice, and by a hateful exercise of +power, to the dominion of the foreigner, we have one last sad duty to +fulfil. +</P> + +<P> +"We again declare null and void a compact which disposes of us against +our consent. +</P> + +<P> +"The revindication of our rights remains forever open to each and all, +after the form and in the measure which our consciences may dictate. +</P> + +<P> +"In taking leave of this Chamber, in which it would be a lowering of +our dignity to sit longer, and in spite of the bitterness of our +sorrow, our last impulse is one of gratitude for the men who for six +months have never ceased to defend us; and we are filled with a deep +and unalterable love for our mother-country, from which we are +violently torn. +</P> + +<P> +"We will ever follow you with our prayers; and with unshaken confidence +we await the future day when regenerated France shall resume the course +of her high destiny. +</P> + +<P> +"Your brothers of Alsace and Lorraine, separated at this moment from +the common family, away from their home, will ever cherish a filial +affection for their beloved France, until the day when she shall come +to reclaim her place among us." +</P> + +<P> +These were their words. +</P> + +<P> +Monsieur Thiers asked them if they knew any other way of saving France? +No reply was made. Unfortunately there was none: after the +capitulation of Paris, the sacrifice of an arm was needful to save the +body. +</P> + +<P> +Half the deputies were already thinking of other things; peace made, +they only thought of naming a king, and of decapitalizing Paris, as the +newspapers said, to punish it for having proclaimed the Republic! All +these people, who had presented themselves before the electors with +professions of republicanism, were royalists. +</P> + +<P> +Gambetta, having accepted the representation of the Bas Rhin (Alsace), +left the chamber with the deputies; and other old republicans, +contemptuously hissed whenever they opened their mouths, gave in their +resignations. +</P> + +<P> +Paris was agitated. A rising was apprehended. +</P> + +<P> +About that time, early in March, 1871, Prussian tax-collectors, +controllers, <I>gardes généraux</I>, and other functionaries, came to +replace our own; we were warned that the French language would be +abolished in our schools, and that the brave Alsacians who felt any +wish to join the armies of the King of Prussia, would be met with every +possible consideration; they might even be admitted into the guard of +his Royal and Imperial Majesty. About this time, an old friend of +Cousin George's, Nicolas Hague, a master saddler, a wealthy and highly +respectable man, came to see him from Paris. +</P> + +<P> +Nicolas Hague had bought many vineyards in Alsace; he had planned, +before the war, to retire amongst us, as soon as he had settled his +affairs; but after all the cruelties perpetrated by the Germans, and +seeing our country fallen into their hands, he was in haste to sell his +vineyards again, not caring to live amongst such barbarians. +</P> + +<P> +George and Marie Anne were delighted to receive this old friend; and +immediately an upstairs room was got ready for him, and he made himself +at home. +</P> + +<P> +He was a man of fifty, with red ears, a kind of collar of beard around +his face, large, velvet waistcoat adorned with gold chains and seals; a +thorough Alsacian, full of experience and sound common-sense. +</P> + +<P> +His wife, a native of Bar-le-Duc, and his two daughters were staying +with their relations; they were resting, and recruiting their strength +after the sufferings and agonies of the siege; he was as busy as +possible getting rid of his property; for he looked upon it as a +disgrace to bring into the world children destined to have their faces +slapped, in honor of the King of Prussia. +</P> + +<P> +I remember that on the second day after his arrival, as we were all +dining together at my cousin's, after having explained to us his views, +Nicolas Hague began telling us the miseries of the siege of Paris. He +told us that during the whole of that long winter, every day, were seen +before the bakers' shops and the butchers' stalls strings of old men +half clothed, and poor women holding their children, discolored with +the cold, close in their arms, waiting three or four hours in rain, +snow, and wind, for a small piece of black bread, or of horse flesh; +which often never came! Never had he heard any of these unhappy people +expressing any desire to surrender; but superior officers and staff +officers had shamelessly declared, from the earliest days of the siege, +that Paris could not hold out! And these men, formerly so proud of +their rank, their epaulettes, and their titles, who were solely charged +to defend us, and to uphold the honor of the nation, discouraged by +their language those who were trusting in them, and whose bread they +had eaten for years passed in useless reviews and parades, in frivolous +fêtes at St. Cloud, at Compiègne, the Tuileries, and elsewhere. +</P> + +<P> +According to Nicolas Hague, all our disasters, from Sedan to the +capitulation of Paris, were attributable to the disaffection of the +staff officers, the committees, and those former Bonapartist +place-holders, who knew well that if the Republic drove out the +Prussians, nobody in the world would be able to destroy it; and as they +did not care for the Republic, they acted accordingly. +</P> + +<P> +"There is a great outcry at the present moment against General Trochu," +said he, "principally got up by the Bonapartists, who, in their hearts, +reproach him with having supported France rather than their dynasty. +They make him responsible for all our calamities; and many Republicans +are simple enough to believe them. But, when it is remembered that +this man arrived only at the last moment, when all was lost already; +when the Prussians were advancing by forced marches upon Paris; when +MacMahon was forsaking the capital, <I>by order of the Emperor</I>, to go to +Sedan, to get the army crushed down there which was to have covered us; +when it is remembered that at that moment Paris had no arms, no +munitions of war, no provisions, no troops; that the whole +neighborhood, men, women, and children, were taking refuge in the city; +that wagons full of furniture, hay, and straw were choking the streets; +that order had to be restored amidst this abominable confusion, the +forts armed, the National Guard organized, the inhabitants put upon +rations, etc.; and, then, that all those thousands of men, who did not +know even how to keep in ranks, were to be taught to handle a musket, +to march, and, finally, led under fire;—when all these things are +remembered, it must be acknowledged that, for one man, it was too much, +and that, if faults have been committed, it is not General Trochu who +is to be blamed, but the miserable men who brought us to such a pass. +Above all, let us be just. It is quite clear that, if General Trochu +had had under his orders real soldiers, commanded by real officers, he +might have made great sorties, broken the lines, or at least kept the +Germans busy round the place. But how could I, Nicolas Hague, saddler, +Claude Frichet, the grocer round the corner, and a couple of hundred +thousand others like us, who did not even know the word of command—how +could we fight like old troops? We were not wanting in good will, nor +in courage; but every man to his trade. As for our percussion rifles, +and our flint locks, and a hundred other discouraging things, you feel +utterly cast down when you know that the enemy are well armed and +supported by a terrible artillery. Trochu was well aware of these +things; and I believe that neither he, nor Jules Favre, nor Gambetta, +nor any of those who declared themselves Republicans on the 4th of +September, are responsible for our misfortunes, but only Bonaparte and +his crew!" +</P> + +<P> +At last, having heard Nicolas Hague explain his views, seeing that we +had been delivered up by selfish men—as Cousin Jacques Desjardins had +foreseen four months before—but that the Republic was in existence, +and that no doubt justice would be done upon all who had brought us +into this sad condition, by which means we might rise some day and get +our turn, I had resolved to sell my mill, my land, and everything that +belonged to me in the country, and go and settle in France; for the +sight of Placiard and the other Prussian functionaries, who were +fraternizing together, and shouting, "Long live old Germany!" made my +blood boil. I could not stand it. +</P> + +<P> +Cousin George, to whom I mentioned my design, said: "Then, if all the +Alsacians and Lorrainers go, in five or six years all our country will +be Prussian. Instead of going to America, the Germans will pour in +here by hundreds of thousands; they will find in our country, almost +for nothing, fields, meadows, vineyards, hop-grounds, noble forests, +the finest lands, the richest and most productive in Central Europe. +How delighted would Bismarck and William be if they saw us decamping! +No, no; I'll stay. But this does not mean that I am becoming a +Prussian—quite the contrary. But in this ill-drawn treaty there are +two good articles; the first affirms that the Alsacians and the +Lorrainers, dwelling in Alsace and Lorraine, may, up to the month of +October, 1872, declare their intention of remaining French, on +condition of possessing an estate in France; the second affirms that +the French may retain their landed estates in Germany. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I at once elect to remain a Frenchman, and I take up my abode in +Paris with my friend Nicolas Hague, who will be happy to do me this +service. I don't want to become a burgomaster, a municipal councillor, +or anything of that kind; it will be enough for me to possess good +land, a thriving business, and a pleasant house. Yes—I intend to +declare at once; and if all who are able to secure an abode in France +will do as I am doing, we shall have German authorities over us, it is +true, but the land and the people will remain French and the land and +the men are everything. +</P> + +<P> +"Were not the old préfets and sous-préfets of the <I>honest man</I> +intruders, just as much as these men are? Did they care for anything +but making us pay what the chambers had voted, and compelling us to +elect for deputies old fogies who would be safe to vote whichever way +the Emperor required them? Did they trouble themselves about us, our +commerce, our trade, any farther than merely to draw from us the best +part of our profits for themselves, their friends, their acquaintances, +and all the supporters of the dynasty of the perjurer? +</P> + +<P> +"These new préfets, these <I>kreis-directors</I>, these burgomasters, set +over us to defend the Prussian dynasty, will not concern us much more +than the others did. At first they will try mildness; and as we have +been well able to remain French under the préfets of Bonaparte, so we +may live and remain French under those of Emperor William. +</P> + +<P> +"My principal concern is that a large majority should declare as I am +about to do. The fear is lest the Placiards, and other mayors of the +Empire kept in their places by the Prussians, will be able to turn +aside the people from declaring themselves as Frenchmen, by +intimidating them with threats of being looked upon suspiciously, or +even of being expelled; the fear is lest these fellows should keep back +day after day those who are afraid of deciding: for when once the day +is past, those who have not declared for France will be +Prussians—their children will serve and be subject to blows at the age +of twenty, for old Germany; and those who have already fled into France +will be forced to return or renounce their inheritance forever. +</P> + +<P> +"My chief hope now is that the French journals, which are always so +busy saying useless things, will now, without fail, warn the Alsacians +and Lorrainers of their danger, and explain to them that if they +declare for France their persons and their property will be guaranteed +in safety by the treaty; but if they neglect to do so, their persons +and their property fall under the Prussian laws. They would even do +well to furnish a clear and simple form of declaration. By this step, +all who are interested would be clearly informed, and these papers +would have done the greatest service to France. +</P> + +<P> +"As for me, here I stay! I am here upon my own land; I have bought it; +I have paid for it with the sweat of my brow. I will pay the taxes; I +will hold my tongue, that I may be neither worried nor driven away. I +will sell my crops to the Germans as dearly as I can; I will employ +none but Frenchmen; and if the Republic acquires strength, as I hope it +will—for now the people see what Monarchies have been able to do for +us—if the nation transacts its own business wisely, sensibly, with +moderation, good order, and reflection, she will soon rise again, and +will once more become powerful. In ten years our losses will be +repaired: we shall possess well-informed constituencies, national +armies, upright administrations, a commissariat, and a staff very +different from that which we have known. +</P> + +<P> +"Then let the French return; they will find us, as before, ready to +receive them with open arms, and to march at their sides. +</P> + +<P> +"But if they pursue their old course of <I>coups d'état</I> and revolutions; +if the adventurers, the Jesuits, and the egotists form another +coalition against justice; if they recommence their disgraceful farces +of plébiscites and constitutions by yes and no, with bayonets pointed +at people's throats and with electors of whom one-half cannot read; if +they bestow places again by patronage and recommendation of friends, +instead of honestly throwing them open to competition; if they refuse +elementary education and compulsory military service; if they will +have, as in past times, an ignorant populace, and an army filled with +mercenaries, in order that the sons of nobles and bourgeois may remain +peaceably at home, whilst the poor labor like beasts of burden, and go +and meet their deaths upon battle-fields for masters they have no +concern with:—in a word, if they overthrow the Republic and set up +Monarchy again, then what miseries may we not expect? Poor France, +rent by her own children, will end like Poland; all our conquests of +'89 will be lost. Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, all the free +nations of the Continent will share our fate; the great splay feet of +the Germans will overspread Europe, and we unhappy Alsacians and +Lorrainers will be forced to bow the head under the yoke, or go off to +America." +</P> + +<P> +This speech of George's made me reflect, and I resolved to wait. +</P> + +<P> +Many Alsacians and Lorrainers have thought the same; and this is why M. +Thiers was right in saying that the Republic is the form of government +which least divides us: it is also the only one which can save us. Any +other form of government upon which Legitimists, Orleanists, and +Bonapartists could well meet on common ground, would end in our +destruction. If it should happen that one of these parties succeeds in +placing its prince upon the throne, the next day all the others would +unite and overthrow it; and the Germans, taking advantage of our +division, would seize upon the Franche Comté and Champagne. +</P> + +<P> +The Deputies of the Eight ought to reflect well upon this. It is to +reinstate the country, not a party, that they are at Versailles; it is +to restore harmony to our distracted country, and not to sow fresh +dissensions. I appeal to their patriotism, and, if this is not enough, +to their prudence. New <I>coups d'état</I> would precipitate us into fresh +revolutions more and more terrible. The nation, whose desire is for +peace, labor, order, liberty, education, and justice for all, is weary +of seeing itself torn to pieces by Emperors and Kings; the nation might +become exasperated against these anglers after Kings in troubled +waters, and the consequences might become terrible indeed. +</P> + +<P> +Let them ponder well; it is their duty to do so. +</P> + +<P> +And all these princes, too—all these shameless pretenders, who make no +scruple of coming to divide us at the crisis when union alone can save +us—when the German is occupying all the strong places on the frontier, +and is watching the opportunity to rend away another portion of our +country! These men who slip into the army through favor; whose +disaffected newspapers impede the revival of trade, in the hope of +disgusting the people with the Republic! These princes who one day +pledge their word of honor, and the day after withdraw it, and who are +not ashamed to claim millions in the midst of the general ruin. Yes, +these men must conduct themselves differently, if they don't wish to +call to remembrance their father Louis Philippe, intriguing with the +Bonapartists to dethrone his benefactor Charles X.; and their +grandfather, Philippe Egalité, intriguing with the Jacobins and voting +the death of Louis XVI. to save his fortune, whilst his son was +intriguing in the army of the North with the traitor Dumouriez to march +upon Paris and overthrow the established laws. +</P> + +<P> +But the day of intrigues has passed by! +</P> + +<P> +Bonaparte has stripped many besides these Princes of Orleans; he has +shot, transported, totally ruined fathers of families by thousands; +their wives and their children have lost all! Not one of these unhappy +creatures claim a farthing; they would be ashamed to ask anything of +their country at such a time as this: the Princes of Orleans, alone, +claim their millions. +</P> + +<P> +Frankly, this is not handsome. +</P> + +<P> +I am but a plain miller; by hard work I have won the half of what I +possess: but if my little fortune and my life could restore Alsace and +Lorraine to France, I would give them in a moment; and if my person +were a cause of division and trouble, and dangerous to the peace of my +country, I would abandon the mill built by my ancestors, the lands +which they have cleared, those which I have acquired by work and by +saving, and I would go! The idea that I was serving my country, that I +was helping to raise it, would be enough for me. Yes, I would go, with +a full heart, but without a backward glance. +</P> + +<P> +And now let us finish the story of the Plébiscite. +</P> + +<P> +Jacob returned to work at the mill; Jean Baptiste Werner also came back +to demand Grédel in marriage. Grédel consented with all her heart; my +wife and I gave our consent cordially. +</P> + +<P> +But the dowry? This was on Grédel's mind. She was not the girl to +begin housekeeping without her hundred livres! So I had again to run +the water out of the sluice to the very bottom, get into the mud again, +and once more handle the pick and spade. +</P> + +<P> +Grédel watched me; and when the old chest came to the light of day with +its iron hoops, when I had set it on the bank, and opened the rusty +padlock, and the crowns all safe and sound glittered in her eyes, then +she melted; all was well now; she even kissed me and hung upon her +mother's neck. +</P> + +<P> +The wedding took place on the 1st of July last; and in spite of the +unhappy times, was a joyful one. +</P> + +<P> +Toward the end of the fête, and when they were uncorking two or three +more bottles of old wine, in honor of M. Thiers and all the good men +who are supporting him in founding the Republic in France, Cousin +George announced to us that he had taken Jean Baptiste Werner into +partnership in his stone quarry. Building stone will be wanted; the +bombardments and the fires in Alsace will long furnish work for +architects, quarrymen, and masons: it will be a great and important +business. +</P> + +<P> +My cousin declared, moreover, that he, George Weber, would supply the +money required; that Jean Baptiste should travel to take orders and +work the quarries, and they would divide the profits equally. +</P> + +<P> +M. Fingado, notary, seated at the table, drew the deeds out of his +pocket, and read them to us, to the satisfaction of all. +</P> + +<P> +And now things are in order, and we will try to regain by labor, +economy, and good conduct, what Bonaparte lost for us by his Plébiscite. +</P> + +<P> +My story is ended; let every one derive from it such reflections and +instruction as he may. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Plébiscite, by +Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLÉBISCITE *** + +***** This file should be named 36860-h.htm or 36860-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/6/36860/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Plebiscite + or, A Miller's Story of the War + +Author: Emile Erckmann + Alexandre Chatrian + +Release Date: July 26, 2011 [EBook #36860] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLEBISCITE *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: HE ROBBED YOU, THAT'S ALL.] + + + + +HISTORICAL ROMANCES OF FRANCE + + +THE PLEBISCITE + +OR + +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR + + +BY ONE OF THE 7,500,000 WHO VOTED "YES" + + + + +TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF + +ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN + + + + +ILLUSTRATED + + + + +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + +NEW YORK::::::::::::::::::::::1911 + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1889, 1898 + +CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + +"_He robbed you, that's all_" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ + +"_The grapeshot has mown them down. There are none left_" + +_They drew two poor old men from their cellar_ + +_There he was, leaning forward to listen_ + +"_Good-by, my father! Good-by, my mother!_" + + + + +INTRODUCTORY NOTE + +The present volume serves to emphasize the important connection, so +generally now lost sight of, between the _plebiscite_ of 1870 in France +and the war with Prussia which so speedily followed. Under the +administration of Ollivier, which promised an attractive extension of +popular liberties, it will be remembered, the _plebiscitum_ of the +Roman Constitution was borrowed, to give an air of popular approval to +the strongly attacked Imperial regime by taking the sense of the people +through universal suffrage as to the continuance of the Imperial +authority on its then existing basis. Of the web of chicane and +corruption by which the election was brought out an overwhelming +triumph for Imperialism, MM. Erckmann-Chatrian give a clearer and more +impressive notion in this book than could be obtained from entire +volumes of parliamentary reports and whole files of newspapers. But +they make it especially clear how the people were persuaded to return a +majority of "yeses" so enormous as to make it impossible to account for +it on the theory of mere corruption and chicane. It is evident from +this narrative that the people were made to believe that the Empire +meant peace abroad and freedom from foreign complications then +threatening, as well as tranquillity at home, and that therefore one of +the profoundest instincts of twenty millions of peasantry was utilized +in order to be subsequently betrayed. + +No authors could have been so happily chosen to write the story of the +struggle which followed. Alsace and Lorraine, at once the scene of the +earliest campaign of the war and the victims of its result, furnish the +most appropriate background of such a picture. In reading these +adventures, sufferings, meditations, and discussions of the simple yet +shrewd Alsatian miller and his neighbors, the reader will take in +almost at a glance the causes, incidents, and consequences of one of +the greatest of modern wars. The corruption of the office-holding +classes, the ignorance of the army officers whose ranks had been filled +by favoritism, the bravery of the private soldier ill-equipped, +ill-fed, and disastrously led, the contrasting system and discipline of +the Prussians, the awakening by Gambetta of the national enthusiasm, +and the determined and dogged fighting under Chanzy, Faidherbe, and +Bourbaki, how the peasants fared at the hands of the enemy, and how the +enemy conducted themselves during the brief campaign are all unfolded +before the reader with a combined fulness and incisiveness difficult to +encounter elsewhere in narratives of this momentous conflict. + + + + +THE PLEBISCITE + +OR + +A MILLER'S STORY OF THE WAR + + + +CHAPTER I + +I am writing this history for sensible people. It is my own story +during the calamitous war we have just gone through. I write it to +show those who shall come after us how many evil-minded people there +are in the world, and how little we ought to trust fair words; for we +have been deceived in this village of ours after a most abominable +fashion; we have been deceived by all sorts of people--by the +sous-prefets, by the prefets, and by the Ministers; by the cures, by +the official gazettes; in a word, by each and all. + +Could any one have imagined that there are so many deceivers in this +world? No, indeed; it requires to be seen with one's own eyes to be +believed. + +In the end we have had to pay dearly. We have given up our hay, our +straw, our corn, our flour, our cattle; and that was not enough. +Finally, they gave up _us_, our own selves. They said to us: "You are +no longer Frenchmen; you are Prussians! We have taken your young men +to fight in the war; they are dead, they are prisoners: now settle with +Bismarck any way you like; your business is none of ours!" + +But these things must be told plainly: so I will begin at the +beginning, without getting angry. + +You must know, in the first place, that I am a miller in the village of +Rothalp, in the valley of Metting, at Dosenheim, between Lorraine and +Alsace. It is a large and fine village of 130 houses, possessing its +cure Daniel, its school-master Adam Fix, and principal inhabitants of +every kind--wheelwrights, blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, publicans, +brewers, dealers in eggs, butter, and poultry; we even have two Jews, +Solomon Kaan, a pedler, and David Hertz, cattle-dealer. + +This will show you what was our state of prosperity before this war; +for the wealthier a village is, the more strangers it draws: every man +finds a livelihood there, and works at his trade. + +We had not even occasion to fetch our butcher's-meat from town. David +killed a cow now and then, and retailed all we wanted for Sundays and +holidays. + +I, Christian Weber, have never been farther than thirty leagues from +this commune. I inherited my mill from my grandfather, Marcel +Desjardins, a Frenchman from the neighborhood of Metz, who had built it +in the time of the Swedish war, when our village was but a miserable +hamlet. Twenty-six years ago I married Catherine Amos, daughter of the +old forest-ranger. She brought me a hundred louis for her dowry. We +have two children--a daughter, Gredel, and a son, Jacob, who are still +with us at home. + +I have besides a cousin, George Weber, who went off more than thirty +years ago to serve in the Marines in Guadeloupe. He has even been on +active service there. It was he who beat the drum on the forecastle of +the ship _Boussole_, as he has told me a hundred times, whilst the +fleet was bombarding St. John d'Ulloa. Afterward he was promoted to be +sergeant; then he sailed to North America, for the cod fisheries; and +again into the Baltic, on board a small Danish vessel engaged in the +coal-trade. George was always intent upon making a fortune. About +1850 he returned to Paris, and established a manufactory of matches in +the Rue Mouffetard in Paris; and as he is really a very handsome tall +man, with a dark complexion, bold looking, and with a quick eye, he at +last married a rich widow without children, Madame Marie Anne Finck, +who was keeping an inn in that neighborhood. They grew rich. They +bought land in our part of the country through the agency of Monsieur +Fingado, the solicitor, to whom he sent regularly the price of every +piece of land. At last, on the death of the old carpenter, Joseph +Briou, he became the purchaser of his house, to live there with his +wife, and to keep a public-house on the road to Metting. + +This took place last year, during the time of the Plebiscite, and +Cousin George came to inspect his house before taking his wife, Marie +Anne, to it. + +I was mayor; I had received orders from M. le Sous-prefet to give +public notice of the Plebiscite, and to request all well-disposed +persons to vote "_Yes,_" _if they desired to preserve peace_; because +all the ruffians in the country were going to vote _No_, to have war. + +This is exactly what I did, by making everybody promise to come without +fail, and sending the _bangard_* Martin Kapp to carry the voting +tickets to the very farthest cottages up the mountains. + + +* An old word, probably from _ban garde_; now _garde champetre_, a kind +of rural policeman. + + +Cousin George arrived the evening before the Plebiscite. I received +him very kindly, as one ought to receive a rich relation who has no +children. He seemed quite pleased to see us, and dined with us in the +best of tempers. He carried with him in a small leathern trunk +clothes, shoes, shirts--everything that he required. He was short of +nothing. That day everything went on well; but the next day, hearing +the notices cried by the rural policeman, he went off to Reibell's +brewery, which was full of people, and began to preach against the +Plebiscite. + +I was just then at the mayoralty house wearing my official scarf +receiving the tickets, when suddenly my deputy Placiard came to tell +me, in high indignation, that certain miserable wretches were attacking +the rider; that one of them was at the "Cruchon d'Or," and that half +the village were very nearly murdering him. + +Immediately I went down and ran to the public-house, where my cousin +was calling them all asses, affirming that the Plebiscite was for war; +that the Emperor, the Ministers, the prefects, the generals, and the +bishops were deceiving the people; that all those men were acting a +part to get our money from us, and much besides to the same purpose. + +I, from the passage, could hear him shouting these things in a terrible +voice, and I said to myself, "The poor fellow has been drinking." + +If George had not been my cousin; if he had not been quite capable some +day of disinheriting my children, I should certainly have arrested him +at once, and had him conveyed under safe keeping to Sarrebourg; but, on +giving due weight to these considerations, I resolved to put an end to +this awkward business, and I cried to the people who were crowding the +passage, "Make room, you fellows, make room!" + +Those enraged creatures, seeing the scarf, gave way in all directions; +and then discovering my cousin, seated at a table in the right-hand +corner, I said: "Cousin! what are you thinking of, to create such a +scandal?" + +He, too, was abashed at the sight of the scarf, having served in the +navy, and knowing that there is no man who claims more respect than a +mayor; that he has a right to lay hands upon you, and send you to the +lock-up, and, if you resist, to send you as far as Sarrebourg and +Nancy. Reflecting upon this, he calmed down in a moment, for he had +not been drinking at all, as I supposed at first, and he was saying +these things without bitterness, without anger, conscientiously, and +out of regard for his fellow-citizens. + +Therefore, he replied to me, quietly: "Mr. Mayor, look after your +elections! See that certain rogues up there--as there are rogues +everywhere--don't stuff into the ballot-box handfuls of _Yeses_ instead +of _Noes_ while your back is turned. This has often happened! And +then pray don't trouble yourself about me. In the Government Gazette, +it is declared that every man shall be free to maintain his own +opinions, and to vote as he pleases; if my mouth is stopped, I shall +protest in the newspapers." + +Hearing that he would protest, to avoid a worse scandal I answered him: +"Say what you please; no one shall declare that we have put any +constraint upon the elections; but, you men, you know what you have to +do." + +"Yes, yes," shouted all the people in the room and down the passage, +lifting their hats. "Yes, Monsieur le Maire; we will listen to nothing +at all. Whether they talk all day or say nothing, it is all the same +to us." + +And they all went off to vote, leaving George alone. + +M. le Cure Daniel, seeing them coming out, came from his parsonage to +place himself at their head. He had preached in the morning in favor +of the Plebiscite, and there was not a single _No_ in the box. + +If my cousin had not had the large meadow above the mill, and the +finest acres in the country, he would have been an object of contempt +for the rest of his days; but a rich man, who has just bought a house, +an orchard, a garden, and has paid ready money for everything, may say +whatever he pleases: especially when he is not listened to, and the +people go and do the very opposite of what he has been advising them. + +Well, this is the way with the elections for the Plebiscite with us, +and just the same thing went on throughout our canton: at +Phalsbourg--which had been abundantly placarded against the Plebiscite, +and where they carried their audacity even to watching the mayor and +the ballot-box--out of fifteen hundred electors, military and civil, +there were only thirty-two _Noes_. + +It is quite clear that things were making favorable progress, and that +M. le Sous-prefet could not be otherwise than perfectly satisfied with +our behavior. + +I must also mention that we were in want of a parish road to +Hangeviller; that we had been promised a pair of church-bells, and the +_Glandee_, or right of feeding our hogs upon the acorns in autumn; and +that we were aware that all the villages which voted the wrong way got +nothing, whilst the others--in consideration of the good councillors +they had sent up, either to the arrondissement or the department--might +always reckon upon a little money from the tax-collector for the +necessities of their parish. Monsieur le Sous-prefet had pointed out +these advantages to me; and naturally a good mayor will inform his +subordinates. I did so. Our deputies, our councillors-general, our +councillors of the arrondissement, were all on the right side! By +these means we have already gained the right to the dead leaves and our +great wash-houses. We only sought our own good, and we much preferred +seeing other villages pay the ministers, the senators, the marshals, +the bishops, and the princes, to paying them ourselves. So that all +that Cousin George could say to us about the interest of all, and the +welfare of the nation, made not the least impression upon us. + +I remember that that very day of the Plebiscite, when it was already +known that we had all voted right, and that we should get our two bells +with the parish road--I remember that my cousin and I had, after +supper, a great quarrel, and that I should certainly have put him out, +if it had not been he. + +We were taking our _petit verre_ of _kirsch_, smoking our pipes, with +our elbows on the table; my wife and Gredel had already gone to bed, +when all at once he said to me: "Listen to me, Christian. Save the +respect I owe you as mayor, you are all a set of geese in this village, +and it is a very fortunate thing that I am come here, that you may +have, at least, one sensible man among you." + +I was going to get angry, but he said: + +"Just let me finish; if you had but spent a couple of years at Paris, +you would see things a little plainer; but at this moment, you are like +a nest of hungry jays, blind and unfeathered; they open their bills, +and they cry 'Jaques,' to call down food from heaven. Those who hear +them climb up the tree, twist their necks, put them into the pot and +laugh. That is your position. You have confidence in your enemies, +and you give them power to pluck you just as they please. If you +appointed upright men in your districts as deputies, +councillors-general, instead of taking whoever the prefecture +recommends, would not the Emperor and the other honorable men above be +obliged then to leave you the money which the tax-collector makes you +pay in excess? Could all those people then enrich themselves at your +expense, and amass immense fortunes in a few years? Would you then see +old baskets with their bottoms out, fellows whom you would not have +trusted with a halfpenny before the _coup-d'etat_--would you see them +become millionnaires, rolling in gold, gliding along in carriages with +their wives, their children, their servants, and their ballet-dancers? +The prefets, the sous-prefets say to you: 'Go on voting right, and you +shall have this, you shall have that'--things which you have a right to +demand in virtue of the taxes you pay, but which are granted to you as +favors--roads, wash-houses, schools, etc. Would you not be having them +in your own right, if the money which is taken from you were left in +the commune? What does the Emperor do for you? He plunders you--that +is all. Your money, he shows it to you before each election, as they +show a child a stick of sugar-candy to make it laugh; and when the +election is over he puts it back into his pocket. The trick is played." + +"How can he put that money into his pocket?" I asked, full of +indignation. "Are not the accounts presented every year in the +Chambers?" + +Upon this he shrugged his shoulders and answered: "You are not sharp, +Christian; it is not so difficult to present accounts to the Chambers. +So many chassepots--which have no existence! So much munition of war, +of which no one knows anything. So much for retiring pensions; so much +for the substitutes' fund; so much for changes of uniform. The +uniforms are changed every year; that is good for business. Do the +deputies inquire into these matters? Who checks the Ministers' +budgets? And the deputies whom the Minister of the Interior has +recommended to you, whom you have appointed like fools, and whom the +Emperor would throw up at the very first election, if those gentlemen +breathed a syllable about visiting the arsenals and examining into the +accounts--what a farce it is! Why, yesterday, passing through +Phalsbourg, I got upon the ramparts, and I saw there guns of the time +of Herod, upon gun-carriages eaten up by worms and painted over to +conceal the rottenness. These very guns, I do believe, are recast +every third or fourth year--upon paper--with your money. Ah, my poor +Christian, you are not very sharp, nor the other people in our village +either. But the men you send as deputies to Paris--they _are_ sharp, +too sharp." + +He broke out into a laugh, and I could have sent him back to Paris. + +"Do you know what you want?" said he then, filling his pipe and +lighting it, for I made no reply, being too much annoyed; "what you +want is not good sense, it is not honesty. All of us peasants, we +still possess some good sense and honesty. And we believe, moreover, +in the honesty of others, which proves that we ourselves have a little +left! No, what you want is education; you have asked for bells, and +bells you will get; but all the school you have is a miserable shed, +and your only school-master is old Adam Fix, who can teach his children +nothing because he knows nothing himself. Well now, if you were to ask +for a really good school, there would be no money in the public funds. +There is money enough for bells, but for a good school-master, for a +large, well-ventilated room, for deal benches and tables, for pictures, +slates, maps, and books, there is nothing; for if you had good schools, +your children could read, write, keep accounts; they would soon be able +to look into the Ministers' budgets, and that is exactly what his +Majesty wishes to avoid. You understand now, cousin; this is the +reason why you have no school and you have bells." + +Then he looked knowingly at me: + +"And, do you know," said he, after a few moments' thought, "do you know +how much all the schools in France cost? I am not referring to the +great schools of medicine, and law, and chemistry, the colleges, and +the lyceums, which are schools for wealthy young men, able to keep +themselves in large cities, and to pay for their own maintenance. I am +speaking of schools for the people, elementary schools, where reading +and writing are taught: the two first things which a man must know, and +which distinguish him from the savages who roam naked in the American +forests? Well, the deputies whom the people themselves send to protect +their interests in Paris, and whose first thought, if they are not +altogether thieves, ought to be to discharge their duty toward their +constituencies--these deputies have never voted for the schools of the +people a larger sum than seventy-five millions. The state contributes +ten millions as its share; the commune, the departments, the fathers +and mothers do the rest. Seventy-five millions to educate the people +in a great country like ours! it is a disgrace. The United States +spends six times the amount. But on the other hand, for the war budget +we pay five hundred millions; even that would not be too much if we had +five hundred thousand men under arms, according to the calculation +which has been made of what it costs per diem for each man; but for an +army of two hundred and fifty thousand men, it is too much by half. +What becomes of the other three hundred millions? If they were made +available to build schools, to pay able masters, to furnish retreats +for workmen in their declining days, I should have nothing to say +against it; but to jingle in the pockets of MM. the senators and to +ring the bells of MM. the cures, I consider that too dear." + +As Cousin George bothered my mind with all his arguments, I felt a wish +to go to bed, and I said to him: + +"All that, cousin, is very fine, but it is getting late: and besides it +has nothing to do with the Plebiscite." + +I had risen; but he laid his hand upon my arm and said: "Let us talk a +little longer--let me finish my pipe. You say that this has nothing to +do with the Plebiscite; but that Plebiscite is for all this nice +arrangement of things to go on. If the nation believes that all is +right, that enough money is left to it, and that it can even spare a +little more; that the ministers, the senators, and the princes are not +yet sufficiently fat and flourishing; that the Emperor has not bought +enough in foreign countries; well, it will say with this Plebiscite, +'Go on, pray go on--we are quite satisfied.' Does that suit your +ideas?" + +"Yes. I had rather that than war," said I, in a very bad temper. "The +Empire is peace; I vote for peace." + +Then George himself rose up, emptying his pipe on the edge of the +table, and said: "Christian, you are right. Let us go to bed. I +repent having bought old Briou's house; decidedly the people in these +parts are too stupid. You quite grieve me." + +"Oh, I don't want to grieve you," said I, angrily; "I have quite as +much sense as you." + +"What!" said he, "you the mayor of Rothalp, in daily communication with +the sous-prefet, you believe that the object of this Plebiscite is to +confirm peace?" + +"Yes, I do." + +"What, you believe that? Come now. Have we not peace at the present +moment? Do we want a Plebiscite to preserve it? Do you suppose that +the Germans are taken in by it? Our peasants, to be sure, are misled; +they are indoctrinated at the cure's house, at the mayoralty-house, at +the sous-prefecture; but not a single workman in Paris is a dupe of +this pernicious scheming. They all know that the Emperor and the +Ministers want war; that the generals and the superior officers demand +it. Peace is a good thing for tradesmen, for artisans, for peasants; +but the officers are tired of being cramped up in the same rank +perpetually without a rise. Already the inferior officers have been +disgusted with the profession through the crowds of nobles, Jesuits, +and canting hypocrites of all sorts who are thrust into the army. The +troops are not animated with a good spirit; they want promotion, or +they will end by rousing themselves into a passion: especially when +they see the Prussians under our noses helping themselves to everything +they please without asking our leave. You don't understand that! +There," said he, "I am sleepy. Let us go to bed." + +Then I began to understand that my cousin had learned many things in +Paris, and that he knew more of politics than I did. But that did not +prevent me from being in a great rage with him, for the whole of that +day he had done nothing but cause trouble; and I said to myself that it +was impossible to live with such a brute. + +My wife, at the top of the landing, had heard us disputing; but as we +were going upstairs, she came all smiles to meet us, holding the +candle, and saying: "Oh, you have had a great deal to tell each other +this evening! You must have had enough. Come, cousin, let me take you +to your room; there it is. From your window you may see the woods in +the moonlight; and here is your bed, the best in the house. You will +find your cotton nightcap under the pillow." + +"Very nice, Catherine, thank you," said George. + +"And I hope you will sleep comfortably," said she, returning to me. + +This wise woman, full of excellent good sense, then said to me, while I +was undressing: "Christian! what were you thinking of, to contradict +your cousin? Such a rich man, and who can do us so much good by and +by! What does the Plebiscite signify? What can that bring us in? +Whatever your cousin says to you, say 'Amen' after it. Remember that +his wife has relations, and she will want to get everything on her +side. Mind you don't quarrel with George. A fine meadow below the +mill, and an orchard on the hill-side, are not found every day in the +way of a cow." + +I saw at once that she was right, and I inwardly resolved never to +contradict George again: he might himself alone be worth to us far more +than the Emperor, the Ministers, the senators, and all the +establishment together; for everyone of those people thought of his own +interests alone, without ever casting a thought upon us. Of course we +ought to do the same as they did, since they had succeeded so well in +sewing gold lace upon all their seams, fattening and living in +abundance in this world; not to mention the promises that the bishops +made to them for the next. + +Thinking upon these things, I lay calmly down, and soon fell asleep. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +The next day early, Cousin George, my son Jacob, and myself, after +having eaten a crust of bread and taken a glass of wine standing, +harnessed our horses, and put them into our two carts to go and fetch +my cousin's wife and furniture at the Luetzelbourg station. + +Before coming into our country, George had ordered his house to be +whitewashed and painted from top to bottom; he had laid new floors, and +replaced the old shingle roof with tiles. Now the paint was dry, the +doors and windows stood open day and night; the house could not be +robbed, for there was nothing in it. My cousin, seeing that all was +right, had just written to his wife that she might bring their goods +and chattels with her. + +So we started about six in the morning; upon the road the people of +Hangeviller, of Metting, and Vechem, and those who were going to market +in the town, were singing and shouting "Vive l'Empereur!" + +Everywhere they had voted "Yes," for peace. It was the greatest fraud +that had ever been perpetrated: by the way in which the Ministers, the +prefects, and the Government newspapers had explained the Plebiscite, +everybody had imagined that he had really voted peace. + +Cousin George hearing this, said, "Oh, you poor country folks, how I +pity you for being such imbeciles! How I pity you for believing what +these pickpockets tell you!" + +That was how he styled the Emperor's government, and naturally I felt +my indignation rise; but Catherine's sound advice came back into my +mind, and I thought, "Hold your tongue, Christian; don't say a +word--that's your best plan." + +All along the road we saw the same spectacle; the soldiers of the 84th, +garrisoned at Phalsbourg, looked as pleased as men who have won the +first prize in a lottery; the colonel declared that the men who did not +vote "Yes" would be unworthy of being called Frenchmen. Every man had +voted "Yes;" for a good soldier knows nothing but his orders. + +So having passed before the gate of France, we came down to the +Baraques, and then reached Luetzelbourg. The train from Paris had +passed a few minutes before; the whistle could yet be heard under the +Saverne tunnel. + +My cousin's wife, with whom I was not yet acquainted, was standing by +her luggage on the platform; and seeing George coming up, she joyfully +cried, "Ah! is that you? and here is cousin." + +She kissed us both heartily, gazing at us, however, with some surprise, +perhaps on account of our blouses and our great wide-brimmed black +hats. But no! it could not be that; for Marie Anne Finck was a native +of Wasselonne, in Alsace, and the Alsacians have always worn the blouse +and wide-brimmed hat as long as I can remember. But this tall, thin +woman, with her large brown eyes, as bustling, quick, and active as +gunpowder, after having passed thirty years at Paris, having first been +cook at Krantheimer's, at a place called the Barriere de Montmartre, +and then in five or six other inns in that great city, might well be +somewhat astonished at seeing such simple people as we were; and no +doubt it also gave her pleasure. + +That is my idea. + +"The carts are there, wife," cried George, in high spirits. "We will +load the biggest with as much furniture as we can, and put the rest +upon the smaller one. You will sit in front. There--look up +there--that's the Castle of Luetzelbourg, and that pretty little wooden +house close by, covered all over with vine, that is a chalet, Father +Hoffman-Forty's chalet, the distiller of cordials, you know the cordial +of Phalsbourg." + +He showed her everything. + +Then we began to load; that big Yeri, who takes the tickets at the gate +and who carries the parcels to Monsieur Andre's omnibus, comes to lend +us a hand. The two carts being loaded about twelve o'clock, and my +cousin's wife seated in front of the foremost one upon a truss of +straw, we started at a quiet pace for the village, where we arrived +about three o'clock. But I remember one thing, which I will not omit +to mention. As we were coming out of Luetzelbourg, a heavy wagon-load +of coal was coming down the hill, a lad of sixteen or seventeen leading +the horse by the bridle; at the door of the last house, a little child +of five years old, sitting on the ground, was looking at our carts +passing by; he was out of the road, he could not be in any one's way, +and was sitting there perfectly quiet, when the boy, without any +reason, gave him a lash with his whip, which made the child cry aloud. + +My cousin's wife saw that. + +"Why did that boy strike the child?" she inquired. + +"That's a coal-heaver," George answered. "He comes from Sarrebrueck. +He is a Prussian. He struck the child because he is a French child." + +Then my cousin's wife wanted to get down to fall upon the Prussian; she +cried to him, "You great coward, you lazy dog, you wicked wretch, come +and hit me." And the boy would have come to settle her, if we had not +been there to receive him; but he would not trust himself to us, and +lashed his horses to get out of our reach, making all haste to pass the +bridge, and turning his head round toward us, for fear of being +followed. + +I thought at the time that Cousin George was wrong in saying this boy +had a spite against the French because he was a Prussian; but I learned +afterward that he was right, and that the Germans have borne ill-will +against us for years without letting us see it--like a set of sulky +fellows waiting for a good opportunity to make us feel it. + +"It is our _good man_ that we have to thank for this," said George. +"The Germans fancy that we have named him Emperor to begin his uncle's +tricks again; and now they look upon our Plebiscite as a declaration of +war. The joy of our sous-prefets, our mayors, and our cures, and of +all those excellent people who only prosper upon the miseries of +mankind, proves that they are not very far out." + +"Yes, indeed," cried his wife; "but to beat a child, that is cowardly." + +"Bah! don't let us think about it," said George. "We shall see much +worse things than this; and we shall have deserved it, through our own +folly. God grant that I may be mistaken!" + +Talking so, we arrived home. + +My wife had prepared dinner; there was kissing all round, the +acquaintance was made; we all sat round the table, and dined with +excellent appetites. Marie Anne was gay; she had already seen their +house on her way, and the garden behind it with its rows of gooseberry +bushes and the plum-trees full of blossom. The two carts, the horses +having been taken out, were standing before their door; and from our +windows might be seen the village people examining the furniture with +great interest, hovering round and gazing with curiosity upon the great +heavy boxes, feeling the bedding, and talking together about this great +quantity of goods, just as if it was their own business. + +They were remarking no doubt that our cousin George Weber and his wife +were rich people, who deserved the respectful consideration of the +whole country round; and I myself, before seeing these great chests, +should never have dreamed that they could have so much belonging +entirely to themselves. + +This proved to me that my wife was perfectly right in continuing to pay +every respect to my cousin; she had also cautioned our daughter Gredel: +as for Jacob, he is a most sensible lad, who thinks of everything and +needs not to be told what to do. + +But what astonished us a great deal more, was to see arriving about +half-past three two other large wagons from the direction of Wechem, +and hearing my cousin cry, "Here comes my wine from Barr!" + +Before coming to Rothalp he had himself gone to Barr, in Alsace, to +taste the wine and to make his own bargains. + +"Come, Christian," said he, rising, "we have no time to lose if we mean +to unload before nightfall. Take your pincers and your mallet; you +will also fetch ropes and a ladder to let the casks down into the +cellar." + +Jacob ran to fetch what was wanted, and we all came out together--my +wife, my daughter, cousin, and everybody. My man Frantz remained alone +at the mill, and immediately they began to undo the boxes, to carry the +furniture into the house: chests of drawers, wardrobes, bedsteads, and +quantities of plates, dishes, soup-tureens, etc., which were carried +straight into the kitchen. + +My cousin gave his orders: "Put this down in a corner; set that in +another corner." + +The neighbors helped us too, out of curiosity. Everything went on +admirably. + +And then arrived the wagons from Barr; but they were obliged to be kept +waiting till seven o'clock. Our wives had already set up the beds and +put away the linen in the wardrobes. + +About seven o'clock everything was in order in the house. We now +thought of resting till to-morrow, when George said to us, turning up +his sleeves, "Now, my friend, here comes the biggest part of the work. +I always strike the iron while it's hot. Let all the men who are +willing help me to unload the casks, for the drivers want to get back +to town, and I believe they are right." + +Immediately the cellar was opened, the ladder set up against the first +wagon, the lanterns lighted, the planks set leaning in their places, +and until eleven o'clock we did nothing but unload wine, roll down +casks, let them down with my ropes, and put them in their places. + +Never had I worked as I did on that day! + +Not before eleven o'clock did Cousin George, seeing everything settled +to his satisfaction, seem pleased; he tapped the first cask, filled a +jug with wine, and said, "Now, mates, come up; we will have a good +draught, and then we will get to bed." + +The cellar was shut up, so we drank in the large parlor, and then all, +one after another, went home to bed, upon the stroke of midnight. + +All the villagers were astonished to see how these Parisians worked: +they were all the talk. At one time it was how cousin had bought up +all the manure at the gendarmerie; then how he had made a contract to +have all his land drained in the autumn; and then how he was going to +build a stable and a laundry at the back of his house, and a distillery +at the end of his yard: he was enlarging his cellars, already the +finest in the country. What a quantity of money he must have! + +If he had not paid his architect, the carpenters, and the masons cash +down, it would have been declared that he was ruining himself. But he +never wanted a penny; and his solicitor always addressed him with a +smiling face, raising his hat from afar off, and calling him "my dear +Monsieur Weber." + +One single thing vexed George: he had requested at the prefecture, as +soon as he arrived, a license to open his public-house at the sign of +"The Pineapple." He had even written three letters to Sarrebourg, but +had received no answer. Morning and evening, seeing me pass by with my +carts of grain and flour, he called to me through the window, "Hallo, +Christian, this way just a minute!" + +He never talked of anything else; he even came to tease me at the +mayoralty-house, to indorse and seal his letters with attestations as +to his good life and character; and yet no answer came. + +One evening, as I was busy signing the registration of the reports +drawn up in the week by the school-master, he came in and said, +"Nothing yet?" + +"Cousin, I don't know the meaning of it." + +"Very well," said he, sitting before my desk. "Give me some paper. +Let me write for once, and then we will see." + +He was pale with excitement, and began to write, reading it as he went +on: + + +"MONSIEUR LE SOUS-PREFET,--I have requested of you a license to open a +public-house at Rothalp. I have even had the honor of writing you +three letters upon the subject, and you have given me no answer. +Answer me--yes or no! When people are paid, and well paid, they ought +to fulfil their duty. + +"Monsieur le Sous-prefet, I have the honor to salute you. + + "GEORGE WEBER, +"_Late Sergeant of Marines._" + + +Hearing this letter, my hair positively stood on end. + +"Cousin, don't send that," said I; "the sous-prefet would very likely +put you under arrest." + +"Pooh!" said he, "you country people, you seem to look upon these folks +as if they were demi-gods; yet they live upon our money. It is we who +pay them: they are for our service, and nothing more. Here, Christian, +will you put your seal to that?" + +Then, in spite of all that my wife might say, I replied, "George, for +the love of Heaven, don't ask me that. I should most assuredly lose my +place." + +"What place? Your place as mayor," said he, "in which you receive the +commands of the sous-prefet, who receives the commands of the prefet, +who receives the orders of a Minister, who does everything that our +_honest man_ bids him. I had rather be a ragman than fill such a +place." + +The school-master, who happened to be there, seemed as if he had +suddenly dropped from the clouds; his arms hung down the sides of his +chair, and he gazed at my cousin with big eyes, just as a man stares at +a dangerous lunatic. + +I, too, was sitting upon thorns on hearing such words as these in the +mayoralty-house; but at last I told him I had rather go myself to +Sarrebourg and ask for the permission than seal that letter. + +"Then we will go together," said he. + +But I felt sure that if he spoke after this fashion to Monsieur le +Sous-prefet, he would lay hands upon both of us; and I said that I +should go alone, because his presence would put a constraint upon me. + +"Very well," he said; "but you will tell me everything that the +sous-prefet has been saying to you." + +He tore up his letter, and we went out together. + +I don't remember that I ever passed a worse night than that. My wife +kept repeating to me that our Cousin George had the precedence over the +sous-prefet, who only laughed at us; that the Emperor, too, had +cousins, who wanted to inherit everything from him, and that everybody +ought to stick to their own belongings. + +Next day, when I left for Sarrebourg, my head was in a whirl of +confusion, and I thought that my cousin and his wife would have done +well to have stayed in Paris rather than come and trouble us when we +were at peace, when every man paid his own rates and taxes, when +everybody voted as they liked at the prefecture. I could say that +never was a loud word spoken at the public-house; that people attended +with regularity both mass and vespers; that the gendarmes never visited +our village more than once a week to preserve order; and that I myself +was treated with consideration and respect: when I spoke but a word, +honest men said, "That's the truth; that's the opinion of Monsieur le +Maire!" + +Yes, all these things and many more passed through my mind, and I +should have liked to see Cousin George at Jericho. + +This is just how we were in our village, and I don't know even yet by +what means other people had made such fools of us. In the end, we have +had to pay dearly for it; and our children ought to learn wisdom by it. + +At Sarrebourg, I had to wait two hours before I could see Monsieur le +Sous-prefet, who was breakfasting with messieurs the councillors of the +arrondissement, in honor of the Plebiscite. Five or six mayors of the +neighborhood were waiting like myself; we saw filing down the passage +great dishes of fish and game, notwithstanding that the fishing and +shooting seasons were over; and then baskets of wine; and we could hear +our councillors laughing, "Ha! ha! ha!" They were enjoying themselves +mightily. + +At last Monsieur le Sous-prefet came out; he had had an excellent +breakfast. + +"Ha! is that you, gentlemen?" said he; "come in, come into the office." + +And for another quarter of an hour we were left standing in the office. +Then came Monsieur le Sous-prefet to get rid of the mayors, who wanted +different things for their villages. He looked delighted, and granted +everything. At last, having despatched the rest, he said to me, "Oh! +Monsieur le Maire, I know the object of your coming. You are come to +ask, for the person called George Weber, authorization to open a +public-house at Rothalp. Well, it's out of the question. That George +Weber is a Republican; he has already offered opposition to the +Plebiscite. You ought to have notified this to me: you have screened +him because he is your cousin. Authorizations to keep public-houses +are granted to steady men, devoted to his Majesty the Emperor, and who +keep a watch over their customers; but they are never granted to men +who require watching themselves. You should be aware of that." + +Then I perceived that my rascally deputy, that miserable Placiard, had +denounced us. That old dry-bones did nothing but draw up perpetual +petitions, begging for places, pensions, tobacco excise offices, +decorations for himself and his honorable family; speaking incessantly +of his services, his devotion to the dynasty, and his claims. His +claims were the denunciations, the informations which he laid before +the sous-prefecture; and, to tell the truth, in those days these were +the most valid claims of all. + +I was indignant, but I said nothing; I simply added a few words in +favor of Cousin George, assuring Monsieur le Sous-prefet that lies had +been told about him, that one should not believe everything, etc. He +half concealed a weary yawn; and as the councillors of the +arrondissement were laughing in the garden, he rose and said politely, +"Monsieur le Maire, you have your answer. Besides, you already have +two public-houses in your village; three would be too many." + +It was useless to stay after that, so I made a bow, at which he seemed +pleased, and returned quietly to Rothalp. The same evening I went to +repeat to George, word for word, the answer of the sous-prefet. +Instead of getting angry, as I expected, my cousin listened calmly. +His wife only cried out against that bad lot--she spoke of all the +sous-prefets in the most disrespectful manner. But my cousin, smoking +his pipe after supper, took it all very easily. + +"Just listen to me, Christian," said he. "In the first place, I am +much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken. All that you tell +me I knew beforehand; but I am not sorry to know it for certain. Yet I +could wish that the sous-prefet had had my letter. As it is, since I +am refused a license to sell a few glasses of wine retail, I will sell +wine wholesale. I have already a stock of white wine, and no later +than to-morrow I am off to Nancy. I buy a light cart and a good horse; +thence I drive to Thiancourt, where I lay in a stock of red wine. +After that I rove right and left all over the country, and I sell my +wine by the cask or the quarter-cask, according to the solvency of my +customers: instead of having one public-house, I will have twenty. I +must keep moving. With an inn, Marie Anne would still have been +obliged to cook; she has quite enough to do without that." + +"Oh! yes," she said; "for thirty years I have been cooking dishes of +sauerkraut and sausage at Krantheimer's, at Montmartre, and at Auber's, +in the cloister St. Benoit." + +"Exactly so," said George; "and now you shall cook no longer; but you +shall look after the crops, the stacking of the hay, the storage of +fruit and potatoes. We shall get in our dividends, and I will trot +round the country with my little pony from village to village. +Monsieur le Sous-prefet shall know that George Weber can live without +him." + +Hearing this, I learned that they had money in the funds, besides all +the rest; and I reflected that my cousin was quite right to laugh at +all the sous-prefets in the world. + +He came with me to the door, shaking hands with me; and I said to +myself that it was abominable to have refused a publican's license to +respectable persons, when they gave it to such men as Nicolas Reiter +and Jean Kreps, whom their own wives called their best customers +because they dropped under the table every evening and had to be +carried to bed. + +On the other hand, I saw that it was better for me; for if my cousin +had been found infringing the law, I should have had to take +depositions, and there would have been a quarrel with Cousin George. +So that all was for the best; the wholesale business being only the +exciseman's affair. + +What George had said, he did next day. At six o'clock he was already +at the station, and in five or six days he had returned from Nancy upon +his own char-a-banc, drawn by a strong horse, five or six years old, in +its prime. The char-a-banc was a new one; a tilt could be put up in +wet weather, which could be raised or lowered when necessary to deliver +the wine or receive back the empty casks. + +The wine from Thiancourt followed. George stored it immediately, after +having paid the bill and settled with the carter. I was standing by. + +As for telling you how many casks he had then in the house, that would +be difficult without examining his books; but not a wine-merchant in +the neighborhood, not even in town, could boast of such a vault of wine +as he had, for excellence of quality, for variety in price, both red +and white, of Alsace and Lorraine. + +About that time, my cousin sent for me and Jacob to make a list of safe +customers. He wrote on, asking us, "How much may I give to So-and-So?" + +"So much." + +"How much to that man?" + +"So much." + +In the course of a single afternoon we had passed in review all the +innkeepers and publicans from Droulingen to Quatre Vents, from Quatre +Vents to the Dagsberg. Jacob and I knew what they were worth to the +last penny; for the man who pays readily for his flour, pays well for +his wine; and those who want pulling up by the miller are in no hurry +to open their purses to the others. + +That was the way Cousin George conducted his business. + +He took a lad from our place, the son of the cooper Gros, to drive; and +he himself was salesman. + +From that day he was only seen passing through Rothalp at a quick trot, +his lad loading and unloading. + +My cousin, also, had a notion of distilling in the winter. He bought +up a quantity of old second-hand barrels to hold the fruits which he +hoped to secure at a cheap rate in autumn, and laid up a great store of +firewood. Our country people had nothing to do but to look at him to +learn something; but the people down our way all think themselves so +amazingly clever, and that does not help to make folks richer. + +Well, it is plain to you that our cousin's prospects were looking very +bright. Every day, returning from his journey to Saverne or to +Phalsbourg, he would stop his cart before my door, and come to see me +in the mill, crying out: "Hallo! good afternoon, Christian. How are +you to-day?" + +Then we used to step into the back parlor, on account of the noise and +the dust, and we talked about the price of corn, cattle, provender, and +everything that is interesting to people in our condition. + +What astonished him most of all was the number of Germans to be met +with in the mountains and in the plains. + +"I see nobody else," said he; "wood-cutters, brewers' men, coopers, +tinkers, photographers, contractors. I will lay a wager, Christian, +that your young man Frantz is a German, too." + +"Yes; he comes from the Grand Duchy of Baden." + +"How does this happen?" asked George. "What is the meaning of it all?" + +"They are good workmen," said I, "and they ask only half the wages." + +"And ours--what becomes of them?" + +"Ah, you see, Cousin George, that is their business." + +"I understand," he said, "that we are making a great mistake. Even in +Paris, this crowd of Germans--crossing-sweepers, shop and warehousemen, +carters, book-keepers, professors of every kind--astonished me; and +since Sadowa, there are twice as many. The more territory they annex, +the farther they extend their view. Where is the advantage of our +being Frenchmen--paying every year heavier taxes; sending our children +to be drawn for the conscription, and paying for their exemption; +bearing all the expenses of the State, all the insults of the prefets, +the sous-prefets, and the police-inspectors, and the annoyances of +common spies and informers, if those fellows, who have nothing at all +to bear, enjoy the same advantages with ourselves, and even greater +ones; since our own people are sent off to make room for these, who by +their great numbers lower the price of hand-labor? This benefits the +manufacturers, the contractors, the bourgeois class, but it is misery +for the mass of the people. I cannot understand it at all. Our +rulers, up there, must be losing their senses. If that goes on, the +working-men will cease to care for their country, since it cares so +little for them; and the Germans who are favored, and who hate us, will +quietly put us out of our own doors." + +Thus spoke my cousin, and I knew not what answer to make. + +But about this time I had a great trouble, and although this affair is +my private business alone, I must tell you about it. + +Since the arrival of George, my daughter Gredel, instead of looking +after our business as she used to do, washing clothes, milking cows, +and so on, was all the blessed day at Marie Anne's. Jacob complained, +and said: "What is she about down there? By and by I shall have to +prepare the clothes for the wash and hang them upon the hedges to dry, +and churn butter. Cannot Gredel do her own work? Does she think we +are her servants?" + +He was right. But Gredel never troubled herself. She never has +thought of any one besides herself. She was down there along with +George's wife, who talked to her from morning till night about Paris, +the grand squares, the markets, the price of eggs and of meat, what was +charged at the barrieres; of this, that, and the other: cooking, and +what not. + +Marie Anne wanted company. But this did not suit me at all; and the +less because Gredel had had a lover in the village for some time, and +when this is the case, the best thing to be done is always to keep your +daughter at home and watch her closely. + +It was only a common clerk at a stone-quarry in Wilsberg, a late +artillery sergeant, Jean Baptiste Werner, who had taken the liberty to +cast his eyes upon our daughter. We had nothing to say against this +young man. He was a fine, tall man, thin, with a bold expression and +brown mustaches, and who did his duty very well at the quarry by Father +Heitz; but he could earn no more than his three francs a day: and any +one may see that the daughter of Christian Weber was not to be thrown +away upon a man who earns three francs a day. No, that would never do. + +Nevertheless, I had often seen this Jean Baptiste Werner going in the +morning to his work with his foot-rule under his arm, stopping at the +mill-dam, as if to watch the geese and the ducks paddling about the +sluice or the hens circling around the cock on the dunghill; and at the +same moment Gredel would be slowly combing her hair at her window +before the little looking-glass, leaning her head outside. I had also +noticed that they said good-morning to each other a good way off, and +that that clerk always looked excited and flurried at the sight of my +daughter; and I had even been obliged to give Gredel notice to go and +comb her hair somewhere else when that man passed, or to shut her +window. + +This is my case, simply told. + +That young man worried me. My wife, too, was on her guard. + +You may now understand why I should have preferred to have seen our +daughter at home; but it was not so easy to forbid her to go to my +cousin's. George and his wife might have been angry; and that troubled +us. + +Fortunately about that time the eldest son of Father Heitz,* the owner +of the quarry, asked for Gredel in marriage. + + +* It is usual there for fathers of families to be distinguished as +Father So-and-So. + + +For a long while, Monsieur Mathias Heitz, junior, had come every Sunday +from Wilsberg to the "Cruchon d'Or," to amuse himself with Jacob, as +young men do when they have intentions with regard to a family. He was +a fine young man, fat, with red cheeks and ears, and always well +dressed, with a flowered velvet waistcoat, and seals to his +watch-chain; in a word, just such a young man as a girl with any good +sense would be glad to have for a husband. + +He had property too; he was the eldest of five children. I reckoned +that his own share might be fifteen to twenty thousand francs after the +death of his parents. + +Well, this young man demanded Gredel in marriage, and at once Jacob, my +wife, and myself were agreed to accept him. + +Only my wife thought that we ought to consult Cousin George and Marie +Anne. Gredel was just there when I went in with Catherine; but behold! +on the first mention of the thing she began to melt into tears, and to +say she would rather die than marry Mathias Heitz. You may imagine how +angry we were. My wife was going to slap her face or box her ears; but +my cousin became angry now, and told us that we ought never to oblige a +girl to marry against her will, because this was the way to make +miserable households. Then he led us out into the passage, telling us +that he took the responsibility of this affair: that he wished to +obtain information, and that we were to tell the young man that we +required a month for reflection. + +We could not refuse him that. Gredel would no longer come home; my +cousin's wife begged us not to plague her, and we had to give way to +them; but it was one of the greatest troubles of my life. And I +thought: "Now you cannot give your daughter to whoever you like; is not +this really abominable?" + +I felt angry with myself for having listened to my cousin: but, +nevertheless, Gredel stayed with them a whole week, in consequence of +which we were obliged to hire a charwoman; and Jacob exclaimed that +Gredel could not have offered him a worse insult than to refuse his +best comrade, a rich fellow, who boldly paid down his money for ten, +fifteen, and twenty bottles at the club without winking. + +However, he never mentioned it to Cousin George, for whom he felt the +greatest respect on account of his expectations from him, and whose +strong language dismayed him. + +At last my wife found that Gredel was staying too long away from home; +the people of the village would talk about it; so one evening I went to +see George, to ask him what he had learned about Heitz's son. + +It was after supper. Gredel, seeing me come in, slipped out into the +kitchen, and my cousin said to me frankly: "Listen, Christian: here is +the matter in two words--Gredel loves another." + +"Whom?" + +"Jean Baptiste Werner." + +"Father Heitz's clerk? the son of the woodward Werner, who has never +had anything but potatoes to eat? Is she in love with him? Let the +wretch come--let him come and ask her! I'll kick him down the stairs! +And Gredel to grieve me so? Oh! I should never have believed it of +her!" + +I could have cried. + +"Come, Christian," said my cousin, "you must be reasonable." + +"Reasonable! she deserves to have her neck wrung!" + +I was in a fury; I wanted to lay hold on her. Happily, she had gone +into the garden, and George held me back. He obliged me to sit down +again, and said: "What is Mathias Heitz? a fat fool who knows nothing +but how to play at cards and drink. He was put to college at +Phalsbourg, at M. Verrot's, like all the other respectable young men in +the district; but he now drives about in a char-a-banc in a flowered +waistcoat, with jingling seals: he could not possibly earn a couple of +pence--and the old man would like to be rid of him by marrying him. I +have obtained information about him. He may come in for from fifteen +to twenty thousand francs some day; but what are fifteen thousand +francs for an ass? He will eat them, he will drink them--perhaps he +has already swallowed half--and if there is a family, what are fifteen +or even twenty thousand francs between five or six children? Formerly, +when girls used to have an outfit for a marriage portion, and the +eldest son succeeded his father, things went on pretty well. It did +not want much talent to carry on a well-established business, or to +follow up a trade from father to son. But at the present day, +mother-wit and good sense stand in the foremost rank. Grandfather +Heitz was an industrious man; he made money; but Father Mathias has +never added a sou to his property, and the son has not a grain of good +sense." + +"But the other fellow--why he has nothing at all." + +"The other, Jean Baptiste Werner, is a good man, who has done his duty +by Father Heitz; he knows everything, manages everything, takes in +orders, makes all the arrangements for the carriage of stone by carts +or by railway. Heitz puts the money into his pocket, and Werner has +all the work, for want of a little capital to set himself up in +business. He has seen foreign service. I have seen his certificates +of character in Africa, in Mexico: they are excellent. If I were in +your place, I would give Gredel to him." + +"Never!" cried I, thumping upon the table; "I had rather drown her." + +Half the wine-glasses were shattered on the floor; but my cousin was +not angry. + +"Well, Christian," said he, "you are wrong. Think it over. Gredel +will remain here. I will answer for her. You must not take her away +at present. You would be very likely to ill-treat her, and then you +would repent of it." + +"Let her stay as long as you like!" said I, taking up my hat; "let her +never darken my doors again." And I rushed out. + +Never in my life had I been so angry and so grieved. At home I did not +even dare to say what I had learned; but Jacob suspected it, and one +day, as Werner was stopping in front of the mill, he shook his +pitchfork at him, shouting: "Come on!" But Werner pretended not to +hear him, and went on his way. + +I was at last, however, obliged to tell my wife the whole matter. At +first she was near fainting; but she soon recovered, and said to me: +"Well, if Gredel won't have young Mathias, we shall keep our hundred +louis, and we shall have no need to hire a new servant. I should +prefer that, for one cannot trust strange servants in a house." + +"Yes; but how can we declare to Mathias Heitz that Gredel refuses his +son?" + +"Oh, don't trouble yourself, Christian," said she; "leave me alone, and +don't let us quarrel with Cousin George: that's the principal thing. I +will say that Gredel is too young to be married; that is the proper +thing to say, and nobody can answer that." + +Catherine quieted me in this way. But this business was still racking +my brain, when extraordinary things came to pass, which we were far +from expecting, and which were to turn our hair gray, and that of many +others with us. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +One morning the secretary of the sous-prefet wrote to me to come to +Sarrebourg. From time to time we used to receive orders, as +magistrates, to go and give an account at the sous-prefecture of what +was going on in our district. + +I said to myself, immediately on receiving this letter from Secretary +Gerard, that it was something about our Agricultural Society, which had +not yet delivered the prizes gained by the ducks and the geese a few +weeks before. + +It was true that the Paris newspapers had for three days past been +discussing a Prince of Hohenzollern, who had just been named King of +Spain; but what could that signify to us at Rothalp, Illingen, +Droulingen, and Henridorf, whether the King of Spain was called +Hohenzollern or by any other name? + +In my opinion, it could not be about that affair that Monsieur le +Sous-prefet wanted to talk to us, but about the old or a new +Agricultural Society, or something at least which concerned us in +particular. The idea of the parish road and the bells came also into +my mind; perhaps that was the object we were sent for. + +At last I took up my staff and started for Sarrebourg. + +Arriving there, I found the whole length of the principal street +crowded with mayors, police-inspectors, and _juges-de-paix_.* Mother +Adler's inn and all the little public-houses were so full that they +could not have held another customer. + + +* Magistrates. + + +Then I said to myself, no doubt something quite new is in the wind: as, +for instance; a fete like that when her Majesty the Empress and the +Prince Imperial, three years before, passed through Nancy to celebrate +the union of Lorraine with France. Thereupon I went to the +sous-prefecture, where I found already several mayors of the +neighborhood talking at the door. They were discussing the price of +corn, the high price of cattle food; they were called in one after +another. + +In half an hour my turn came; Monsieur Christian Weber's name was +called, and I entered with my hat in my hand. + +Monsieur le Sous-prefet with his secretary Gerard, with his pen stuck +behind his ear, were seated there: the secretary began to mend his pen; +and Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked me what was going on in my part of +the country? + +"In our country, Monsieur le Sous-prefet? why, nothing at all. There +is a great drought; no rain has fallen for six weeks; the potatoes are +very small, and..." + +"I don't mean that, Monsieur le Maire: what do they think of the Prince +Hohenzollern and the Crown of Spain?" + +On hearing this I scratched my head, saying to myself, "What will you +answer to that now? What must you say?" + +Then Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked: "What is the spirit of your +population?" + +The spirit of our population? How could I get out of that? + +"You see, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, in our villages the people are no +scholars; they don't read the papers." + +"But tell me, what do they think of the war?" + +"What war?" + +"If, now, we should have war with Germany, would those people be +satisfied?" + +Then I began to catch a glimpse of his meaning, and I said: "You know, +Monsieur le Sous-prefet, that we have voted in the Plebiscite to have +peace, because everybody likes trade and business and quietness at +home; we only want to have work and..." + +"Of course, of course, that is plain enough; we all want peace: his +Majesty the Emperor, and her Majesty the Empress, and everybody love +peace! But if we are attacked: if Count Bismarck and the King of +Prussia attack us?" + +"Then, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, we shall be obliged to defend ourselves +in the best way we can; by all sorts of means, with pitchforks, with +sticks..." + +"Put that down, Monsieur Gerard, write down those words. You are +right, Monsieur le Maire: I felt sure of you beforehand," said Monsieur +le Sous-prefet, shaking hands with me: "You are a worthy man." + +Tears came into my eyes. He came with me to the door, saying: "The +determination of your people is admirable; tell them so: tell them that +we wish for peace; that our only thought is for peace; that his Majesty +and their excellencies the Ministers want nothing but peace; but that +France cannot endure the insults of an ambitious power. Communicate +your own ardor to the village of Rothalp. Good, very good. _Au +revoir_, Monsieur le Maire, farewell." + +Then I went out, much astonished; another mayor took my place, and I +thought, "What! does that Bismarck mean to attack us! Oh, the villain!" + +But as yet I could tell neither why nor how. + +I repaired to Mother Adler's, where I ordered bread and cheese and a +bottle of white wine, according to custom, before returning home; and +there I heard all those gentlemen, the Government officials, the +controllers, the tax-collectors, the judges, the receivers, etc., +assembled in the public room, telling one another that the Prussians +were going to invade us; that they had already taken half of Germany, +and that they were wanting now to lay the Spaniards upon our back in +order to take the rest: just as they had put Italy upon the back of the +Austrians, before Sadowa. + +All the mayors present were of the same opinion; they all answered that +they would defend themselves, if we were attacked; for the Lorrainers +and the Alsacians have never been behindhand in defending themselves: +all the world knows that. + +I went on listening; at last, having paid my bill, I started to return +home. + +I went out of Sarrebourg, and had walked for half an hour in the dust, +reflecting upon what had just taken place, when I heard a conveyance +coming at a rapid rate behind me. I turned round. It was Cousin +George upon his char-a-banc, at which I was much pleased. + +"Is that you, cousin?" said he, pulling up. + +"Yes; I am just come from Sarrebourg, and I am not sorry to meet with +you, for it is terribly warm." + +"Well, up with you," said he. "You have had a great gathering to-day; +I saw all the public-houses full." + +I was up, I took my seat, and the conveyance went off again at a trot. + +"Yes," said I; "it is a strange business; you would never guess why we +have been sent for to the sous-prefecture." + +"What for?" + +Then I told him all about it; being much excited against the villain +Bismarck, who wanted to invade us, and had just invented this +Hohenzollern pretext to drive us to extremities. + +George listened. At last he said: "My poor Christian! the sous-prefet +was quite right in calling you a worthy fellow; and all those other +mayors that I saw down there, with their red noses, are worthy men; but +do you know my opinion upon all those matters?" + +"What do you think, George?" + +"Well, my belief is, that they are leading you like a string of asses +by the bridle. That sous-prefet will present his report to the prefet, +the prefet to the Minister of the Interior, Monsieur Chevandier de +Valdrome,--the organizer of the Plebiscite--he who told you to vote +'Yes' to have peace--and that Minister will present his report to the +Emperor. They all know that the Emperor desires war, because he needs +it for his dynasty." + +"What! he wants war?" + +"No doubt he does. In spite of all, forty-five thousand soldiers have +voted against the Plebiscite. The army is turning round against the +dynasty. There is no more promotion: medals, crosses, promotions were +distributed in profusion at first, now all that has stopped; the +inferior officers have no more hope of passing into the higher ranks, +because the army is filled with nobles, with Jesuits from the schools +of the Sacred College: in the Court calendars nothing is seen but +_de_'s. The soldiers, who spring from the people, begin to discern +that they are being gradually extinguished: they are not in a pleasant +temper. But war may put everything straight again: a few battles are +wanted to throw light upon the malcontents; there must be a victory to +crush the Republicans, for the Republicans are gaining confidence: they +are lifting up their heads. After a victory, a few thousand of them +can be sent to Lambessa and to Cayenne, just as after the Second of +December. At the same time, the Jesuits will be placed at the head of +the schools, as they were under Charles X., the Pope will be restored, +Italy and Germany will be dismembered, and the dynasty will be placed +on a strong foundation for twenty years. Every twenty years they will +begin again, and the dynasty will strike deep root. But war there must +be." + +"But what do you mean? It is Bismarck who is beginning it," said I: +"it is he who is picking a German quarrel." + +"Bismarck," replied my cousin, "is well acquainted with everything that +is going on, and so are the very lowest workmen in Paris; but you, you +know nothing at all. Your only talk is about potatoes and cabbages: +your thoughts never go beyond this. You are kept in ignorance. You +are, as it were, the dung of the Empire--the manure to fatten the +dynasty. Bismarck is aware that our _honest man_ wants war, to temper +his army afresh, and shut the mouths of those whose talk is of economy, +liberty, honor, and justice; he knows that never will Prussia be so +strong again as she is now--she already covers three-fourths of +Germany; all the Germans will march at her side to fight against +France: they can put more than a million of men in the field in fifteen +days, and they will be three or four against one; with such odds there +is no need of genius, the war will go forward of itself--they are sure +of crushing the enemy." + +"But the Emperor must know that as well as you, George," said I; +"therefore he will be for peace." + +"No, he is relying upon his mitrailleuses: and then he wants to +strengthen his dynasty--what does the rest matter to him? To establish +his dynasty he took an oath before God and man to the Republic, and +then he trampled upon his oath and the Republic; he brought destruction +upon thousands of good men, who were defending the laws against him; he +has enriched thousands of thieves who uphold him; he has corrupted our +youth by the evil example of the prosperity of brigands, and the +misfortunes of the well-disposed; he has brought low everything that +was worthy of respect, he has exalted everything which excites disgust +and contempt. All the men who have approached this pestilence have +been contaminated, to the very marrow of their bones. You, Christian, +evidently cannot comprehend these abominable things; but the worst +rogues in this country, the wildest vagabonds among your peasants, +could never form an opinion of the villany of this _honest man_: they +are saints compared with him; at the very sight of him the heart of +every true Frenchman rises up against him: for the sake of his dynasty +he would sell and sacrifice us all to the last man." + +George, in uttering these words, was trembling with excitement: I saw +that he was convinced to the bottom of his heart of what he said. +Fortunately we were alone on the road, far from any village; no one +could hear us. + +"But that Hohenzollern," I said, after a few minutes' silence, "that +Leopold Hohenzollern--is not he the cause of all that is going on?" + +"No," said George; "if misfortunes come upon us, the _honest man_ alone +will be the cause of it. If you did but read a newspaper, you would +see that the Spaniards wanted for their king, Montpensier, a son of +Louis Philippe; that could only have turned out to our good: +Montpensier would naturally have become the ally of France. But that +was against the interests of the Napoleon dynasty; so the _honest man_ +threatened Spain; then the Spaniards nominated this Prussian prince in +the place of Montpensier; a prince who could not stand alone, but whom +a million of Germans would support if necessary. They fixed upon him +to annoy our gentleman; of course they had no need to ask for his +advice. Did France consult any one? did she trouble herself about +England, Spain, or Germany, when she proclaimed the Republic, or when +she proclaimed Louis Bonaparte Emperor? Has he then a right to thrust +his nose into their affairs? No; it is unpleasant for us; but the +Spaniards were right; there was no need for them to put themselves out +to please our _worthy man_ and his fine family. And now--happen what +may--I look no longer for peace; the Germans are withdrawing from our +country in all directions--they are joining their regiments; the order +has been given, and they obey; it is a bad sign. In all the villages +that I have been passing through, and upon every road, I have seen +these fine fellows, their bundles over their shoulders--they are off +home!" + +Thus spoke Cousin George to me. I thought this was a little too bad; +but, on arriving home, the first thing my wife said to me was, "Do you +know that Frantz is going?" + +"Our young man?" + +"Yes, he wants his wages." + +"Ah, indeed. Let him come here at the back, and we will have a talk." + +I was much surprised, and I made him come into my room at the bottom of +the mill, where I keep my papers and my books. His cow-skin pack was +already fastened upon his shoulder. + +"Are you going away, Frantz? Have you anything to complain of?" + +"No, nothing at all, Monsieur Weber. But I am obliged to go; for I +have received orders to join my regiment." + +"Are you a soldier, then?" + +"Yes, in the Landwehr. We are all soldiers in Germany." + +"But if you liked to stay here, who would come and fetch you?" + +"That is an impossibility, M. Weber. I should be declared a deserter. +I could never return home again. They would take away all my property, +present and to come; my brothers and sisters would come in for it." + +"Ah, that is a different thing! Now I understand. There--there's your +certificate of character." + +I had written a good certificate for him, for he was a good workman. I +paid him what I owed him to the last farthing, and wished him a +prosperous journey. + +Cousin George was right; those Germans were all moving homeward. You +would never have thought there were so many in the country; some had +passed themselves off for Swiss, some for Luxemburgers; others had +quite settled down, and no one would ever have suspected that they owed +two or three more years' service to their country. This gave rise to +disputes. Those whose situations they had taken, and who bore ill-will +against them, fell upon them; the _gendarmerie_ beat up the mountains; +things were taking an ugly turn. + +It was in vain that I affirmed at the mayoralty-house that the Emperor +breathed only peace; for the Gazettes of the prefecture talked of +nothing but the insults we had had to endure, the ambition of Prussia, +revenge for Sadowa, the Catholic nations who were going to declare _en +masse_ in our favor, and all the powers which affirmed the justice of +our cause: the enthusiasm for war grew higher and higher day by day; +especially that of the pedlers, the tinkers, the small dealers, and all +those good fellows who come out of the prisons, and who are continually +seeking for work without finding any; though they do find walls to get +over, doors to break in, cupboards to plunder. All these excellent +people declared that it was for the honor of France to make war upon +Germany. + +And then the Paris newspapers in the pay of the Government, as we have +more recently learned, continued arriving and were circulated gratis, +saying that our ambassador Benedetti had gone to see Frederick William +at the waters of Ems, to entreat him not to precipitate us into the +horrors of war; that the King had answered that all that was nothing to +him, for his Cousin Leopold of Hohenzollern had only consulted him out +of respect, as head of the family; that he was too good a relation to +advise him not to accept so good a windfall, which was coming down to +him out of the clouds. + +Then, indeed, did the indignation of the Gazettes burst upon the +Germans: they must, by all means, be brought to their senses. Now, +fancy the position of a mayor, who only two months before had made all +his village vote in the Plebiscite, promising them peace, and who saw +clearly at last how they had only made use of him as a tool to dupe his +people! I dared no longer look my cousin in the face, for he had +warned me of the thing; and now I knew what to think of the honorable +members of the Government. + +Affairs were going on so badly that war seemed imminent, when one fine +morning we learned that Hohenzollern had waived his right to be King of +Spain. Ah! now we were out of the mess: now we could breathe more +freely. That day my cousin himself was smiling; he came to the mill +and said to me: "The Emperor and his Ministers, his prefets and +sous-prefets, have not such long noses after all! How well things were +going on too! And now they will be obliged to wait for another +opportunity to begin. How they must feel sold!" + +We both laughed with delight. + +More than twenty-five of the principal inhabitants came that day to +shake hands with me at the mayoralty-house. It was concluded that his +excellency, Monsieur Emile Ollivier, would never be able to tinker this +war again, and that peace would be preserved in spite of him: in spite +of the Emperor, in spite of Marshal Leboeuf, who had declared to the +Senate _that we were ready--five times ready, and that during the whole +campaign we should never be short of so much as a gaiter button_. + +Hohenzollern was praised up to the skies for having shown such good +sense; and as the reserves had been called out, many young men were +glad to be able to remain in the bosom of their families. + +In a word, it was concluded that the whole affair was at an end; when +our _good man_ and his honorable Minister informed us that we had begun +to rejoice too soon. All at once, the report ran that Frederick +William had shown our ambassador the door, saying something so terribly +strong against the honor of his Majesty Napoleon III., that nobody +dared repeat it. It appeared that his Majesty the Emperor, seeing that +the King of Prussia had withdrawn his authorization from the Prince of +Hohenzollern to accept the Crown of Spain, had not been satisfied with +that; and that he had given orders to his ambassador to demand, +furthermore, his renunciation of any crown, whatever that the Spaniards +might offer him in all time to come--for himself or his family; and +that this King, who does not enjoy at all times the best of tempers, +had said something very strong touching _our honest man_. + +That day I was at the mayoralty-house about eleven o'clock. I had just +celebrated the marriage of Andre Fix with Kaan's daughter, and the +wedding-party had started for church, when the postman Michel comes in +and throws down the little _Moniteur_ upon the table. Then I sat down +to read about the great battle in the Legislative Chambers, fought by +Thiers, Gambetta, Jules Favre, Glais-Bizoin and others, against the +Ministers, in defence of peace. + +It was magnificent. But this had not prevented the majority, appointed +to do everything, from declaring war against the Germans, on account of +what the King of Prussia had said. + +What could he then have said? His excellency Emile Ollivier has never +dared to repeat it! My Cousin George declared that he had said +something that was right, and naturally very unpleasant: but it is +known now, by the reports of our ambassador, that the King of Prussia +had said _nothing at all_, and that the indignation of M. Ollivier was +nothing but a disgraceful sham to deceive the Chambers, and make them +vote for war. + +Well, this was the commencement of our calamities; and; for my part, I +find that this did not present a cheerful prospect. No! After having +endured such miseries, it is not pleasant to remember that we owe them +all to M. Emile Ollivier, to Monsieur Leboeuf, to Monsieur Bonaparte, +and to other men of that stamp, who are living at this moment +comfortably in their country-houses in Italy, in Switzerland, in +England; whilst so many unhappy creatures have had their lives +sacrificed, or have been utterly ruined; have lost father, children, +and friends: but we Alsacians and Lorrainers have lost more than +all--our own mother-country. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +The day following this declaration, Cousin George, who could never look +upon anything cheerfully, started for Belfort. He had ordered some +wine at Dijon, and he wished to stop it from coming. It was the 22d +July. George only returned five days later, on the 27th, having had +the greatest difficulty in getting there in time. + +During these five days I had a hard time. Orders were coming every +hour to hurry on the reserves and the Gardes Mobiles, and to cancel +renewable furloughs; the gendarmerie had no rest. The Government +gazette was telling us of the enthusiasm of the nation for the war. It +was pitiable; can you imagine young men sitting quietly at home, +thinking: "In five or six months I shall be exempt from service, I may +marry, settle, earn money," all at once, without either rhyme or +reason, becoming enthusiastic to go and knock over men they know +nothing of, and to risk their own bones against them. Is there a +shadow of good sense in such notions? + +And the Germans! Will any one persuade us that they were coming for +their own pleasure--all these thousands of workmen, tradesmen, +manufacturers, good citizens, who were living in peace in their towns +and their villages? Will any one maintain that they came and drew up +in lines facing our guns for their private satisfaction, with an +officer behind them, pistol in hand, to shoot them in the back if they +gave way? Do you suppose they found any amusement in that? Come now, +was not his excellency Monsieur Ollivier the only man who went into +war, as he himself said, "with a light heart?" He was safe to come +back, he was: he had not much to fear; he is quite well; he made a +fortune in a very short time! But the lads of our neighborhood, +Mathias Heitz, Jean Baptiste Werner, my son Jacob, and hundreds of +others, were in no such hurry: they would much rather have stayed in +their villages. + +Later on it was another matter, when you were fighting for your +country; then, of course, many went off as a matter of duty, without +being summoned, whilst Monsieur Ollivier and his friends were hiding, +God knows where! But at that particular moment when all our +misfortunes might have been averted, it is a falsehood to say that we +went enthusiastically to have ourselves cut to pieces for a pack of +intriguers and stage-players, whom we were just beginning to find out. + +When we saw our son Jacob, in his blouse, his bundle under his arm, +come into the mill, saying, "Now, father, I am going; you must not +forget to pull up the dam in half an hour, for the water will be up:" +when he said this to me, I tell you my heart trembled; the cries of his +mother in the room behind made my hair stand on end. I could have +wished to say a few words, to cheer up the lad, but my tongue refused +to move; and if I had held his excellency, M. Ollivier, or his +respected master, by the throat in a corner, they would have made a +queer figure: I should have strangled them in a moment! At last Jacob +went. + +All the young men of Sarrebourg, of Chateau Salins, and our +neighborhood, fifteen or sixteen hundred in number, were at Phalsbourg +to relieve the 84th, who at any moment might expect to be called away, +and who were complaining of their colonel for not claiming the foremost +rank for his regiment. The officers were afraid of arriving too late; +they wanted promotion, crosses, medals: fighting was their trade. + +What I have said about enthusiasm is true; it is equally true of the +Germans and the French; they had no desire to exterminate one another. +Bismarck and our _honest man_ alone are responsible: at their door lies +all the blood that has been shed. + +Cousin George returned from Belfort on the 27th, in the evening. I +fancy I still see him entering our room at nightfall; Gredel had +returned to us the day before, and we were at supper, with the tin lamp +upon the table; from my place, on the right, near the window, I was +able to watch the mill-dam. George arrived. + +"Ah! cousin, here you are back again! Did you get on all right?" + +"Yes, I have nothing to complain of," said he, taking a chair. "I +arrived just in time to countermand my order; but it was only by good +luck. What confusion all the way from Belfort to Strasbourg! the +troops, the recruits, the guns, the horses, the munitions of war, the +barrels of biscuits, all are arriving at the railway in heaps. You +would not know the country. Orders are asked for everywhere. The +telegraph-wires are no longer for private use. The commissaries don't +know where to find their stores, colonels are looking for their +regiments, generals for their brigades and divisions. They are seeking +for salt, sugar, coffee, bacon, meat, saddles and bridles--and they are +getting charts of the Baltic for a campaign in the Vosges! Oh!" cried +my cousin, uplifting his hands, "is it possible? Have we come to +that---we! we! Now it will be seen how expensive a thing is a +government of thieves! I warn you, Christian, it will be a failure! +Perhaps there will not even be found rifles in the arsenals, after the +hundreds of millions voted to get rifles. You will see; you will see!" + +He had begun to stride to and fro excitedly, and we, sitting on our +chairs, were looking at him open-mouthed, staring first right and then +left. His anger rose higher and higher, and he said, "Such is the +genius of our honest man, he conducts everything: he is our +commander-in-chief! A retired artillery captain, with whom I travelled +from Schlestadt to Strasbourg, told me that in consequence of the bad +organization of our forces, we should be unable to place more than two +hundred and fifty thousand men in line along our frontier from +Luxembourg to Switzerland; and that the Germans, with their superior +and long-prepared organization, could oppose to us, in eight days, a +force of five to six hundred thousand men; so that they will be more +than two to one at the outset, and they will crush us in spite of the +valor of our soldiers. This old officer, full of good sense, and who +has travelled in Germany, told me, besides, that the artillery of the +Prussians carries farther and is worked more rapidly than ours; which +would enable the Germans to dismount our batteries and our +mitrailleuses without getting any harm themselves. It seems that our +great man never thought of that." + +Then George began to laugh, and, as we said nothing, he went on: "And +the enemy--the Prussians, Bavarians, Badeners, Wurtembergers, the +_Courrier du Bas-Rhin_ declares that they are coming by regiments and +divisions from Frankfort and Munich to Rastadt, with guns, munitions, +and provisions in abundance; that all the country swarms with them, +from Karlsruhe to Baden; that they have blown up the bridge of Kehl, to +prevent us from outflanking them; that we have not troops enough at +Wissembourg. But what is the use of complaining? Our +commander-in-chief knows better than the _Courrier du Bas-Rhin_; he is +an iron-clad fellow, who takes no advice: a man must have some courage +to offer him advice!" + +And all at once, stopping short, "Christian," he said, "I have come to +give you a little advice." + +"What?" + +"Hide all the money you have got; for, from what I have seen down +there, in a few days the enemy will be in Alsace." + +Imagine my astonishment at hearing these words. George was not the man +to joke about serious matters, nor was he a timid man: on the contrary, +you would have to go far to find a braver man. Therefore, fancy my +wife's and Gredel's alarm. + +"What, George," said I, "do you think that possible?" + +"Listen to me," said he. "When on the one side you see nothing but +empty beings, without education, without judgment, prudence, or method; +and on the other, men who for fifty years have been preparing a mortal +blow--anything is possible. Yes, I believe it; in a fortnight the +Germans will be in Alsace. Our mountains will check them; the +fortresses of Bitche, of Petite Pierre, of Phalsbourg and Lichtenberg; +the abatis, and the intrenchments which will be formed in the passes; +the ambuscades of every kind which will be set, the bridges and the +railway tunnels that they will blow up--all this will prevent them from +going farther for three or four months until winter; but, in the +meantime, they will send this way reconnoitring parties--Uhlans, +hussars, brigands of every kind--who will snap up everything, pillage +everywhere--wheat, flour, hay, straw, bacon, cattle, and principally +money. War will be made upon our backs. We Alsacians and Lorrainers, +we shall have to pay the bill. I know all about it. I have been all +over the country-side; believe me. Hide everything; that is what I +mean to do; and, if anything happens, at least it will not be our +fault. I would not go to bed without giving you this warning; so +good-night, Christian; good-night, everybody!" + +He left us, and we sat a few moments gazing stupidly at each other. My +wife and Gredel wanted to hide everything that very night. Gredel, +ever since she had got Jean Baptiste Werner into her head, was thinking +of nothing but her marriage-portion. She knew that we had about a +hundred louis in cent-sous pieces in a basket at the bottom of the +cupboard; she said to herself, "That's my marriage-portion!" And this +troubled her more than anything: she even grew bolder, and wanted to +keep the keys herself. But her mother is not a woman to be led: every +minute she cried: "Take care, Gredel! mind what you are about!" + +She looked daggers at her; and I was continually obliged to come to +preserve peace between them; for Catherine is not gifted with patience. +And so all our troubles came together. + +But, in spite of what George had just been saying, I was not afraid. +The Germans were less than sixteen leagues from us, it is true, but +they would have first to cross the Rhine; then we knew that at +Mederbronn the people were complaining of the troops cantoned in the +villages: this was a proof that there was no lack of soldiers; and then +MacMahon was at Strasbourg; the Turcos, the Zouaves, and the Chasseurs +d'Afrique were coming up. + +So I said to my wife that there was no hurry yet; that Cousin George +had long detested the Emperor; but that all that did not mean much, and +it was better to see things for one's self; that I should go to Saverne +market, and if things looked bad, then I would sell all our corn and +flour, which would come to a hundred louis, and which we would bury +directly with the rest. + +My wife took courage; and if I had not had a great deal to grind for +the bakers in our village, I should have gone next day to Saverne and +should have seen what was going on. Unfortunately, ever since Frantz +and Jacob had left, the mill was on my hands, and I scarcely had time +to turn round. + +Jacob was a great trouble to me besides, asking for money by the +postman Michel. This man told me that the Mobiles had not yet been +called out, and that they were lounging from one public-house to +another in gangs to kill time; that they had received no rifles; that +they were not chartered in the barracks; and that they did not get a +farthing for their food. + +This disorder disgusted me; and I reflected that an Emperor who sends +for all the young men in harvest-time, ought at least to feed them, and +not leave them to be an expense to their parents. For all that I sent +money to Jacob: I could not allow him to suffer hunger. But it was a +trouble to my mind to keep him down there with my money, sauntering +about with his hands in his pockets, whilst I, at my age, was obliged +to carry sacks up into the loft, to fetch them down again, to load the +carts alone, and, besides, to watch the mill; for no one could be met +with now, and the old day-laborer, Donadieu, quite a cripple, was all +the help I had. After that, only imagine our anxiety, our fatigue, and +our embarrassment to know what to do. + +The other people in the village were in no better spirits than +ourselves. The old men and women thought of their sons shut up in the +town, and the great drought continuing: we could rely upon nothing. +The smallpox had broken out, too. Nothing would sell, nothing could be +sent by railway: planks, beams, felled timber, building-stone, all lay +at the saw-pits or the stone-quarry. The sous-prefet kept on troubling +me to search and find out three or four scamps who had not reported +themselves, and the consequence of all this was that I did not get to +Saverne that week. + +Then it was announced that at last the Emperor had just quitted Paris, +to place himself at the head of his armies; and five or six days after +came the news of his great victory at Sarrebrueck, where the +mitrailleuses had mown down the Prussians; where the little Prince had +picked up bullets, "which made old soldiers shed tears of emotion." + +On learning this the people became crazy with joy. On all sides were +heard cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" and Monsieur le Cure preached the +extermination of the heretic Prussians. Never had the like been seen. +That very day, toward evening, just after stopping the mill, all at +once I heard in the distance, toward the road, cries of "_Aux armes, +citoyens! formez vos bataillons!_" + +The dust from the road rose up into the clouds. It was the 84th +departing from Phalsbourg; they were going to Metz, and the people who +were working in the fields near the road, said, on returning at night, +that the poor soldiers, with their knapsacks on their shoulders, could +scarcely march for the heat; that the people were treating them with +eau-de-vie and wine at all the doors in Metting, and they said, +"Good-by! long life to you!" that the officers, too, were shaking hands +with everybody, whilst the people shouted, "Vive l'Empereur!" + +Yes, this victory of Sarrebrueck had changed the face of things in our +villages; the love of war was returning. War is always popular when it +is successful, and there is a prospect of extending our own territory +into other peoples' countries. + +That night about nine o'clock I went to caution my cousin to hold his +tongue; for after this great victory one word against the dynasty might +send him a very long way off. He was alone with his wife, and said to +me, "Thank you, Christian, I have seen the despatch. A few brave +fellows have been killed, and they have shown the young Prince to the +army. That poor little weakly creature has picked up a few bullets on +the battle-field. He is the heir of his uncle, the terrible captain of +Jena and Austerlitz! Only one officer has been killed; it is not much; +but if the heir of the dynasty had had but a scratch, the gazettes +would have shed tears, and it would have been our duty to fall +fainting." + +"Do try to be quiet," said I, looking to see if the windows were all +close. "Do take care, George. Don't commit yourself to Placiard and +the gendarmes." + +"Yes," said he, "the enemies of the dynasty are at this moment in worse +danger than the little Prince. If victories go on, they will run the +risk of being plucked pretty bare. I am quite aware of that, my +cousin; and so I thank you for having come to warn me." + +This is all that he said to me, and I returned home full of thoughts. + +Next day, Thursday, market-day, I drove my first two wagon-loads of +flour to Saverne, and sold them at a good figure. That day I observed +the tremendous movement along the railroads, of which Cousin George had +spoken; the carriage of mitrailleuses, guns, chests of biscuits, and +the enthusiasm of the people, who were pouring out wine for the +soldiers. + +It was just like a fair in the principal street, from the chateau to +the station--a fair of little white loaves and sausages; but the +Turcos, with their blue jackets, their linen trousers, and their +scarlet caps, took the place of honor: everybody wanted to treat them. + +I had never before seen any of these men; their yellow skins, their +thick lips, the conspicuous whites of their eyes, surprised me; and I +said to myself, seeing the long strides they took with their thin legs, +that the Germans would find them unpleasant neighbors. Their officers, +too, with their swords at their sides, and their pointed beards, looked +splendid soldiers. At every public-house door, a few Chasseurs +d'Afrique had tied their small light horses, all alike and beautifully +formed like deer. No one refused them anything; and in all directions, +in the inns, the talk was of ambulances and collections for the +wounded. Well, seeing all this, George's ideas seemed to me more and +more opposed to sound sense, and I felt sure that we were going to +crush all resistance. + +About two o'clock, having dined at the Boeuf, I took the way to the +village through Phalsbourg, to see Jacob in passing. As I went up the +hill, something glittered from time to time on the slope through the +woods, when all at once hundreds of cuirassiers came out upon the road +by the Alsace fountain. They were advancing at a slow pace by twos, +their helmets and their cuirasses threw back flashes of light upon all +the trees, and the trampling of their hoofs rolled like the rush of a +mighty river. + +Then I drew my wagon to one side to see all these men march past me, +sitting immovable in their saddles as if they were sleeping, the head +inclined forward, and the mustache hanging, riding strong, square-built +horses, the canvas bag suspended from the side, and the sabre ringing +against the boot. Thus they filed past me for half an hour. They +extended their long lines, and stretched on yet to the Schlittenbach. +I thought there would be no end to them. Yet these were only two +regiments; two others were encamped upon the glacis of Phalsbourg, +where I arrived about five in the afternoon. They were driving the +pickets into the turf with axes; they were lighting fires for cooking; +the horses were neighing, and the townspeople--men, women, and +children--were standing gazing at them. + +I passed on my way, reflecting upon the strength of such an army, and +pitying, by anticipation, the ill-fated Germans whom they were going to +encounter. Entering through the gate of Germany, I saw the officers +looking for lodgings, the Gardes Mobiles, in blouses, mounting guard. +They had received their rifles that morning; and the evening before, +Monsieur le Sous-prefet of Sarrebourg had come himself to appoint the +officers of the National Guard. This is what I had learned at the +Vacheron brewery, where I had stopped, leaving my cart outside at the +corner of the "Trois Pigeons." + +Everybody was talking about our victory at Sarrebrueck, especially those +cuirassiers, who were emptying bottles by the hundred, to allay the +dust of the road. They looked quite pleased, and were saying that war +on a large scale was beginning again, and that the heavy cavalry would +be in demand. It was quite a pleasure to look on them, with their red +ears, and to hear them rejoicing at the prospect of meeting the enemy +soon. + +In the midst of all these swarms of people, of servants running, +citizens coming and going, I could have wished to see Jacob; but where +was I to look for him? At last I recognized a lad of our +village--Nicolas Maisse--the son of the wood-turner, our neighbor, who +immediately undertook to find him. He went out, and in a quarter of an +hour Jacob appeared. + +The poor fellow embraced me. The tears came into my eyes. + +"Well now," said I, "sit down. Are you pretty well?" + +"I had rather be at home," said he. + +"Yes, but that is impossible now; you must have patience." + +I also invited young Maisse to take a glass with us, and both +complained bitterly that Mathias Heitz, junior, had been made a +lieutenant, who knew no more of the science of war than they did, and +who now had ordered of Kuhn, the tailor, an officer's uniform, +gold-laced up to the shoulders. Yet Mathias was a friend of Jacob's. +But justice is justice. + +This piece of news filled me with indignation: what should Mathias +Heitz be made an officer for? He had never learned anything at +college; he would never have been able to earn a couple of +_liards_--whilst our Jacob was a good miller's apprentice. + +It was abominable. However, I made no remark; I only asked if Jean +Baptiste Werner, who had a few days before joined the artillery of the +National Guard, was an officer too? + +Then they replied angrily that Jean Baptiste Werner, in spite of his +African and Mexican campaigns, was only a gunner in the Mariet battery, +behind the powder magazines. Those who knew nothing became officers; +those who knew something of war, like Mariet and Werner, were privates, +or at the most sergeants. All this showed me that Cousin George was +right in saying that we should be driven like beasts, and that our +chiefs were void of common-sense. + +Looking at all these people coming and going, the time passed away. +About eight o'clock, as we were hungry, and I wished to keep my boy +with me as long as I could, I sent for a good salad and sausages, and +we were eating together, with full hearts, to be sure, but with a good +appetite. But a few moments after the retreat, just when the +cuirassiers were going to camp out, and their officers, heavy and +weary, were going to rest in their lodgings, a few bugle notes were +sounded in the _place d'armes_, and we heard a cry--"To horse! to +horse!" + +Immediately all was excitement. A despatch had arrived; the officers +put on their helmets, fastened on their swords, and came running out +through the gate of Germany. Countenances changed; every one asked, +"What is the meaning of this?" + +At the same time the police inspector came up; he had seen my cart, and +cried, "Strangers must leave the place--the gates are going to be +closed." + +Then I had only just time to embrace my son, to press Nicolas's hand, +and to start at a sharp gallop for the gate of France. The drawbridge +was just on the rise as I passed it; five minutes after I was galloping +along the white high-road by moonlight, on the way to Metting. Outside +on the glacis, there was not a sound; the pickets had been drawn, and +the two regiments of cavalry were on the road to Saverne. + +I arrived home late: everybody was asleep in our village. Nobody +suspected what was about to happen within a week. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +The whole way I thought of nothing but the cuirassiers. This order to +march immediately appeared to me to betoken no good: something serious +must have occurred; and as, upon the stroke of eleven, I was putting my +horses up, after having put my cart under its shed, the idea came into +my head that it was time now to hide my money. I was bringing back +from Saverne sixteen hundred livres: this heavy leathern purse in my +pocket was perhaps what reminded me. I remembered what Cousin George +had said about Uhlans and other scamps of that sort, and I felt a cold +shiver come over me. + +Having, then, gone upstairs very softly, I awoke my wife: "Get up, +Catherine." + +"What is the matter?" + +"Get up: it is time to hide our money." + +"But what is going on?" + +"Nothing. Be quiet--make no noise--Gredel is asleep. You will carry +the basket: put into it your ring and your ear-rings, everything that +we have got. You hear me! I am going to empty the ditch, and we will +bury everything at the bottom of it." + +Then, without answering, she arose. + +I went down to the mill, opened the back-door softly, and listened. +Nothing was stirring in the village; you might have heard a cat moving. +The mill had stopped, and the water was pretty high. I lifted the +mill-dam, the water began to rush, boiling, down the gulley; but our +neighbors were used to this noise even in their sleep, so all remained +quiet. + +Then I went in again, and I was busy emptying into a corner the little +box of oak in which I kept my tools--the pincers, the hammer, the +screw-driver, and the nails, when my wife, in her slippers, came +downstairs. She had the basket under her arm, and was carrying the +lighted lantern. I blew it out in a moment, thinking: Never was a +woman such a fool. + +Downstairs I asked Catherine if everything was in the basket. + +"Yes." + +"Right. But I have brought from Saverne sixteen hundred francs: the +wheat and the flour sold well." + +I had put some bran into the box; everything was carefully laid in the +bottom; and then I put on a padlock, and we went out, after having +looked to see if all was quiet in the neighborhood. The sluice was +already almost empty; there was only one or two feet of water. I +cleared away the few stones which kept the rest of the water from +running out, and went into it with my spade and pickaxe as far as just +beneath the dam, where I began to make a deep hole; the water was +hindering me, but it was flowing still. + +Catherine, above, was keeping watch: sometimes she gave a low "Hush!" + +Then we listened, but it was nothing--the mewing of a cat, the noise of +the running water--and I went on digging. If anyone had had the +misfortune to surprise us, I should have been capable of doing him a +mischief. Happily no one came; and about two o'clock in the morning +the hole was three or four feet deep. I let down the box, and laid it +down level, first stamping soil down upon it with my heavy shoes, then +gravel, then large stones, then sand; the mud would cover all over of +itself: there is always plenty of mud in a millstream. + +After this I came out again covered with mud. I shut down the dam, and +the water began to rise. About three o'clock, at the dawn of day, the +sluice was almost full. I could have begun grinding again; and nobody +would ever have imagined that in this great whirling stream, nine feet +under water and three feet under ground, lay a snug little square box +of oak, clamped with iron, with a good padlock on it, and more than +four thousand livres inside. I chuckled inwardly, and said: "Now let +the rascals come!" + +And Catherine was well pleased too. But about four, just as I was +going up to bed again, comes Gredel, pale with alarm, crying: "Where is +the money!" + +She had seen the cupboard open and the basket empty. Never had she had +such a fright in her life before. Thinking that her marriage-portion +was gone, her ragged hair stood upon end; she was as pale as a sheet. +"Be quiet," I said, "the money is in a safe place." + +"Where?" + +"It is hidden." + +"Where?" + +She looked as if she was going to seize me by the collar, but her +mother said to her: "That is no business of yours." + +Then she became furious, and said, that if we came to die, she would +not know where to find her marriage-portion. + +This quarrelling annoyed me, and I said to her: "We are not going to +die; on the contrary, we shall live a long while yet, to prevent you +and your Jean Baptiste from inheriting our goods." + +And thereupon I went to bed, leaving Gredel and her mother to come to a +settlement together. + +All I can say is that girls, when they have got anything into their +heads, become too bold with their parents, and all the excellent +training they have had ends in nothing. Thank God, I had nothing to +reproach myself with on that score, nor her mother either. Gredel had +had four times as many blows as Jacob, because she deserved it, on +account of her wanting to keep everything, putting it all into her own +cupboard, and saying, "There, that's mine!" + +Yes, indeed, she had had plenty of correction of that kind: but you +cannot beat a girl of twenty: you cannot correct girls at that age; and +that was just my misfortune: it ought to go on forever! + +Well, it can't be helped. + +She upset the house and rummaged the mill from top to bottom, she +visited the garden, and her mother said to her, "You see, we have got +it in a safe place; since you cannot find it, the Uhlans won't." + +I remember that just as we were going up to sleep, that day, the 5th of +August, early in the morning, Catherine and I had seen Cousin George in +his char-a-banc coming down the valley of Dosenheim, and it seemed to +us that he was out very early. The village was waking up; other +people, too, were going to work: I lay down, and about eight o'clock my +wife woke me to tell me that the postman, Michel, was there. I came +down, and saw Michel standing in our parlor with his letter-bag under +his arm. He was thoughtful, and told me that the worst reports were +abroad; that they were speaking of the great battle near Wissembourg, +where we had been defeated; that several maintained that we had lost +ten thousand men, and the Germans seventeen thousand; but that there +was nothing certain, because it was not known whence these rumors +proceeded, only that the commanding officer of Phalsbourg, Taillant, +had proclaimed that morning that the inhabitants would be obliged to +lay in provisions for six weeks. Naturally, such a proclamation set +people a-thinking, and they said: "Have we a siege before us? Have we +gone back to the times of the great retreat and downfall of the first +Emperor? Ought things forever to end in the same fashion?" + +My wife, Gredel, and I, stood listening to Michel, with lips +compressed, without interrupting him. + +"And you, Michel," said I, when he had done, "what do you think of it +all?" + +"Monsieur le Maire, I am a poor postman; I want my place; and if my +five hundred francs a year were taken from me, what would become of my +wife and children?" + +Then I saw that he considered our prospects were not good. He handed +me a letter from Monsieur le Sous-prefet--it was the last--telling me +to watch false reports; that false news should be severely punished, by +order of our prefet, Monsieur Podevin. + +We could have wished no better than that the news had been false! But +at that time, everything that displeased the sous-prefets, the prefets, +the Ministers, and the Emperor, was false, and everything that pleased +them, everything that helped to deceive people--like that peaceful +Plebiscite--was truth! + +Let us change the subject: the thought of these things turns me sick! + +Michel went away, and all that day might be noticed a stir of +excitement in our village; men coming and going, women watching, people +going into the wood, each with a bag, spade, and pickaxe; stables +clearing out; a great movement, and all faces full of care: I have +always thought that at that moment every one was hiding, burying +anything he could hide or bury. I was sorry I had not begun to sell my +corn sooner, when my cousin had cautioned me a week before; but my +duties as mayor had prevented me: we must pay for our honors. I had +still four cart-loads of corn in my barn--now where could I put them? +And the cattle, and the furniture, the bedding, provisions of every +sort? Never will our people forget those days, when every one was +expecting, listening, and saying: "We are like the bird upon the twig. +We have toiled, and sweated, and saved for fifty years, to get a little +property of our own; to-morrow shall we have anything left? And next +week, next month--shall we not be starving to death? And in those days +of distress, shall we be able to borrow a couple of liards upon our +land, or our house? Who will lend to us? And all this on account of +whom? Scoundrels who have taken us in." + +Ah! if there is any justice above, as every honest man believes, these +abominable fellows will have a heavy reckoning to pay. So many +miserable men, women, children await them there; they are there to +demand satisfaction for all their sufferings. Yes, I believe it. But +they--oh! they believe in nothing! There are, indeed, dreadful +brigands in this world! + +All that day was spent thus, in weariness and anxiety. Nothing was +known. We questioned the people who were coming from Dosenheim, +Neuviller, or from farther still, but they gave no answer but this: +"Make your preparations! The enemy is advancing!" + +And then my stupid fool of a deputy, Placiard, who for fifteen years +did nothing but cry for tobacco licenses, stamp offices, promotion for +his sons, for his son-in-law, and even for himself--a sort of beggar, +who spent his life in drawing up petitions and denunciations--he came +into the mill, saying, "Monsieur le Maire, everything is going on +well--camarche--the enemy are being drawn into the plain: they are +coming into the net. To-morrow we shall hear that they are all +exterminated, every one!" + +And the municipal councillors, Arnold, Frantz, Sepel, Baptiste Dida, +the wood-monger, came crowding in, saying that the enemy must be +exterminated; that fire must be set to the forest of Haguenau to roast +them, and so on! Every one had his own plan. What fools men can be! + +But the worst of it was when my wife, having learned from Michel the +proclamations in the town, went up into our bacon stores, to send a few +provisions to Jacob; and she perceived our two best hams were missing, +with a pig's cheek, and some sausages which had been smoked weeks. + +Then you should have seen her flying down the stairs, declaring that +the house was full of thieves; that there was no trusting anybody; and +Gredel, crying louder than she, that surely Frantz, that thief of a +Badener, had made off with them. But mother had visited the bacon-room +a couple of days after Frantz had left; she had seen that everything +was straight; and her wrath redoubled. + +Then said Gredel that perhaps Jacob, before leaving home, had put the +hams into his bag with all the rest; but mother screamed, "It is a +falsehood! I should have seen it. Jacob has never taken anything +without asking for it. He is an honest lad." + +The clatter of the mill was music compared to this uproar: I could have +wished to take to flight. + +About seven my cousin came back upon his char-a-banc. He was returning +from Alsace; and I immediately ran into his house to hear what news he +had. George, in his large parlor, was pulling off his boots and +putting on his blouse when I entered. + +"Is that you, Christian?" said he. "Is your money safe?" + +"Yes." + +"Very well. I have just heard fine news at Bouxviller. Our affairs +are in splendid order! We have famous generals! Oh, yes! here is +rather a queer beginning; and, if matters go on in this way, we shall +come to a remarkable end." + +His wife, Marie Anne, was coming in from the kitchen: she set upon the +table a leg of mutton, bread, and wine. George sat down, and whilst +eating, told me that two regiments of the line, a regiment of Turcos, a +battalion of light infantry, and a regiment of light horse, with three +guns, had been posted in advance of Wissembourg, and that they were +there quietly bathing in the Lauter, and washing their clothes, right +in front of fifty thousand Germans, hidden in the woods; not to mention +eighty thousand more on our right, who were only waiting for a good +opportunity to cross the Rhine. They had been posted, as it were, in +the very jaws of a wolf, which had only to give a snap to catch them, +every one--and this had not failed to take place! + +The Germans had surprised our small army corps the morning before; +fierce encounters had taken place in the vines around Wissembourg; our +men were short of artillery; the Turcos, the light-armed men, and the +line had fought like lions, one to six: they had even taken eight guns +in the beginning of the action; but German supports coming up in heavy +masses had at last cut them to pieces; they had bombarded Wissembourg, +and set fire to the town; only a few of our men had been able to +retreat to the cover of the woods of Bitche going up the Vosse. It was +said that a general had been killed, and that villages were lying in +ruins. + +It was at Bouxviller that my cousin had heard of this disaster, some of +the light horsemen having arrived the same evening. There was also a +talk of deserters; as if soldiers, after being routed, without +knowledge of a woody country full of mountains, going straight before +them to escape from the enemy, should be denounced as deserters. This +is one of the abominations that we have seen since that time. Many +heartless people preferred crying out that these poor soldiers had +deserted rather than give them bread and wine: it was more convenient, +and cheaper. + +"Now," said George, "all the army of Strasbourg, and that of the +interior, who should have been in perfect order, fresh, rested, and +provided with everything at Haguenau, but the rear of which is still +lagging behind on the railways as far as Luneville; all these are +running down there, to check the invasion. Fourteen regiments of +cavalry, principally cuirassiers and chasseurs, are assembling at +Brumath. Something is expected there; MacMahon is already on the +heights of Reichshoffen, with the commander of engineers, Mohl, of +Haguenau, and other staff officers, to select his position. As fast as +the troops arrive they extend before Mederbronn. I heard this from +some people who were flying with wives and children, their beds and +other chattels on carts, as I was leaving Bouxviller about three +o'clock. They wanted to reach the fort of Petite Pierre; but hearing +that the fort is occupied by a company, they have moved toward +Strasbourg. I think they were right. A great city, like Strasbourg, +has always more resources than a small place, where they have only a +few palisades stuck up to hide fifty men." + +This was what Cousin George had learned that very day. + +Hearing him speak, my first thought was to run to the mill, load as +much furniture as I could upon two wagons, and drive at once to +Phalsbourg; but my cousin told me that the gates would be closed; that +we should have to wait outside until the reopening of the barriers, and +that we must hope that it would be time enough to-morrow. + +According to him, the great battle would not be fought for two or three +days yet, because a great number of Germans had yet to cross the river, +and they would, no doubt, be opposed. It is true that the fifty +thousand men who had made themselves masters of Wissembourg might +descend the Sauer; but then we should be nearly equal, and it was to +the interest of the Germans only to fight when they were three to one. +George had heard some officers discussing this point at the inn, in the +presence of many listeners, and he believed, according to this, that +the 5th army corps, which was extending in the direction of Metz, by +Bitche and Sarreguemines, under the orders of General de Failly, would +have time to arrive and support MacMahon. I thought so, too: it seemed +a matter of course. + +We talked over these miseries till nine o'clock. My wife and Gredel +had come to carry their quarrels even to my Cousin Marie Anne's, who +said to them: "Oh! do try to be reasonable. What matter two or three +hams, Catherine? Perhaps you will soon be glad to know that they have +done good to Jacob, instead of seeing them eaten up by Uhlans under +your own eyes." + +You may be sure that my wife did not agree with this. But at ten +o'clock, Cousin Marie Anne, full of thought, having said that her +husband was tired and that he had need of rest, we left, after having +wished him good-evening, and we returned home. + +That night--if my wife had not awoke from time to time, to tell me that +we were robbed, that the thieves were taking everything from us, and +that we should be ruined at last--I should have slept very well; but +there seemed no end to her worrying, and I saw that she suspected +Gredel of having given the hams to Michel for Jean Baptiste Werner, +without, however, daring to say so much. I was thinking of other +things, and was glad to see her go down in the morning to attend to her +kitchen; not till then did I get an hour or two of sleep. + +The next day all was quiet in the village; everybody had hid his +valuables, and they only feared one thing, and that was a sortie from +Phalsbourg to carry off our cattle. All the children were set to watch +in the direction of Wechem; and if anything had stirred in that +quarter, all the cattle would have been driven into the woods in ten +minutes. + +But there was no movement. All the soldiers of the line had gone, and +the commanding officer, Taillant, could not send the lads of our +village to carry away their own parents' cattle. So all this day, the +10th of August, was quiet enough in our mountains. + +About twelve o'clock some wood-cutters of Krappenfelz came to tell us +that they could hear cannon on the heights of the Falberg, in the +direction of Alsace; but they were not believed, and it was said: + +"These are inventions to frighten us." For many people take a pleasure +in frightening others. + +All was quiet until about ten o'clock at night. It was very warm; I +was sitting on a bench before my mill, in my shirt-sleeves, thinking of +all my troubles. From time to time a thick cloud overshadowed the +moon, which had not happened for a long time, and rain was hoped for. +Gredel was washing the plates and dishes in the kitchen; my wife was +trotting up and down, peeping into the cupboards to see if anything +else had been stolen besides her hams; in the village, windows and +shutters were closing one after another; and I was going up to bed too, +when a kind of a rumor rose from the wood and attracted my attention; +it was a distant murmuring; something was galloping there, carts were +rolling, a gust of wind was passing. What could it be? My wife and +Gredel had gone out, and were listening too. At that moment, from the +other end of the village, arose a dispute which prevented us from +making out this noise any longer, which was approaching from the +mountain, and I said to Catherine: "The drunkards at the 'Cruchon d'Or' +begin these disturbances every night. I must put an end to that, for +it is a disgrace to the parish." + +But I had scarcely said this when a crowd of people appeared in the +street opposite the mill, shouting, "A deserter! a deserter!" + +And the shrill voice of my deputy Placiard rose above all the rest, +crying: "Take care of the horse! Mind you don't let him escape!" + +A tall cuirassier was moving quietly in the midst of all this mob, +every man in which wanted to lay hold of him--one by the arm, another +by the collar. He was making no resistance, and his horse followed him +limping, and hanging his head; the _bangard_ was leading him by the +bridle. + +Placiard then seeing me at the door, cried: "Monsieur le Maire, I bring +you a deserter, one of those who fled from Wissembourg, and who are now +prowling about the country to live and glut at the expense of the +country people. He is drunk even now. I caught him myself." All the +rest, men and women, shouted: "Shut him up in a stable! Send for the +gendarmes to fetch him away! Do this--do that"--and so on. + +I was much astonished to see this fine tall fellow, with his helmet and +his cuirass, who could have shouldered his way in a minute through all +these people, going with them like a lamb. Cousin George had come up +at the same moment. We hardly knew what to do about this business, for +man and horse were standing there perfectly still, as if stupefied. + +At last I felt I must say something, and I said: "Come in." + +The _bangard_ tied up the horse to the ring in the barn, and we all +burst in a great crowd into my large parlor downstairs, slamming the +door in the face of all those brawlers who had nothing to do in the +house; but they remained outside, never ceasing for a moment to shout: +"A deserter!" And half the village was coming: in all directions you +could hear the wooden clogs clattering. + +Once in the room, my wife fetched a candle from the kitchen. Then, +catching sight of this strong and square-built man, with his thick +mustaches, his tall figure, his sword at his side, his sleeves and his +cuirass stained with blood, and the skin on one side of his face torn +away and bruised all round to the back of the head, we saw at once that +he was not a deserter, and that something terrible had happened in our +neighborhood; and Placiard having again begun to tell us how he had +himself caught this soldier in his garden, where the poor wretch was +going to hide, George cried indignantly: "Come now, does a man like +that hide himself? I tell you, M. Placiard, that it would have taken +twenty like you to hold him, if he had chosen to resist." + +The cuirassier then turned his head and gazed at George; but he spoke +not a word. He seemed to be mute with stupefaction. + +"You have come from a fight, my friend, haven't you?" said my cousin, +gently. + +"Yes, sir." + +"So they have been fighting to-day?" + +"Yes." + +"Where?" + +The cuirassier pointed in the direction of the Falberg, on the left by +the saw-mills. "Down there," he said, "behind the mountains." + +"At Reichshoffen?" + +"Yes, that is it: at Reichshoffen." + +"This man is exhausted," said George: "Catherine, bring some wine." My +wife took the bottle out of the cupboard and filled a glass; but the +cuirassier would not drink: he looked on the ground before him, as if +something was before his eyes. What he had just told us made us turn +pale. + +"And," said George, "the cuirassiers charged?" + +"Yes," said the soldier, "all of them." + +"Where is your regiment now?" He raised his head. + +"My regiment? it is down there in the vineyards, amongst the hops, in +the river...." + +"What! in the river?" + +"Yes: there are no more cuirassiers!" + +"No more cuirassiers?" cried my cousin; "the six regiments?" + +"Yes, it is all over!" said the soldier, in a low voice: "the grapeshot +has mown them down. There are none left!" + +[Illustration: "THE GRAPESHOT HAS MOWN THEM DOWN. THERE ARE NONE +LEFT!"] + +"Oh!" cried Placiard, "now you see: what did I say? He is one of those +villains who propagate false reports. Can six regiments be mown down? +Did you not yourself say, Monsieur le Maire, that those six regiments +alone would bear down everything before them?" + +I could answer nothing; but the perspiration ran down my face. + +"You must lock him up somewhere, and let the gendarmes know," continued +Placiard. "Such are the orders of Monsieur le Sous-prefet." + +The cuirassier wiped with his sleeves the blood which was trickling +upon his cheek; he appeared to hear nothing. + +Out of all the open windows were leaning the forms of the village +people, with attentive ears. + +George and I looked at each other in alarm. + +"You have blood upon you," said my cousin, pointing to the soldier's +cuirass, who started and answered: + +"Yes; that is the blood of a white lancer: I killed him!" + +"And that wound upon your cheek?" + +"That was given me with a sword handle. I got that from a Bavarian +officer--it stunned me--I could no longer see--my horse galloped away +with me." + +"So you were hand-to-hand?" + +"Yes, twice; we could not use our swords: the men caught hold of one +another, fought and killed one another with sword hilts." + +Placiard was again going to begin his exclamations, when George became +furious: "Hold your tongue, you abominable toady! Are you not ashamed +of insulting a brave soldier, who has fought for his country?" + +"Monsieur le Maire," cried Placiard, "will you suffer me to be insulted +under your roof while I am fulfilling my duties as deputy?" + +I was much puzzled: but George, looking angrily at him, was going to +answer for me; when a loud cry arose outside in the midst of a furious +clattering of horses: a terrible cry, which pierced to the very marrow +of our bones. + +"The Prussians! The Prussians!" + +At the same moment a troop of disbanded horsemen were flying past our +windows at full speed: they flashed past us like lightning; the crowd +fell back; the women screamed: "Lord have mercy upon us! we are all +lost!" + +After these cries, and the passage of these men, I stood as if rooted +to the floor, listening to what was going on outside; but in another +minute all was silence. Turning round, I saw that everybody, +neighbors, men and women, Placiard, the rural policeman, all had +slipped out behind. Gredel, my wife, George, the cuirassier, and +myself, stood alone in the room. My cousin said to me: "This man has +told you the truth; the great battle has been fought and lost to-day! +These are the first fugitives who have just passed. Now is the time +for calmness and courage; let everybody be prepared: we are going to +witness terrible things." + +And turning to the soldier: "You may go, my friend," he said, "your +horse is there; but if you had rather stay----" + +"No; I will not be made prisoner!" + +"Then come, I will put you on the way." + +We went out together. The horse before the barn had not moved; I +helped the cuirassier to mount: George said to him: "Here, on the +right, is the road to Metz; on the left to Phalsbourg; at Phalsbourg, +by going to the right, you will be on the road to Paris." + +And the horse began to walk, dragging itself painfully. Then only did +we see that a shred of flesh was hanging down its leg, and that it had +lost a great deal of blood. My cousin followed, forgetting to say +good-night. Was it possible to sleep after that? + +From time to time during the night horsemen rode past at the gallop. +Once, at daybreak, I went to the mill-dam, to look down the valley; +they were coming out of the woods by fives, sixes, and tens, leaping +out of the hedges, smashing the young trees; instead of following the +road, they passed through the fields, crossed the river, and rode up +the hill in front, without troubling about the corps. There seemed no +end of them! + +About six the bells began to ring for matins. It was Sunday, the 7th +August, 1870; the weather was magnificent. Monsieur le Cure crossed +the street at nine, to go to church, but only a few old women attended +the service to pray. + +Then commenced the endless passage of the defeated army retreating upon +Sarrebourg, down the valley; a spectacle of desolation such as I shall +never forget in my life. Hundreds of men who could scarcely be +recognized as Frenchmen were coming up in disordered bands; cavalry, +infantry, cuirassiers without cuirasses, horsemen on foot, foot +soldiers on horseback, three-fourths unarmed! Crowds of men without +officers, all going straight on in silence. + +What has always surprised me is that no officers were to be seen. What +had become of them? I cannot say. + +No more singing. No more cries of "Vive l'Empereur!" "A Berlin! a +Berlin!" + +Dismay and discouragement were manifest in every countenance. + +Those who shall come after will see worse things than this: since men +are wolves, foxes, hawks, owls, all this must come round again: a +hundred times, a thousand times; from age to age, until the +consummation of time: it is the glory of kings and emperors passing by! + +They all cry, "Jesus, have pity upon us, miserable sinners! Jesus, +Saviour, bless us!" + +But all this time they are hard at work with the hooked bill and the +sharp claws upon the unhappy carcass of mankind. Each tears away his +morsel! And yet they all have faith, Lutherans and Catholics: they are +all worthy people! And so on forever. + +Thus passed our army after the battle of Reichshoffen; and the others +the Germans were following: they were at Haguenau, at Tugwiller, at +Bouxviller; they were advancing from Dosenheim, to enter our valley; +very soon we were to see them! + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +All that day we were in a state of fear, Gredel alone was afraid of +nothing; she came in and out, bringing us the news of Rothalp. + +Many people from Tugwiller, Neuwiller, Dosenheim, passed through the +village with carts full of furniture, bedding, mattresses, all in +confusion, shouting, calling to each other, whipping their horses, +turning round to see if the Uhlans were not at their heels; it was the +general flight before the deluge. These unhappy beings had lost their +heads. They said that the Prussians were taking possession of all the +boys of fifteen or sixteen to lead their horses or carry their bags. + +Two soldiers of the line who passed about twelve were still carrying +their rifles; they were white with dust. I called them in, through the +window, and gave them a glass of wine. They belonged to the 18th, and +told us that their regiment no longer existed; that all their officers +were killed or wounded; that another regiment, I cannot remember which, +had fired upon them for a long time; that at last ammunition was +wanting; that at the fort of La Petite Pierre the garrison had refused +to receive them; and that the 5th army corps, commanded by General de +Failly, posted in the neighborhood of Bitche, might have come in time +to fall into position; and a good deal more besides. + +These were brave men, whose hearts had not failed them. They started +again in the direction of Phalsbourg, and we wished them good luck. + +In the afternoon Marie Anne came to see us. Her husband had started +for the town early, saying that nothing positive could be learned in +our place; that the soldiers saw nothing but their own little corner of +the battle-field, without troubling themselves about the rest, and that +he would learn exactly down there if we had any hope left. + +George was to return for dinner; but at seven o'clock he was not home +yet. His wife was uneasy. Bad news kept coming in; peasants were +arriving from Neuwiller, who said that the Prussians were already +marching upon Saverne, and were making requisitions as they went. The +peasants were flying to Dabo in the mountains; the women, through force +of habit, were telling their beads as they walked; whilst the men, +great consumers of eau-de-vie, were flourishing their sticks, and +looking in their rear with threatening gestures, which did not hinder +them from stepping out rapidly. + +One of these men, whom I asked if he had seen the battle, told me that +the dead were heaped up in the fields like sacks of flour in my mill. +I think he was inventing that, or he had heard it from others. + +Night was coming on, and Cousin Marie Anne was going home, when all at +once George came in. + +"Is my wife here, Christian?" he asked. + +"Yes; you will sup with us?" + +"No; I have had something to eat down there. But what sights I have +seen! It is enough to drive one mad." + +"And Jacob?" asked my wife. + +"Jacob is learning drill. He got a rifle the day before yesterday, and +to-morrow he will have to fight." + +George sat down in the window-corner while we were at supper, and he +told us that on his arrival at Phalsbourg, about six in the morning, +the gate of France had just been opened, but that that of Germany, +facing Saverne, remained closed; that in that direction from the +outposts to Quatre Vents, nothing was to be seen but fugitives, +calling, and firing pistol-shots to get themselves admitted; that he +had had time to put up his horse and cart at the Ville de Bale, and to +go upon the ramparts to witness this spectacle, when at the same +instant the drawbridge fell, and the crowd of Turcos, Zouaves, +foot-soldiers, officers, generals, all in a confused mass, had rushed +through the gate; in the whole number, he had seen but one flag, +surrounded by about sixty men of the 55th, commanded by a lieutenant; +the rest were mingled together, in hopeless confusion, the most part +without arms, and under no sort of discipline; they had lost all +respect for their chiefs. It was a rout--a complete rout. + +He had seen superior officers invaded at their own tables under the +tent of the Cafe Meyer, by private soldiers, and veterans throwing +themselves back in their chairs with elbows squared in the presence of +their officers, looking defiantly upon them, and shouting, "A bottle!" +The waiters came obsequiously to wait upon them for fear of a scene, +whilst the officers pretending to hear and see nothing, seemed to him +the worst thing he had seen yet. Yet it was deserved; for these +officers--officers of rank--knew no more about the roads, paths, +streams and rivers of the country than their soldiers, who knew nothing +at all. They did not even know the way from Phalsbourg to Sarrebourg +by the high-road, which a child of eight might know. + +He had heard a staff-officer ask if Sarrebourg was an open town; he had +seen whole battalions halting upon that road, not knowing whether they +were right. + +We should ourselves see these deplorable things next day, for our +retreating soldiers did nothing but turn and turn again ten times upon +the same roads, around the same mountains, and ended by returning to +the same spot again so tired, exhausted, and starved, that the +Prussians, if they had come, would only have had to pick them up at +their leisure. + +Yet George had one moment's satisfaction in this melancholy +disorganization; it was to see, as he told us, those sixty men of the +56th halt in good order upon the _place_, and there rest their flag +against a tree. The lieutenant who commanded them made them lie on the +ground, near their rifles, and almost immediately they fell asleep in +the midst of the seething crowd. The young officer himself went +quietly to sit alone at a small table at the cafe. + +"He," said my cousin, "had a map cut into squares, which he began to +study in detail. It gave me pleasure to look at him; he reminded me of +our naval officers. He knew something! And whilst his men were +asleep, and his rescued flag was standing there, he watched, after all +this terrible defeat. Colonels, commanders, were arriving depressed +and wearied; the lieutenant did not stir. At last he folded up his map +and put it back into his pocket, then he went to lie down in the midst +of his men, and soon fell asleep too. He," said my cousin, "_was_ an +officer! As for the rest, I look upon them as the cause of our ruin: +they have never commanded, they have never learned. There is no want +of able men in the artillery and engineers; but they are only there to +do their part: they command only their own arm, and are compelled to +obey superior orders, even when those orders have no sense in them." + +One thing which made my cousin tremble with anger, was to learn that +the Emperor had the supreme command, and that nothing might be done +without taking his Majesty's instructions at headquarters: not a bridge +might be blown up, not a tunnel, before receiving his Majesty's +permission! + +"What is the use of sending or receiving despatches?" said George. "I +only hope our _honest man_ will be found to have given orders to blow +up the Archeviller tunnel, or the Prussians will overrun the whole of +France; they will convey their guns, their munitions of war, their +provisions, and their men by railway, whilst our poor soldiers will +drag along on foot and perish miserably!" + +Listening to him our distress increased more and more. + +He had seen in the place a few guns saved from capture, with their +horses fearfully mangled, and already so thin with overwork, that one +might have thought they had come from the farthest end of Russia. And +all these men, coming and going, laid themselves down in a line under +the walls to sleep, at the risk of being run over a hundred times. + +The doors and windows of all the houses were open; the soldiers might +be seen densely crowded in the side streets, the passages, the rooms, +the vestibules and yards, busily eating. The townspeople gave them all +they had; the poorest shed tears that they had nothing to give, so many +poor wretches inspired pity; they were so commiserated that they had +been beaten. In richer houses they were cooking from morning till +night; when one troop was satisfied another took their place. + +George, relating these things, had his eyes filled with tears. + +"Well, there are a good many kind people in the world yet," said he. +"Very soon those poor Phalsbourgers, when they are blockaded, will have +nothing to put into their own mouths; their six weeks' victuals are +already consumed, without mentioning their other provisions. Compared +with these poor townspeople, we peasants are selfish monsters." + +He fixed his eyes upon us, and we answered nothing. I had already +driven our cows into the wood, with the flocks of the village. +Doubtless he knew of it! But surely we must keep something to eat! +George was right; but one cannot help thinking of the morrow: those who +do not are sure to repent sooner or later. + +Well, well--all the same, it was very fine of these townspeople; but +they have suffered heavily for it: during four months the officer in +command kept everything for his soldiers, and took away from the +inhabitants all that they had whether they were willing or not. + +I do affirm these things. People will take them for what they are +worth; but it is only the simple truth! What afflicted us still more +was to hear what George had to tell us of the battle. + +In the midst of that great crowd he had long sought for some one to +tell him all about it. At last the sight of an old sergeant of +_chasseurs-a-pied_, thin and tough as whip-cord, his sleeve covered +with stripes, and with a bright eye, made him think: "There's my man! +I am sure he has had a clear insight into things; if he will talk to +me, I shall get at the bottom of the story." + +So he had invited him into the inn, to take a glass of wine. The +sergeant examined him for a moment, accepted, and they entered together +the Ville de Bale at the end of the court, for all the rooms were full +of people; and there, eating a slice of ham and drinking a couple of +bottles of Lironcourt, the sergeant having his heart opened, and +receiving, moreover, a cent-sous piece, had declared that all our +misfortunes arose from two causes: first, that a height on the right +had not been occupied, whence the Germans had made their appearance +only about twelve o'clock, and from which they could not be dislodged +because they commanded the whole field of battle; and because their +artillery, more numerous and better than ours, searched us through and +through with shell and grape; their practice was so admirable that it +was no use falling back, or bearing to the right or the left: at the +first shot their balls fell into the midst of our ranks. We have since +heard that the heights to which the sergeant referred were those of +Gunstedt. + +He then told George that the 5th corps, commanded by De Failly, which +was expected from hour to hour, never appeared at all; that even if he +had come, we probably should not have won the battle, for the Germans +were three or four to one--but that we might have effected a retreat in +good order by Mederbronn upon Saverne. + +This old sergeant was from the Nievre; George has often spoken to me of +him since, and told me that, in his opinion, he knew much more than +many of MacMahon's officers; that he possessed good sense, and had a +clear perception of things. George was of opinion that, with a little +training, many Frenchmen of the lower ranks would be found to possess +military genius, and that they might be confidently relied upon; but +that our love of dancing and plays had done us harm, since it was +supposed that good dancers and good actors would be able men: which +would be the cause of our ruin if we did not abandon such notions. + +My cousin told me many other things that evening which have escaped my +memory; our terrible anxiety for the future prevented me from listening +properly. But all the misfortunes in the world have not the power of +depriving a man of sleep; though for the last two days we had never +slept. George and his wife went home about ten, and we went to bed. + +Next day I had to celebrate the marriage of Chretien Richi with his +first cousin Lisbette; notice had been given for a week, and when +invitations are sent out such things cannot be postponed. I should +have liked to be carrying my hay and straw into the wood, for cattle +cannot live upon air; and as I was pressed, for time, I sent for +Placiard to take my place. But he could nowhere be found; he had gone +into hiding like all the functionaries of the Empire, who are always +ready to receive their salaries and to denounce people in quiet times, +and very sharp in taking themselves off the moment they ought to be at +their posts. + +At ten o'clock, then, I was obliged to put on my sash and go; the +wedding party were waiting, and I went up into the hall with them. I +sat in the armchair, telling the bridegroom and bride to draw near, +which of course they did. + +I was beginning to read the chapter on the duties of husband and wife, +when in a moment a great shouting arose outside: "The Prussians! the +Prussians!" One of the groomsmen, with his bunch of roses, left; +Chretien Richi turned round, the bride and the rest looked at the door; +and I stood there, all alone, stuck fast with the clerk, Adam Fix. In +a moment the groomsman returned, crying out that the people of +Phalsbourg were making a sortie into the wood to lift our cattle; and +that they were coming too to search our houses. Then I could have sent +all the wedding-party to Patagonia, when I fancied the position of my +wife and Gredel in such a predicament; but a mayor is obliged to keep +his dignity, and I cried out: "Do you want to be married? Yes or no?" + +They returned in a moment, and answered "Yes!" + +"Well, you _are_ married!" + +And I went out while the witnesses signed, and ran to the mill. + +Happily this report of a sortie from Phalsbourg was false. A gendarme +had just passed through the village, bearing orders from MacMahon, and +hence came all this alarm. + +Nothing new happened until seven in the evening. A few fugitives were +still gaining the town; but at nightfall began the passage of the 5th +army corps, commanded by General de Failly. + +So, then, these thirty thousand men, instead of descending into Alsace +by Niederbronn, were now coming behind us by the road to Metz, on this +side of the mountains. They were not even thinking of defending our +passes, but were taking flight into Lorraine! + +Half our village had turned out, astonished to see this army moving in +a compact mass, upon Sarrebourg and Fenetrange. Until then it had been +thought that a second battle would be fought at Saverne. People had +been speaking of defending the Falberg, the Vachberg, and all the +narrow, rock-strewn passes; the roads through which might have been +broken up and defended with abatis, from which a few good shots might +have kept whole regiments in check; but the sight of these thousands of +men who were forsaking us without having fought--their guns, their +mitrailleuses, and the cavalry galloping and rolling in a cloud along +the highway, to get farther out of the enemy's reach--made our hearts +bleed. Nobody could understand it. + +Then a poor disabled soldier, lying on the grass, told me that they had +been ordered from Bitche to Niederbronn, from Niederbronn to Bitche, +and then from Bitche to Petersbach and Ottwiller, by dreadful roads, +and that now they could hold on no longer: they were all exhausted! +And in spite of myself, I thought that if men worn out to this degree +were obliged to fight against fresh troops continually reinforced, they +would be beaten before they could strike a blow! Yes, indeed, the want +of knowledge of the country is one of the causes of our miseries. + +Gredel, Catherine, and I, returned to the mill in the greatest distress. + +It had at last begun to rain, after two months' drought. It was a +heavy rain, which lasted all the night. + +My wife and Gredel had gone to bed, but I could not close my eyes. I +walked up and down in the mill, listening to this down-pour, the heavy +rumbling of the guns, the pattering of endless footsteps in the mud. +It was march, march--marching without a pause. + +How melancholy! and how I pitied these unhappy soldiers, spent with +hunger and fatigue, and compelled to retreat thus. + +Now and then I looked at them through the window-panes, down which the +rain was streaming. They were marching on foot, on horseback, one by +one, by companies, in troops, like shadows. And every time that I +opened the window to let in fresh air, in the midst of this vast +trampling of feet, those neighings, and sometimes the curses of the +soldiers of the artillery-train, or the horseman whose horse had +dropped from fatigue or refused to move farther, I could hear in the +far distance, across the plain two or three leagues from us, the +whistle of the trains still coming and going in the passes. + +Then noticing upon the wall one of those maps of the theatre of war +which the Government had sent us three weeks ago, and which extended +from Alsace as far as Poland, I tore it down, crumpled it up in my +hand, and flung it out. Everything came back to me full of disgust. +Those maps, those fine maps, were part of the play; just like the +conspiracies devised by the police, and the explanations of the +sous-prefets to make us vote "Yes" in the Plebiscite. Oh, you +play-actors! you gang of swindlers! Have you done enough yet to lead +astray your imbecile people? Have you made them miserable enough with +your ill-contrived plays? + +And it is said that the whole affair is going to be played over again: +that they mean to put a ring through our noses to lead us along; that +many rogues are reckoning upon it to settle their little affairs, to +slip back into their old shoes and get fat again by slow degrees, +humping their backs just like our cure's cat when she has found her +saucer again after having taken a turn in the woods or the garden: it +is possible, indeed! But then France will be an object of contempt; +and if those fellows succeed, she will be worse than contemptible, and +honorable men will blush to be called Frenchmen! + +At daybreak I went to raise the mill-dam, for this heavy rain had +overflowed the sluice. The last stragglers were passing. As I was +looking up the village, my neighbor Ritter, the publican, was coming +out from under the cart-shed with his lantern; a stranger was following +him--a young man in a gray overcoat, tight trousers, a kind of leather +portfolio hanging at his side, a small felt hat turned up over his +ears, and a red ribbon at his button-hole. + +This I concluded was a Parisian; for all the Parisians are alike, just +as the English are: you may tell them among a thousand. + +I looked and listened. + +"So," said this man, "you have no horse?" + +"No, sir; all our beasts are in the wood, and at such a time as this we +cannot leave the village." + +"But twenty francs are pretty good pay for four or five hours." + +"Yes, at ordinary times; but not now." + +Then I advanced, asking: "Monsieur offers twenty francs to go what +distance?" + +"To Sarrebourg," said the stranger, astonished to see me. + +"If you will say thirty, I will undertake to convey you there. I am a +miller; I always want my horses; there are no others in the village." + +"Well, do; put in your horses." + +These thirty francs for eight leagues had flashed upon me. My wife had +just come down into the kitchen, and I told her of it; she thought I +was doing right. + +Having then eaten a mouthful, with a glass of wine, I went out to +harness my horses to my light cart. The Parisian was already there +waiting for me, his leather portmanteau in his hand. I threw into the +cart a bundle of straw; he sat down near me, and we went off at a trot. + +This stranger seeing my dappled grays galloping through the mud, seemed +pleased. First he asked me the news of our part of the country, which +I told him from the beginning. Then in his turn he began to tell me a +good deal that was not yet known by us. He composed gazettes; he was +one of those who followed the Emperor to record his victories. He was +coming from Metz, and told me that General Frossard had just lost a +great battle at Forbach, through his own fault in not being in the +field while his troops were fighting, but being engaged at billiards +instead. + +You may be sure I felt that to be impossible; it would be too +abominable; but the Parisian said so it was, and so have many repeated +since. + +"So that the Prussians," said he, "broke through us, and I have had to +lose a horse to get out of the confusion: the Uhlans were pursuing; +they followed nearly to a place called Droulingen." + +"That is only four leagues from this place," said I. "Are they already +there?" + +"Yes; but they fell back immediately to rejoin the main body, which is +advancing upon Toul. I had hoped to recover lost ground by telling of +our victories in Alsace; unfortunately at Droulingen, the sad news of +Reichshoffen,* and the alarm of the flying inhabitants, have informed +me that we are driven in along our whole line; there is no doubt these +Prussians are strong; they are very strong. But the Emperor will +arrange all that with Bismarck!" + + +* Called generally by us, the Battle of Woerth. + + +Then he told me there was an understanding between the Emperor and +Bismarck; that the Prussians would take Alsace; that they would give us +Belgium in exchange; that we should pay the expenses of the war, and +then things would all return into their old routine. + +"His Majesty is indisposed," said he, "and has need of rest; we shall +soon have Napoleon IV., with the regency of her Majesty the Empress, +the French are fond of change." + +Thus spoke this newspaper-writer, who had been decorated, who can tell +why? He thought of nothing but of getting safe into Sarrebourg, to +catch the train, and send a letter to his paper; nothing else mattered +to him. It is well that I had taken a pair of horses, for it went on +raining. Suddenly we came upon the rear of De Failly's army; his guns, +powder-wagons, and his regiments so crowded the road, that I had to +take to the fields, my wheels sinking in up to the axle-trees. + +Nearing Sarrebourg, we saw also on our left the rear of the other +routed army, the Turcos, the Zouaves, the chasseurs, the long trains of +MacMahon's guns; so that we were between the two fugitive routs: De +Failly's troops, by their disorder, looked just as if they had been +defeated, like the other army. All the people who have seen this in +our country can confirm my account, though it seems incredible. + +At last, I arrived at the Sarrebourg station, when the Parisian paid me +thirty francs, which my horses had fairly earned. The families of all +the railway _employes_ were just getting into the train for Paris; and +you may be sure that this Government newspaper-writer was delighted to +find himself there. He had his free pass: but for that the unlucky man +would have had to stay against his will; like many others who at the +present time are boasting loudly of having made a firm stand, waiting +for the enemy. + +I quickly started home again by cross-roads, and about twelve I reached +Rothalp. The artillery was thundering amongst the mountains; crowds of +people were climbing and running down the little hill near the church +to listen to the distant roar. Cousin George was calmly smoking his +pipe at the window, looking at all these people coming and going. + +"What is going on?" said I, stopping my cart before his door. + +"Nothing," said he; "only the Prussians attacking the little fort of +Lichtenberg. But where are you coming from?" + +"From Sarrebourg." + +And I related to him in a few words what the Parisian had told me. + +"Ah! now it is all plain," said he. "I could not understand why the +5th corps was filing off into Lorraine, without making one day's stand +in our mountains, which are so easily defended: it did really seem too +cowardly. But now that Frossard is beaten at Forbach, the thing is +explained: our flank is turned. De Failly is afraid of being taken +between two victorious armies. He has only to gain ground, for the +cattle-dealer David has just told me that he has seen Uhlans behind +Fenetrange. The line of the Vosges is surrendered; and we owe this +misfortune to Monsieur Frossard, tutor to the Prince Imperial!" + +The school-master, Adam Fix, was then coming down from the hill with +his wife, and cried that a battle was going on near Bitche. He did not +stop, on account of the rain. George told me to listen a few minutes. +We could hear deep and distant reports of heavy guns, and others not so +loud. + +"Those heavy reports," said George, "come from the great siege-guns of +the fort; the others are the enemy's lighter artillery. At this +moment, the German army, at six leagues from us, victorious in Alsace, +is on the road from Woerth to Siewettler, to unite with the army that +is moving on Metz; it is defiling past the guns of the fort. To-morrow +we shall see their advanced guard march past us. It is a melancholy +story, to be defeated through the fault of an imbecile and his +courtiers; but we must always remember, as a small consolation, to +every man his turn." He began again to smoke, and I went on my way +home, where I put up my horses. I had earned my thirty francs in six +hours; but this did not give me complete satisfaction. My wife and +Gredel were also on the hill listening to the firing; half the village +were up there; and all at once I saw Placiard, who could not be found +the day before, jumping through the gardens, puffing and panting for +breath. + +"You hear, Monsieur le Maire," he cried--"you hear the battle? It is +King Victor Emmanuel coming to our help with a hundred and fifty +thousand men!" + +At this I could no longer contain myself, and I cried, "Monsieur +Placiard, if you take me for a fool, you are quite mistaken; and if you +are one, you had better hold your tongue. It is no use any longer +telling these poor people false news, as you have been doing for +eighteen years, to keep up their hopes to the last moment. This will +never more bring tobacco-excise to you, and stamp-offices to your sons. +The time for play-acting is over. You are telling me this through love +of lying; but I have had enough of all these abominable tricks; I now +see things clearly. We have been plundered from end to end by fellows +of your sort, and now we are going to pay for you, without having had +any benefit ourselves. If the Prussians become our masters, if they +bestow places and salaries, you will be their best friend; you will +denounce the patriots in the commune, and you will have them to vote +plebiscites for Bismarck! What does it matter to you whether you are a +Frenchman or a German? Your true lord, your true king, your true +emperor, is the man who pays!" + +As fast as I spoke my wrath increased, and all at once I shouted: +"Wait, Monsieur l'Adjoint, wait till I come out; I will pay you off for +the Emperor, for his Ministers, and all the infamous crew of your sort +who have brought the Prussians into France!" But I had scarcely +reached the door, when he had already turned the corner. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +On that day we had yet more alarms. + +Between one and two o'clock, standing before my mill, I fancied I could +hear a drum beating up the valley. All the village was lamenting, and +crying, "Here are the Prussians!" + +All along the street, people were coming out, gazing, listening; boys +ran into the woods, mothers screamed. A few men more fearful than the +rest went off too, each with a loaf under his arm; women, raised their +hands to Heaven, calling them back and declaring they would go with +them. And whilst I was gazing upon this sad spectacle, suddenly two +carts came up, full gallop, from the valley of Graufthal. + +It was the noise of these two vehicles that I had mistaken for drums +approaching. A week later I should not have made this mistake, for the +Germans steal along like wolves: there is no drumming or bugling, as +with us; and you have twenty thousand men on your hands before you know +it. + +The people riding in the carts were crying, "The Prussians are at the +back of the saw-mills!" + +They could be heard afar off; especially the women, who were raising +themselves in the cart, throwing up their hands. + +At a hundred yards from the mill the cart stopped, and recognizing +Father Diemer, municipal councillor, who was driving, I cried to him, +"Hallo, Diemer! pull up a moment. What is going on down there?" + +"The Prussians are coming, Monsieur le Maire," he said. + +"Oh, well, well, if they must come sooner or later, what does it +signify? Do come down." + +He came down, and told me that he had been that morning to the +forest-house of Domenthal in his conveyance, to fetch away his wife and +daughter who had been staying there with relations for a few days; and +that on his way back he had seen in a little valley, the Fischbachel, +Prussian infantry, their arms stacked, resting on the edge of the wood, +making themselves at home; which had made him gallop away in a hurry. + +That was what he had seen. + +Then other men came up, woodmen, who said that they were some of our +own light infantry, and that Diemer had made a mistake; then more +arrived, declaring that they _were_ Prussians; and so it went on till +night. + +About seven o'clock I saw an old French soldier, the last who came +through our village; his leg was bandaged with a handkerchief, and he +sat upon the bench before my house asking me for a piece of bread and a +glass of water, for the love of God! I went directly and told Gredel +to fetch him bread and wine. She poured out the wine herself for this +poor fellow, who was suffering great pain. He had a ball in his leg; +and, in truth, the wound smelt badly, for he had not been able to dress +it, and he had dragged himself through the woods from Woerth. + +He had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, and told us that the +colonel of his regiment had fallen, crying, "Friends, you are badly +commanded! Cease to obey your generals!" + +He only rested for a few minutes, not to let his leg grow stiff, and +went on his weary way to Phalsbourg. + +He was the last French soldier that I saw after the battle of +Reichshoffen. + +At night we were told that the peasants of Graufthal had found a gun +stuck fast in the valley; and two hours later, whilst we were supping, +our neighbor Katel came in pale as death, crying, "The Prussians are at +your door!" + +Then I went out. Ten or fifteen Uhlans were standing there smoking +their short wooden pipes, and watering their horses at the mill-stream. + +Imagine my surprise, especially when one of these Uhlans began to greet +me in bad Prussian-German: "Oho! good-evening, Monsieur le Maire! I +hope you have been pretty well, Monsieur le Maire, since I last had not +the pleasure of seeing you?" + +He was the officer of the troop. My wife, and Gredel, too, were +looking from the door. As I made no answer, he said, "And Mademoiselle +Gredel! here you are, as fresh and as happy as ever. I suppose you +still sing morning and evening, while you are washing up?" + +Then Gredel, who has good eyes, cried, "It is that great knave who came +to take views in our country last year with his little box on four long +legs!" + +And, even in the dusk, I could recognize one of those German +photographers who had been travelling about the mountains a few months +before, taking the likenesses of all our village folks. This man's +name was Otto Krell; he was tall, pale, and thin, his nose was like a +razor back, and he had a way of winking with his left eye while paying +you compliments. Ah! the scoundrel! it was he, indeed, and now he was +an Uhlan officer: when Gredel had spoken, I recognized him perfectly. + +"Exactly so, Mademoiselle Gredel," said he, from his tall horse. "It +is I myself. You would have made a good gendarme; you would have known +a rogue from an honest man in a moment." + +He burst out laughing, and Gredel said, "Speak in a language I can +understand; I cannot make out your patois." + +"But you understand very well the patois of Monsieur Jean Baptiste +Werner," answered this gallows-bird, making a grimace. "How is good +Monsieur Jean Baptiste? Is he in as good spirits as ever? Have you +still got your little likeness of him, you know, close to your +heart--that young gentleman, I mean, that I had to take three times, +because he never came out handsome enough?" + +Then Gredel, ashamed, ran into the house, and my wife took refuge in +her room. + +Then he said to me, "I am glad to see you, Monsieur le Maire, in such +excellent health. I came to you, first of all, to wish you +good-morning; but then, I must acknowledge, my visit has another +object." + +And as I still answered nothing, being too full of indignation, he +asked me: + +"Have you still got those nice Swiss cows? splendid animals? and the +twenty-five sheep you had last year?" + +I understood in a moment what he was driving at, and I cried: "We have +nothing at all; there is nothing in this village; we are all ruined; we +cannot furnish you a single thing." + +"Oh! come now, please don't be angry, Monsieur Weber. I took your +likeness, with your scarlet waistcoat and your great square-cut coat; I +know you very well, indeed! you are a fine fellow! I have orders to +inform you that to-morrow morning 15,000 men will call here for +refreshments; that they are fond of good beef and mutton, and not above +enjoying good white bread, and wine of Alsace, also vegetables, and +coffee, and French cigars. On this paper you will find a list of what +they want. So you had better make the necessary arrangements to +satisfy them; or else, Monsieur le Maire, they will help themselves to +your cows, even if they have to go and look for them in the woods of +the Biechelberg, where you have sent them; they will help themselves to +your sacks of flour, and your wine, that nice, light wine of Rikevir; +they will take everything, and then they will burn down your house. +Take my advice, welcome them as German brothers, coming to deliver you +from French bondage: for you are Germans, Monsieur Weber, in this part +of the country. Therefore prepare this requisition yourself. If you +want a thing done well, do it yourself; you will find this plan most +advantageous. It is out of friendship to you, as a German brother, and +in return for the good dinner you gave me last year that I say this. +And now, good-night." + +He turned round to his men, and all together filed off in the darkness, +going up by the left toward Berlingen. + +Then, without even going into my own house, I ran to my cousin's, to +tell him what had happened. He was going to bed. + +"Well, what is the matter?" said he. + +Completely upset, I told him the visit I had had from these robbers, +and what demands they had made. My cousin and his wife listened +attentively; then George, after a minute's thought, said: "Christian, +force is force! If 15,000 men are to pass here, it means that 15,000 +will pass by Metting, 15,000 by Quatre Vents, 15,000 by Luetzelbourg, +and so forth. We are invaded; Phalsbourg will be blockaded, and if we +stir, we shall be knocked on the head without notice before we can +count ten. What would you have? It's war! Those who lose must pay +the bill. The good men who have been plundering us for eighteen years +have lost for us, and we are going to pay for them; that is plain +enough. Only, if we make grimaces while we pay, they ask more; and if +we go to work without much grumbling, they will shave us not quite so +close: they will pretend to treat us with consideration and indulgence; +they won't rob quite so roughly; they will be a little more gentle, and +strip you with more civility. I have seen that in my campaigns. Here +is the advice which I give, for your own and everybody else's interest. +First of all, this very evening, you must send for your cows from the +Biechelberg; you will tell David Hertz to drive the two best to his +slaughter-house; and when the Prussians come and they have seen these +two fine animals, David will kill them before their eyes. He will +distribute the pieces under the orders of the commanders. That will +just make broth in the morning for the 15,000 men, and if that is not +enough, send for my best cow. All the village will be pleased, and +they will say, 'The mayor and his cousin are sacrificing themselves for +the commune.' + +"That will be a very good beginning; but then as we shall have begun +with ourselves, and nobody can make any objection after that, you had +better put an ox of Placiard's under requisition, then a cow of Jean +Adam's, then another of Father Diemer's, and so on, in proportion to +their wants; and that will go on till the end of the cows, the oxen, +the pigs, the sheep and the goats. And you must do the same with the +bread, the flour, the vegetables, the wine; always beginning at you and +me. It is sad; it is a great trouble; but his Majesty the Emperor, his +Ministers, his relations, his friends and acquaintances have gambled +away our hay, our straw, our cattle, our money, our meadows, our +houses, our sons, and ourselves, pretending all the while to consult +us; they have lost like fools: they never kept their eye on the game, +because their own little provision was already laid by, somewhere in +Switzerland, in Italy, in England, or elsewhere; and they risked +nothing but that vast flock which they were always accustomed to shear, +and which they call the people. Well, my poor Christian, that flock is +ourselves--we peasants! If I were younger; if I could make forced +marches as I did at thirty, I should join the army and fight; but in +the present state of things, all I can do is, like you, to bow down my +back, with a heart full of wrath, until the nation has more sense, and +appoints other chiefs to command." + +The advice of George met with my approbation, and I sent the herdsmen +to fetch my cows at the Biechelberg. I told him, besides, to give +notice to the principal inhabitants that if they did not bring back +their beasts to the village, the Prussians would go themselves and +fetch them, because they knew the country roads better than ourselves; +and that they would put into the pot first of all the cattle of those +who did not come forward willingly. + +My wife and Gredel were standing by as I gave this order to Martin +Kopp: they exclaimed against it, saying that I was losing my senses; +but I had more sense than they had, and I followed the advice of +George, who had never misled me. + +It was on the night of the 9th to the 10th of August that the small +fortress of Lichtenberg, defended by a few veterans without ammunition, +opened its gates to the Prussians; that MacMahon left Sarrebourg with +the remainder of his forces, without blowing up the tunnel at +Archeviller, because his Majesty's orders had not arrived; that the +Germans, concentrated at Saverne, after extending right and left from +Phalsbourg, sent first their Uhlans by the valley of Luetzelbourg to +inspect the railway, supposing that it would be blown up, then sent an +engine through the tunnel, then ventured a train laden with stones, and +were much astonished to find it arriving in Lorraine without +difficulty; that MacMahon made his retreat on foot, whilst they +advanced on trucks and carriages: and that they were able to send on +their guns, their stores, their provisions, their horses and their men +toward Paris; maintaining their troops by exhausting the provisions of +Alsace and the other side of the Vosges. These things we learned +afterward. + +That same night the Prussians put their first guns into battery at the +Quatre Vents to bombard the town, whilst they went completely round to +the other side, by the fine road over the Falberg, which seemed to have +been constructed through the forest expressly for their convenience. + +They lost no time, examined and inspected everything, and found +everything in perfect order to suit their convenience. + +That night passed away quietly; they had too many things to look after +to trouble themselves about our little village hidden in the woods, +knowing well that we could neither run away nor defend ourselves; for +all our young men were in the town, and we were unarmed and without any +material of war. They left us to be gobbled up whenever they liked. + +Many have asserted, and still believe, that we have been delivered up +to the Germans in exchange for Belgium; because Alsace, according to +the Emperor, was a German and Lutheran country, and Belgium, French and +Catholic. But Cousin George has always said that these conjectures +were erroneous, and that our misfortunes arose entirely from the +thievishness of the Government; and chiefly of those who, under color +of upholding the dynasty, were making a good bag, granted themselves +pensions, enriched themselves by sweeping strokes of cunning, and +became great men at a cheap rate: and also from the folly of the +people, who were kept steeped in ignorance, to make them praise the +tricks and the robberies of the rest. + +My opinion is the same. + +It was the cupidity of some in depriving the country of a powerful and +numerous army, able to defend us; whilst, on the other hand, they +deprived what army there was of provisions, arms, and munitions of war: +surely this was enough! There is no need to go further to seek for the +causes of our shame and our miseries. + +Therefore our cattle returned from the Biechelberg in obedience to my +orders; and my two best cows waited in the stable, eating a few +handfuls of hay, until the first requisition of the Prussians should +arrive. + +The village people who saw this highly approved of my conduct, never +imagining that their turn would come so soon. + +Time passed away, and it was supposed that this quiet might last a good +while, when a squadron of Prussian lancers, and, a little farther on, a +squadron of hussars, appeared at the bottom of our valley. + +For an advanced guard they had a few Uhlans--an order which we have +since noticed they observed constantly; three hundred paces to the +front rode two horsemen, each with a pistol in his hand resting on the +thigh, and who halted from time to time to question people, threatening +to kill them if they did not give plain answers to their questions; and +behind them came the main body, always at the same distance. + +We, standing under our projecting eaves, or leaning out of our windows, +men, women, and children, gazed upon the men who were coming to devour +us, to ruin us, and strip the very flesh off our bones. It was, as it +were, the Plebiscite advancing upon us under our own eyes, armed with +pistol and sword, the guns and the bayonets behind. + +First, the cavalry extended from the hill at Berlingen to the +Graufthal, to Wechem, to Mittelbronn, and farther still; then marched +up several regiments of infantry, their black and white standards +flying. + +We were watching all this without stirring. The officers, in spiked +helmets, were galloping to and fro, carrying orders; the cure Daniel, +in his presbytery, had lifted his little white blinds, and our neighbor +Katel exclaimed, "Dear, dear, one would never have thought there could +be so many heretics in the world." + +This is exactly the state of ignorance that had been kept up amongst us +from generation to generation: making people believe that there was +nobody in the universe besides themselves; that we were a thousand to +one, and that our religion was universal. Pure and simple folly, +upheld by lies! + +It was a great help to us to have such grand notions about ourselves! +It made us feel enormously strong! + +But hypocrites can always get out of their scrapes: they vanish in the +distance with well-lined pockets, and their victims are left behind +sticking in the mud up to the chin! + +Since our reverend fathers the Jesuits have so many spies posted about +in the world, they should have told us how strong the heretics were, +and not suffered us to believe until the last that we were the only +masters of the earth. But they considered: "These French fools will +allow themselves to be hacked down to the very last man for our honor; +they will drive back the Lutherans; and then we shall make a great +figure: the Holy Father will be infallible, and we shall rule under his +name." + +These things are so evident now, that one is almost ashamed to mention +them. + +As soon as the cavalry were posted on the heights of the place, at the +rear of the hills, the infantry regiments, standing with ordered arms, +began to march off. + +I could hear from my door the loud voices of the officers, the neighing +of the horses, and the departure of the battalions, which filed off, +keeping step in admirable order. Ah! if our officers had been as +highly trained, and our soldiers as firmly disciplined as the Germans, +Alsace and Lorraine would still have been French. + +I may be told that a good patriot ought to refrain from saying such +things; but what is the use of hiding facts? Would hiding them prevent +them from being true? I say these things on purpose to open people's +eyes. If we want to recover what we have lost, everything must be +changed; our officers must be educated, our soldiers disciplined, our +contractors must supply stores, clothing, and provisions without +blunders and deficiencies, or if they fail they must be shot; the life +of a brave and generous nation is better worth than that of a knave, +whose ignorance, laziness, or cupidity may cause the loss of provinces. + +We must have a large, national army, like that of the Germans, and, to +possess this army, every man must serve; the cripples and deformed in +offices; every man besides, in the ranks. Full permission must be +given to wear spectacles, which do not hinder a man from fighting; and +citizens, as well as workmen and peasants, must come under fire. +Unless we do this, we shall be beaten--beaten again, and utterly ruined! + +And above all, as Cousin George said, we must place at the head of +affairs a man with a cool head, a warm heart, and great experience; in +whose eyes the honor of the nation shall be above his own interest, and +on whose word all men may rely, because he has already proved that his +confidence in himself will not desert him, even in the most perilous +times. + +But we are yet very far from this; and one would really believe, in +looking at the conceited countenances of the fugitives who are +returning from England, Belgium, Switzerland, and farther yet, that +they have won important victories, and that the country does them +injustice in not hailing them as deliverers. + +And now I will quietly pursue this history of our village; whoever +wants to come round me again with hypocritical pretences of honesty, +will have to get up very early in the morning indeed. + +After the Germans had posted their infantry within the squares formed +by the cavalry, they dragged guns and ammunition up the height of +Wechem, in the rear of our hills. Then the thoughts of Jacob, and all +our poor lads, whom they were going to shell, came upon us, and mother +began to cry bitterly. Gredel, too, thinking of her Jean Baptiste, had +become furious; if, by misfortune, we had had a gun in the house, she +would have been quite capable of firing upon the Prussians, and so +getting us all exterminated; she ran upstairs and downstairs, put her +head out at the window, and a German having raised his head, saying, +"Oh! what a pretty girl!" she shouted, "Be sure always to come out ten +against one, or it will be all up with you!" + +I was downstairs, and you may imagine my alarm. I went up to beg her +to be quiet, if she did not want the whole village to be destroyed; but +she answered rudely, "I don't care--let them burn us all out! I wish I +was in the town, and not with all these thieves." + +I went down quickly, not to hear more. + +The rain had begun to fall again, and these Prussians kept pouring in, +by regiments, by squadrons: more than forty thousand men covered the +plain; some formed in the fields, in the meadows, trampling down the +second crop of grass and the potatoes--all our hopes were there under +their feet! others went on their way; their wheels sunk into the clay, +but they had such excellent horses that all went on under the lashes of +their long whips, as the Germans use them. They climbed up all the +slopes; the hedges and young trees were bent and broken everywhere. + +When might is right, and you feel yourself the weakest, silence is +wisdom. + +The report ran that they were going to attack Phalsbourg in the +afternoon; and our poor Mobiles, and our sixty artillery recruits +pressed to serve the guns, were about to have a dreadful storm falling +upon them, as a beginning to their experience. Those heaps of shells +they were hurrying up to Wechem forced from us all cries of "Poor town! +poor townspeople! poor women! poor children!" + +The rain increased, and the river overflowed its banks down all the +valley from Graufthal to Metting. A few officers were walking down the +street to look for shelter; I saw a good number go into Cousin +George's, principally hussars, and at the same moment a gentleman in a +round hat, black cloak and trousers, stepped before the mill and asked +me: "Monsieur le Maire?" + +"I am the mayor." + +"Very good. I am the army chaplain, and I am come to lodge with you." + +I thought that better than having ten or fifteen scoundrels in my +house; but he had scarcely closed his lips when another came, an +officer of light horse, who cried: "His highness has chosen this house +to lodge in." + +Very good--what could I reply? + +A brigadier, who was following this officer, springs off his horse, +goes under the shed, and peeps into the stable. "Turn out all that," +said he. + +"Turn out my horses, my cattle?" I exclaimed. + +"Yes--and quickly too. His highness has twelve horses: he must have +room." + +I was going to answer, but the officer began to swear and storm so +loudly, without listening to anything I could plead, shouting at me +that every one of my beasts would be driven to be slaughtered +immediately if I made any difficulty, that without saying another word, +I drove them all out, my heart swelling, and my head bowed with +despair. Gredel, watching from her window, saw this, and coming down, +red with anger, said to the officer: "You must be a great coward to +behave so roughly to an old man who cannot defend himself." + +My hair stood on end with horror; but the officer vouchsafed not a +word, and went off instantly. + +Then the chaplain whispered in my ear: "You are going to have the honor +of entertaining Monseigneur, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and +you must call him 'Your highness.'" + +I thought with myself: "You, and your highness, and all the highnesses +in the world, I wish you were all of you five hundred thousand feet in +the bowels of the earth. You are a bad lot. You came into the world +for the misery of mankind. Thieves! rogues!" + +I only thought these things: I would not have said them for the world. +Several persons had been shot in our mountains the last two +days--fathers of families--and the remembrance of these things makes +one prudent. + +As I was reflecting upon our misfortunes, his highness arrived, with +his aides-de-camp and his servants. They alighted, entered the house, +hung up their wet clothes against the wall, and filled the kitchen. My +wife ran upstairs, I stood in a corner behind the stove: we had nothing +left to call our own. + +This Duke of Saxe was so tall that he could scarcely walk upright under +my roof. He was a handsome man, covered with gold-lace ornaments; and +so were the two great villains who followed him--Colonel Egloffstein +and Major Baron d'Engel. Yes, I could find no fault with them on +account of their height or their appetites; nor did they seem to mind +us in the least. They laughed, they chatted, they swung themselves +round in my room, jingling their swords on the stone floor, on the +stairs, everywhere, without paying the smallest attention to me--I +seemed to be in _their_ house. + +From their arrival until their departure, the fire never once went out +in my kitchen; my wood blazed; my pans and kettles, my roasting-jack, +went on with their business; they twisted the necks of my fowls, my +ducks, my geese, plucked them, and roasted them: they fetched splendid +pieces of beef, which they minced to make rissoles, and sliced to make +what they called "biftecks"; then they opened my drawers and cupboards, +spread my tablecloths on my table, rinsed out my glasses and my +bottles, and fetched my wine out of my cellar. + +They waited upon his highness and his officers; the doors and windows +stood open, the rain poured in; orderlies came on horseback to receive +orders, and darted away; and about five o'clock the guns began to +thunder and roar at Quatre Vents. The bombardment was beginning in +that direction; the two bastions of the arsenal and the bakery answered. + +That was the bombardment of the 11th, in which Thibaut's house was +delivered to the flames. It would be long before we should see the +last of it; but as we had never before heard the like, and these +rolling thunders filled our valley between the woods and the rocks of +Biechelberg, we trembled. + +Gredel, every time that our heavy guns replied, said: "Those are ours; +we are not all dead yet! Do you hear that?" + +I pushed her out, and his highness asked, "What is that?" + +"Nothing," said I; "it is only my daughter: she is crazy." + +About a quarter to seven the firing ceased. + +The Baron d'Engel, who had gone out a few minutes before, came back to +say that a flag of truce had gone to summon the place to surrender; and +that on its refusal the bombardment would re-open at once. + +There was a short silence. His highness was eating. + +Suddenly entered a colonel of hussars--a hideous being, with a +retreating forehead, a squint in his eye, and red hair--decorated all +over with ribbons and crosses, like a North American Indian. He walks +in. Salutations, hand-shaking all round, and a good deal of laughing. +They seat themselves again, they devour--they swallow everything! And +that hussar begins telling that he has taken MacMahon's tent--a +magnificent tent, with mirrors, china, ladies' hats and crinolines. He +laughed, grinning up to his ears; and his highness was highly +delighted, saying that MacMahon would have given a representation of +his victory to the great ladies of Paris. + +Of course this was an abominable lie; but the Prussians are not afraid +of lying. + +That hussar--whose name I cannot remember, although I have often heard +it from others--said besides, that, after having ridden a couple of +hours through the forest of Elsashausen, he had fallen upon the village +of Gundershoffen, where a few companies of French infantry had +established themselves, and that he had surprised and massacred them +all to the last man, without the loss of a single horseman! + +Then he began to laugh again, saying that in war you often might have +an agreeable time of it, and that this would be among his most cheerful +reminiscences. + +Hearing him from my seat behind the stove, I said: "And are these men +called Christians? Why, they are worse than wolves! They would drink +human blood out of skulls, and boast of it!" + +They went on talking in this fashion, when a very young officer came to +say that the defenders of Phalsbourg refused to surrender, and that +they were going to shell the town, to set fire to it. + +I could listen no longer. Gredel and my wife went to shut themselves +in upstairs, and I went out to breathe a different air from these wild +monsters. + +It was raining still. I wanted fresh air--I should have liked to throw +myself into the river with all my clothes on. + +Fresh regiments were passing. Now it was white cuirassiers; they +extended along the meadows below Metting; other regiments in dense +masses advanced on Sarrebourg. Down there the bayonets and the helmets +sparkled and glistened in the setting sun, in spite of the torrents of +rain. It was easy to see that our unfortunate army of two hundred +thousand men could not resist such a deluge. + +But the three hundred thousand other soldiers that we should have had, +and which we had been paying for the last eighteen years, where then +were they? They were in the reports presented by the Ministers of War +to the Legislative Assembly; and the money which should have paid for +their complete equipment and their armament, that was in London, put +down to his Majesty's account: the _honest man_, he had laid up savings. + +All these Germans, encamped as far as the eye could see under the rain, +were beginning to cut down our fruit-trees to warm themselves; in all +directions our beautiful apple-trees, our pear-trees, still laden with +fruit, came to the ground; then they were stripped bare, chopped to +pieces, and burnt with the sap in them: the falling rain did not +prevent the wood from lighting, on account of the quantity underneath +which the fire dried at last. + +The whole plain and the table-land above were in a blaze with these +fires. + +What a loss for the country! + +It had taken fifty-six years, since 1814, to grow these trees; they +were in full bearing; for fifty years our children and grand-children +will not see their equals around our village; the whole are destroyed! +With this spectacle before my eyes, indignation stifled my voice; I +turned my eyes away, and went to Cousin George's, hoping to hear there +a few words of encouragement. + +I was right; the house was full; Cousin Marie Anne, a bold and +unceremonious woman, was busy cooking for all her lodgers. Amongst the +number were two of her old customers at the Rue Mouffetard; a Jew, who +had come to Paris to learn gardening at the Jardin des Plantes, and a +saddler, both seated near the hearth with an appearance of shame and +melancholy in their countenances. The soldiers, who were crowding even +the passage, smoked, and examined now and then to see if the meat and +potatoes looked promising in the big copper in the washhouse: there was +no other in the house large enough to boil such a large quantity of +provisions. + +Every soldier had an enormous slice of beef, a loaf, a portion of wine, +and even some ground coffee; some had under their arms a rope of +onions, turnips, a head of cabbage, stolen right and left. These were +the hussars. + +In the large parlor were the officers, who had just returned in +succession from their reconnaissances; as they went up into the room, +you could hear the clanking of their swords and their huge boots making +the staircase shake. + +As I was coming in by the back door, not having been able to make way +through the passage, George was coming out of the room; he saw me above +the helmets of all these people, and cried to me: "Christian! stay +outside; I am stifled here! I am coming!" + +Room was made for him, and we went down together into the garden, under +the shelter of his stack of wood. Then he lighted a pipe, and asked +me: "Well, how are you going on down there?" + +I told him all. + +"I," said he, "have already had to receive the colonel of the hussars +last night. An hour after the visit of the Uhlans, there is a tap on +the shutters; I open. Two squadrons of hussars were standing there, +round the house; there was no way of escape." + +"'Open!' + +"I obey. The colonel, a sort of a wolf, whom I saw just now going to +your house, enters the first, pistol in hand; he examines all round: +'You are alone?' + +"'Yes; with my wife.' + +"'Very well!' + +"Then he went into the passage, and called an aide-de-camp. Three or +four soldiers came in; they carry chairs and a table into the kitchen. +The colonel unfolds a large map upon the floor; he takes off his boots, +and lays himself upon it. Then he calls: 'Such a one, are you here?' + +"'Present, colonel.' + +"Then six or seven captains and lieutenants enter. + +"'Such an one, do you see the road to Metting!' + +"They had all taken small maps out of their pockets. + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"'And from Metting to Sarrebourg?' + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"'Tell me the names.' + +"And the officer named the villages, the farms, the streams, the +rivers, the clumps of wood, the curves in the road, and even the +intersection of footpaths. + +"The colonel followed with his nail. + +"'That will do! Now go and take twenty men and push on as far as St. +Jean, by such a road. You will see! In case of resistance, you will +inform me. Come, sharp!' + +"And the officer goes off. + +"The colonel, still lying upon his map, calls another. + +"'Present, colonel.' + +"'You see Lixheim?' + +"'Yes, colonel.' + +"And so on. + +"In half an hour's time, he had sent off a whole squadron on +reconnaissances to Sarrebourg, Lixheim, Diemeringen, Luetzelbourg, +Fenetrange, everywhere in that direction. And when they had all +started, except twenty or thirty horses left behind, he got up from the +floor, and said to me: 'You will give me a good bed, and you will +prepare breakfast for to-morrow at seven o'clock; all those officers +will breakfast with me: they will have good appetites. You have +poultry and bacon. Your wife is a good cook, I know; and you have good +wine. I require that everything shall be good. You hear me!' + +"I made no answer, and I went out to tell my wife, who had just dressed +and was coming downstairs. She had heard what was said, and answered, +'Yes, we will obey, since the robbers have the power on their side.' + +"That knave of a colonel could hear perfectly well; but it was no +matter to him: his business was to get what he wanted. + +"My wife took him upstairs and showed him his bed. He looked +underneath it, into all the cupboards, the closet; then he opened the +two windows in the corner to see his men below at their posts; and then +he lay down. + +"Until morning all was quiet. + +"Then the others came back. The colonel listened to them; he +immediately sent some of the men who had stayed behind to Dosenheim, in +the direction of Saverne; and about a couple of hours after these same +hussars returned with the advanced guard of the army corps. The +colonel had ascertained that all the mountain passes were abandoned, +and that Lorraine might be entered without danger; that MacMahon and De +Failly had arrived in the open plain, and that there would be no battle +in our neighborhood." + +This is all that Cousin George told me, smoking his pipe. + +They had just thrown open the door which opens into the garden, to let +air into the kitchen, and we looked from our retreat upon all those +Germans with their helmets, their wet clothes, their strings of +vegetables, and their joints of meat under their arms. As fast as it +was cooked Marie Anne served out the broth, the meat, and the +vegetables to those who presented themselves with their basins; when +they went out, others came. Never could fresher meat be seen, and in +such quantities: one of their pieces would have sufficed four or five +Frenchmen. + +How sad to think that our own men had suffered hunger in our own +country, both before and after the battle! How it makes the heart sink! + +Without having said a word, George and I had thought the same thing, +for all at once he said: "Yes, those people have managed matters better +than we have. That meat is not from this country, since they have not +yet requisitioned the cattle. It has come by rail; I saw that this +morning on the arrival of the gun-carriages. They have also received +for the officers large puddings, bullocks' paunches stuffed with minced +meats, and other eatables that I am not acquainted with; only their +bread is black, but they seem to enjoy it. Their contractors don't +come from the clouds, like ours; they may not set rows of figures quite +so straight even as ours; but their soldiers get meat, bread, wine, and +coffee, whilst ours are starving, as we ourselves have seen. If they +had received half the rations of these men, the peasants of Mederbronn +would never have complained of them: they could still have fed the +unfortunate men upon their retreat." + +About eleven at night I returned to the mill a little calmer. The +sentinels knew me already. His highness was asleep; so were also his +two aides-de-camp and the chaplain: they had taken possession of our +beds without ceremony. The servants had gone to sleep in the barn upon +my straw; and as for me, I did not know where to go. Still, I was a +little more composed in thinking upon what my cousin had told me. If +these Germans received their provisions by railway, all might be well; +I hoped we might yet keep our cattle, and that then these people would +proceed farther. With this hope I lay on the flour-sacks in the mill +and fell fast asleep. + +But next day I saw how completely mistaken George was in the matter of +provisions. I am not speaking only of all that was stolen in our +village; every moment people came to me with complaints, as if I was +responsible for everything. + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have taken the bacon out of my chimney." + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have stolen the boots from under my bed." + +"Monsieur le Maire, they have given my hay to their horses. What must +I do to feed my cow?" + +And so on. + +The Prussians are the worst thieves in the world; they have no shame; +they would take the bread out of your very mouth to swallow it. + +These complaints made me so angry that I took courage to speak to his +highness, who listened very kindly, and said it was very unfortunate, +but that I should remember the French proverb, "A la guerre, comme a la +guerre;" and that this proverb applied to peasants as well as to +soldiers. + +I could have borne all this if the requisitions had not begun; but now +the quartermasters were making their appearance, to settle with me, as +they said. + +It was of no use to urge that we were poor people, already +three-fourths ruined; they answered: "Settle your own business. We +must have so many tons of hay; so many bushels of oats, barley, flour; +so much of meat, both beef and mutton, of good quality; or else, +Monsieur le Maire, we will burn down your village." + +His highness the Duke of Saxe and his officers had just gone to inspect +the camp around the place; I was left alone. I wanted to ring the +church bells to assemble the municipal council, but all bell-ringing +was forbidden. Then I sent round the rural policeman to summon each +councillor, one after the other; but the councillors did not stir: they +thought that by remaining at home they would prevent the Prussians from +doing anything. + +In this extremity I made Martin Kopp publish by beat of drum the list +of all that the village had to supply in provisions and articles of +every kind, before eleven in the morning; entreating all honest people +to make haste, if they did not want to see their houses in flames from +one end of the village to the other. + +Scarcely had this notice been given out, when everybody made haste to +bring all they could. + +The quartermasters made out an inventory; they carried away my best +cow, and gave me a receipt for everything in the name of his Majesty +the King of Prussia. + +The general indignation was terrible. + +Such was the robbery and violence, in those earlier days, that not so +much as a pound of salt meat could have been bought by us in the whole +country; and as for fresh meat, it was no use thinking of it. Well, +when the Prussians resorted to requisition, everything was obtained, by +means of that threat of _fire_! It was known what they had done in +Alsace, and, of course, they were supposed easily capable of beginning +again. + +After these requisitions, which might be regarded as a little bouquet +for his highness, the Prussians raised their camp, announcing to us the +arrival of new-comers. I also heard M. le Baron d'Engel command one of +his orderlies to order at Sarrebourg six thousand rations of bread and +of coffee. Then I saw clearly that it was intended we should feed all +these fellows till the end of the campaign, and my sad reflections may +easily be imagined. The German commissariat no longer seemed to me so +admirable. I could see that it was simply organized robbery and +pillage. + +The Duke and his followers had scarcely departed, when a captain of +blue hussars, Monsieur Collomb, came to take his place, with six +horses, and his adjutant, the Count Bernhardy, with three more horses. +They came from Saverne wet through, having spent the night in the open +air, and this gave them a terrible appetite. + +I explained that everything had been taken from us--that we had nothing +left to eat for ourselves; but they would not believe me, and my wife +was obliged to turn the house topsy-turvy to find something for them to +eat. + +While eating and drinking enough for four, these two gentlemen found +time to tell us that they had hung eleven peasants of Gunstedt on the +day of the battle of Reichshoffen! They also told us, what was quite +true, that next day provisions would arrive in our village. Unhappily, +this long train of provisions, which seemed endless, passed on direct +to Sarrebourg. + +This was the 12th of August. + +We had, then, this captain, his adjutant, their servants, and their +horses on our shoulders; all of whom we had to feed to the full until +the day of their departure. + +The batteries of Phalsbourg had dismounted the German guns at the +Quatre Vents. Sick and wounded in great numbers had been sent to the +great military hospital at Saverne; there were a few left in the +school-room of Pfalsweyer: this annoyed the Prussians. One would have +thought that it was our duty to let them come and rob, pillage, and +bombard and burn us, without defending ourselves; that we were guilty +of crimes against them, and that they had rights over us, as a nation +of valets. + +They actually thought this. + +And I have always heard these Germans making such complaints: whether +they took us for fools, or were fools themselves, I do not know exactly +which; but I think there was something of both. + +After the passage of a convoy of provisions, which went past us for two +hours, came cannon, powder-wagons, and shells. Never had our poor +village heard such a noise; it was like a torrent roaring over the +rocks. + +The 11th corps was passing. There were twelve like it, each from +eighty to ninety thousand men. + +We now knew nothing whatever about our own troops, nor our relations +and friends in the town. We were shut up as in an island, in the midst +of this deluge of Prussians, Bavarians, Wurtemburgers, Badeners, who +streamed through in long, interminable columns, and seemed to have no +end. + +It appears that the requisitions which had been made the night before, +and that immense convoy of provisions, were not enough for their army, +so they no longer cared to address themselves to Monsieur le Maire; for +the officers whom we lodged having left us early in the morning, all at +once, about seven o'clock, loud cries arose in the village: the +Prussians were coming to carry off all our remaining cattle at one +swoop. But this time they had not taken their measures so cleverly; +they had not guarded the backs of our houses, and every one began to +drive his beasts into the wood--oxen, cows, goats, all were clambering +up the hill, the women and the girls, the old men and children behind. + +Thus they caught scarcely anything. + +From that hour, in spite of their threats, our cattle remained in the +woods; and it was also known that we had _francs-tireurs_ traversing +the country. Some said that they were Turcos escaped from Woerth, +others that they were French chasseurs; but the Prussians no longer +ventured out of the high-roads in small parties; and this is, no doubt, +the reason why they did not go to find our cattle in the Krapenfelz. + +The next day, the 13th of August, the Prussians were seen in motion in +the direction of Wechem. A Prussian prince, advanced in years, with +long nose and chin, and always on horseback, was at Metting; and the +rumor ran that the great bombardment of Phalsbourg was going to begin, +and that more than sixty guns were in position above the mill at +Wechem: that they were throwing up earthworks to cover the guns, and +that it was going to be very serious. + +That very day, when I was least expecting it, the quartermasters came +back to requisition meat. But I told them that all the beasts were in +the wood, through their own fault; that they had insisted on taking +everything at once, and now they would get nothing. + +On hearing these perfectly correct observations of mine, they tried +threats. Then I said to them: "Take me--eat me--I am old and lean. +You will not get much out of me." + +However, as they threatened us with fire, I gave public notice that the +Prussians still claimed, in the name of the King of Prussia, ten +hundred-weight of oats and of barley, three thousand of straw, and as +much of hay; and that if the whole was not delivered in the market +square on the stroke of twelve, they would set fire to the place +without compassion. + +And this time, too, it all came. + +These Germans had found out the way to compel people to strip +themselves even of their very shirts! Fire! fire! There lies the true +genius of the Prussians. No one had imagined _fire_--the power of +_fire_, like these brigands. God alone had brought down fire hitherto +upon His miserable creatures to punish heavy crimes, as at Sodom and +Gomorrah; they resorted to it to rob and plunder us! It was the +punishment of our folly. + +But let us hope that nations will not always be so wicked. God will +take pity upon us. I do not say the God of the Jesuits, nor of the +Prussians, who are Protestant Jesuits! But He whom, every man feels in +his own heart; He who draws from us the tears of pity and compassion, +which we drop upon our brothers unjustly slain; He is the God of whom I +speak, and it is to Him that I cry when I say: "Look upon our +sufferings! Have we deserved them? are we accountable for our +ignorance? If so, then punish us! But if others are to blame: if they +have refused us schools; if they have never taught us anything that we +ought to know; if they have profited by our credulity to impose upon +us, oh! God, pardon us, and restore to us our country, our dear +country, Alsace and Lorraine! Let us not be reduced to receiving blows +like the German soldiers! Degrade not our children, our poor children, +to become servants and beasts of burden to the German nobles! My God! +we have been verily guilty in believing our 'honest man,' who swore to +Thee with full intent to break his oath: and his Ministers, who plunged +into war 'with a light heart!' after having promised us peace, and who +first secured their own safety and well-lined pockets! Nevertheless, +we of Alsace and Lorraine, the most faithful children of the Great +Revolution, have not deserved that we should become Germans and +Prussians! Alas! what a calamity! ..." + +I have just been weeping! After such a flood of miseries and +abominable acts my heart over flows! + +Now I pursue my sad story; and I will try never to forget that I am +relating a true history, which everybody knows; which all the world has +seen. + +That same day, toward evening, several vans full of Alsacians, +returning from Blamont, passed through our village to return home. The +Prussians had obliged them to walk; their horses were nothing but bags +of bones; and the people, emaciated, yellow-looking, had been so +battered with blows, so famished with hunger, that they staggered at +every step. + +They had not received so much as a ration of bread on the whole +journey; the Germans devoured everything! They would have seen our +poor fellows--whom they had compelled to bear the burden of their +baggage--they would have seen them drop with weariness and starvation +before their eyes, without giving them a drop of water! But for our +unhappy invaded Lorraine brothers, who fed them out of their own +poverty, they would have perished, every one. + +This is the truth! We experienced it ourselves not long afterward; for +the same fate was reserved to us. + +After the passage of these miserable creatures, to whom I gave a little +bread--though we had scarcely any left, since the Germans, only two +days before, had robbed us of twenty-seven loaves just fresh out of the +oven--after this melancholy sight, we saw coming with a terrible +clatter and ringing of sabres, one after the other, three Prussian +aides-de-camp, who were announced to us; the first as a colonel, the +second a general, and the third I cannot remember what--a duke, a +prince, something of that kind! + +It was the colonel whom I had the honor, as they called it, to +entertain, Colonel Waller, of the 10th regiment of Silesian grenadiers; +and then followed the general, who did me the honor to sup at my house +at my expense. This man's name was Macha-Cowsky. They had the +pleasure of informing us that that very night Phalsbourg was going to +be thoroughly shelled. Those gentlemen are full of the greatest +delicacy; they imagined that this good news was going to delight me, my +wife, and my daughter! + +The flag of the Silesian grenadiers was brought into the colonel's +apartment. This regiment was arriving from the Austrian frontier; it +had waited for the declaration of neutrality of the good Catholics down +there, to come by rail and unite with the twelve army corps which were +invading us with so much glory. + +I learned this by overhearing their conversation. + +That was a very bad night for us. The officers wanted to be waited on +separately, one after the other; my poor wife was obliged to cook for +them, to bring them plates--in a word, to be their servant; and Gredel, +in spite of her indignation, was helping her mother, pale with passion +and biting her lips to keep it down. + +The general and the colonel took their supper at nine, the aide-de-camp +at ten; and so forth all the night through, without giving a thought to +the exhaustion and trouble of the poor women. + +They were laughing a good deal over what Monsieur le Cure of Wilsberg +had said the night before; who had told them that the misfortunes of +Napoleon had arisen from his withdrawing his troops from Rome, and that +"whoever ate of the Pope would burst asunder!" + +They enjoyed these words and had great fun over them. + +I, in my corner, came to the conclusion that from a fool you must +expect nothing but folly. + +At last I dropped off to sleep, with my head upon my knees; but +scarcely had daylight appeared when the house was filled with the +ringing of spurs and steel scabbards, and above all rose the loud voice +of the aide-de-camp: "Where are you, you scoundrel! will you come, ass! +fool! brute! come this way, will you!" + +This is the way he called his servant! This is exactly the way they +treat their soldiers, who listen to them gravely, the hand raised +beside the ear, eyes looking right before them, without uttering a +sound! He is lucky, too, if the speech finishes without a smart box on +the ears or a kick in the rear! This is what they hope to see us +coming to some day; this is what they call "instructing us in the noble +virtues of the Germans." + +The colonel breakfasted at about five in the morning; a company came +for the flag, and the regiments marched off. We were rejoicing, when +about seven, the bombardment opened with an awful crashing noise. +Sixty guns at Wechem were firing at the same time. + +The town replied; but at half-past eight a heavy cloud of smoke was +already overhanging Phalsbourg; the heavy guns of the fortress only +replied with the more spirit; the shells whizzed, the bombs burst upon +the hill-side, and the thunders of the bastion of Wilsenberg roared and +rolled in echoing claps to the remotest ends of Alsace. + +My wife and Gredel, seated opposite each other, looked silently in each +other's faces; I paced up and down with my head bowed, thinking of +Jacob, and of all those good people who at that moment had before their +eyes the spectacle of their burning houses and furniture, the fruit of +their fifty years of labor. + +At ten I came out; the dense column of smoke had spread wider and +wider; it extended toward the hospital and the church; it seemed like a +vast black flag which drooped low from time to time and rose again to +meet the clouds. + +A squadron of cuirassiers, and behind them another of hussars, dashed +past up the face of the hill; but they came down again with lightning +speed in the direction of Metting, where the Prussian prince had his +head-quarters. + +The shells of the sixty guns went on their way rising through the air +and falling into the smoke; the bombs and the shells from the town +dropped behind the Prussian batteries, and exploded in the fields. + +The echoes could be heard from the Luetzelbourg, thundering from one +moment to another. The old castle down below must have shaken and +trembled upon its rock. + +In the midst of all this terrible din the pillage was beginning afresh; +bands of robbers were breaking from their ranks, and whilst the +officers were admiring the burning town through their field-glasses, +_they_ were running from house to house, pointing their bayonets at the +women and demanding eau-de-vie, butter, eggs, cheese, anything that +they expected to find according to the inspector's reports. If you +kept bees, they must have honey; if you kept poultry, it must be fowls +or eggs. And these brigands, in bands of five or six, rummaged and +plundered everywhere. They committed other horrible deeds, which it is +not fit even to mention. + +These are your good old German manners! + +And they reproach us with our Turcos; but the Turcos are saints +compared with these filthy vagabonds, who are still polluting our +hospitals. + +Coming nearer to us, these robbers found a man awaiting them firmly at +his door; I had grasped a pitchfork, Gredel stood behind with an axe. +Then, having, I suppose, no written order to rob, and fearful lest my +neighbors should come to my side, they sneaked away farther. + +But about eleven, a lieutenant, with a canteen woman, came to order me +to give up to him a few pints of wine; saying that he would pay me +every sou, by and by. This was a polite way of robbing; for who would +be such a fool as to refuse credit to a man who has you by the throat. +I took them down to the cellar, the woman filled her two little +barrels, and then they departed. + +About one the colonel returned at the head of his regiment, and +advanced as far as the door without alighting from his horse, asking +for a glass of wine and a piece of bread, which my wife presented him. +He could not stop another moment. + +Scarcely had he left us, when again the canteen woman's barrels had to +be replenished. This time it was an ensign, who swore that the debt +should be fully paid that very night. He emptied my cask, and went off +with a conceited strut. + +Whilst all this was going on, the cannon were thundering, the smoke +rising higher and thicker. The bombs from Phalsbourg burst on the +plateau of Berlingen. At half-past four half the town was blazing; at +five the flames seemed spreading farther yet; and the church steeple, +which was built of stone, seemed still to be standing erect, but as +hollow as a cage; the bells had melted, the solid beams and the roof +fallen in; from a distance of five miles you could see right through +it. About ten, the people in our village, standing before their houses +with clasped hands, suddenly saw the flames pierce to an immense height +through the dense smoke into the sky. + +The cannon ceased to roar. A flag of truce had just gone forward once +more to summon the place to surrender. But our lads are not of the +sort who give themselves up; nor the people of Phalsbourg either: on +the contrary, the more the fire consumed, the less they had to lose; +and fortunately, the biscuit and the flour which had been intended for +Metz, since the battle of Reichshoffen had remained at the storehouses, +so that there were provisions enough for a long while. Only meat and +salt were failing: as if people with any sense ought not to have a +stock of salt in every fortified town, kept safe in cellars, enough to +last ten years. Salt is not expensive; it never spoils; at the end of +a century it is found as good as at first. But our commissaries of +stores are so perfect! A poor miller could not presume to offer this +simple piece of advice. Yet the want of salt was the cause of the +worst sufferings of the inhabitants during the last two months of the +siege. + +The flag of truce returned at night, and we learned that there was no +surrender. + +Then a few more shells were fired, which killed some of those who had +already left the shelter of the casemates--some women, and other poor +creatures. At last the firing ceased on both sides. It was about +nine. The profound silence after all this uproar seemed strange. I +was standing at my own door looking round, when suddenly, in the dark +street, my cousin appeared. + +"Is anybody there?" + +"No." + +And we entered the room, where were Gredel and my wife. + +"Well," said he, laughing and winking, "our boys won't give in. The +commanding officer is a brave fellow." + +"Yes," said my wife, "but what has become of Jacob?" + +"Pooh!" said George, "he is perfectly well. I have seen very different +bombardments from these; at Saint Jean d'Ulloa they fired upon us with +shells of a hundred-and-twenty pounds; these are only sixes and +twelves. Well, after all when a man has seen his thirtieth or fortieth +year, it is a good deal to say. Don't be uneasy; I assure you that +your boy is quite well: besides, are not the ramparts the best place?" + +Then he sat down and lighted his pipe. The blazing town sent out such +a glow of light that the shadows of our casements were quivering on the +illumined bed-curtains. + +"It is burning fiercely," said my cousin. "How hot they must be down +there! But how unfortunate that the Archeviller tunnel should not have +been blown up! and that the orders of his Majesty; did not arrive to +apply the match to the train that was ready laid. What a misfortune +for France to have such an incompetent man at her head! The town holds +out; if the tunnel had only been blown up, the Germans would have been +obliged to take the town! The bombardment makes no impression; they +would have been obliged to proceed by regular approaches, by digging +trenches, and then make two or three assaults. This would have +detained them a fortnight, three weeks, or a month; and during this +interval, the country might have taken breath. I know that the +Prussians have a road by Forbach and Sarre Union to hold the railway at +Nancy; but Toul is there! And then there is a wide difference between +marching on foot one day's march, and then another day's march with +guns, and ammunition, and all sorts of provisions dragging after you, +convoys to be escorted and watched for fear of sudden attacks; and +holding a perfect railroad which brings everything quietly under your +hands! Yes, it is indeed a misfortune to be ruled by an idiot, who has +people around him declaring he is an eagle." + +Thus spoke my cousin; and my wife informed him that it would please her +much better to see the Germans pass by than to have to entertain them. + +"You speak just like a woman," answered George. "No doubt we are +suffering losses; but do you suppose that France will not indemnify us? +Do you think we shall always be having idiots and sycophants for our +deputies? If we are not paid for this, who, in future, will think of +defending his country? We should all open our doors to the enemy: this +would be the destruction of France. Get these notions out of your +head, Catherine, and be sure that the interest of the individual is +identical with that of the nation. Ah! if that tunnel had been blown +up the Germans would have been in a very different position!" + +Thereupon, my cousin fixed his eyes upon that unhappy town, which +resembled a sea of fire; out of two hundred houses, fifty-two, besides +the church, were a prey to the flames. No noise could be heard on +account of the distance, but sometimes a red glare shot even to us, and +the moon, sailing through the clouds on our left peacefully went on her +way as she has done since the beginning of the world. All the hateful +passions, all the fearful crimes of men never disturb the stars of +heaven in their silent paths! George, having gazed with teeth set and +lips compressed, left us without another word. + +We sat up all that night. You may be sure that no one slept in the +whole village; for every one had there a son, a brother, or a friend. + +The next day, the 15th of August, when the morning mists had cleared +away, the smoke was rising still, but it was not so thick. Then the +main body of the German army proceeded on their march to Nancy; and the +lieutenant, who, the night before, had promised to pay me for my wine, +had stepped out left foot foremost, having forgotten to say good-by to +me. If the rest of the German officers are at all like that fellow, I +would strongly recommend no one ever to trust them even with a single +_liard_ on their mere word. + +After the departure of this second army, came the 6th corps; the next +day, Sunday, and the day after there passed cavalry regiments: +chasseurs, lancers, hussars, brown, green, and black, without number. +They all marched past us down our valley, and their faces were toward +the interior of France. Yet there remained a force of infantry and +artillery around Phalsbourg, at Wechem, Wilsberg, at Biechelberg, the +Quatre Vents, the Baraques, etc. The rumor ran that they were to be +reinforced with heavier artillery, to lay regular siege to the place; +but what they had was just sufficient to secure the railroad, the +Archeviller tunnel, and in our direction the pass of the Graufthal. + +The provisions, the stores, the spare horses, and the infantry followed +the valley of Luetzelbourg; their cavalry were in part following after +ours. + +Since that time we have seen no bombardments, except on a small scale. +Sorties might easily have been made by the townspeople, for all +right-minded people would rather have given their cattle to the town +than see them requisitioned by the Prussians. + +Yes, indeed, it was those requisitions which tormented us the most. +Oh, these requisitions! The seven or eight thousand men who were +blockading the town lived at our expense, and denied themselves nothing. + +But a little later, during the blockade of Metz, we were to experience +worse miseries yet. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A few days after the passage of the last squadrons of hussars, we +learned that the Phalsbourgers had made a sortie to carry off cattle +from the Biechelberg. That night we might have captured the whole of +the garrison of our village; but the officer in command of the party +was a poor creature. Instead of approaching in silence, he had ordered +guns to be fired at two hundred paces from the enemy's advanced posts, +to frighten the Prussians! But they, in great alarm, had sprung out of +their beds, where they lay fast asleep, and had all decamped, firing +back at our men; and the peasants lost no time in driving their cattle +into the woods. + +From this you may see what notions our officers had about war. + +"The men of 1814," said our old forester, Martin Kopp, "set to work in +a different way; they were sure to fetch back bullocks, cows, and +prisoners into the town." + +When Cousin George was spoken to of these matters, he shrugged his +shoulders and made no remark. + +Worse than all, the Prussians made fun of us unlucky villagers of +Rothalp, calling us "_la grande nation!_" But was it our fault if our +officers, who had almost all been brought up by the Jesuits, knew +nothing of their profession? If our lads had been drilled, if every +man had been compelled to serve, as they are in Germany; and if every +man had been given the post for which he was best fitted, according to +his acquirements and his spirit, I don't think the Prussians would have +got so much fun out of "_la grande nation_." + +This was the only sortie attempted during the siege. The commander, +Talliant, who had plenty of sense, was quite aware that with officers +of this stamp, and soldiers who knew nothing of drill, it was better to +keep behind the ramparts and try to live without meat. + +About the same time the officer in command of the post of the Landwehr +at Wechem, the greatest drunkard and the worst bully we have ever seen +in our part of the country, came to pay me his first visit, along with +fifteen men with fixed bayonets. + +His object was to requisition in our village three hundred loaves of +bread, some hay, straw, and oats in proportion. + +In the first place he walked into my mill, crying, "Hallo! +good-morning, M. le Maire!" + +Seeing those bayonets at my door, a fidgety feeling came over me. + +"I am come to bring you a proclamation from his Majesty the King of +Prussia. Read that!" + +And I read the following proclamation: + +"We, William, King of Prussia, make known to the inhabitants of the +French territory that the Emperor Napoleon III., having attacked the +German nation by sea and by land, whose desire was and is to live at +peace with France, has compelled us to assume the command of our +armies, and, consequently upon the events of war, to cross the French +frontier; but that I make war upon soldiers and not upon French +citizens, who shall continue to enjoy perfect security, both as regards +their persons and their property, as long as they shall not themselves +compel me, by hostile measures against the German troops, to withdraw +my protection from them." + +"You will post up this proclamation," said the lieutenant to me, "upon +your door, upon that of the mayoralty-office, and upon the church-door. +Well! are you glad?" + +"Of course," said I. + +"Then," he replied, "we are good friends; and good friends must help +one another. Come, my boys," he cried to his soldiers, with a loud +laugh, "come on--let us all go in. Here you may fancy yourselves at +home. You will be refused nothing. Come in!" + +And these robbers first entered the mill; then they passed on into the +kitchen; from the kitchen into the house, and then they went down into +the cellar. + +My wife and Gredel had sought safety in flight. + +Then commenced a regular organized pillage. + +They cleared out my chimney of its last hams and flitches of bacon, +they broke in my last barrel of wine; they opened my wardrobe--scenting +down to the very bottom like a pack of hounds. I saw one of these +soldiers lay hands even upon the candle out of the candlestick and +stuff it into his boot. + +One of my lambs having begun to bleat: + +"Hallo!" cried the lieutenant. "Sheep! we want mutton." + +And the infamous rascals went off to the stable to seize upon my sheep. + +When there was nothing left to rob, this gallant officer handed me the +list of regular requisitions, saying, "We require these articles. You +will bring the whole of them this very evening to Wechem, or we shall +be obliged to repeat our visit: you comprehend, Monsieur le Maire? +And, especially, do not forget the proclamations, his Majesty's +proclamations; that is of the first importance: it was our principal +object in coming. Now, Monsieur le Maire, _au revoir, au revoir_!" + +The abominable brute held out his hand to me in its coarse leather +glove--I turned my back upon him; he pretended not to see it, and +marched off in the midst of his soldiers, all loaded like pack-horses, +laughing, munching, tippling; for every man had filled his tin flask +and stuffed his canvas bag full. + +Farther on they visited several of the other principal houses--my +cousin's, the cure Daniel's. They were so loaded with plunder that, +after their last visit, they halted to lay under requisition a horse +and cart, which seemed to them handier than carrying all that they had +stolen. + +War is a famous school for thieves and brigands; by the end of twenty +years mankind would be a vast pack of villains. + +Perhaps this may yet be our fate; for I remember that the old +school-master at Bouxviller told us that there had been once in ancient +times populous nations, richer than we are, who might have prospered +for thousands of years by means of commerce and industry, but who had +been so madly bent upon their own extermination by means of war, that +their country became at last sandy wastes, where not a blade of grass +grows now and nothing is found but scattered rocks. + +This is our impending fate; and I fear I may see it before I die, if +such men as Bismarck, Bonaparte, William, De Moltke, and all those +creatures of blood and rapine do not swiftly meet with their deserved +retribution. + +The pillaging lieutenant that I told you of just now was made a captain +at the end of the war--the reward of his merit. I cannot just now +recollect his name; but when I mention that he used to roam from +village to village, from one public-house to another, soaking in, like +a sand-bank, wine, beer, and ardent spirits; that he bellowed out songs +like a bull-calf; that he used in a maudlin way to prate about little +birds; that he levied requisitions at random; and that he used to +return to his quarters about one, or two, or three o'clock in the +morning, so intoxicated that it was incredible that a human being in +such a state could keep his seat on horseback, and yet was ready to +begin again next morning; yes, I need but mention these circumstances, +and everybody will recognize in a minute the big German brute! + +The other Landwehr officers, in command at Wilsberg, Quatre Vents, +Mittelbronn, and elsewhere, were scarcely better. After the departure +of the princes, the dukes, and the barons, these men looked upon +themselves as the lords of the land. Every day we used to hear of +fresh crimes committed by them upon poor defenceless creatures. One +day, at Mittelbronn, they shot a poor idiot who had been running +barefoot in the woods for ten years, hurting nobody; the next day, at +Wilsberg, they stripped naked a poor boy who unfortunately had come too +near their batteries, and the officer himself, with his heavy boots +kicked him till the blood ran; and then, at the Quatre Vents, they +pulled out of the cellar two feeble old men, and exposed them two days +and nights to the rain and the cold, threatening to kill them if they +did but stir; they pillaged oxen, sheep, hay, straw, smashed furniture, +burst in windows, day after day, for the mere pleasure of killing and +destroying. + +[Illustration: THEY DREW TWO POOR OLD MEN FROM THEIR CELLAR.] + +Sometimes they found amusement in threatening to make the cures and the +Maires drive the cattle which they themselves had lifted. And as the +Germans enjoy the reputation with us of being very learned, I feel +bound to declare that I have never seen one, whether officer or +private, with a book in his hand. + +Cousin George said, with good reason, that all their learning bears +upon their military profession: the spy system, and the study of maps +for officers, and discipline under corporal punishment for the rest. +The only clear notion they have in their heads is that they must obey +their chiefs and calmly receive slaps in the face. + +The young men employed in trade are great travellers. They get +information in other countries; they are sly; they never answer +questions; they are good servants, and cheap; but at the first signal, +back they go to get kicked; and they think nothing of shooting their +old shopmates, and those whose bread they have been eating for years. + +In their country some are born to slap, others to be slapped. They +regard this as a law of nature; a man is honorable or not according as +he may be the son of a nobleman or a tradesman, a baron or a workman. +With them, the less honorable the man the better the soldier; he is +only expected to obey, to black boots, and to rub down the officer's +horse when he is ordered: a banker's, or a rich citizen's son obeys +just like any one else! Hence there is no doubt that their armies are +well disciplined. George said that their superior officers handled a +hundred thousand men with greater ease than ours could manage ten +thousand, and that, for that purpose, less talent was needed. No +doubt! If I, who am only a miller, had by chance been born King of +Prussia, I should lead them all by the bridle, like my horses, and +better. I should simply be careful, on the eve of any difficult +enterprise, to consult two or three clever fellows who should clear up +my ideas for me, and engage in my service highly educated young men to +look after affairs. Then the machine would act of itself, just like my +mill, where the cogs work into each other without troubling me. The +machinery does everything; genius, good sense, and good feeling are not +wanted. + +These ideas have come into my mind, thinking upon what I have observed +since the opening of this campaign; and this is why I say we must have +discipline to play this game over again; only, as the French possess +the sentiment of honor, they must be made to understand that he who has +no discipline is wanting in honor, and betrays his country. Then, +without kicking and slapping, we shall obtain discipline; we may handle +vast masses, and shall beat the Germans, as we have done hundreds of +times before. + +These things should be taught in every school, and the schools should +be numberless; at the very head of the catechism should be written: +"The first virtue of the citizen under arms is obedience; the man who +disobeys is a coward, a traitor to the Republic." + +These were my thoughts; and now I continue my story. + +After the passage of the German armies, our unhappy country was, as it +were, walled round with a rampart of silence; for all the men who were +blockading Phalsbourg, and the few detachments which were still passing +with provisions, stores, flocks of sheep, and herds of oxen through the +valley, were under orders not to speak to us, but leave us to the +influence of fear. We received no more newspapers, no more letters, +nor the least fragment of intelligence from the interior. We could +hear the bombardment of Strasbourg when the wind blew from the Rhine. +All was in flames down there; but, as no one dared to come and go, on +account of the enemy's posts placed at every point, nothing was known. +Melancholy and grief were killing us. No one worked. What was the use +of working, when the bravest, the most industrious, the most thrifty +saw the fruit of their labor devoured by innumerable brigands? Men +almost regretted having done their duty by their children, in depriving +themselves of necessaries, to feed in the end such base wretches as +these. They would say: "Is there any justice left in the world? Are +not upright men, tender mothers of families, and dutiful children, +fools? Would it not be better to become thieves and rogues at once? +Do not all the rewards fall to the brutish? Are not those hypocrites +who preach religion and mercy? Our only duty is to become the +strongest. Well, let us be the strongest; let us pass over the bodies +of our fellow-creatures, who have done us no harm; let us spy, cheat, +and pillage: if we are the strongest, we shall be in the right." + +Here is the list of the requisitions, made in the poorest cabins, for +every Prussian who lodged there: judge what must have been our misery. + +"For every man lodging with you, you will have to furnish daily 750 +grammes of bread, 500 grammes of meat, 250 grammes of coffee, 60 +grammes of tobacco, or five cigars, a half litre of wine, or a litre of +beer, or a tenth part of a litre of eau-de-vie. Besides, for every +horse, twelve kilos of oats, five kilos of hay, and two and a half +kilos of straw."* + + +* Bread, about 2 lbs.; meat, 1-1/2 lbs.; coffee, 8 oz.; tobacco, 2 oz.; +wine, 3/4 pint; or beer, 1-1/2 pints; oats, 26 lbs., etc. + + +Every one will say, "How was it possible for unfortunate peasants to +supply all that? It is impossible." + +Well, no. The Prussians did get it, in this wise: They made excursions +to the very farthest farms, they carried off everything, hay, straw; +elsewhere they carried off the cattle; elsewhere, corn; elsewhere, +again, wine, eau-de-vie, beer; elsewhere they demanded contributions in +money. Every man gave up what he had to give, so that by the end of +the campaign there was nothing left. + +Yes, indeed! We were comfortable before this war; we were rich without +knowing it. Never had I supposed that we had in our country such +quantities of hay, so many head of cattle. + +It is true that, at the last, they gave us bonds; but not until +three-quarters and more of our provisions had been consumed. And now +they make a pretence of indemnifying us; but in thirty years, supposing +there is peace--in thirty years our village will not possess what it +had last year. + +Ah! vote, vote in plebiscites, you poor, miserable peasants! Vote for +bonds for hay, straw, and meat, milliards and provinces for the +Prussians! Our _honest man_ promises peace; he who has broken his +oath--trust in his word! + +Whenever I think on these things, my hair stands on end. And those who +voted against the Plebiscite, they have had to pay just as dearly. How +bitterly they must feel our folly; and how anxious they must be to +educate us! + +Imagine the condition of my wife and of my daughter seeing us so +denuded! for women cleave to their savings much more closely than men; +and then mother was only thinking of Jacob, and Gredel of her Jean +Baptiste. + +Cousin George knew this. He tried several times to get news of the +town. A few Turcos, who had escaped from the carnage of Froeschwiller, +had remained in town, and every day a few got through the postern to +have a shot at the Germans. On the other hand, as the attack on the +place had been sudden and unforeseen, there had been no time to throw +down the trees, the hedges, the cottages, and the tombstones in the +cemetery. So this work began afresh: everything within cannon-shot was +razed without mercy. + +George tried to reach these men, but the enemy's posts were still too +close. At last he got news, but in a way which can scarcely be +told--by an abandoned woman, who was allowed in the German lines. This +creditable person told us that Jacob was well; and, no doubt, she also +brought some kind of good news to Gredel, who from that moment was +another woman. The very next day she began to talk to us about her +marriage-portion, and insisted upon knowing where we had hidden it. I +told her that it was in the wood, at the foot of a tree. Then she was +in alarm lest the Prussians should have discovered it, for they +searched everywhere; they had exact inventories of what was owned by +every householder. They had gone even to the very end of our cellars +to discover choice wines: for instance, at Mathis's, at the saw-mills, +and at Frantz Sepel's, at Metting. Nothing could escape them, having +had for years our own German servants to give them every information, +who privately kept an account of our cattle, hay, corn, wine, and +everything every house could supply. These Germans are the most +perfect spies in the world; they come into the world to spy, as birds +do to thieve: it is part of their nature. Let the Americans and all +the people who are kind enough to receive them think of this. Their +imprudence may some day cost them dearly. I am not inventing. I am +not saying a word too much. We are an example. Let the world profit +by it. + +So Gredel feared for our hoard. I told her I had been to see, and that +nothing in the neighborhood had been disturbed. + +But, after having quieted her, I myself had a great fright. + +One Sunday evening, about thirty Prussians, commanded by their famous +lieutenant, came to the mill, striking the floor with the butt-ends of +their muskets, and shouting that they must have wine and eau-de-vie. + +I gave them the keys of the cellar. + +"That is not what I want," said the lieutenant. "You took sixteen +hundred livres at Saverne last month; where are they?" + +Then I saw that I had been denounced. It was Placiard, or some of that +rabble; for denunciations were beginning. _All who have since declared +for the Germans were already beginning this business_. I could not +deny it, and I said: "It is true. As I was owing money at Phalsbourg, +I paid what I owed, and I placed the rest in safety under the care of +lawyer Fingado." + +"Where is that lawyer?" + +"In the town guarded by the sixty big guns that you know of." + +Then the lieutenant paced up and down, growling, "You are an old fox. +I don't believe you. You have hid your money somewhere. You shall +send in your contribution in money." + +"I will furnish, like others, my contribution for six men with what I +have got. Here are my hay, my wheat, my straw, my flour. Whatever is +left you may have; when there is nothing left, you may seek elsewhere. +You may kill the people; you may burn towns and villages; but you +cannot take money from those who have none." + +He stared at me, and one of the soldiers, mad with rage, seized me by +the collar, roaring, "Show us your hoard, old rascal!" + +Several others were pushing me out of doors; my wife came crying and +sobbing; but Gredel darted in, armed with a hatchet, crying to these +robbers, "Pack of cowards! You have no courage--you are all like +Schinderhannes!" + +She was going to fall upon them; but I bade her: "Gredel, go in again." + +At the same time I threw open my waistcoat, and told the brute who was +pointing his bayonet at my breast: "Now thrust, wretch; let it be over!" + +It seems that there was something at that moment in my attitude which +awed them; for the lieutenant, who did nothing but scour the country +with his band, exclaimed: "Come, let us leave monsieur le maire alone. +When we have taken the place, we shall find his money at the lawyer's. +Come, my lads, come on; let us go and look elsewhere. His Majesty +wants crown-pieces: we will find them. Good-by, Monsieur le Maire. +Let us bear no malice." + +He was laughing; but I was as pale as death, and went in trembling. + +I fell ill. + +Many people in the country were suffering from dysentery, which we owe +again to these gormandizers, for they devoured everything; honey, +butter, cheese, green fruit, beef, mutton, everything was ingulfed +anyhow down their huge swallows. At Pfalsweyer they had even swallowed +vinegar for wine. I cannot tell what they ate at home, but the +voracity of these people would make you suppose that at home they knew +no food but potatoes and cold water. + +In their sanitary regulations there was plenty of room for improvement; +health and decency were alike disregarded. + +That year the crows came early; they swept down to earth in great +clouds. But for this help, a plague would have fallen upon us. + +I cannot relate all the other torments these Prussians inflicted upon +us; such as compelling us to cut down wood for them in the forest, to +split it, to pile it up in front of their advanced posts; threatening +the peasants with having to go to the front and dig in the trenches. +On account of this, whole villages fled without a minute's warning, and +the Landwehr took the opportunity to pillage the houses without +resistance. Worse than all, they polluted and desecrated the +churches--to the great distress of all right-minded people, whether +Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. This proved that these fellows +respected nothing; that they took a pleasure in humiliating the souls +of men in their tenderest and holiest feelings; for even with ungodly +men a church, a temple, a synagogue are venerable places. There our +mothers carried us to receive the blessing of God; there we called God +to witness our love for her with whom we had chosen to travel together +the journey of life; thither we bore father and mother to commend their +souls to the mercy of God after they had ceased to suffer in this world. + +These wretched men dared do this; therefore shall they be execrated +from generation to generation, and our hatred shall be inextinguishable! + +Whilst all these miseries were overwhelming us, rumors of all sorts ran +through the country. One day Cousin George came to tell us that he had +heard from an innkeeper from Sarrebourg that a great battle had been +fought near Metz; that we might have been victorious, but that the +Emperor, not knowing where to find his proper place, got in everybody's +way; that he would first fly to the right, then to the left, carrying +with him his escort of three or four thousand men, to guard his person +and his ammunition-wagons; that it had been found absolutely necessary +to declare his command vacant, and to send him to Verdun to get rid of +him; for he durst not return to Paris, where indignation against his +dynasty broke out louder and louder. + +"Now," said my cousin, "Bazaine is at the head of our best army. It is +a sad thing to be obliged to intrust the destinies of our country to +the hands of the man who made himself too well known in Mexico; whilst +the Minister of War, old De Montauban, has distinguished himself in +China, and in Africa in that Doineau affair. Yes, these are three men +worthy to lay their heads close together--the Emperor, Bazaine, and +Palikao! Well, let us hope on: hope costs nothing!" + +Thus passed away the month of August--the most miserable month of +August in all our lives! + +On the first of September, about ten o'clock at night, everybody was +asleep in the village, when the cannon of Phalsbourg began to roar: it +was the heavy guns on the bastion of Wilschberg, and those of the +infantry barracks. Our little houses shook. + +All rose from their beds and got lights. At every report our windows +rattled. I went out; a crowd of other peasants, men and women, were +listening and gazing. The night was dark, and the red lightning +flashes from the two bastions lighted up the hills second after second. + +Then curiosity carried me away. I wished to know what it was, and in +spite of all my wife could say, I started with three or four neighbors +for Berlingen. As fast as we ascended amongst the bushes, the din +became louder; on reaching the brow of this hill, we heard a great stir +all round us. The people of Berlingen had fled into the wood: two +shells had fallen in the village. It was from this height that I +observed the effect of the heavy guns, the bombs and shells rushing in +the direction where we stood, hissing and roaring just like the noise +of a steam-engine, and making such dreadful sounds that one could not +help shrinking. + +At the same time we could hear a distant rolling of carriages at full +gallop; they were driving from Quatre Vents to Wilschberg: no doubt it +was a convoy of provisions and stores, which the Phalsbourgers had +observed a long way off: the moon was clouded; but young people have +sharp eyes. After seeing this, we came down again, and I recognized my +cousin, who was walking near me. + +"Good-evening, Christian," said he, "what do you think of that?" + +"I am thinking that men have invented dreadful engines to destroy each +other." + +"Yes, but this is nothing as yet, Christian; it is but the small +beginning of the story: in a year or two peace will be signed between +the King of Prussia and France; but eternal hatred has arisen between +the two nations--just, fearful, unforgiving hatred. What did we want +of the Germans? Did we want any of their provinces? No, the majority +of Frenchmen cared for no such thing. Did we covet their glory? No, +we had military glory enough, and to spare. So that they had no +inducement to treat us as enemies. Well, whilst we were trying, in the +presence of all Europe, the experiment of universal suffrage at our own +risk and peril--and this step so fair, so equitable, but still so +dangerous with an ignorant people, had placed a bad man at the +helm--these _good Christians_ took advantage of our weakness to strike +the blow they had been fifty-four years in preparing. They have +succeeded! But woe to us! woe to them! This war will cost more blood +and tears than the Zinzel could carry to the Rhine!" + +Thus spoke Cousin George: and, unhappily, from that day I have had +reason to acknowledge that he was right. Those who were far from the +enemy are now close, and those who are farther off will be forced to +take a part. Let the men of the south of France remember that they are +French as well as we, and if they don't want to feel the sharp claw of +the Prussian upon their shoulders, let them rise in time: next to +Lorraine comes Champagne; next to Alsace comes Franche Comte and +Burgundy; these are fertile lands, and the Germans are fond of good +wine. Clear-sighted men had long forewarned us that the Germans wanted +Alsace and Lorraine: we could not believe it; now the same men tell us, +"The Germans want the whole of France! This race of slappers and +slapped want to govern all Europe! Hearken! The day of the Chambords, +upheld by the Jesuits, and of the Bonapartes, supported by spies and +fools, has gone by forever! Let us be united under the Republic, or +the Germans will devour us!" I think the men who tender this advice +have a claim to be heard. + +The day after the cannonade we learned that some carts had been upset +and pillaged near Berlingen. Then the Prussian major declared that the +commune was responsible for the loss, and that it would have to pay up +five hundred francs damages. + +Five hundred francs! Alas! where could they be found after this +pillage? + +Happily, the Mayor of Berlingen succeeded in making the discovery that +the sentinels who had the charge of the carts had themselves committed +the robbery, to make presents to the depraved creatures who infested +the camp, and the general contributions went on as before. + +Early in September the weather was fine; and I shall always remember +that the oats dropped by the German convoys began to grow all along the +road they had taken. No doubt there was a similar green track all the +way from Bavaria far into the interior of France. + +What a loss for our country! for it always fell to our share to replace +anything that was lost or stolen. Of course the Prussians are too +honorable to pick or steal anywhere! + +In that comparatively quiet time by night we could hear the bombardment +of Strasbourg. About one in the morning, while the village was asleep, +and all else in the distance was wrapped in silence, then those deep +and loud reports were heard one by one. The citadel alone received +five shells and one bomb per minute. Sometimes the fire increased in +intensity; the din became terrible; the earth seemed to be trembling +far away down there: it sounded like the heavy strokes of the +gravedigger at the bottom of a grave. + +And this went on forty-two days and forty-two nights without +intermission: the new Church, the Library, and hundreds of houses were +burned to the ground; the Cathedral was riddled with shot; a shell even +carried away the iron cross at its summit. The unhappy Strasbourgers +cast longing eyes westward; none came to help. The men who have told +me of these things when all was over could not refrain from tears. + +Of Metz we heard nothing; rumors of battles, combats in Lorraine, ran +through the country: rumors of whose authenticity we knew nothing. + +The silence of the Germans was maintained; but one evening they burst +into loud hurrahs from Wechem to Biechelberg, from Biechelberg to +Quatre Vents. George and his wife came with pale faces. + +"Well, you know the despatch?" + +"No; what is it?" + +"The _honest man_ has just surrendered at Sedan with eighty thousand +Frenchmen! From the beginning of the world the like of it has never +been seen. He has given up his sword to the King of Prussia--his +famous sword of the 2d December. He thought more of his own safety and +his ammunition-wagons than of the honor of his name and of the honor of +France! Oh, the arch-deceiver! he has deceived me even in this: I did +think he was brave!" + +George lost all command over himself. + +"There," said he, "that was to be the end of it! His own army was +those ten or fifteen thousand Decemberlings supplied by the Prefecture +of Police, armed with loaded staves and life-preservers to break the +heads of the defenders of the laws. He thought himself able to lead a +French army to victory, as if they were his gang of thieves; he has let +them into a sort of a sink, and there, in spite of the valor of our +soldiers, he has delivered them up to the King of Prussia: in exchange +for what? We shall know by and by. Our unhappy sons refused to +surrender: they would have preferred to die sword in hand, trying to +fight their way out; it was his Majesty who, three times, gave orders +to hoist the white flag!" + +Thus spoke my cousin, and we, more dead than alive, could hear nothing +but the shouts and rejoicings outside. + +A flag of truce had just been despatched to the town. The Landwehr, +who for some time had been occupying the place of the troops of the +line with us--men of mature age, more devoted to peace than to the +glory of King William--thought that all was over; that the King of +Prussia would keep his word; that he would not continue against the +nation the war begun against Bonaparte, and that the town would be sure +to surrender now. + +But the commander, Taillant, merely replied that the gates of +Phalsbourg would be opened whenever he should receive his Majesty's +written commands; that the fact of Napoleon's having given up his sword +was no reason why he should abandon his post; and that every man ought +to be on his guard, in readiness for whatever might happen. + +The flag of truce returned, and the joy of the Landwehr was calmed down. + +At this time I saw something which gave me infinite pleasure, and which +I still enjoy thinking of. + +I had taken a short turn to Saverne by way of the Falberg, behind the +German posts, hoping to learn news. Besides, I had some small debts to +get in; money was wanted every day, and no one knew where to find it. + +About five o'clock in the evening, I was returning home; the weather +was fine; business had prospered, and I was stepping into the wayside +inn at Tzise to take a glass of wine. In the parlor were seated a +dozen Bavarians, quarrelling with as many Prussians seated round the +deal tables. They had laid their helmets on the window-seats, and were +enjoying themselves away from their officers; no doubt on their return +from some marauding expedition. + +A Bavarian was exclaiming: "We are always put in the front, we are. +The victory of Woerth is ours; but for us you would have been beaten. +And it is we who have just taken the Emperor and all his army. You +other fellows, you do nothing but wait in the rear for the honor and +glory, and the profit, too!" + +"Well, now," answered the Prussian, "what would you have done but for +us? Have you got a general to show? Tell me your men. You are in the +front line, true enough. You bear your broken bones with patience--I +don't deny that. But who commands you? The Prince Royal of Prussia, +Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, our old General de Moltke, and his +Majesty King William! Don't tell us of your victories. Victories +belong to the chiefs. Even if you were every one killed to the last +man, what difference would that make? Does an architect owe his fame +to his materials? What have picks, and spades, and trowels to do with +victory?" + +"What! the spades!" cried a Bavarian; "do you call us spades?" + +"Yes, we do!" shouted the Prussian, arrogantly thumping the table. + +Then, bang, bang went the pots and the bottles; and I only just had +time to escape, laughing, and thinking: "After all, these poor +Bavarians are right--they get the blows, and the others get the glory. +Bismarck must be sly to have got them to accept such an arrangement. +It is rather strong. And, then, what is the use of saying that the +King of Bavaria is led by the Jesuits." + +About the 8th or 10th of September, the report ran that the Republic +had been proclaimed at Paris; that the Empress, the Princess Mathilde, +Palikao, and all the rest had fled; that a Government of National +Defence had been proclaimed; that every Frenchman from twenty to forty +years of age had been summoned to arms. But we were sure of nothing, +except the bombardment of Strasbourg and the battles round Metz. + +Justice compels me to say that everybody looked upon the conduct of +Bazaine as admirable--that he was looked upon as the saviour of France. +It was thought that he was bearing the weight of all the Germans upon +his shoulders, and that, finally, he would break out, and deliver Toul, +Phalsbourg, Bitche, Strasbourg, and crush all the investing armies. + +Often at that time George said to me: "It will soon be our turn. We +shall all have to march. My plans are already made; my rifle and +cartridge-box are ready. You must have the alarm-bell sounded as soon +as we hear the cannon about Sarreguemines and Fenetrange. We shall +take the Germans between two fires." + +He said this to me in the evening, when we were alone, and I am sure I +could have wished no better; but prudence was essential: the Landwehr +kept increasing in number from day to day. They used to come and sit +in our midst around the stove; they smoked their long porcelain pipes, +with their heads down, in silence. As a certain number understood +French, without telling us so, there was no talking together in their +presence: every one kept his thoughts to himself. + +All these Landwehr from Baden, Wurtemberg, and Bavaria, were commanded +by Prussian officers, so that Prussia supplied the officers, and the +German States the soldiers: by these means they learn obedience to +their true lords and masters. The Prussians were made to command, the +others humbly to obey: thus they gained the victory. And now it must +remain so for ages; for the Alsacians and Lorrainers might revolt, +France might rise, and troubles might come in all directions. Yes, all +these good Landwehr will remain under arms from father to son; and the +more numerous their victories, the higher the Prussians will climb upon +their backs, and keep them firmly down. + +One thing annoyed them considerable; this was a stir in the Vosges, and +a talk of francs-tireurs, and of revolted villages about Epinal. Of +course this stirred us up too. These Landwehr treated the +francs-tireurs as brigands in ambush to shoot down respectable fathers +of families, to rob convoys, and threatened to hang them. + +For all that, many thought--"If only a few came our way with powder and +muskets, we would join them and try to get rid of our troubles +ourselves." + +Hope rose with these francs-tireurs; but the requisitions harassed us +all the more. + +The pillage was not quite so bad, but it went on still. When our +Landwehr, whom we were obliged to lodge and keep, went off to mount +guard at Phalsbourg, others came in troops from the neighboring +villages, shouting, storming, and bawling for oxen, sheep, bacon! And +when they had terribly frightened the women, these fellows, after all, +were satisfied with a few eggs, a cheese, or a rope of onions; and then +they would take their departure quite delighted. + +Our own Landwehr no doubt did the same, for they never seemed short of +vegetables to cook; and these good fathers of families conscientiously +divided it with all the abominable creatures who followed them and had +no other way of living. How else could it be? It takes time to turn a +man into a beast, but a few months of war soon bring men back into the +savage state. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +On the 29th of September, a Prussian vaguemestre* brought me some +proclamations with orders to make them public. + + +* The person in command of a wagon train--also an Army letter-carrier. + + +These proclamations declared that we were now part of the department of +La Moselle, and that we were under a Prussian prefect, the Count Henkel +de Bonnermark, who was himself under the orders of the Governor-General +of Alsace and Lorraine, the Count Bismarck-Bohlen, provisionally +residing at Haguenau. + +I cannot tell what evil spirit then laid hold of me; the Landwehr had +brought us the day before the news of the capitulation of Strasbourg; I +had been worried past all endurance by all the requisitions which I was +ordered to call for, and I boldly declared my refusal to post that +proclamation: that it was against my conscience; that I looked upon +myself as a Frenchman still, and they need not expect an honest man to +perform such an errand as that. + +The vaguemestre seemed astonished to hear me. He was a stout man, with +thick brown mustaches, and prominent eyes. + +"Will you be good enough to write that down, M. le Maire?" he said. + +"Why not? I am tired out with all these vexatious acts. Let my place +be given to your friend, M. Placiard: I should be thankful. Let him +order these requisitions. I look upon them as mere robbery." + +"Well, write that down," said he. "I obey orders: I have nothing to do +with the rest." + +Then, without another thought, I opened my desk, and wrote that +Christian Weber, Mayor of Rothalp, considered it against his conscience +to proclaim Bismarck-Bohlen Governor of a French province, and that he +refused absolutely. + +I signed my name to it, with the date, 29th September, 1870; and it was +the greatest folly I ever committed in my life: it has cost me dear. + +The vaguemestre took the paper, put it in his pocket, and went away. +Two or three hours after, when I had thought it over a little, I began +to repent, and I wished I could have the paper back again. + +That evening, after supper, I went to tell George the whole affair; he +was quite pleased. + +"Very good, indeed, Christian," said he. "Now your position is clear. +I have often felt sorry that you should be obliged, for the interest of +the commune and to avoid pillage, to give bonds to the Prussians. +People are so absurd! Seeing the signature of the mayor, they make +him, in a way, responsible for everything; every one fancies he is +bearing more than his share. Now you are rid of your burden; you could +not go so far as to requisition in the name of Henkel de Bonnermark, +self-styled prefect of La Moselle; let some one else do that work; they +will have no difficulty in finding as many ill-conditioned idiots as +they want for that purpose." + +My cousin's approbation gave me satisfaction, and I was going home, +when the same vaguemestre, in whose hands I had placed my resignation +in the morning, entered, followed by three or four Landwehr. + +"Here is something for you," said he, handing me a note, which I read +aloud: + + +"The persons called Christian Weber, miller, and George Weber, +wine-merchant, in the village of Rothalp, will, to-morrow, drive to +Droulingen, four thousand kilos of hay and ten thousand kilos of straw, +without fail. By order--FLOEGEL." + + +"Very well," I replied. For although this requisition appeared to me +to be rather heavy, I would not betray my indignation before our +enemies; they would have been too much delighted. "Very well, I will +drive my hay and my straw to Droulingen." + +"You will drive it yourself," said the vaguemestre, brutally. "All the +horses and carts in the village have been put into requisition; you +have too often forgotten your own." + +"I can prove that my horses and my carts have been worked oftener than +any one's," I replied, with rising wrath. "There are your receipts; I +hope you won't deny them!" + +"Well, it doesn't matter," said he. "The horses, the carts, the hay +and straw are demanded; that is plain." + +"Quite plain," said Cousin George. "The strongest may always command." + +"Exactly so," said the vaguemestre. + +He went out with his men, and George, without anger, said, "This is +war! Let us be calm. Perhaps our turn will come now that the _honest +man_ is no longer in command of our armies. In the meantime the best +thing we can do, if we do not want to lose our horses and our carts +besides, will be to load to-night, and to start very early in the +morning. We shall return before seven o'clock to supper; and then they +won't be able to take any more of our hay and straw, because we shall +have none left." + +For my part, I was near bursting with rage; but, as he set the example, +by stripping off his coat and putting on his blouse, I went to wake up +old Father Offran to help me to load. + +My wife and Gredel were expecting me: for the vaguemestre and his men +had called at the mill, before coming to George's house, and they were +trembling with apprehension. I told them to be calm; that it was only +taking some hay and straw to Droulingen, where I should get a receipt +for future payment. + +Whether they believed it or not, they went in again. + +I lighted the lantern, Offran mounted up into the loft and threw me +down the trusses, which I caught upon a fork. About two in the +morning, the two carts being loaded, I fed the horses and rested a few +minutes. + +At five o'clock, George, outside, was already calling "Christian, I am +here!" + +I got up, put on my hat and my blouse, opened the stable from the +inside, put the horses in, and we started in the fresh and early +morning, supposing we should return at night. + +In all the villages that we passed through, troops of Landwehr were +sitting before their huts, ragged, with patched knees and filthy +beards, like the description of the Cossacks of former days, smoking +their pipes; and the cavalry and infantry were coming and going. + +Those who remained in garrison in the villages were obliged by their +orders to give up their good walking-boots to the others, and to wear +their old shoes. + +Mounted officers, with their low, flat caps pulled down upon their +noses, were skimming along the paths by the road-side like the wind. +In the old wayside inns, in the corners of the yards the dung-hills +were heaped up with entrails and skins of beasts: hides, stuffed with +straw, were hanging also from the banisters of the old galleries, where +we used to see washed linen hanging out to dry. Misery, unspeakable +misery, and gnawing anxiety were marked upon the countenances of the +people. The Germans alone looked fat and sleek in their broken boots; +they had good white bread, good red wine, good meat, and smoked good +tobacco or cigars: they were living like fighting-cocks. + +At a certain former time, these people had complained bitterly of our +invasion of their country, without remembering that they had begun by +invading ourselves. And yet they were right. At the close of the +First Empire, the French were only fighting for one man; but the +Germans had since had their revenge twice, in 1814 and 1815, and for +fifty years they had always been coming to us as friends, and were +received like brothers: we bore no malice against them, and they seemed +to bear none against us; peace had softened us. We only wished for +their prosperity, as well as for our own; for nations are really happy +only when their neighbors are prospering: then business and industry +all move hand in hand together. That was our position! We said +nothing more of our victories; we talked of our defeats, so as to do +full justice to their courage and their patriotism; we acknowledged our +faults; they pretended to acknowledge theirs, and talked of fraternity. +We believed in their uprightness, in their candor and frankness: we +were really fond of them. + +Now hatred has arisen between us. + +Whose the fault? + +First, our stupidity, our ignorance. We all believed that the +Plebiscite was for peace; the Ministers, the prefets, the sous-prefets, +the magistrates, the commissioners of police, everybody in authority +confirmed this. A villain has used it to declare war! But the Germans +were glad of the war; they were full of hatred, and malice, and envy, +without betraying it: they had long watched us and studied us; they +endured everlasting drill and perpetual fatigue to become the +strongest, and sought with pains for an opportunity to get war declared +against themselves, and so set themselves right in the eyes of Europe. +The Spanish complication was but a trap laid by Bismarck for Bonaparte. +The Germans said to one another: "We have twelve hundred thousand men +under arms; we are four to one. Let us seize the opportunity! If the +French Government take it into their heads to organize and discipline +the Garde Mobile, all might be lost.... Quick, quick!" + +This is the uprightness, frankness, and fraternity of the Germans! + +Our idiot fell into the trap. The Germans overwhelmed us with their +multitudes. They are our masters; they hold our country; we are paying +them milliards! and now they are coming back, just as before, into our +towns and cities in troops, smiling upon us, extending the right hand: +"Ha! ha! how are you now? Have you been pretty well all this long +while? What! don't you know me? You look angry! Ah! but you really +shouldn't. Such friends, such good old friends! Come, now! give me a +small order, only a small one; and don't let us think of that unhappy +war!" + +Faugh! Let us look another way; it is too horrible. + +To excuse them, I say (for one must always seek excuses for everything) +man is not by nature so debased; there must be causes to explain, so +great a want of natural pride; and I say to myself--that these are poor +creatures trained to submission, and that these unfortunate beings do +as the birds do that the birdcatcher holds captives in his net; they +sing, they chirp, to decoy others. + +"Ah! how jolly it is here! how delightful here in Old Germany, with an +Emperor, kings, princes, German dukes, grand-dukes, counts, and barons! +What an honor to fight and die for the German Fatherland! The German +is the foremost man in the world." + +Yes. Yes. Poor devils! We know all about that. That is the song +your masters taught you at school! For the King of Prussia and his +nobility you work, you spy, you have your bones broken on the +battle-field! They pay you with hollow phrases about the noble German, +the German Fatherland, the German sky, the German Rhine; and when you +sing false, with rough German slaps upon your German faces. + +No; no! it is of no use; the Alsacians and the Lorrainers will never +whistle like you: they have learned another tune. + +Well! all this did not save us from being nipped, George and me, and +from being made aware that at the least resistance they would wring our +necks like chickens. So we put a good face upon a bad game, observing +the desolation of all this country, where the cattle plague had just +broken out. At Lohre, at Ottviller, in a score of places, this +terrible disease, the most ruinous for the peasantry, was already +beginning its ravages; and the Prussians, who eat more than four times +the quantity of meat that we do--when it belongs to other people--were +afraid of coming short. + +Their veterinary doctors knew but one remedy; when a beast fell ill, +refused its fodder, and became low-spirited, they slaughtered it, and +buried it with hide and horns, six feet under ground. This was not +much cleverer than the bombardment of towns to force them to surrender, +or the firing of villages to compel people to pay their requisitions. +But then it answered the purpose! + +The Germans in this campaign have taught us their best inventions! +They had thought them over for years, whilst our school-masters and our +gazettes were telling us that they were passing away their time in +dreaming of philosophy, and other things of so extraordinary a kind +that the French could not understand the thing at all. + +About eleven we were at Droulingen, where was a Silesian battalion +ready to march to Metz. It seems that some cavalry were to follow us, +and that the requisitions had exhausted the fodder in the country, for +our hay and straw were immediately housed in a barn at the end of the +village, and the major gave us a receipt. He was a gray-bearded +Prussian, and he examined us with wrinkled eyes, just like an old +gendarme who is about to take your description. + +This business concluded, George and I thought we might return at once; +when, looking through the window, we saw them loading our carts with +the baggage of the battalion. Then I came out, exclaiming: "Hallo! +those carts are ours! We only came to make a delivery of hay and +straw!" + +The Silesian commander, a tall, stiff, and uncompromising-looking +fellow, who was standing at the door, just turned his head, and, as the +soldiers were stopping, quietly said: "Go on!" + +"But, captain," said I, "here is my receipt from the major!" + +"Nothing to me," said he, walking into the mess-room, where the table +was laid for the officers. + +We stood outside in a state of indignation, as you may believe. The +soldiers were enjoying the joke. I was very near giving them a rap +with my whip-handle; but a couple of sentinels marching up and down +with arms shouldered, would certainly have passed their bayonets +through me. I turned pale, and went into Finck's public-house, where +George had turned in before me. The small parlor was full of soldiers, +who were eating and drinking as none but Prussians can eat and drink; +almost putting it into their noses. + +The sight and the smell drove us out, and George, standing at the door, +said to me: "Our wives will be anxious; had we not better find somebody +to tell them what has happened to us?" + +But it was no use wishing or looking; there was nobody. + +The officers' horses along the wall, their bridles loose, were quietly +munching their feed, and ours, which were already tired, got nothing. + +"Hey!" said I to the _feld-weibel_, who was overlooking the loading of +the carts; "I hope you will not think of starting without giving a +handful to our horses?" + +"If you have got any money, you clown," said he, grinning, "you can +give them hay, and even oats, as much as you like. There, look at the +sign-board before you: 'Hay and oats sold here.'" + +That moment I heaped up more hatred against the Prussians than I shall +be able to satiate in all my life. + +"Come on," cried George, pulling me by the arm; for he saw my +indignation. + +And we went into the "Bay Horse," which was as full of people as the +other, but larger and higher. We fed our horses; then, sitting alone +in a corner we ate a crust of bread and took a glass of wine, watching +the movements of the troops outside. I went out to give my horses a +couple of buckets of water, for I knew that the Germans would never +take that trouble. + +George called to him the little pedler Friedel, who was passing by with +his pack, to tell him to inform our wives that we should not be home +till to-morrow morning, being obliged to go on to Sarreguemines. +Friedel promised, and went on his way. + +Almost immediately, the word of command and the rattle of arms warned +us that the battalion was about to march. We only had the time to pay +and to lay hold of the horses' bridles. + +It was pleasant weather for walking--neither too much sun nor too much +shade; fine autumn weather. + +And since, in comparing the Germans with our own soldiers as to their +marching powers, I have often thought that they never would have +reached Paris but for our railroads. Their infantry are just as +conspicuous for their slowness and their heaviness as their cavalry are +for their swiftness and activity. These people are splay-footed, and +they cannot keep up long. When they are running, their clumsy boots +make a terrible clatter; which is perhaps the reason why they wear +them: they encourage each other by this means, and imagine they dismay +the enemy. A single company of theirs makes more noise than one of our +regiments. But they soon break out in a perspiration, and their great +delight is to get up and have a ride. + +Toward evening, by five o'clock, we had only gone about three leagues +from Droulingen, when, instead of continuing on their way, the +commander gave the battalion orders to turn out of it into a parish +road on the left. Whether it was to avoid the lodgings by the way, +which were all exhausted, or for some other reason, I cannot say. + +Seeing this, I ran to the commanding officer in the greatest distress. + +"But in the name of heaven, captain," said I, "are you not going on to +Sarreguemines? We are fathers of families; we have wives and children! +You promised that at Sarreguemines we might unload and return home." + +George was coming, too, to complain; but he had not yet reached us, +when the commander, from on horseback, roared at us with a voice of +rage: "Will you return to your carts, or I will have you beaten till +all is blue? Will you make haste back?" + +Then we returned to take hold of our bridles, with our heads hanging +down. Three hours after, at nightfall, we came into a miserable +village, full of small crosses along the road, and where the people had +nothing to give us; for famine had overtaken them. + +We had scarcely halted, when a convoy of bread, meat, and wine arrived, +escorted by a few hussars. No doubt it came from Alberstoff. Every +soldier received his ration, but we got not so much as an onion: not a +crust of bread--nothing--nor our horses either. + +That night George and I alone rested under the shelter of a deserted +smithy, while the Prussians were asleep in every hut and in the barns, +and the sentinels paced their rounds about our carts, with their +muskets shouldered; we began to deliberate what we ought to do. + +George, who already foreboded the miseries which were awaiting us, +would have started that moment, leaving both horses and carts; but I +could not entertain such an idea as that. Give up my pair of beautiful +dappled gray horses, which I had bred and reared in my own orchard at +the back of the mill! It was impossible. + +"Listen to me," said George. "Remember the Alsacians who have been +passing by us the last fortnight: they look as if they had come out of +their graves; they had never received the smallest ration: they would +have been carried even to Paris if they had not run away. You see that +these Germans have no bowels. They are possessed with a bitter hatred +against the French, which makes them as hard as iron; they have been +incited against us at their schools; they would like to exterminate us +to the last man. Let us expect nothing of them; that will be the +safest. I have only six francs in my pocket; what have you?" + +"Eight livres and ten sous." + +"With that, Christian, we cannot go far. The nearer we get to Metz, +the worse ruin we shall find the country in. If we were but able to +write home, and ask for a little money! but you see they have sentinels +on every road, at all the lane ends: they allow neither +foot-passengers, nor letters, nor news to pass. Believe me, let us try +to escape." + +All these good arguments were useless. I thought that, with a little +patience, perhaps at the next village, other horses and other carriages +might be found to requisition, and that we might be allowed quietly to +return home. That would have been natural and proper; and so in any +country in the world they would have done. + +George, seeing that he was unable to shake my resolution, lay down upon +a bench and went to sleep. I could not shut my eyes. + +Next day, at six o'clock, we had to resume the march; the Silesians +well-refreshed, we with empty stomachs. + +We were moving in the direction of Gros Tenquin. The farther we +advanced, the less I knew of the country. It was the country around +Metz, le pays Messin, an old French district, and our misery increased +at every stage. The Prussians continued to receive whatever they +required, and took no further trouble with us than merely preventing us +from leaving their company: they treated us like beasts of burden; and, +in spite of all our economy, our money was wasting away. + +Never was so sad a position as ours; for, on the fourth or fifth day, +the officer, guessing from our appearance that we were meditating +flight, quite unceremoniously said in our presence to the sentinels: +"If those people stir out of the road, fire upon them." + +We met many others in a similar position to ours, in the midst of these +squadrons and these regiments, which were continually crossing each +other and were covering the roads. At the sight of each other, we felt +as if we could burst into tears. + +George always kept up his spirits, and even from time to time he +assumed an air of gayety, asking a light of the soldiers to light his +pipe, and singing sea-songs, which made the Prussian officers laugh. +They said: "This fellow is a real Frenchman: he sees things in a bright +light." + +I could not understand that at all: no, indeed! I said to myself that +my cousin was losing his senses. + +What grieved me still more was to see my fine horses perishing--my poor +horses, so sleek, so spirited, so steady; the best horses in the +commune, and which I had reared with so much satisfaction. Oh, how +deplorable! ... Passing along the hedges, by the roadside, I pulled +here and there handfuls of grass, to give them a taste of something +green, and in a moment they would stare at it, toss up their heads, and +devour this poor stuff. The poor brutes could be seen wasting away, +and this pained me more than anything. + +Then the thoughts of my wife and Gredel, and their uneasiness, what +they were doing, what was becoming of the mill and our village--what +the people would say when they knew that their mayor was gone, and then +the town, and Jacob--everything overwhelmed me, and made my heart sink +within me. + +But the worst of all, and what I shall never forget, was in the +neighborhood of Metz. + +For a fortnight or three weeks there had been no more fighting; the +city and Bazaine's army were surrounded by huge earthworks, which the +Prussians had armed with guns. We could see that afar off, following +the road on our right. We could see many places, too, where the soil +had been recently turned over; and George said they were pits, in which +hundreds of dead lay buried. A few burnt and bombarded villages, +farms, and castles in ruins, were also seen in the neighborhood. There +was no more fighting; but there was a talk of francs-tireurs, and the +Silesians looked uncomfortable. + +At last, on the tenth day since our departure, after having crossed and +recrossed the country in all directions, we arrived about three o'clock +at a large village on the Moselle, when the battalion came to a halt. +Several detachments from our battalion had filled up the gaps in other +battalions, so that there remained with us only the third part of the +men who had come from Droulingen. + +After the distribution of provender, seeing that the officers' horses +had been fed, and that they were putting their bridles on, I just went +and picked up a few handfuls of hay and straw which were lying on the +ground, to give to mine. I had collected a small bundle, when a +corporal on guard in the neighborhood, having noticed what I was doing, +came and seized me by the whiskers, shaking me, and striking me on the +face. + +"Ah! you greedy old miser! Is that the way you feed your beasts?" + +I was beside myself with rage, and had already lifted my whip-handle to +send the rascal sprawling on the earth, when Cousin George precipitated +himself between us, crying: "Christian! what are you dreaming of?" + +He wrested the whip from me, and whilst I was quivering in every limb, +he began to excuse me to the dirty Prussian; saying that I had acted +hastily, that I had thought the hay was to be left, that it ought to be +considered that our horses too followed the battalion, etc. + +The fellow listened, drawn up like a gendarme, and said: "Well, then, I +will pass it over this time; but if he begins his tricks again, it will +be quite another thing." + +Then I went into the stable and stretched myself in the empty rack, my +hat drawn over my face, without stirring for a couple of hours. + +The battalion was going to march again. George was looking for me +everywhere. At last he found me. I rose, came out, and the sight of +all these soldiers dressed in line, with their rifles and their +helmets, made my blood run cold: I wished for death. + +George spoke not a word, and we moved forward; but from that moment I +had resolved upon flight, at any price, abandoning everything. + +The same evening, an extraordinary event happened; we received a little +straw! We lay in the open air, under our carts, because the village at +which we had just arrived was full of troops. I had only twelve sous +left, and George but twenty or thirty. He went to buy a little bread +and eau-de-vie in a public-house; we dipped our bread in it, and in +this way we were just able to sustain life. + +Every time the corporal passed, who had laid his hand upon me, my knife +moved of its own accord in my pocket, and I said to myself: "Shall an +Alsacian, an old Alsacian, endure this affront without revenge? Shall +it be said that Alsacians allow themselves to be knocked about by such +spawn as these fellows, whom we have thrashed a hundred times in days +gone by, and who used to run away from us like hares?" + +George, who could see by my countenance what I was thinking of, said: +"Christian! Listen to me. Don't get angry. Set down these blows to +the account of the Plebiscite, like the bonds for bread, flour, hay, +meat, and the rest. It was you who voted all that: the Germans are not +the causes! They are brute beasts, so used to have their faces +slapped, that they catch every opportunity to give others the like, +when there is no danger, and when they are ten to one. These slaps +don't produce the same effect on them as on us; they are felt only on +the surface, no farther! So comfort yourself; this monstrous beast +never thought he was inflicting any disgrace upon you: he took you for +one of his own sort." + +But, instead of pacifying me, George only made me the more indignant; +especially when he told me that the Germans, talking together, had told +how Queen Augusta of Prussia had just sent her own cook to the Emperor +Napoleon to cook nice little dishes for him, and her own band to play +agreeable music under his balcony! + +I had had enough! I lay under our cart, and all that night I had none +but bad dreams. + +We had always hoped that, on coming near a railway, the remains of the +battalion would get in, and that we should be sent home; unhappily our +men were intended to fill up gaps in other battalions: companies were +detached right and left, but there were always enough left to want our +conveyances, and to prevent us from setting off home. + +We had not had clean shirts for a fortnight; we had not once taken off +our shoes, knowing that we should have too much difficulty in getting +them on again; we had been wetted through with rain and dried by the +sun five and twenty times; we had suffered all the misery and +wretchedness of hunger, we were reduced to scarecrows by weariness and +suffering; but neither cousin nor I suffered from dysentery like those +Germans; the poorest nourishment still sustained us; but the bacon, the +fresh meat, the fruits, the raw vegetables, devoured by these creatures +without the least discretion, worked upon them dreadfully: no +experience could teach them wisdom; their natural voracity made them +devoid of all prudence. + +As a climax to our miseries, the officers of our battalion were talking +of marching on Paris. + +The Prussians knew a month beforehand that Bazaine would never come out +of his camp, and that he would finally surrender after he had consumed +all the provisions in Metz; they said this openly, and looked upon +Marshal Bazaine as our best general: they praised and exalted him for +his splendid campaign. The only fault they could find was, that he had +not shut himself up sooner; because then things would have been settled +much earlier. They complained, too, of our Emperor, and affirmed that +the best thing we could do would be to set him on his throne again. + +George and I heard these things repeated a hundred times at the inns +and public-houses where we halted. The French innkeepers made us sit +behind the stove, and for pity, passed us sometimes the leavings of the +soup; but for this, we should have perished of hunger. They asked us +in whispers what the Germans were saying, and when we repeated their +sayings, the poor people said to us: "Really, how fond the Prussians +are of us! Certainly they do owe some comfort to the men who have +surrendered! Every brave deed deserves to be rewarded." + +One of the Lorraine innkeepers said this to us; he was also the first +to tell us that Gambetta, having escaped from Paris in a balloon, was +now at Tours with Glais-Bizoin and several others, to raise a powerful +army behind the Loire. In these parts they got the Belgian papers, and +whenever we heard a bit of good news it screwed up our courage a little. + +Quantities of provisions and stores were passing: immense flocks of +sheep and herds of oxen, cases of sausages, barrels of bread, wine, and +flour; sometimes regiments also. The trains for the East were carrying +wounded in heaps, stretched one over another in the carriages upon +mattresses, their pale faces seeking fresh air and coolness at all the +windows. German doctors with the red cross upon their arms were +accompanying them, and in every village there were ambulances. + +The heavy rains and the first frosts had come. A thousand rumors were +afloat of great battles under the walls of Paris. The Prussians were +especially wroth with Gambetta: "that Gambetta! the bandit!" as they +called him, who was preventing them from having peace and bringing back +Napoleon. Never have I seen men so enraged with an enemy because he +would not surrender. The officers and soldiers talked of nothing else. + +"That Gambetta," said they, "is the cause of all our trouble. His +francs-tireurs deserve to be strung up. But for him, peace would be +made. We should already have got Alsace and Lorraine; and the Emperor +Napoleon, at the head of the army of Metz, would have been on his way +to restore order at Paris." + +At every convoy of wounded their indignation mounted higher. They +thought it perfectly natural and proper that _they_ should set fire to +us, devastate our country, plunder and shoot us; but for us to defend +ourselves, was infamous! + +Is it possible to imagine a baser hypocrisy? For they did not think +what they were saying; they wanted to make us believe that our cause +was a bad one; yet how could there be a holier and a more glorious one? + +Of course every Frenchman, from the oldest to the youngest--and +principally the women--prayed for Gambetta's success, and more than +once tears of emotion dropped at the thought that, perhaps, he might +save us. Crowds of young men left the country to join him, and then +the Prussians burdened their parents with a war contribution of fifty +francs a day. They were ruining them; and yet this did not prevent +others from following in numerous bands. + +The Prussians threatened with the galleys whosoever should connive at +the flight, as they called it, of these volunteers, whether by giving +them money, or supplying them with guides, or by any other means. +Violence, cruelty, falsehood--all sorts of means seemed good to the +Germans to reduce us to submission; but arms were the least resorted to +of all these means, because they did not wish to lose men, and in +fighting they might have done so. + +We had stopped three days at the village of Jametz, in the direction of +Montmedy. It was in the latter part of October; the rain was pouring; +George and I had been received by an old Lorraine woman, tall and +spare, Mother Marie-Jeanne, whose son was serving in Metz. She had a +small cottage by the roadside, with a little loft above which you +reached by a ladder, and a small garden behind, entirely ravaged. A +few ropes of onions, a few peas and beans in a basket, were all her +provisions. She concealed nothing; and whenever a Prussian came in to +ask for anything she feigned deafness and answered nothing. Her +misery, her broken windows, her dilapidated walls and the little +cupboard left wide open, soon induced these greedy gluttons to go +somewhere else, supposing there was nothing for them there. + +This poor woman had observed our wretched plight; she had invited us +in, asking us where we were from, and we had told her of our +misfortunes. She herself had told us that there remained a few bundles +of hay in the loft and that we might take them, as she had no need for +them; the Germans having eaten her cow. + +We climbed up there to sleep by night and drew up the ladder after us, +listening to the rain plashing on the roof and running off the tiles. + +George had but ten sous left and I had nothing, when, on the third day, +as we were lying in the hayloft, about two in the morning, the bugle +sounded. Something had happened: an order had come--I don't know what. + +We listened attentively. There were hurrying footsteps; the butts of +the muskets were rattling on the pavement: they were assembling, +falling in, and in all directions were cries: + +"The drivers! the drivers! where are they?" + +The commander was swearing: he shouted furiously, + +"Fetch them here! find them! shoot the vagabonds." + +We did not stir a finger. + +Suddenly the door burst open. The Prussians demanded in German and in +French: "Where are the drivers--those Alsacian drivers?" + +The aged dame answered not a word; she shook her head, and looked as +deaf as a post, just as usual. At last, out they rushed again. The +rascals had indeed seen the trap-door in the ceiling, but it seems they +were in a hurry and could not find a ladder without losing time. At +last, whether they saw it or not, presently we heard the tramping of +the men in the mud, the cracking of the whips, the rolling of the +carts, and then all was silent. + +The battalion had disappeared. + +Then only, after they had left half an hour, the kind old woman below +began to call us. "You can come down," she said; "they are gone now." + +And we came down. + +The poor woman said, laughing heartily, "Now you are safe! Only you +must lose no time; there might come an order to catch you. There, eat +that." + +She took out of the cupboard a large basin full of soup made of +beans--for she used to cook enough for three or four days at a +time--and warmed it over the fire. + +"Eat it all; never mind me! I have got more beans left." + +There was no need for pressing, and in a couple of minutes the basin +was empty. + +The good woman looked on with pleasure, and George said to her: "We +have not had such a meal for a week." + +"So much the better! I am glad to have done you any service! And now +go. I wish I could give you some money; but I have none." + +"You have saved our lives," I said. "God grant you may see your son +again. But I have another request to make before we go." + +"What is it, then?" + +"Leave to give you a kiss." + +"Ah, gladly, my poor Alsacians, with all my heart! I am not pretty as +I used to be; but it is all the same." + +And we kissed her as we would a mother. + +When we went to the door, the daylight was breaking. + +"Before you lies the road to Dun-sur-Meuse," she said, "don't take +that; that is the road the Prussians have taken: no doubt the commander +has given a description of you in the next village. But here is the +road to Metz by Damvillers and Etain; follow that. If you are stopped +say that your horses were worked to death, and you were released." + +This poor old woman was full of good sense. We pressed her hand again, +with tears in our eyes, and then we set off, following the road she had +pointed out to us. + +I should be very much puzzled now to tell you all the villages we +passed between Jametz and Rothalp. All that country between Metz, +Montmedy and Verdun was swarming with cavalry and infantry, living at +the expense of the people, and keeping them, as it were, in a net, to +eat them as they were wanted. The troops of the line, and especially +the gunners, kept around the fortresses; the rest, the Landwehr in +masses, occupied even the smallest hamlets and made requisitions +everywhere. + +In one little village between Jametz and Damvillers, we heard on our +right a sharp rattle of musketry along a road, and George said to me: +"Behind there our battalion is engaged. All I hope is that the brave +commander who talked of shooting us may get a ball through him, and +your corporal too." + +The village people standing at their doors said, "It is the +francs-tireurs!" + +And joy broke out in every countenance, especially when an old man ran +up from the path by the cemetery, crying: "Two carriages, full of +wounded, are coming--two large Alsacian wagons; they are escorted by +hussars." + +We had just stopped at a grocer's shop in the market square, and were +asking the woman who kept this little shop if there was no watchmaker +in the place--for my cousin wished to sell his watch, which he had +hidden beneath his shirt, since we had left Droulingen--and the woman +was coming down the steps to point out the spot, when the old man began +to cry, "Here come the Alsacian carts!" + +Immediately, without waiting for more, we set off at a run to the other +end of the village; but near to a little river, whose name I cannot +remember, just over a clump of pollard willows, we caught the glitter +of a couple of helmets, and this made us take a path along the +river-side, which was then running over in consequence of the heavy +rains. We went on thus a considerable distance, having sometimes the +water up to our knees. + +In about half an hour we were getting out of these reed beds, and had +just caught sight, above the hill on our left, of the steeple of +another village, when a cry of "Wer da!"* stopped us short, near a +deserted hut two or three hundred paces from the first house. At the +same moment a Landwehr started out of the empty house, his rifle +pointed at us; and his finger on the trigger. + + +* "Who goes there?" + + +George seeing no means of escape, answered, "Guter freund!"* + + +* "A friend." + + +"Stand there," cried the German: "don't stir, or I fire." + +We were, of course, obliged to stop, and only ten minutes afterward, a +picket coming out of the village to relieve the sentinel, carried us +off like vagrants to the mayoralty-house. There the captain of the +Landwehr questioned us at great length as to who we were, whence we +came, the cause of our departure, and why we had no passes. + +We repeated that our horses were dead of overwork, and that we had been +told to return home; but he refused to believe us. At last, however, +as George was asking him for money to pursue our journey, he began to +exclaim: "To the ---- with you, scoundrels! Am I to furnish you with +provisions and rations! Go; and mind you don't come this way again, or +it will be worse for you!" + +We went out very well satisfied. + +At the bottom of the stairs, George was thinking of going up again to +ask for a pass; but I was so alarmed lest this captain should change +his mind, that I obliged my cousin to put a good distance between that +fellow and ourselves with all possible speed; which we did, without any +other misadventure until we came to Etain. There George sold his gold +watch and chain for sixty-five francs; making, however, the watchmaker +promise that if he remitted to him seventy-five francs before the end +of the month, the watch and chain should be returned to him. + +The watchmaker promised, and cousin then taking me by the arm, said: +"Now, Christian, come on; we have fasted long enough, let us have a +banquet." + +And a hundred paces farther on, at the street corner, we went into one +of those little inns where YOU may have a bed for a few sous. + +The men there, in a little dark room, were not gentlemen; they were +taking their bottles of wine, with their caps over one ear, and shirt +collars loose and open; but seeing us at the door, ragged as we were, +with three-weeks' shirts, and beards and hats saturated and out of all +shape and discolored with rain and sun, they took us at first for +bear-leaders, or dromedary drivers. + +The hostess, a fat woman, came forward to ask what we wanted. + +"Your best strong soup, a good piece of beef, a bottle of good wine, +and as much bread as we can eat," said George. + +The fat woman gazed at us with winking eyes, and without moving, as if +to ask: "All very fine! but who is going to pay me?" + +George displayed a five-franc piece, and at once she replied, smiling: +"Gentlemen, we will attend to you immediately." + +Around us were murmurings: "They are Alsacians! they are Germans! they +are this, they are that!" + +But we heeded nothing, we spread our elbows upon the table; and the +soup having appeared in a huge basin, it was evident that our appetites +were good; as for the beef, a regular Prussian morsel, it was gone in a +twinkling, although it weighed two pounds, and was flanked with +potatoes and other vegetables. Then, the first bottle having +disappeared, George had called for a second; and our eyes were +beginning to be opened; we regarded the people in another light; and +one of the bystanders having ventured to repeat that we were Germans, +George turned sharply round and cried: "Who says we are Germans? Come +let us see! If he has any spirit, let him rise. We Germans!" + +Then he took up the bottle and shattered it upon the table in a +thousand fragments. I saw that he was losing his head, and cried to +him: "George, for Heaven's sake don't: you will get us taken up!" + +But all the spectators agreed with him. + +"It is abominable!" cried George. "Let the man who said we are Germans +stand out and speak; let him come out with me; let him choose sabre, or +sword, whatever he likes, it is all the same to me." + +The speaker thus called upon, a youth rose and said: "Pardon me, I +apologize; I thought----" + +"You had no right to think," said George; "such things never should be +said. We are Alsacians, true Frenchmen, men of mature age; my +companion's son is at Phalsbourg in the Mobiles, and I have served in +the Marines. We have been carried away, dragged off by the Germans; we +have lost our horses and our carriages, and now on arriving here, our +own fellow-countrymen insult us in this way because we have said a few +words in Alsacian, just as Bretons would speak in Breton and Provencals +in Provencal." + +"I ask your pardon," repeated the young man. "I was in the wrong--I +acknowledge it. You are good Frenchmen." + +"I forgive you," said George, scrutinizing him; "but how old are you?" + +"Eighteen." + +"Well, go where you ought to be, and show that you, too, are as good a +Frenchman as we are. There are no young men left in Alsace. You +understand my meaning." + +Everybody was listening. The young man went out, and as cousin was +asking for another bottle, the landlady whispered to him over his +shoulder: "You are good Frenchmen; but you have spoken before a great +many people--strangers, that I know nothing of. You had better go." + +Immediately, George recovered his senses; he laid a cent-sous piece on +the table, the woman gave him two francs fifty centimes change, and we +went out. + +Once out, George said to me: "Let us step out: anger makes a fool of a +man." + +And we set off down one little street, then up another, till we came +out into the open fields. Night was approaching; if we had been taken +again, it would have been a worse business than the first; and we knew +that so well, that that night and the next day we dared not even enter +the villages, for fear of being seized and brought back to our +battalion. + +At last, fatigue obliged us to enter an enclosure. It was very cold +for the season; but we had become accustomed to our wretchedness, and +we slept against a wall, upon a bit of straw matting, just as in our +own beds. Rising in the morning at the dawn of day, we found ourselves +covered with hoar-frost, and George, straining his eyes in the +distance, asked: "Do you know that place down there, Christian?" + +I looked. + +"Why, it is Chateau-Salins!" + +Ah! now all was well. At Chateau-Salins lived an old cousin, +Desjardins, the first dyer in the country: Desjardins's grandfather and +ours had married sisters before the Revolution. He was a Lutheran, and +even a Calvinist; we were Catholics; but nevertheless, we knew each +other, and were fond of each other, as very near relations. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +We arrived at the door of Jacques Desjardins about seven in the +morning; he had just got up, and was taking coffee with his wife and +his children. + +At the first sight of us, Desjardins stood with his mouth wide open, +and his wife and his children were preparing for flight, or to call for +help; but when I said: "Good-morning, cousin; it is we," Desjardins +cried: "Good heavens! it is Christian and George Weber! What has +happened?" + +"Yes, it is we, indeed, cousin," said George. "See what a condition +the Prussians have brought us to." + +"The Prussians! Ah, the brigands!" said Desjardins. "Lise, send to +the butcher for some chops--get some wine up. Ah! my poor cousins. I +think you must want to change your clothes, too." + +"Yes," said George; "and to shave." + +"Well, come then. While your breakfast is getting ready, you will +change your shirts and clothes. You will put on mine, until yours have +been washed. Good gracious! is it possible?" + +He took us into a beautiful room upstairs; he opened the linen drawers. +Cousin Lise was coming to fill our basins with clean warm water. + +"Put on my shoes and stockings, too," said Desjardins. "Here are my +razors. Make yourselves comfortable. Ah! those thieves and rogues of +Germans! Did they, indeed, treat you in that way--a mayor, and a +person of such respectability?" + +Then she left the room, and we began to throw off our clothes. The +sight of our stockings, our neckerchiefs, and our shirts, made this +kind old Father Desjardins groan; for he was one of the best of men. +He could hardly believe his eyes, and said: "My poor cousins! you have +had a dreadful bad time." + +Our first business was to get a good wash. The nice, clean white +shirts were already spread open upon the bed; and I cannot tell you +what pleasure I experienced in feeling this nice fresh linen next to my +skin. + +After this I shaved, while George was recounting our misfortunes to our +cousin, who interrupted him at every moment, crying: "What! what! Did +the barbarous creatures carry their cruelty to such a point? Then they +are bandits indeed! Never has the like been seen!" + +I wiped myself dry and comfortable, even to behind the ears, and passed +the razor to George. Our Cousin Desjardins lent me a pair of +stockings, trousers, a blouse, and nice dry shoes. We were about the +same height, and never had I been more comfortable in my life. + +Then George dressed; and just as we were finishing, the servant came +tapping at the door, to announce breakfast; and we came down full of +grateful feelings. + +Cousin Lise and the children were waiting to embrace us; for they did +not dare come near us before, and now they were anxious to excuse +themselves for having received us so badly. But it was natural enough, +and we did not feel hurt. + +I need not tell you with what appetites we breakfasted. George began +again the story of our misfortunes for Cousin Lise and the children, +who were listening with eyes wide open with amazement, and cried: "Is +it really possible? How much you must have suffered, and how happy you +must be now you are safe!" + +When we had finished she told us that all this was the doing of the +Jesuits; that those people had sent abroad evil reports of the +Protestants, and that now, the Prussians having proved victorious, they +were preaching against Gambetta and Garibaldi. She told us that it was +those people who had excited the Emperor to declare war, supposing that +their Society would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by it; +that if the French should conquer, they would crush the Lutherans; and +that if the French lost, Chambord would be set up again, to restore to +the Pope the ancient patrimony of St. Peter. + +Thus spoke Cousin Lise, an elderly woman with hair turning gray, and +who took a pleasure in discussing these subjects. + +But George, after emptying his glass, answered that the true cause of +all our misfortunes was the army; that that army was not the army of +the nation, but of the Emperor, who bestowed rank, honors, pensions, +and grants of money; that the interests of such an army is ever opposed +to that of the country and the people, because the army wants war, to +get promotion; but the people want peace, to work, bring up their +children, and gain a livelihood. + +Cousin Desjardins agreed with him; and when coffee was brought, Lise +and her children went out. Pipes were lighted, and our cousin told us +the latest news. + +Desjardins had many books, like most of the Protestants, and received +newspapers from all quarters; first of all, the _Independance Belge_, +then papers from Cologne, Frankfort, Berne in Switzerland, Geneva, and +elsewhere. At his age--having a son fifty years old--he did not +trouble himself much now about dyeing or business, and spent his time +in reading. + +He was therefore a better-informed man than we were, and one in whom we +could place full confidence. It was from him that we heard of the +splendid defence of Chateaudun, the landing of Garibaldi at Marseilles, +and his appointment as General of the Army of the Vosges, the march of +the Bavarians under Von der Tann upon the Loire, and the arrival of the +francs-tireurs in our mountains, in the direction of Epinal and +Raon-l'Etape. He read to us that fine proclamation of Gambetta to the +French people, setting forth the high purpose of the inhabitants of +Paris, their inexhaustible means of defence, the organization of the +citizens as National Guards, the union and harmony of all in this +moment of difficulty, and the victualling of the city for several +months, which would raise the spirit of the provinces and give them +courage to follow so noble an example. + +I still remember this passage, which stirred me like a trumpet: + +"Citizens of the departments, this position of affairs imposes +important duties upon you. The first of all is to allow no other +occupation whatever to divert your attention from the war--from a +struggle to the very last extremity; the second is, until peace shall +be made, loyally to accept the Republican power, which has sprung +equally from necessity and from right principle. You must have but one +thought: to rescue France from the abyss into which it has been plunged +by the Empire. There is no want of men: all that is wanting is +determination, decision, and continuity in the execution of plans; what +we have lost by the disgraceful capitulation of Sedan is arms. The +whole of the resources of our nation had been directed upon Sedan, +Metz, and Strasbourg; and we might justly conclude that by one final +and guilty plot, the author of all our disasters had schemed, in +falling, to deprive us of all means of repairing the ruin he had +caused!" + +"He is quite capable," cried George. "Yes, I am sure the _honest man_ +contrived to leave himself a back door into Prussia." + +Cousin Desjardins continued: "At this moment, thanks to the +extraordinary exertions of patriotic men, arrangements have been +concluded, the end and object of which is to draw to ourselves all the +disposable muskets in all the markets of the globe. The difficulty of +effecting this negotiation was very serious: it is now overcome. With +regard to equipments and clothing, manufactories and workshops will be +multiplied, and materials laid under requisition wherever needed; +neither hands nor zeal on the part of workers are wanting, nor will +money be lacking. All our immense resources must be called into play, +the lethargy of the rural districts shaken into activity, partisan +warfare spread in all directions. Let us, therefore, rise as one man, +and suffer death rather than submit to the disgrace of a partition of +our country." + +The enthusiasm of George rose with every sentence. + +"Good! good!" cried he, "this is speaking to some purpose. Once give +the impulse, and the object will soon be gained. Our youths will take +up arms _en masse_. One victory, only one, and all France would rise; +we should fall like hail on the backs of the scoundrels; they would be +looked out for at every corner in the woods: not a man would live to +get back again!" + +Cousin Desjardins, having folded up his papers, said nothing; I, too, +was full of my own thoughts. + +"And you, cousin," said I, "have you any confidence?" + +And only after a minute's silence, and having taken a good pinch of +snuff, to waken up his ideas--for he took snuff, like all the old +folks, but did not smoke; after a minute he said: "No, Christian, I +have no hope; but it is not the Germans that I fear: they have taken +Strasbourg; after a time they will have Metz by starvation--that is +already settled. They are besieging Verdun; Soissons has just fallen +into their hands; they have invested Paris; they are advancing upon +Orleans. Well, in spite of all this, it is not the Germans that I +fear." + +"Who then?" asked George. + +Without noticing the question, he continued: "France is so strong, so +brave, so rich, so intelligent, that in a few months she could have +flung these barbarians across the Rhine again; but what alarms me, is +the enemies in our midst." + +"Nobody is moving," said I. + +"It is just because no one is moving that the Germans are on the +Loire," said he, fixing his clear, gray eyes upon me. "If the question +was to restore Chambord, Ferdinand Philippe, or even Bonaparte IV., you +would see all the old councillors-general, all the councillors of the +arrondissements, all the old prefets, sous-prefets, magistrates, police +inspectors, receivers of taxes, comptrollers, _gardes generaux_, +mayors, and deputy mayors in the field. No matter which of the three, +for the principal object is to have a Monsieur who has crosses, +promotions, pensions, and perquisites to give: whichever of the lot, it +is all the same to them; they only want just one such man! These +people would move heaven and earth for their man: they would put the +peasants into lines by thousands, they would sing the Marseillaise, +they would shout the 'country is in danger!' And the bishops, the +priests, the cures, the vicars, would preach the holy war; France would +drive the Prussians to the farthest corner of Prussia; arms, munitions +of war, stores would be found for every day! But as it is a Republic, +and as the Republic demands the separation of Church and State, free +education, compulsory military service; as it declares that all must +contribute to the public good, that a rich fool is not a better man +than a poor but able man; and because, on this principle, merit would +be everything, and intrigues and knavery go to the wall, they had +rather see France dismembered than consent to a Republic! What would +become of the good places of the senators, the peers of France, +prefects, chamberlains, squires, receivers-general, stewards, marshals, +influential deputies, and bishops under a Republic? They would all be +put into one basket: and they don't want that. They would rather the +King of Prussia than the Republic, if the King of Prussia would only +engage to keep all the good places for them. Yes, in their eyes _la +patrie_ means lucrative places and pensions. It is not the first time +that the Germans have been relied upon to restore order in France. +Marie Antoinette had already ceded Alsace to Austria, to have her +antechambers filled again with smooth-faced, obsequious old servitors. +Passing events bring back those times again. Formerly the hunters +after pensions, the egotists who wanted to snap up everything and leave +nothing for the people, were called _nobles_; now it is the _bourgeois_ +trained by the Jesuits. But at that time the chiefs of the Republic +were resolved upon the triumph of justice. They did not leave the +functionaries and the generals of Louis XVI. at the head of the +administrations and of the armies. These great patriots had +common-sense. They established Republican municipalities in every +commune; they gave the command of our armies to Republican generals; +they restrained the reactionnaires; and having cleared our territory of +Germans, they judged those who had called them in; and France was saved. + +"The same thing would happen to-day, in spite of all the preparations +of Germany, in spite of the treason of Bonaparte, who, seeing his +dynasty sacrificed by his own incapacity, gave up our last army at +Sedan to stay the victory of the Republic. + +"Yes, notwithstanding the egotism of this unhappy man, we might yet +beat the Germans, if the Royalists were not at the head of our affairs; +but they are everywhere. In Paris, they command the National Guard and +the army; in the provinces, they are forming those famous +councils-general, whence have been drawn the juries to acquit Pierre +Bonaparte, and who would without shame sentence Gambetta to death if +they were assembled to try him. Instead of helping this brave man, +this good patriot, to save France, they will obstruct him; they will +run sticks between the spokes of his wheels; they will hinder him from +getting the necessary levies; they will clamp the enthusiasm of the +people. See what all these German papers say: they cannot sufficiently +abuse Gambetta, who is defending his country, nor sufficiently flatter +the councils-general named under the Empire." + +"But, then," said George, "must we surrender?" + +"No," replied Desjardins. "Although we are sure of being vanquished, +we must show that we are still the old race: that its roots are not +dead, and that the tree will sprout again. If we had reeled and fallen +under the blow of Sedan, the contempt of Europe and of the whole world +would have covered us forever. The nation has risen since. It seems +incredible. Without armies, or guns, or muskets, or victuals, or +military stores, betrayed, surprised, overrun in all directions, this +nation has risen again! It defends itself! One brave man has been +found sufficient to raise its courage. What other nation would have +done as much? I am, therefore, of opinion that the struggle must be +maintained to the end, that the Germans may be made, as it were, +ashamed of their victory. They have been fifty years preparing; they +have hidden themselves from us, to spy upon us in time of peace; they +have dissembled their hatred; they have brought their whole power to +bear upon us; they have studied the question under every aspect; they +threw against us, at the opening of the campaign, 600,000 men against +220,000; they are going to attack our raw conscripts with their best +troops; they will be five and six against one; they will call Russia to +their help if they want it; and then they will proclaim, 'We are the +conquerors!' They will not be ashamed to say, 'We have vanquished +France. Now it is we who are _La Grande Nation_!'" + +"All that," said George, "is possible. But in the meantime, we may win +a battle; and, if we gain a victory, things will be different. We +shall gain fresh courage, and the Landwehr who are sent against +us--almost all fathers of families--will ask no better than to return +home." + +"The Landwehr have not a word to say," replied Desjardins: "they are +not consulted; those fellows march where they are ordered; they have +long been subject to military discipline. It is a machine: nothing but +a machine; but a machine of crushing weight." + +Then Cousin Desjardins told us that, having travelled long in Germany +before and after 1848, on business, he had seen how these people +detested us: that they envied us; that we were an offence to them; that +hatred of the French was taught in their schools; that they thought +themselves our superiors, on account of their religion, which is simple +and natural; while ours, with all its ceremonies, its Latin chants, its +tapers and its tinsel, induced them to look upon us as an inferior +race, like the negroes, who are only fond of red, and hang rings in +their noses; that, especially, they deemed their women more virtuous +and more worthy of respect than ours: this they attribute also to their +superior religion, which keeps them at home, while ours pass their time +in all sorts of ceremonies, and neglect their first duties. + +Desjardins had even had a serious dispute upon this subject with a +school-master, being unable to hear an open avowal of such an opinion +of Frenchwomen; amongst whom we number Jeanne d'Arc and other heroines, +whose grandeur of character German women are unable to comprehend. + +He told us that, from this point of view, the Germans, and especially +the Prussians, considered us Alsacians and Lorrainers as exiles from +fatherland, and unfortunate in being under the dominion of a debased +race kept in ignorance by the priests. + +George, on hearing this, became furious, and cried that we had more +intelligence and more sense than all the Germans put together. + +"Yes, I believe so, too," replied Cousin Desjardins; "only we ought to +use it; we ought to set up schools everywhere; the lowest Frenchman +should be able to read and write our own language; and this is exactly +what the lovers of good places don't wish for. If the people had been +educated, we should have known what was going on upon the other side of +the Rhine; we should have had national armies, able generals, a +watchful commissariat, a sound organization, enlightened and +conscientious deputies; we should have had all that we are now wanting; +we should not have placed the power of making war or peace in the hands +of an imbecile; we should not have stupidly attacked the Germans, and +the Germans, seeing us ready to receive them, would have been careful +not to attack us. All our defeats, all our divisions, our internal +troubles, our revolutions, our battles and massacres in the streets; +the transportations, the hatred between classes--all this comes of +ignorance; and this abominable ignorance is the doing of the selfish +statesmen who have governed us for seventy years. Good sense, justice, +and patriotism would lead them to inform the people; they preferred an +alliance with the Jesuits to degrade the people; can any treason be +worse?" + +George, who had long entertained the same view, had nothing to add; but +he still argued that we might gain a victory, and that then we should +be saved. + +Cousin Desjardins shook his head, saying: "Our forces are of too +inferior a quality; Gambetta will never have time to organize them; and +if the traitors thought that he would, they would deliver up Metz at +once, in order that the second German army, Prince Frederick Charles's, +might reach the Loire in time to prevent our army from raising the +siege of Paris: for then, I think, the country might be saved. But +this will not come to pass. When I saw generals coming out of Metz to +go and consult the Empress in England, I knew that our cause was lost. +And then the forces of King William are immense. Those 300,000 +Russians who, as the papers tell us, are ready to march upon +Constantinople, are only waiting the nod of the King of Prussia to +start by the railways and come to overwhelm us, if the Germans don't +think themselves numerous enough to vanquish us with 1,200,000 men. +The decisive opinion of Europe is that there shall be no republic in +France--no, not at any price; for, if the republic was established +here, every monarchy would be shaken; the nations would all follow our +example, and there would be an end of war; we should have a European +confederation; kings, emperors, princes, courtiers, and professional +soldiers might all be bowed off the stage. Only commerce, industry, +science and arts would be thought of; to be anything, a man would have +to know something. The talent of drawing up men in line to be mown +down by cannon and mitrailleuses, would be relegated to the rear ranks; +and a hundred years hence, men would hardly believe that such things +have ever been; it would be too stupid." + +Desjardins then told us how, in 1830, travelling about Solingen to buy +dye-stuffs, he had noticed that the Prussians thought of nothing but +war. From that very time they exhausted themselves to keep on foot, +and ready to march, an army of 400,000 disciplined men. Since then, +after their fusion with the forces of North Germany, Bavaria, +Wurtemberg, and Baden, the total would amount to more than a million of +men, without reckoning the landsturm: composed, it is true, of men in +years, but who have all served, and can handle a rifle, load a gun, and +ride well. + +"Here, then, is what Monsieur Bonaparte has brought upon our shoulders +without necessity," said he; "and it is against such a power that +Gambetta is undertaking to organize in haste the youth that are left, +and of whom the greater part have never served. I confess my hopes are +small. God grant that I may be mistaken; but I fear that Alsace and +Lorraine are for the time ingulfed in Germany. The war will continue +for a time; treachery will go on working; and, finally, after all our +sufferings, messieurs the sometime Ministers and councillors-general, +the former prefets and sous-prefets, the old functionaries of every +grade, in a word, all the egotists will be on the look-out, and will +say: 'Let us make an arrangement with Bismarck. Let us make peace at +the expense of Alsace and Lorraine; and let us name a king who shall +find us first-rate places; France will still be rich enough to find us +salaries and pensions.'" + +Thus spoke Cousin Desjardins; and George, growing more and more angry, +striking the table with his fist, said, "What I cannot understand is +that the English desert us, and that they should allow the Prussians to +extend their territory as they like." + +"Ah," said Desjardins, smiling, "the English are not what they once +were. They have become too rich; they cling to their comforts. Their +great statesmen are no longer Pitts and Chathams, who looked to the +future greatness of their nation and took measures to secure it: +provided only that business prospers from day to day, future +generations and the greatness of Britain give them no concern." + +"Just so," said George. "If you had sailed, as I have done, in the +North Sea and the Baltic, if you had seen what an enormous maritime +power North Germany may possibly become in a few years, with her +hundred and sixty leagues of seacoast, her harbors of Dantzig, Stettin, +Hamburg, and Bremen, whither the finest rivers bring all the best +products of Central Europe, all kinds of raw material, not only from +Germany and Poland, but also from Russia; if you had seen that +population of sailors, of traders, which increases daily, you would be +unable to understand the indifference of the English. Have they lost +the use of their eyes? Has the love of Protestantism and comfort +deprived them of all discernment? I cannot tell; but they must see +that if King William and Bismarck want Alsace and Lorraine, it is not +exactly for the love of us Alsacians and Lorrainers, but to hold the +course of the Rhine from its source in the German cantons of +Switzerland down to its outfall at Rotterdam; and that in holding this +great river they will control all the commerce of our industrial +provinces and be able to feed the Dutch colonies with their produce, +which will make them the first maritime power on the Continent; and +that, to carry out their purpose without being molested--whilst the +Russians are attacking Constantinople, they will install themselves +quietly in the Dutch ports, as they did in the case of Hanover, and +will offer us Belgium, and perhaps even something more! All this is +evident." + +"No doubt, cousin," said Desjardins. "I also believe that every fault +brings its own punishment: the English will suffer for their faults, as +we are doing for ours; and the Germans, after having terrified the +world with their ambition, will one day be made to rue their cruelty, +their hypocrisy, and their robberies. God is just! But in the +meantime, until that day shall arrive, we are confiscated, and all our +observations are useless." + +And so the conversation went on: I cannot remember it entirely, but I +have given you the substance of it. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +We remained with Cousin Desjardins all that day. Cousin Lise had our +shirts washed, our clothes cleaned, and our shoes dried before the +fire, after having first filled them with hot embers; and the next day +we took our leave of these excellent people, thanking them from the +bottom of our hearts. + +We were very impatient to see our native place again, of which we had +had no news for a month; and especially our poor wives, who must have +supposed us lost. + +The weather was damp; there were forebodings of a hard winter. + +At Dieuze the rumor reached us that Bazaine had just surrendered Metz, +with all his army, his flags, his guns, rifles, stores, and wounded, +unconditionally! + +The Prussian officers were drinking champagne at the inn where we +halted. They were laughing! George was pale; I felt an oppression on +my heart. + +Some people who were there, carriers--German Jews, who followed their +armies with carts, to load them with the clocks, the pots and pans, the +linen, the furniture, and everything which the officers and soldiers +sold them after having pillaged them in our houses--told us how horses +were given away round Metz for nothing; that Arab horses were sold for +a hundred sous, but that nobody would have them, horses' provender +selling at an exorbitant price; that these poor beasts were eating one +another--they devoured each other's hair to the quick, and even gnawed +the bark off trees to which they were tied; that our captive soldiers +dropped down with hunger in the ditches by the roadside, and then the +Prussians abused them for drunkards. We heard, also, that the +inhabitants of Metz, on hearing the terms of capitulation, had meant to +rise and put Bazaine to death, but that all through the siege three +mitrailleuses had been placed in front of his head-quarters, and that +he had escaped the day before this shameful capitulation was to take +place. + +All this appeared to us almost impossible. Metz surrender +unconditionally! Metz, the strongest town in France, defended by an +army of a hundred thousand well-seasoned troops: the last army left to +us after Sedan! + +But it was true, nevertheless! + +And in spite of all that can be said of the ignorance and the folly of +the chiefs, to account for this terrible disaster, I cannot but believe +that our _honest man_ gave his orders to the very last; that Bazaine +obeyed, and that they did everything together. Besides, Bazaine went +to join him immediately at Wilhelmshoehe, where the cuisine was so +excellent; there they reposed after their toils, until the opportunity +should return of recommencing a campaign after the fashion of the 2d of +December, in which men were entrapped by night in their beds, while +they were relying upon _the honest man's_ oath; or in the style of the +Mexican war, where he ran away, deserting the men he had sworn to +defend! In this sort of campaign, and if the people continue to have +confidence in such men, as many assert will happen, they may begin +again some fine morning, and once more get hold of the keys of the +treasury; they will once more distribute crosses, and salaries, and +pensions to their friends and acquaintances; and in a few years +Bismarck will discover that the Germans possess claims upon Champagne +and Burgundy. + +Well, everything is possible; we have seen such strange things these +last twenty years. + +At Fenetrange, through which we passed about two o'clock, nothing was +known. + +At six in the evening we arrived upon the plateau of Metting, near the +farm called Donat, and saw in the dim distance, two leagues from us, +Phalsbourg, without its ramparts, and its demilunes; its church and its +streets in ashes! The Germans were hidden by the undulations of the +surrounding country, their cannon were on the hill-sides, and sentinels +were posted behind the quarries. + +There was deep silence: not a shot was heard: it was the blockade! +Famine was doing quietly what the bombardment had been unable to effect. + +Then, with heads bowed down, we passed through the little wood on our +left, full of dead leaves, and we saw our little village of Rothalp, +three hundred paces behind the orchards and the fields; it looked dead +too: ruin had passed over it--the requisitions had utterly exhausted +it; winter, with its snow and ice, was waiting at every door. + +The mill was working; which astonished me. + +George and I, without speaking, clasped each other's hands; then he +strode toward his house, and I passed rapidly to mine, with a full +heart. + +Prussian soldiers were unloading a wagon-load of corn under my shed; +fear laid hold of me, and I thought, "Have the wretches driven away my +wife and daughter?" + +Happily Catherine appeared at the door directly; she had seen me +coming, and extended her arms, crying, "Is it you, Christian? Oh! what +we have suffered!" + +She hung upon my neck, crying and sobbing. Then came Gredel; we all +clung together, crying like children. + +The Prussians, ten paces off, stared at us. A few neighbors were +crying, "Here is the old mayor come back again!" + +At last we entered our little room. I sat facing the bed, gazing at +the old bed-curtains, the branch of box-tree at the end of the alcove, +the old walls, the old beams across the ceiling, the little +window-panes, and my good wife and my wayward daughter, whom I love. +Everything seemed to me so nice. I said to myself, "We are not all +dead yet. Ah! if now I could but see Jacob, I should be quite happy." + +My wife, with her face buried in her apron between her knees, never +ceased sobbing, and Gredel, standing in the middle of the room, was +looking upon us. At last she asked me: "And the horses, and the carts, +where are they?" + +"Down there, somewhere near Montmedy." + +"And Cousin George?" + +"He is with Marie Anne. We have had to abandon everything--we escaped +together--we were so wretched! The Germans would have let us die with +hunger." + +"What! have they ill-used you, father?" + +"Yes, they have beaten me." + +"Beaten you?" + +"Yes, they tore my beard--they struck me in the face." + +Gredel, hearing this, went almost beside herself; she threw a window +open, and shaking her fist at the Germans outside, she screamed to +them, "Ah, you brigands! You have beaten my father--the best of men!" + +Then she burst into tears, and came up to kiss me, saying, "They shall +be paid out for all that!" I felt moved. + +My wife, having become calmer, began to tell me all they had suffered: +their grief at receiving no news of us since the third day after the +passage of the pedler; then the appointment of Placiard in my place, +and the load of requisitions he had laid upon us, saying that I was a +Jacobin. + +He associated with none but Germans now; he received them in his house, +shook hands with them, invited them to dinner, and spoke nothing but +Prussian German. He was now just as good a servant of King William as +he had been of the Empire. Instead of writing letters to Paris to get +stamp-offices and tobacco-excise-offices, he now wrote to +Bismarck-Bohlen, and already the good man had received large promises +of advancement for his sons, and son-in-law. He himself was to be made +superintendent of something or other, at a good salary. + +I listened without surprise; I was sure of this beforehand. + +One thing gave me great pleasure, which was to see the mill-dam full of +water: so the chest was still at the bottom. And Gredel having left +the room to get supper, that was the first thing I asked Catherine. + +She answered that nothing had been disturbed: that the water had never +sunk an inch. Then I felt easy in my mind, and thanked God for having +saved us from utter ruin. + +The Germans had been making their own bread for the last fortnight; +they used to come and grind at my mill, without paying a liard. How to +get through our trouble seemed impossible to find out. There was +nothing left to eat. Happily the Landwehr had quickly become used to +our white bread, and, to get it, they willingly gave up a portion of +their enormous rations of meat. They would also exchange fat sheep for +chickens and geese, being tired of always eating joints of mutton, and +Catherine had driven many a good bargain with them. We had, indeed, +one cow left in the Krapenfelz, but we had to carry her fodder every +day among these rocks, to milk her, and come back laden. + +Gredel, ever bolder and bolder, went herself. She kept a hatchet under +her arm, and she told me smiling that one of those drunken Germans +having insulted her, and threatened to follow her into the wood, she +had felled him with one blow of her hatchet, and rolled his body into +the stream. + +Nothing frightened her: the Landwehr who lodged with us--big, bearded +men--dreaded her like fire; she ordered them about as if they were her +servants: "Do this! do that! Grease me those shoes, but don't eat the +grease, like your fellows at Metting; if you do, it will be the worse +for you! Go fetch water! You sha'n't go into the store-room straight +out of the stable! your smell is already bad enough without horse-dung! +You are every one of you as dirty as beggars, and yet there is no want +of water: go and wash at the pump." + +And they obediently went. + +She had forbidden them to go upstairs, telling them, "_I_ live up +there! that's my room. The first man who dares put his foot there, I +will split his head open with my hatchet." + +And not a man dared disobey. + +Those people, from the time they had set over us their governor +Bismarck-Bohlen, had no doubt received orders to be careful with us, to +treat us kindly, to promise us indemnities. Captain Floegel went on +drinking from morning till night, from night till morning; but instead +of calling us rascals, wretches! he called us "his good Germans, his +dear Alsacian and Lorraine brothers," promising us all the prosperity +in the world, as soon as we should have the happiness of living under +the old laws of Fatherland. + +They were already talking of dismissing all French school-masters, and +then we began to see the abominable carelessness of our government in +the matter of public education. Half of our unhappy peasants did not +know a word of French: for two hundred years they had been left +grovelling in ignorance! + +Now the Germans have laid hands upon us, and are telling them that the +French are enemies of their race; that they have kept them in bondage +to get all they could out of them, to live at their cost, and to use +their bodies for their own protection in time of danger. Who can say +it is not so? Are not all appearances against us? And if the Germans +bestow on the peasants the education which all our governments have +denied them, will not these people have reason to attach themselves to +their new country? + +The Germans having altered their bearing toward us, and seeking to win +us over, lodged in our houses. They were Landwehr, who thought only of +their wives and children, wishing for the end of the war, and much +fearing the appearance of the francs-tireurs. + +The arrival of Garibaldi in the Vosges with his two sons was announced, +and often George, pointing from his door at the summit of the Donon and +the Schneeberg, already white with snow, would say: "There is fighting +going on down there! Ah, Christian, if we were young again, what a +fine blow we might deliver in our mountain passes!" + +Our greatest sorrow was to know that famine was prevailing in the town, +as well as small-pox. More than three hundred sick, out of fifteen +hundred inhabitants, were filling the College, where the hospital had +been established. There was no salt, no tobacco, no meat. The flags +of truce which were continually coming and going on the road to +Luetzelbourg, reported that the place could not hold out any longer. + +There had been a talk of bringing heavy guns from Strasbourg and from +Metz, after the surrender of these two places; but I remember that the +_Hauptmann_ who was lodging with the cure, M. Daniel, declared that it +was not worth while; that a fresh bombardment would cost his Majesty +King William at least three millions; and that the best way was to let +these people die their noble death quietly, like a lamp going out for +want of oil. With these words the _Hauptmann_ put on airs of humanity, +continually repeating that we ought to save human life, and economize +ammunition. + +And what had become of Jacob in the midst of this misery? And Jean +Baptiste Werner? I am obliged to mention him too, for God knows what +madness was possessing Gredel at the thought that he might be suffering +hunger: she was no longer human; she was a mad creature without control +over herself, and she often made me wonder at the meek patience of the +Landwehr. When one or another wanted to ask her for anything, she +would show them the door, crying: "Go out; this is not your place!" + +She even openly wished them all to be massacred; and then she would say +to them, in mockery: "Go, then! attack the town! ... go and storm the +place! ... You don't dare! ... You are afraid for your skin! You had +rather starve people, bombard women and children, burn the houses of +poor creatures, hiding yourselves behind your heaps of clay! You must +be cowards to set to work that way. If ours were out, and you were in, +they would have been a dozen times upon the walls: but you are afraid +of getting your ribs stove in! You are prudent men!" + +And they, seated at our door, with their heads hanging down, spoke not +a word, but went on smoking, as if they did not hear. + +Yet one day these peaceable men showed a considerable amount of +indignation, not against Gredel or us, but against their own generals. + +It was some time after the capture of Metz. The cold weather had set +in. Our Landwehr returning from mounting guard were squeezed around +the stove, and outside lay the first fall of snow. And as they were +sitting thus, thinking of nothing but eating and drinking, the bugle +blew outside a long blast and a loud one, the echoes of which died far +away in the distant mountains. + +An order had arrived to buckle on their knapsacks, shoulder their +rifles, and march for Orleans at once. + +You should have seen the long, dismal faces of these fellows. You +should have heard them protesting that they were Landwehr, and could +not be made to leave German provinces. I believe that if there had +been at that moment a sortie of fifty men from Phalsbourg, they would +have given themselves up prisoners, every one, to remain where they +were. + +But Captain Floegel, with his red nose and his harsh voice, had come to +give the word of command, "Fall in!" + +They had to obey. So there they stood in line before our mill, three +or four hundred of them, and were then obliged to march up the hill to +Mittelbronn, whilst the villagers, from their windows, were crying, "A +good riddance!" + +It was supposed, too, that the blockade of Phalsbourg would be raised, +and everybody was preparing baskets, bags, and all things needful to +carry victuals to our poor lads. Gredel, who was most unceremonious, +had her own private basket to carry. It was quite a grand removal. + +But where did this order to march come from? What was the meaning of +it all? + +I was standing at our door, meditating upon this, when Cousin Marie +Anne came up, whispering to me, "We have won a great battle: all the +men at Metz are running to the Loire." + +"How do you know that, cousin?" + +"From an Englishman who came to our house last night." + +"And where has this battle taken place?" + +"Wait a moment," said she. "At Coulmiers, near Orleans. The Germans +are in full retreat; their officers are taking refuge in the +mayoralty-office with their men, to escape being slaughtered." + +I asked no more questions, and I ran to Cousin George's, very curious +to see this Englishman and hear what he might have to tell us. + +As I went in, my cousin was seated at the table with this foreigner. +They had just breakfasted, and they seemed very jolly together. Marie +Anne followed me. + +"Here is my cousin, the former mayor of this village," said George, +seeing me open the door. + +Immediately the Englishman turned round. He was a young man of about +five and thirty, tall and thin, with a hooked nose, hazel eyes full of +animation, clean shaved, and buttoned up close in a long gray surtout. + +"Ah, very good!" said he, speaking a little nasally, and with his teeth +close, as is the habit of his countrymen. "Monsieur was mayor?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"And you refused to post the proclamations of the Governor, +Bismarck-Bohlen?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very good--very good." + +I sat down, and, without any preamble, this Englishman ran on with +eight or ten questions: upon the requisitions, the pillaging, the +number of carriages and horses carried away into the interior; how many +had come back since the invasion; how many were still left in France; +what we thought of the Germans; if there was any chance of our agreeing +together: had we rather remain French, or become neutral, like the +Swiss. + +He had all these questions in his head, and I went on answering, +without reflecting that it was a very strange thing to interrogate +people in this way. + +George was laughing, and, when it was over, he said, "Now, my lord, you +may go on with your article." + +The Englishman smiled, and said, "Yes, that will do! I believe you +have spoken the truth." + +We drank a glass of wine together, which George had found somewhere. + +"This is good wine," said the Englishman. "So the Prussians have not +taken everything." + +"No, they have not discovered everything; we have a few good +hiding-places yet." + +"Ah! exactly so--yes--I understand." + +George wanted to question him too, but the Englishman did not answer as +fast as we; he thought well over his answers, before he would say yes +or no! + +It was not from him that Cousin George had learned the latest +intelligence; it was from a heap of newspapers which the Englishman had +left upon the table the night before as he went to bed--English and +Belgian newspapers--which George had read hastily up to midnight: for +he had learned English in his travels, which our friend was not aware +of. + +Besides the battle of Coulmiers, he had learned many other things: the +organization of an army in the North under General Bourbaki; the march +of the Germans upon Dijon; the insurrection at Marseilles; the noble +declaration of Gambetta against those who were accusing him of throwing +the blame of our disasters upon the army, and not upon its chiefs; and +especially the declaration of Prince Gortschakoff "that the Emperor of +Russia refused to be bound any longer by the treaty which was to +restrain him from keeping in the Black Sea more than a certain number +of large ships of war." + +The Englishman had marked red crosses down this article; and George +told me by and by that these red crosses meant something very serious. + +The Englishman had a very fine horse in the stable; we went out +together to see it; it was a tall chestnut, able no doubt to run like a +deer. + +If I tell you these particulars, it is because we have since seen many +more English people, both men and women, all very inquisitive, and who +put questions to us, just like this one; whether to write articles, or +for their own information, I know not. + +George assured me that the article writers spared no expense to earn +their pay honorably; that they went great distances--hundreds of +leagues--going to the fountain-head; that they would have considered +themselves guilty of robbing their fellow-countrymen, if they invented +anything: which, besides, would very soon be discovered, and would +deprive them of all credit in England. + +I believe it; and I only wish news-hunters of equal integrity for our +country. Instead of having newspapers full of long arguments, which +float before you like clouds, and out of which no one can extract the +least profit, we should get positive facts that would help us to clear +up our ideas: of which we are in great need. + +So we thought we were rid of our Landwehr, when presently they +returned, having received counter orders, which seemed to us a very bad +sign. + +George, who had just accompanied his Englishman back to Sarrebourg, +came into our house, and sat by the stove, deep in thought. He had +never seemed to me so sad; when I asked him if he had received any bad +news, he answered: "No, I have heard nothing new; but what has happened +shows plainly that the German army of Metz has arrived in time to +prevent our troops from raising the blockade of Paris after the victory +of Coulmiers." + +And all at once his anger broke out against the Dumouriez and the +Pichegrus, men without genius, who were selling their country to serve +a false dynasty. + +"A week or a fortnight more, and we should have been saved." + +He smote the table with his fist, and seemed ready to cry. All at once +he went out, unable to contain himself any longer, and we saw him in +the moonlight cross the meadow behind and disappear into his house. + +It was the middle of November; the frost grew more intense and hardened +the ground everywhere: every morning the trees were covered with +hoar-frost. + +We were now compelled to do forced labor; not only to supply wood, but +also to go and cleave it for the Landwehr. I paid Father Offran, who +supplied my place; it was an additional expense, and the day of ruin, +utter ruin, was drawing close. + +Of course the Landwehr, offended at having been hissed all through the +village, had lost all consideration for us, and but for stringent +orders, they would have wrung our necks on the spot; every time they +were able to tell us a piece of bad news, they would come up laughing, +dropping the butt-ends of their rifles on the stone floor, and crying: +"Well, now, here's another crash! There goes another stampede of +Frenchmen! Orleans evacuated! Champigny to be abandoned! Capital! +all goes on right! Now, then, you people, is that soup ready? Hurry! +good news like these give one a good appetite!" + +"Try to hold your tongues, if you can, pack of beggars," cried Gredel; +"we don't believe your lies." + +Then they grinned again, and said: "There is no need you should believe +us, if only you get put into our basket; when you are there you will +believe! Then look out! If you stir a finger we'll nail you to the +wall like mangy cats. Aha! did you laugh and hiss when you saw us +going? but there are more yet to come. You will regret us, +Mademoiselle Gredel; you will regret us some day; you will cry, 'if we +had but our good Landwehr again!' but it will be too late." + +What surprises me is that Gredel never seems to have thought of +poisoning them; luckily it was not the time of the year for the red +toadstools: besides, we were obliged to boil our soup in the same +kettle; or these wary people would have had their suspicions, and +obliged us to taste their meat, as they did at the Quatre Vents, the +Baraques du Bois de Chenes, and in several other places. + +They then drew their lines closer and closer round the place: upon all +the roads which led to the advanced posts they placed guns, and watched +by them day and night; they regulated their range and line of fire by +day with pickets and with grooves cut in the ground, to enable them to +change its direction and sweep the roads and paths, even in the dark +nights, in case of an attack. + +The snow was then falling in great flakes; all the country was covered +with snow, and often at midnight or at one or two in the morning, the +musketry opened, and they cried in the street: "A sortie! a sortie!" + +And all the villagers, who still kept their cattle at home by order of +the new mayor Placiard, were compelled to drive them to a distance, +into the fields, to prevent the French, if they reached us, from +finding anything in the stables. + +Ah! that abominable, good-for-nothing scoundrel Placiard, that famous +pillar of the Empire, what abominations he has perpetrated, what toils +has he undergone to merit the esteem of the Prussians! + +Does it not seem sad that such thieves should sometimes quietly +terminate their existence in a good bed? + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +About the end of November there happened an extraordinary thing, of +which I must give you an account. + +On the first fall of snow, our Landwehr had built on the hill, in the +rear of their guns, huts of considerable size, covered with earth, open +to the south and closed against the north wind. Under these they +lighted great fires, and every hour relieved guard. + +They had also received from home immense packages of warm clothing, +blankets, cloaks, shirts, and woollen stockings; they called these +love-gifts. Captain Floegel distributed these to his men, at his +discretion. + +Now, it happened that one night, when the Landwehr lodging with us were +on guard, that I, knowing they would not return before day, had gone +down to shut the back door which opens upon the fields. The moon had +set, but the snow was shining white, streaked with the dark shadows of +the trees; and just as I was going to lock up, what do I see in my +orchard behind the large pear-tree on the left? A Turco with his +little red cap over his ear, his blue jacket corded and braided all +over, his belt and his gaiters. There he was, leaning in the attitude +of attention, the butt-end of his rifle resting on the ground, his eyes +glowing like those of a cat. + +[Illustration: THERE HE WAS, LEANING FORWARD TO LISTEN.] + +He heard the door open, and turned abruptly round. + +Then, glad to see one of our own men again, I felt my heart beat, and +gazing stealthily round for fear of the neighbors, I signed to him to +draw near. + +All were asleep in the village; no lights were shining at the windows. + +He came down in four or five paces, clearing the fences at a bound, and +entered the mill. + +Immediately I closed the door again, and said: "Good Frenchman?" + +He pressed my hand in the dark, and followed me into the back room, +where my wife and Gredel were still sitting up. + +Imagine their astonishment! + +"Here is a man from the town," I said: "he's a real Turco. We shall +hear news." + +At the same moment we observed that the Turco's bayonet was red, even +to the shank, and that the blood had even run down the barrel of his +rifle; but we said nothing. + +This Turco was a fine man, dark brown, with a little curly beard, black +eyes, and white teeth, just as the apostles are painted. I have never +seen a finer man. + +He was not sorry to feel the warmth of a good fire. Gredel having made +room for him, he took a seat, thanking her with a nod of his head, and +repeating: "Good Frenchman!" + +I asked him if he was hungry; he said yes; and my wife immediately went +to fetch him a large basin of soup, which he enjoyed greatly. She gave +him also a good slice of bread and of beef; but instead of eating it he +dropped it into his bag, asking us for salt and tobacco. + +He spoke as these people all do--thou-ing us. He even wanted to kiss +Gredel's hand. She blushed, and asked him, without any ceremony, +before our faces, if he knew Jean Baptiste Werner? + +"Jean Baptiste!" said he. "Bastion No. 3--formerly African gunner. +Yes, I know him. Good man! brave Frenchman!" + +"He is not wounded?" + +"No." + +"Not ill?" + +"No." + +Then Gredel began to cry in her apron; and mother asked the Turco if he +knew Jacob Weber, of the 3d company of Mobiles; but the Turco did not +know our Jacob; he could only tell us that the Mobiles had lost very +few men, which comforted my wife and me. Then he told us that a +captain in the Garde Mobile, a Jew named Cerfber, sent as a flag of +truce to Luetzelbourg, had taken the opportunity to desert, and that the +German general, being disgusted at his baseness, had refused to receive +him, upon which the wretch had gone into Germany. I was nowise +surprised at this. I knew Cerfber; he was mayor of Niederwillen, at +four leagues from us, and more Bonapartist than Bonaparte himself. +Unable to surrender the rest, as his master had done at Sedan, he had +surrendered himself. + +Gredel had gone out while the Turco was telling us these news; she +returned presently with a large quantity of provisions. She had taken +all my tobacco, and begged the Turco to take it to Jean Baptiste and +Jacob. She had not quite the face to say before me that it was for +Jean Baptiste alone; that would have been going a little too far; but +she said, "It is for the two." The Turco promised to perform this +commission; then Gredel gave him several things for himself; but he +wanted especially salt, and fortunately we possessed enough to fill his +bag. My wife stood sentinel in the passage. Thank God there was no +stir for a whole hour; during which this Turco answered, as well as he +was able, all the questions we asked him. + +We understood that there was much sickness in the town; that several +articles of consumption were utterly exhausted, among others, meat, +salt, and tobacco; and that the inhabitants were weary of being shut in +without any news from outside. + +About one in the morning, the wind, having risen, was shaking the door, +and we fancied we could hear the Landwehr returning. The Turco noticed +it, and made signs to us that he would go. + +We could have wished to detain him, but the danger was too great. He +therefore took up his rifle again, and asked to kiss my wife's hand, +just as the gypsies do in our country. Then pointing to his bag, he +said: "For Jacob and Jean Baptiste!" + +I took him back through the orchard. The weather was frightful; the +air was full of snow, whirled into drifts by a stormy wind; but he knew +his way, and began by running with his body bending low as far as the +tall hedge on the left; a moment after he was out of sight. I listened +a long while. The watch-fires of the Landwehr were shining on the +hill, above Wechem; their sentinels were challenging and answering each +other in the darkness; but not a shot was fired. + +I returned. My wife and Gredel seemed happy; and we all went to bed. + +Next day we learned that two Landwehr had been found killed--one near +the Avenue des Dames, between the town and the Quatre Vents, the other +at the end of Piquet, both fathers of families. The unfortunate men +had been surprised at their posts. + +What a miserable thing is war! The Germans have lost more men than we +have; but we will not be so cruel as to rejoice over this. + +And now, if I am asked my opinion about the Turcos, against whom the +Germans have raised such an outcry, I answer that they are good men and +true! Jacob and Jean Baptiste have received everything that we sent to +them. This Turco's word was worth more than that of the lieutenant and +the feld-weibel who had promised to pay me for my wine. + +No doubt, amongst the Turcos there are some bad fellows; but the +greater part are honest men, with a strong feeling of religion: men who +have known them at Phalsbourg and elsewhere acknowledge them to be men +of honor. They have stolen nothing, robbed nobody, never insulted a +woman. If they had campaigned on the other side of the Rhine, of +course they would have twisted the necks of ducks and hens, as all +soldiers do in an enemy's country: the Landwehr put no constraint upon +themselves in our country. But the idea would never have occurred to +the Turcos, as it had to German officers and generals, of sending for +packs of Jews to follow them and buy up, wholesale, the linen, +furniture, clocks--in a word, anything they found in private +individuals' houses. This is simple truth! Monsieur de Bismarck may +insult the Turcos as much as he pleases before his German Parliament, +which is ready to say "Amen" every time he opens his mouth. He might +as well not talk at all. Thieves are bad judges of common honesty! I +am aware that Monsieur le Prince de Bismarck thinks himself the first +politician in the world, because he has deceived a simpleton; but there +is a wide difference between a great man and a great dishonest man. By +and by this will be manifest, to the great misfortune of Europe. + +But it was a real comfort to have seen this Turco; and for several +days, when we were alone, my wife and Gredel talked of nothing else; +but sad reflections again got the upper hand. + +No one can form an idea of the misery, the feeling of desolation which +takes possession of you, when days and weeks pass by in the midst of +enemies without the least word reaching you from the interior; then you +feel the strength of the hold that your native land has upon you. The +Germans think to detach us from it by preventing us from learning what +is taking place there; but they are mistaken. The less you speak the +more you think; and your indignation, your disgust, your hatred for +violence, force, and injustice is ever on the increase. You conceive a +horror for those who have been the cause of such sufferings. Time +brings no change; on the contrary, it deepens the wound: one curse +succeeds another; and the deepest desire left is either for an end of +all, or vengeance. + +Besides, it is perfectly evident the Lorrainers and the Alsacians are a +bold, brave nation; and all the fine words in the world will not make +them forget the treatment they have suffered, after being surprised +defenceless. They would reproach themselves as cowards, did they cease +to hope for their revenge. I, Christian Weber, declare this, and no +honest man can blame me for it. Abject wretches alone accept injustice +as a final dispensation; and we have ever God over us all, who forbids +us to believe that murder, fire, and robbery may and ought to prevail +over right and conscience. + +Let us return to our story. + +Cousin George had seen in the Englishman's newspapers that the +circulation of the _Independance Belge_ and the _Journal de Geneve_ had +doubled and trebled since the commencement of the war, because they +filled the place of all the other journals which used to be received +from Paris; and without loss of time he had written to Brussels to +subscribe. + +The first week, having received no answer, he had sent the money in +Prussian notes in a second letter; for we had at that time only +Prussian thalers in paper, with which the Landwehr paid us for whatever +they did not take by force. We had no great confidence in this paper, +but it was worth the trial. + +The newspaper arrived. It was the first we had seen for four months, +and any one may understand the joy with which George came to tell me +this good news. + +Every evening from that time I went to hear the newspapers read at +Cousin George's. We could hardly understand anything at first, for at +every line we met with new names. Chanzy had the chief command upon +the Loire, Faidherbe in the north. And these two men, without any +soldiers besides Mobiles and volunteers, held the open country. They +even gained considerable advantages over an enemy that far outnumbered +them; whilst the marshals of the Empire had suffered themselves to be +vanquished and annihilated in three weeks, with our best troops. + +This shows that, in victories, generals have no more than half the +credit. + +Of all the old generals, Bourbaki was the only one left. + +As for Garibaldi, we knew him, and we could tell by the restless +movements of our Landwehr that he was approaching our mountains about +Belfort. He was the hope of our country: all our young men were going +to join him. + +We also learned that the Government was divided between Tours and +Paris; that Gambetta was bearing all the burden of the defence of the +country, as Minister of War; that he was everywhere at once, to +encourage the dispirited; that he had set up the chief place of +instruction for our young soldiers at Toulouse, and that the Prussians +were pursuing their horrible course in the invaded countries with +renewed fury; that a party of francs-tireurs having surprised a few +Uhlans at Nemours, a column of Germans had surrounded the town on the +next day, and set fire to it to the music of their bands, compelling +the members of the committee for the defence to be present at this +abominable act; that M. de Bismarck had laid hands upon certain +bourgeois of the interior, in reprisal for the captures made by our +ships five hundred leagues away in the North Sea; that Ricciotti +Garibaldi, having defeated the Prussians at Chatillon-sur-Seine, those +atrocious wretches had delivered the innocent town over to plunder, and +laid it under contribution for a million of francs; that respectable +persons belonging to the Grand Duchy of Baden, private individuals, +were crossing the Rhine with horses and carts to come and pillage +Alsace with impunity--all the towns and villages being occupied by +their troops. In a word, many other things of the kind; which plainly +prove that with the Prussians, war is an honest means of growing rich, +and getting possession of the property of the inoffensive inhabitants. + +At St. Quentin, one of their chiefs, the Colonel de Kahlden, gave +public notice to the inhabitants, that "if a shot was fired upon a +German soldier, _six inhabitants should be shot_; and that every +individual compromised or _suspected_ would be punished with death." + +Everywhere, everywhere these great philosophers plundered and burned +without mercy whatever towns or villages dared resist! + +George said that these beings were not raised above the beasts of prey, +and that education only does for them what spiked collars do for +fighting dogs. + +We also heard of the capitulation of Thionville, after a terrible +bombardment, in which the Prussians had refused to allow the women and +children to leave the place! We heard of the first encounters of +Faidherbe in the north with Manteuffel; and the battles of Chanzy with +Frederick Charles, near Orleans. + +In spite of the inferiority of our numbers, and the inexperience of our +troops, we often got the upper hand. + +These news had restored us to hope. Unhappily, the heaviest blow of +all was to come. Phalsbourg, utterly exhausted by famine, was about to +surrender, after a resistance of five months. + +Oh! my ancient town of Phalsbourg, what affliction sank into our +hearts, when, on the evening of the 9th December, we heard your heavy +guns fire one after another, as if for a last appeal to France to come +to your rescue! Oh! what were then our sufferings, and what tears we +shed! + +"Now," said George, "it is all over! They are calling aloud to France, +our beloved France, unable to come! It is like a ship in distress, by +night, in the open sea, firing her guns for assistance, and no one +hears: she must sink in the deep." + +Ah! my old town of Phalsbourg, where we used to go to market; where we +used to see our own soldiers--our red-trousered soldiery, our merry +Frenchmen! We shall never more see behind our ramparts any but heavy +Germans and rough Prussians! And so it is over! The earth bears no +longer the same children; and men whom we never knew tell us, "You are +in our custody: we are your masters!" + +Can it be possible? No! ancient fortress of Vauban, you shall be +French again: "Nursery of brave men," as the first Bonaparte called +you. Let our sons come to manhood, and they shall drive from thy walls +these lumpish fellows who dare to talk of Germanizing you! + +But how our hearts bled on that day! Every one went to hide himself as +far back in his house as he could, murmuring, "Oh! my poor Phalsbourg, +we cannot help thee; but if our life could deliver thee, we would give +it." + +Yes! I have lived to behold this, and it is the most terrible +sensation I have ever experienced: the thought of meeting Jacob again +was no comfort; Gredel herself was listening with pale cheeks, and +counting the reports from second to second; and then the tears fell and +she cried: "It is over!" + +Next day, all the roads were covered with German and Prussian officers +galloping rapidly to the place; the report ran that the entry would +take place the same evening; every one was preparing a small stock of +provisions for his son, his relations, his friends, whom he dreaded +never more to see alive. + +On the morning of the 11th of December, leave was given to start for +the town; the sentinels posted at Wechem had orders to allow +foot-passengers to pass. + +Phalsbourg, with its fifteen hundred Mobiles and its sixty gunners, +disdained to capitulate; it surrendered no rifles, no guns, no military +stores, no eagles, as Bazaine had done at Metz! The Commander Taillant +had not said to his men: "Let us, above all, for the reputation of our +army, avoid all acts of indiscipline, such as the destruction of arms +and material of war; since, according to military usage, strong places +and arms will return to France when peace is signed." No! quite the +contrary; he had ordered the destruction of whatever might prove useful +to the enemy: to drown the gunpowder, smash rifles, spike the guns, +burn up the bedding in the casemates; and when all this was done, he +had sent a message to the German general: "We have nothing left to eat! +To-morrow I will open the gates! Do what you please with me!" + +Here was a man, indeed! + +And the Germans ran, some laughing, others astonished, gazing at the +walls which they had won without a fight: for they have taken almost +every place without fighting; they have shelled the poor inhabitants +instead of storming the walls; they have starved the people. They may +boast of having burnt more towns and villages, and killed more women +and children in this one campaign, than all the other nations in all +the wars of Europe since the Revolution. + +But, to be sure, they were a religious people, much attached to the +doctrines of the Gospel, and who sing hymns with much feeling. Their +Emperor especially, after every successive bombardment, and every +massacre--whilst women, children, and old men are weeping around their +houses destroyed by the enemy's shells, and from the battle-fields +strewn with heaps of dead are rising the groans and cries of thousands +and thousands of sufferers whose lives are crushed, whose flesh is +torn, whose bodies are rent and bleeding!'--their Emperor, the +venerable man, lifts his blood-stained hands to heaven and thanks God +for having permitted him to commit these abominable deeds! Does he +look upon God as his accomplice in crime? + +Barbarian! one day thou shalt know that in the sight of the Eternal, +hypocrisy is an aggravation of crime. + +On the 11th of December, then, early in the morning, my wife, Gredel, +Cousin George, Marie Anne and myself, having locked up our houses, +started, each carrying a little parcel under our arms, to go and +embrace our children and our friends--if they yet survived. + +The snow was melting, a thick fog was covering the face of the country, +and we walked along in single file and in silence, gazing intently upon +the German batteries which we saw for the first time, in front of +Wechem, by Gerbershoff farm, and at the _Arbre Vert_. + +Such desolation! Everything was cut down around the town; no more +summer-arbors, no more gardens or orchards, only the vast, naked +surface of snow-covered ground, with its hollows all bare; the bullet +marks on the ramparts, the embrasures all destroyed. + +A great crowd of other village people preceded and followed us; poor +old men, women, and a few children; they were walking straight on +without paying any attention to each other: all thought of the fate of +those they loved, which they would learn within an hour. + +Thus we arrived at the gate of France; it stood open and unguarded. +The moment we entered, the ruins were seen; houses tottering, streets +demolished, here a window left alone, there up in the air a chimney +scarcely supported; farther on some doorsteps and no door. In every +direction the bombshells had left their tracks. + +God of heaven! did we indeed behold such devastation? we did in truth. +We all saw it: it was no dream! + +The cold was piercing. The townspeople, haggard and pale, stared at us +arriving; recognitions took place, men and women approached and took +each other by the hand. + +"Well?" "Well," was the reply in a hollow whisper, in the midst of the +street encumbered with blackened beams of wood. "Have you suffered +much?" "Ah! yes." + +This was enough: no need for another word; and then we would proceed +farther. At every street corner a new scene of horror began. + +Catherine and I were seeking Jacob; no doubt Gredel was looking for +Jean Baptiste. + +We saw our poor Mobiles passing by, scarcely recognizable after those +five months. All through the fearful cold these unhappy men had had +nothing on but their summer blouses and linen trousers. Many of them +might have escaped and gained their villages, for the gates had stood +open since the evening before; but not a man thought of doing so; it +was not supposed that Mobiles would be treated like regular soldiers. + +On the _place_, in front of the fallen church filled with its own +ruins, we heard, for the first time, that the garrison were prisoners +of war. + +The cafes Vacheron, Meyer, and Hoffmann, riddled with balls, were +swarming with officers. + +We were gazing, not knowing whom to ask after Jacob, when a cry behind +us made us turn round; and there was Gredel in the arms of Jean +Baptiste Werner! Then I kept silence; my wife also. Since she would +have it so, well, so let it be; this matter concerned her much more +than it did us. + +Jean Baptiste, after the first moment, looked embarrassed at seeing us; +he approached us with a pale face, and as we spoke not a word to him, +George shook him by the hand, and cried: "Jean Baptiste, I know that +you have behaved well during this siege; we have learned it all with +pleasure: didn't we, Christian? didn't we, Catherine?" + +What answer could we make? I said "yes"--and mother, with tears in her +eyes, cried: "Jean Baptiste, is Jacob not wounded?" + +"No, Madame Weber; we have always been very comfortable together. +There is nothing the matter. I'll fetch him: only come in somewhere." + +"We are going to the Cafe Hoffmann," said she. "Try to find him, Jean +Baptiste." And as he was turning in the direction of the +mayoralty-house: + +"There," said he, "there he is coming round the corner by the chemist +Rebe's shop." And we began, to cry "Jacob!" + +And our lad ran, crossing the _place_. + +A minute after, we were in each other's arms. + +He had on a coarse soldier's cloak, and canvas trousers; his cheeks +were hollow; he stared at us, and stammered: "Oh, is it you? You are +not all dead?" + +He looked stupefied; and his mother, holding him, murmured: "It is he!" + +She would not relinquish her hold upon him, and wiped her eyes with her +apron. + +Gredel and Jean Baptiste followed arm-in-arm, with George and Marie +Anne. We entered the Cafe Hoffmann together; we sat round a table in +the room at the left, and George ordered some coffee, for we all felt +the need of a little warmth. + +None of us wished to speak; we were downcast, and held each other by +the hand, gazing in each other's faces. + +The young officers of the Mobiles were talking together in the next +room; we could hear them saying that not one would sign the engagement +not to serve again during the campaign; that they would all go as +prisoners of war, and would accept no other lot than that of their men. + +This idea of seeing our Jacob go off as a prisoner of war, almost broke +our hearts, and my wife began to sob bitterly, with her head upon the +table. + +Jacob would have wished to come back to the mill along with us; I could +see this by his countenance; but he was not an officer, and his +_parole_ was not asked for. And, in spite of all, hearing those +spirited young men, who were sacrificing their liberty to discharge a +duty, I should myself have said "No: a man must be a man!" + +Werner was talking with my cousin: they spoke in whispers; having, no +doubt, secret matters to discuss. I saw George slip something into his +hand. What could it be? I cannot say; but all at once Jean Baptiste +rising from his seat and kissing Gredel without any ceremony before our +faces, said that he was on service; that he would not see us again very +soon, as after the muster their march would begin, so that we should +have to say good-by at once. + +He held out both his hands to my wife and then to Marie Anne, after +which he went out with George and Gredel, leaving us much astonished. + +Jacob and Marie Anne remained with us; in a couple of minutes Gredel +and my cousin returned; Gredel, whose eyes were red, sat by the side of +Marie Anne without speaking, and we saw that her basket of provisions +was gone. + +The stir upon the _place_ became greater and greater. The drums beat +the assembly, the officers of the Mobiles were coming out. I then +thought I would ask Jacob what had become of Mathias Heitz; he told us +that the wretched coward had been trembling with fright the whole time +of the siege, and that at last he had fallen ill of fear. Gredel did +not turn her head to listen; she would have nothing to do with him! +And, in truth, on hearing this, I felt I should prefer giving our +daughter to our ragman's son than to this fellow Mathias. + +The review was then commencing under the tall trees on the _place_, and +Jacob appeared with his comrades. No sadder spectacle will ever be +seen than that of our poor lads, about half a hundred Turcos and a few +Zouaves, the remnants of Froeschwiller, all haggard and pale, and their +clothes falling to pieces. They were unarmed, having destroyed their +arms before opening the gates. + +Presently Jacob ran to us, crying that they were ordered to their +barracks, and that they would have to start next day before twelve. + +Then his eyes filled with tears. His mother and I handed him our +parcels, in which we had enclosed three good linen shirts, a pair of +shoes almost new, woollen stockings, and a strong pair of trousers. + +I was wearing upon my shoulders my travelling cape; I placed it upon +his. Then I slipped into his pocket a small roll of thalers, and +George gave him two louis. After this, the tears and lamentations of +the women recommenced; we were obliged to promise to return on the +morrow. + +The garrison was defiling down the street; Jacob ran to fall in, and +disappeared with the rest, near the barracks. + +As for Jean Baptiste Werner, we saw him no more. + +The German officers were coming and going up and down the town to +distribute their troops amongst the townspeople. It was twelve +o'clock, and we returned to our village, sadder and more distressed +than ever. + +And now we knew that Jacob was safe; but we knew also that he was going +to be carried, we could not tell where, to the farthest depths of +Germany. + +My wife arrived home quite ill; the damp weather, her anxiety, her +anguish of mind, had cast her down utterly. She went to bed with a +shivering fit, and could not return next day to town, nor Gredel, who +was taking care of her, so I went alone. + +Orders had come to take the prisoners to Luetzelbourg. On reaching the +square, near the chemist Rebe's shop, I saw them all in their ranks, +moving by twos down the road. The inhabitants had closed their +shutters, not to witness this humiliation; for Hessian soldiers, with +arms shouldered, were escorting them: our poor boys were advancing +between them, their heads hanging sorrowfully down. + +I stopped at the chemist's corner, and waited, being unable to discern +Jacob in the midst of that crowd. All at once I recognized him, and I +cried, "Jacob!" He was going to throw himself into my arms; but the +Hessians repulsed me. We both burst into tears, and I went on walking +by the side of the escort, crying, "Courage! ... Write to us.... Your +mother is not quite well.... She could not come.... It is not much!" + +He answered nothing; and many others who were there had their friends +and relations before or behind them. + +We wanted to accompany them to Luetzelbourg; unhappily, at the gate the +Prussians had posted sentinels, who stopped us, pointing their bayonets +at us. They would not even allow us to press our children's hands. + +On all sides were cries: "Adieu, Jean!" "Adieu, Pierre!" and they +replied: "Adieu! Farewell, father!" "Adieu! Farewell, mother!" and +then the sighs, the sobs, the tears.... + +[Illustration: "GOOD-BY, MY FATHER! GOOD-BY, MY MOTHER!"] + +Ah! the Plebiscite, the Plebiscite! + +I was compelled to stay there an hour; at last they allowed me to pass. +I resumed my way home, my heart rent with anguish. I could see, hear +nothing but the cry, "Adieu! Adieu!" of all that crowd; and I thought +that men were made to make each other miserable; that it was a pity we +were ever born; that for a few days' happiness, acquired by long and +painful toil, we had years of endless misery; and that the people of +the earth, through their folly, their idleness, their wickedness, their +trust in consummate rogues, deserved what they got. + +Yes, I could have wished for another deluge: I should have cared less +to see the waters rise from the ends of Alsace and cover our mountains, +than to be bound under the yoke of the Germans. + +In this mood I reached home. + +I took care not to tell my wife all that had happened; on the contrary +I told her that I had embraced Jacob in my arms for her and for us all; +that he was full of spirits, and that he would soon write to us. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +We were now rid of our Landwehr, who were garrisoned at Phalsbourg, but +a part of whom were sent off into the interior. They were indignant, +and declared that if they had known that they were to be sent farther, +the blockade would have lasted longer; that they would have let the +cows, the bullocks, and the bread find their way in, many a time, in +spite of their chiefs; and that it was infamous to expose them to new +dangers when every man had done his part in the campaign. + +There was no enthusiasm in them; but, all the same, they marched in +step in their ranks, and were moved some on Belfort, some on Paris. + +We learned, through the German newspapers, that they had severer +sufferings to endure round Belfort than with us; that the garrison made +sorties, and drove them several leagues away; that their dead bodies +were rotting in heaps, behind the hedges, covered with snow and mud; +that the commander, Denfert, gave them many a heavy dig in the ribs; +and every day people coming from Alsace told us that such an one of the +poor fellows whom we had known had just been struck down by a ball, +maimed by a splinter or a shell, or bayoneted by our Mobiles. We could +not help pitying them, for they all had five or six children each, of +whom they were forever talking; and naturally, for when the parent-bird +dies the brood is lost. + +And all this for the honor and glory of the King of Prussia, of +Bismarck, of Moltke, and a few heroes of the same stamp, not one of +whom has had a scratch in the chances of war. + +How can one help shrugging one's shoulders and laughing inwardly at +seeing these Germans, with all their education, greater fools than +ourselves? They have won! That is to say, the survivors; for those +who are buried, or who have lost their limbs, have no great gain to +boast of, and can hardly rejoice over the success of the enterprise. +They have gained--what? The hatred of a people who had loved them; +they have gained that they will be obliged to fight every time their +lords or masters give the order; they have gained that they can say +Alsace and Lorraine are German, which is absolutely no gain whatever; +and besides this they have gained the envy of a vast number of people, +and the distrust of a vast many more, who will end by agreeing together +to fall upon them in a body, and treat them to fire and slaughter and +bombardment, of which they have set us the example. + +This is what the peasants, the artisans, and the bourgeois have gained: +as for the chiefs, they have won some a title, some a pension or an +epaulette: others have the satisfaction of saying, "I am the great +So-and-So! I am William, Emperor of Germany; a crown was set on my +head at Versailles, whilst thousands of my subjects were biting the +dust!" + +Alas! notwithstanding all this, these people will die, and in a hundred +years will be recognized as barbarians; their names will be inscribed +on the roll of the plagues of the human race, and there they will +remain to the end of time. + +But what is the use of reasoning with such philosophers as these? In +time they will acknowledge the truth of what I say! + +Now to our story again. + +They were fighting furiously round Belfort; our men did not drop off +asleep in casements; they occupied posts at a distance all round the +place: their sortie from Bourcoigne, and their slaughter of the +Bavarians at Haute-Perche, were making a great noise in Alsace. + +We learned from the _Independance_ the battles of Chanzy at Vendome +against the army of Mecklenburg; the fight by General Cremer at Nuits +against the army of Von Werder; the retreat of Manteuffel toward +Amiens, after having overwhelmed Rouen with forced contributions; the +bayonet attack upon the villages around Pont-Noyelles, in which +Faidherbe had defeated the enemy; and especially the grand measures of +Gambetta, who had at last dissolved the Councils-General named by the +Prefects of the Empire, and replaced them by really Republican +departmental commissions. + +Cousin George highly approved of this step. This was of more +importance in his eyes than the decrees of our Prussian Prefet Henckel +de Bonnermark; though he had inflicted heavy fines upon the fathers and +mothers of the young men who had left home to join the French armies, +and had laid Lorraine, already ruined by the invasion, under a +contribution of 700,000 livres to compensate the losses suffered by the +German mercantile marine; plundering decrees which went nigh to tearing +the bread out of our mouths. + +Then George passed on to the campaign of Chanzy; for what could be +grander than this struggle of a young, inexperienced army, scarcely +organized, against forces double their number, commanded by the great +Prussian general who had been victorious at Woerth, Sedan, and Metz, +over the whole of the Imperial troops? + +George especially admired the noble protest of Chanzy, proclaiming to +the world the ferocity of the Germans, and pointing out with pride the +falsehoods of their generals, who invariably claimed the victory. + +"The Commander-in-Chief lays before the army the subjoined protest, +which he transmits, under a flag of truce, to the commander of the +Prussian troops at Vendome, with the assurance that his indignation +will be shared by all, as well as his desire to take signal revenge for +such insults. + +"To the Prussian commander at Vendome: + +"I am informed that unjustifiable acts of violence have been committed +by troops under your orders upon the unoffending inhabitants of St. +Calais. In spite of our humane treatment of your sick and wounded, +your officers have exacted money and commanded pillage. Such conduct +is an abuse of power, which will weigh heavily upon your consciences, +and which the patriotism of our people will enable them to endure; but +what I cannot permit is, that you should add to these injuries insults +which you know full well to be entirely gratuitous. + +"You have asserted that we were defeated; that assertion is false. We +have beaten you and held you in check since the 4th of this month. You +have presumed to attach the name of coward to men who are prevented +from answering you; pretending that they were coerced by the Government +of National Defence, which, as you said, compelled them to resist when +they wanted peace, and you were offering it. I deny this: I deny it by +the right given me by the resistance of entire France and this army +which confronts you, and which you have been hitherto unable to +vanquish. This communication reaffirms what our resistance ought +already to have taught you. Whatever may be the sacrifices still left +us to endure, we will struggle to the very end, without truce or pity; +since now we are resisting the attacks not of loyal and honorable +enemies but of devastating bands who aim solely at the ruin and +disgrace of a nation, which itself is striving to maintain its honor, +rank, and independence. To the generous treatment we have accorded to +your prisoners and wounded, your reply is insolence, fire, and plunder. +I therefore protest, with deep indignation, in the name of humanity and +the rights of men, which you will trample underfoot. + +"The present order will be read before the troops at three consecutive +muster-calls. + +"CHANZY, _Commander-in-Chief_, + "HEAD-QUARTERS, _Le Mans, 26th December, 1870._" + + +These are the words of an honorable man and a patriot, words to make a +man lift up his head. + +And as Manteuffel, whose only merit consists in having been during his +youth the boon companion of the pious William; as this old courtier +followed the same system as Frederick Charles and Mecklenburg, of +lowering us to raise themselves, and to get their successes cheap; +General Faidherbe also obliged him to abate his pride after the affair +of Pont-Noyelles. + +"The French army have left in the hands of the enemy only a few +sailors, surprised in the village of Daours. It has kept its +positions, and has waited in vain for the enemy until two o'clock in +the afternoon of the next day." + +This was plain speaking, and it was clear on which side good faith was +to be looked for. + +Thus, after having opposed a million of men to 300,000 conscripts, +these Germans were even now obliged to lie in order not to discourage +their armies. + +Of course they could not but prevail in the end: France had had no time +to prepare anew, to arm, and to recover herself after this disgraceful +capitulation of the _honest man_ and his friend Bazaine; but still she +resisted with terrible energy, and the Prussians at last became anxious +for peace too, and wished for it, perhaps, even more than ourselves. + +The proof of this is the numberless petitions of the Germans entreating +King William to bombard Paris. + +Humane Germans, fathers of families, pious men, seated quietly by their +counters at Hamburg, Cologne, or Berlin, in every town and village of +Germany, eating and drinking heartily, warming their fat legs before +the fire during this winter of unexampled severity, cried to their king +at Christmas time to bombard Paris, and set fire to the houses--to kill +and burn fathers and mothers of families like themselves, but reduced +to famine in their own dwellings! + +Have any but the Germans ever done the like? + +We too have besieged German towns, but never have petitions been sent +up like this under the Republic, or under the Empire, to ask our +soldiers to do more injury than war between brave men requires. And +since that period we have never uselessly shelled houses inhabited by +inoffensive persons; and even when we have had to bombard walled towns, +warning was given, as at Odessa and everywhere else, to give helpless +people time to depart for the interior, if they did not want to run the +risk of meeting with stray bullets; and permission was given to old +men, women, and children to come out--a privilege never granted by the +Prussians. + +Ah! the French may not be so pious, so learned, and so good as the +_good German people_, but they have better hearts and feelings of +compassion; they have less of the Gospel upon their lips, but they have +it in the bottoms of their souls. They are not hypocrites, and +therefore we Alsacians and Lorrainers had rather remain French than +belong to the _good German people_, and be like them. + +Indignities without a precedent have been committed by them: +"Shell--bombard--burn, in the name of Heaven! Set fire everywhere with +petroleum bombs!--You are too gracious a king!--Your scruples betray +too much weakness for this Babylon: Bombard quick: Bombardments have +succeeded better than anything else. Sire, your good and faithful +people entreat you to bombard everything--leave nothing standing!" + +Oh! scoundrels!--rascals!--if you have so often played the saint for +fifty years; if you have talked so edifyingly about friendship, +brotherhood, and the alliance of nations, it was because you did not +then think yourselves the strongest; now that you think you are, you +piously bombard women, old men, and children, in the name of the +Saviour! Faugh! it is simply disgusting! + +Every time that Cousin George read these assassins' petitions, he would +spring off his chair and cry: "Now I know what to think of fanatics of +every religion. These men have no need to play the hypocrite: their +religion does not oblige them to it. Well, they play the Jesuit for +the love of it, better than we do by profession. May they be execrated +and despised perpetually." + +Then he dilated with much warmth of feeling upon the kind reception +which the Parisians, in former days, used to accord to the Germans, for +forty years and more. Men who came to seek a livelihood among us, +without a penny, lean, humble, half-clad, with a little bundle of old +rags under their arms, asking for credit, even in George's and Marie +Anne's little inn, for a basin of broth, a bit of meat, and a glass of +wine, were kindly received; they were cheered up, and situations found +for them: everybody was anxious to put them in the right way, to +explain to them what they did not know. Soon they grew fat and +flourishing, and gained assurance; by servility they would win the +confidence of the head-clerk, who showed them all about the business; +and then some fine morning it was noised about that the head-clerk was +discharged and the German was in his place. He had had a private +interview with the head partner, and had proposed to do the work for +half the salary. Of course the partners are always glad to have good +workmen, humble and obsequious, and, above all, cheap. George had +witnessed this fifty times. + +But people did not get angry; they would say, + +"The poor fellow must earn a living somehow. The other is a Frenchman: +he will very soon secure another place." + +And it was thus that the Germans slipped quietly into the shoes of +those who had received them kindly and taught them their trade. + +A few old clerks used to get angry; but they were always held to be in +the wrong. "_That good German_" was justified! He had not meddled; +everything had gone on simply and naturally. + +And twenty, thirty, fifty thousand Germans used thus to come and +prosper in Paris; and then they would get a holiday to take a turn home +and exhibit the flesh and fat they had gained, and their gold trinkets. + +If they happened to be professors of languages or newspaper +correspondents, they were sure to break out down there against the +corruption of manners in this "modern Babylon." Great hulking fellows +they were, with long hooded cloaks, and gold or silver spectacles, who +had scandalized even their doorkeepers by bringing home night after +night "princesses" of Mabile and elsewhere, singing, drinking like a +sponge, shaking all the house, and preventing people from sleeping; +bringing, besides, other colleagues of the same stamp, and leading +disgraceful lives! + +But it is the fashion in Germany to cry out against "modern Babylon." +It flatters the secret envy of the Germans, and establishes the +character of the speaker for seriousness, gravity, and influence; as a +man worthy of every consideration, and who may hope--if his situation +in Paris is permanent--for the hand of "Herr Rector's" or "Herr +Doctor's" fair daughter: for in that country they are all doctors in +something or other. He had gone off as cold and comfortless as the +stones in the street; he would have become a school-master, or a small +clerk at a couple of hundred thalers all his life, in old Germany. He +weighed heavily upon his poor father, encumbered with a dozen children; +but he had grown fat, well-feathered, and well-trained in Paris; and +there he is now virtuously indignant against our own townswomen: +against the degenerate race which has given him his daily bread, and +pulled him out of the mire, instead of kicking him downstairs. + +This German fellow used to be republican, socialist, communist, etc. +He had fled from Cologne, or elsewhere, in consequence of the events of +1848. Nothing in our opinion was sufficiently strong, decided, or +advanced for him. He spouted about his sacrifices for the universal +Republic, his terrible campaign in the Duchy of Baden against the +Prussians, the loss of his place, of his property. We thought, what +sufferings he has endured! Surely, the Germans are the first Democrats +in the world! + +But now this very same gentleman is the most faithful servant of his +Majesty William, King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany. No doubt he +talks at Berlin of the sacrifices which he has made to the noble cause +of Germany, the battles he has fought in the public-houses amongst the +broken bottles of beer which he has been swallowing by the dozen, to +reclaim old Alsace, where lie deep the roots of the Germanic tongue. +He abounds in indignation against the "modern Babylon;" his name stands +at the head of the earliest petitions that Babylon should be burned, +till nothing but ashes were left: that that race of madmen should be +exterminated; and as during his residence in France he has rendered +police services to Bismarck, he is pretty sure to obtain a post in +Alsace-Lorraine, where all these old German spies are swooping down to +Germanize us. + +Thus spoke George, in his indignation; and Marie Anne, after listening +to him, said: "Ah, it is too true! Those men did deceive us; and they +did not even pay their debts. Some fine morning, when their bill had +run up, three-fourths of them would make a start, and they were never +heard of again. I have never had any confidence in any of them, except +the crossing-sweepers and the shoe-blacks: one knew where to find them; +but as for the professors, the newspaper correspondents, the inventors, +the book-worms--they have done us too many bad turns; and they were too +overbearing. They were filled with hatred and envy of our nation." + +Since the departure of the Landwehr, we were able to speak more freely: +those sulky eavesdroppers were no longer spying upon us, and we felt +the relief. + +Paris, as we saw in the _Independance_, was making sorties. The Gardes +Mobiles and the National Guards were being drilled and becoming better +skilled in the use of arms. Our sailors, in the forts, were admirable. +But the Germans grew stronger from day to day; they had brought such +enormous guns--called Krupp's--that the railways were unable to bear +them, the tunnels were not high enough to give them passage, and the +bridges gave way under their ponderous mass. This proves that if the +bombardment had not yet commenced, in spite of the innumerable +petitions of _the good Germans_, it was not for want of will on the +part of his Majesty King William, Messieurs Moltke, Bismarck, and all +those good men. Oh, no! our forts and our sorties hampered them a good +deal in gaining their positions! + +At last, about the end of December, "by the grace of God," as the +Emperor William said, they began by bombarding a few forts, and were +soon enabled to reach houses, hospitals, churches, and museums. + +George and Marie Anne knew all these places by name, and these +ferocious acts drew from them cries of horror. I, my wife, and Gredel +could not understand these accounts: having never been in Paris, we +could not form an idea of it. + +The German news-writers knew them, however; for daily they told us how +great a misfortune it was to be obliged to shell such rich libraries, +such beautiful galleries of pictures, such magnificent monuments, and +gardens so richly stocked with plants and rare collections; that it +made their hearts bleed: they professed themselves inconsolable at +being driven to such an extremity by the evil dispositions of those who +presumed to defend their property, their homes, their wives, their +children, contrary to every principle of justice! They pitied the +French for their want of common-sense; they said that their brains were +addled; that they were in their dotage, and uttered similar absurdities. + +But every time that they lost men, their fury rose: "The Germans are a +sacred race! Kill Germans! a superior race! it is a high crime. The +French, the Swiss, the Danes, the Dutch, Belgians, Poles, Hungarians, +even the Russians, are destined to be successively devoured by the +Germans." I have heard this with my own ears! Yes, the Russians, too, +they cannot dispense with the Germans; their manufactures, their trade, +their sciences come to them from Germany; they, too, belong to an +inferior race. The renowned Gortschakoff is unworthy to dust the boots +of Monsieur Bismarck, and the Emperor of Russia is most fortunate in +being allied by marriage to the Emperor William: it is a glorious +prerogative for him! + +The captain, Floegel, used often to repeat these things; and besides, +the Germans all say the same at this time; you have but to listen to +them: they are too strong now to need to hide their ambition. They +think they are conferring a great honor upon us Alsacians and +Lorrainers in acknowledging us as cousins, and gathering us to +themselves out of love. We were a superior race in "that degenerate +France;" but we are about to become little boys again amongst the noble +German people. We are the last new-comers into Germany, and shall +require time to acquire the noble German virtues: to become hypocrites, +spies, bombarders, plunderers; to learn to receive slaps and kicks +without winking. But what would you have? You cannot regenerate a +people in a day. + +The Prussians had announced that Paris would surrender after an +eight-days' bombardment; but as the Parisians held out; as there were +passing by Saverne innumerable convoys of wounded, scorched, maimed, +and sick by thousands; as General Faidherbe had gained a victory in the +North, the victory of Bapaume, in which we had driven the Prussians +from the field of battle all covered with their dead, and in which the +enemy had left in our hands not only all their wounded, but a great +number of prisoners; as the inhabitants of Paris had only one fault to +find with General Trochu, that he did not lead them out to the great +battle, and they were raising the cry of "victory or death;" since +Chanzy, repulsed at Le Mans, was falling back in good order, while in +the midst of the deep snows of January and the severest cold, Bourbaki +was still advancing upon Belfort; and Garibaldi with his francs-tireurs +was not losing courage; since the Germans were suffering from +exhaustion; and it takes but an hour, a minute, to turn all the chances +against one; and if Faidherbe had gained his victory nearer to Paris a +great sortie would have ensued, which might have entirely changed the +face of things--for these and other reasons, I suppose, all at once +there was much talk of humanity, mildness, peace; of the convocation of +an assembly at Bordeaux, where the true representatives of the nation +might settle everything, and restore order to our unhappy France. + +As soon as these rumors began to spread, George said that Alsace and +German Lorraine were to be sacrificed; that our egotists had come to an +understanding with the Germans; that all our defeats had been unable to +cast us down, and the Prussians were better pleased than ourselves to +come to an end of it, for they needed peace, having no reserves left to +throw into the scale; that Gambetta's enthusiasm and courage might at +once win over the most timid, and that then the Germans would be lost, +because a people that rises in a body, and at the same time possesses +arms and munitions of war in a third of our provinces, such a nation in +the long run would crush all resistance. + +I could say nothing. Even to-day I do not know what might have +happened. When Cousin George spoke, I was of his opinion; and then, +left to my own reflections, when I saw that immense body of prisoners +delivered by Bonaparte and Bazaine all at once; all our arms +surrendered at Metz and Strasbourg, and our fortresses fallen one after +another; then the ill-will, to say the least of all the former +place-holders under the Empire, three-fourths of whom were retaining +their posts--I thought it quite possible that we might wage against the +Germans a war much more dangerous than the first; that we might destroy +many more of the enemy at the same time with ourselves; but, if I had +been told to choose, I should have found it hard to decide. + +Of course, if the Prussians had been defeated in the interior, before +abandoning our country, they would have ruined us utterly, and set fire +to every village. I have myself several times heard a _Hauptmann_ at +Phalsbourg say, "You had better pray for us! For woe to you, if we +should be repulsed! All that you have hitherto suffered would be but a +joke. We would not leave one stone upon another in Alsace and +Lorraine. That would be our defensive policy. So pray for the success +of our armies. If we should be obliged to retire, you would be much to +be pitied!" + +I can hear these words still. + +But I would not have minded even that: I would have sacrificed house, +mill, and all, if we could only have finally been victorious and +remained French; but I was in doubt. Misery makes a man lose, not +courage, but confidence; and confidence is half the battle won. + +About that time we received Jacob's first letter; he was at Rastadt, +and I need not tell you what a relief it was to his mother to think +that she could go and see him in one day. + +Here is the letter, which I copy for you: + + +"MY DEAR FATHER AND MY DEAR MOTHER,-- + +"Thank God, I am not dead yet; and I should be glad to hear from you, +if possible. You must know that, on arriving at Luetzelbourg, we were +sent off by railway in cattle-trucks. We were thirty or forty +together; and we were not so comfortable as to be able to sit, since +there were no seats, nor to breathe the air, as there was only a small +hole to each side. Those of us who wanted to breathe or to drink, +found a bayonet before our noses, and charitable souls were forbidden +to give us a glass of water. We remained in this position more than +twenty hours, standing, unable even to stoop a little. Many were taken +ill; and as for me, my thigh bones seemed to run up into my ribs, so +that I could scarcely breathe, and I thought with my comrades that they +had undertaken to exterminate us after some new fashion. + +"During the night we crossed the Rhine, and then we went on rolling +along the line, and travelling along the other side as far as Rastadt, +where we are now. The hindmost trucks, where I was, remained; the +others went on into Germany. We were first put into the casemates +under the ramparts; damp, cold vaults, where many others who had +arrived before us were dying like flies in October. The straw was +rotting--so were the men. The doctors in the town and those of the +Baden regiments were afraid of seeing sickness spreading in the +country; and since the day before yesterday those who are able to walk +have been made to come out. They have put us into large wooden huts +covered in with tarred felt, where we have each received a fresh bundle +of straw. Here we live, seated on the ground. We play at cards, some +smoke pipes, and the Badeners mount guard over us. The hut in which I +am--about three times as large as the old market-hall of Phalsbourg--is +situated between two of the town bastions; and if by some evil chance +any of us took a fancy to revolt, we should be so overwhelmed with shot +and shell that in ten minutes not a man would be left alive. We are +well aware of this, and it keeps our indignation within bounds against +these Badeners, who treat us like cattle. We get food twice a day--a +little haricot or millet soup, with a very small piece of meat about +the size of a finger: just enough to keep us alive. After such a +blockade as ours, something more is wanted to set us up; our noses +stand out of our faces like crows' bills, our cheeks sink in deeper and +deeper; and but for the guns pointed at us, we should have risen a +dozen times. + +"I hope, however, I may get over it; father's cloak keeps me warm, and +Cousin George's louis are very useful. With money you can get +anything; only here you have to pay five times the value of what you +want, for these Badeners are worse than Jews; they all want to make +their fortunes in the shortest time out of the unhappy prisoners. + +"I use my money sparingly. Instead of smoking, I prefer buying from +time to time a little meat or a very small bottle of wine to fortify my +stomach; it is much better for my health, and is the more enjoyable +when your appetite is good. My appetite has never failed. When the +appetite fails, comes the typhus. I do not expect I shall catch +typhus. But, if it please God to let me return to Rothalp, the very +first day I will have a substantial meal of ham, veal pie, and red +wine. I will also invite my comrades, for it is a dreadful thing to be +hungry. And now, to tell you the truth, I repent of having never given +a couple of sous to some poor beggar who asked me for alms in the +winter, saying that he had nothing, I know what hunger is now, and I +feel sorry. If you meet one in this condition, father or mother, +invite him in, give him bread, let him warm himself, and give him two +or three sous when he goes. Fancy that you are doing it for your son; +it will bring me comfort. + +"Perhaps mother will be able to come and see me: not many people are +allowed to come near us; a permit must be had from the commandant at +Rastadt. These Badeners and these Bavarians, who were said to be such +good Catholics, treat us as hardly as the Lutherans. I remember now +that Cousin George used to say that was only part of the play: he was +right. Instead of only praising and singing to our Lord, they would +much better follow His example. + +"Let mother try! Perhaps the commandant may have had a good dinner; +then he will be in a good temper, and will give her leave to come into +the huts: that is my wish. And now, to come to an end, I embrace you +all a hundred times; father, mother, Gredel, Cousin George, and Cousin +Marie Anne. + +"Your son, + "JACOB WEBER. + +"I forgot to tell you that several out of our battalion escaped from +Phalsbourg before and after the muster-call of the prisoners: in the +number was Jean Baptiste Werner. It is said that they have joined +Garibaldi: I wish I was with them. The Germans tell us that if they +can catch them they will shoot them down without pity; yes, but they +won't let themselves be caught; especially Jean Baptiste; he is a +soldier indeed! If we had but two hundred thousand of his sort, these +Badeners would not be bothering us with their haricot-soup, and their +cannons full of grape-shot. + +"RASTADT, _January_ 6, 1871." + + +From that moment my wife only thought of seeing Jacob again; she made +up her bundle, put into her basket sundry provisions, and in a couple +of days started for Rastadt. + +I put no hindrance in her way, thinking she would have no rest until +she had embraced our boy. + +Gredel was quite easy, knowing that Jean Baptiste Werner was with +Garibaldi. I even think she had had news from him; but she showed us +none of his letters, and had again begun to talk about her +marriage-portion, reminding me that her mother had had a hundred louis, +and that she ought to have the same. She insisted upon knowing where +our money was hidden, and I said to her, "Search; if you can find it, +it is yours." + +Girls who want to be married are so awfully selfish; if they can only +have the man they want, house, family, native land, all is one to them. +They are not all like that; but a good half. I was so annoyed with +Gredel that I began to wish her Jean Baptiste would come back, that I +might marry them and count out her money. + +But more serious affairs were then attracting the eyes of all Alsace +and France. + +Gambetta had been blamed for having detached Bourbaki's army to our +succor by raising the blockade of Belfort. It has been said that this +movement enabled the combined forces of Prince Frederick Charles, and +of Mecklenburg, to fall upon Chanzy and overwhelm him, and that our two +central armies ought to have naturally supported each other. Possibly! +I even believe that Gambetta committed a serious error in dividing our +forces: but, it must be acknowledged, that if the winter had not been +against us--if the cold had not, at that very crisis of our fate, +redoubled in intensity, preventing Bourbaki from advancing with his +guns and warlike stores with the rapidity necessary to prevent De +Werder from fortifying his position and receiving +reinforcements--Alsace would have been delivered, and we might even +have attacked Germany itself by the Grand Duchy of Baden. Then how +many men would have risen in a moment! Many times George and I, +watching these movements, said to each other: "If they only get to +Mutzig, we will go!" + +Yes, in war everything cannot succeed; and when you have against you +not only the enemy, but frost, ice, snow, bad roads; whilst the enemy +have the railroads, which they had been stupidly allowed to take at the +beginning of the campaign, and are receiving without fatigue or danger, +troops, provisions, munitions of war, whatever they want; then if good +plans don't turn out successful, it is not the last but the first +comers who are to be blamed. + +But for the heavy snows which blocked up the roads, Bourbaki would have +surprised Werder. The Germans were expecting this, for all at once the +requisitions began again. The Landwehr, this time from Metz, and +commanded by officers in spectacles, began to pass through our +villages; they were the last that we saw; they came from the farthest +extremity of Prussia. I heard them say that they had been three days +and three nights on the railway; and now they were continuing their +road to Belfort by forced marches, because other troops from Paris were +crowding the Lyons railway. + +George could not understand how men should come from Paris, and said: +"Those people are lying! If the troops engaged in the siege were +coming away, the Parisians would come out and follow them up." + +At the same time we learned that the Germans were evacuating Dijon, +Gray, Vesoul, places which the francs-tireurs of Garibaldi immediately +occupied; that Werder was throwing up great earthworks against Belfort; +things were looking serious; the last forces of Germany were coming +into action. + +Then, too, the _Independance_ talked of nothing but peace, and the +convocation of a National Assembly at Bordeaux; the English newspapers +began again to commiserate our loss, as they had done at the beginning +of the war, saying that after the first battle her Majesty the Queen +would interpose between us. I believe that if the French had +conquered, the English Government would have cried, "Halt--enough! too +much blood has flown already." + +But as we were conquered, her Majesty did not come and separate us; no +doubt she was of opinion that everything was going on very favorably +for her son-in-law, the good Fritz! + +So all this acting on the part of the newspapers was beginning again; +and if Bourbaki's attempt had prospered, the outcries, the fine +phrases, the tender feelings for our poor human race, civilization and +international rights would have redoubled, to prevent us from pushing +our advantages too far. + +Unhappily, fortune was once more against us. When I say fortune, let +me be understood: the Germans, who had no more forces to draw from +their own country, still had some to spare around Paris, which they +could dispose of without fear: they felt no uneasiness in that quarter, +as we have learned since. + +If General Trochu had listened to the Parisians, who were unanimous in +their desire to fight, Manteuffel could not have withdrawn from the +besieging force 80,000 men to crush Bourbaki, 120 leagues away; nor +General Van Goeben 40,000 to fall upon Faidherbe in the north; nor +could others again have joined Frederick Charles to overwhelm Chanzy. +This is clear enough! The fortune of the Germans at this time was not +due to the genius of their chiefs, or the courage and the number of +their men; but to the inaction of General Trochu! Yes, this is the +fact! But it must also be owned that Gambetta, Bourbaki, Faidherbe, +and Chanzy ought to have allowed for this. + +However, France has not perished yet; but she has been most unfortunate! + +The cold was intense. Bourbaki was approaching Belfort; he took +Esprels and Villersexel at the point of the bayonet; then all Alsace +rejoiced to hear that he was at Montbeliard, Sar-le-Chateau, Vyans, +Comte-Henaut and Chusey; retaking all this land of good people, more +ill-fated still than we, since they knew not a word of German, and that +bad race bore them ill-will in consequence. + +Our confidence was returning. Every evening George and I, by the +fireside, talked of these affairs; reading the paper three or four +times over, to get at something new. + +My wife had returned from Rastadt full of indignation against the +Badeners, for not having allowed her to see Jacob, or even to send him +the provisions she had brought. She had only seen, at a distance, the +wooden huts, with their four lines of sentinels, the palisades, and the +ditches that surrounded them. Gredel, Marie Anne, and she, talked only +of these poor prisoners; vowing to make a pilgrimage to Marienthal if +Jacob came back safe and sound. + +Fatigue, anxiety, the high price of provisions, the fear of coming +short altogether if the war went on, all this gave us matter for +serious reflection; and yet we went on hoping, when the _Independance_ +brought us the report of General Chanzy upon the combats at Montfort, +Champagne, Parigne, l'Eveque, and other places where our columns, +overpowered by the 120,000 men of Frederick Charles and the Duke of +Mecklenburg, had been obliged to retire to their last lines around Le +Mans. That evening, as we were going home upon the stroke of ten, +George said: "I don't believe much in pilgrimages, although several of +my old shipmates in the _Boussole_ had full confidence in our Lady of +Good Deliverance: I have never made any vows; these are no part of my +principles; but I promise to drink two bottles of good wine with +Christian in honor of the Republic, and to distribute one for every +poor man in the village if we gain the great battle of to-morrow. +According to Chanzy our army is driven to bay; it has fallen back upon +its last position, and the great blow will be struck. Good-night." + +"Good-night, George and Marie Anne." + +We went out by moonlight, the hoar-frost was glittering on the ground; +it was the 15th of January, 1871. + +The next day no _Independance_ arrived, nor the next day; it often had +missed, and would come three or four numbers together. Fresh rumors +had spread; there was a report of a lost battle; the Landwehr at +Phalsbourg were rejoicing and drinking champagne. + +On the 18th, about two in the afternoon, the foot-postman Michel +arrived. I was waiting at my cousin's. We were walking up and down, +smoking and looking out of the windows; Michel was still in the +passage, when George opened the door and cried: "Well?" "Here they +are, Monsieur Weber." + +My cousin sat at his desk. "Now we will see," said he, changing color. + +But instead of beginning with the first, he opened the second, and read +aloud that report of Chanzy's in which he said that all was going on +well the evening before; but that a panic which seized upon the Breton +Mobiles had disordered the army, without the possibility of either he +or the Vice-Admiral Jaurreguiberry being able to check or stop it; so +that the Prussians had rushed pell-mell into the unhappy city of Le +Mans, mingled with our own troops, and taken a large body of prisoners. + +I saw the countenance of my cousin change every moment; at last, he +flung the journal upon the table, crying: "All is lost!" + +It was as if he had pierced my heart with a knife. Yet I took up the +paper and read to the end. Chanzy had not lost all hope of rallying +his army at Laval, and Gambetta was hastening to join him, to support +him with his courageous spirit. + +"There now," said George, "look at that!" + +Placiard was passing the house arm-in-arm with a Landwehr officer, +followed by a few men; they were making requisitions, and entered the +house opposite. "There is the Plebiscite in flesh and blood. Now that +scoundrel is working for his Imperial Majesty William I., for the +Germans have their emperor, as we have had ours; they will soon learn +the cost of glory; each has his turn! By and by, when the reins are +tightened, these poor Germans will be looking in every direction to see +if the French are not revolting; but France will be tranquil: they +themselves will have riveted their own chains, and their masters will +draw the reins tighter and tighter, saying: 'Now, then, Mechle!* +Attention! eyes right; eyes left. Ah! you lout, do you make a wry +face? I will show you that might is right in Germany, as everywhere +else, if you don't know it already. Whack! how do you like that, +Mechle? Aha! did you think you were getting victories for German +Fatherland and German liberty, idiot? You find out now that it was to +put yourself again under the yoke, as after 1815; just to show you the +difference between the noble German lord and a brute of your own sort. +Get on, Mechle!'" + + +* Nickname for the Germans, answering to the English "John Bull," and +the French "Jaques Bonhomme." + + +George exclaimed: "How miserable to be surprised and deluged as we have +been daily by six hundred thousand Germans, and to have our hands bound +like culprits, without arms, munitions, orders, chiefs, or anything! +Ah! the deputies of the majority who voted for war would not demand +compulsory service; they feared to arm the nation. They would not risk +the bodies of their own sons; the people alone should fight to defend +their places, their salaries, their chateaux, their property of every +sort! Miserable self-seekers! they are the cause of our ruin! their +names should be exposed in every commune, to teach our children to +execrate them." + +He was becoming embittered, and it is not surprising, for every day we +heard of fresh reverses: first the surrender of Veronne, just when +Faidherbe was coming to deliver it, and the retreat of our army of the +North upon Lille and Cambrai, before the overwhelming forces of Van +Goeben, fresh from Paris; then the grand attack of Bourbaki from +Montbeliard to Mont Vaudois, which he had pursued three successive +days, the 15th, 16th, and 17th January without success, on account of +the reinforcements which Werder had received, and the horrible state of +the roads, broken up by the rain and the snow; lastly, the arrival of +Manteuffel, with his 80,000 men, also from Paris--to cut off his +retreat. + +Then we understood that the Landwehr had been right in telling us that +they were getting reinforcements from Paris; and George, who understood +such things better than I, suddenly conceived a horror for those who +were commanding there. + +"Either," he said, "the Parisians are afraid to fight--which I cannot +believe, for I know them--or the men in command are incapable--or +traitors. Hitherto relieving armies have been sent in support of a +besieged city; now we see the besiegers of a city twice as strong as +themselves in men, arms, and munitions of every kind, detaching whole +armies to crush our troops fighting in the provinces: the thing is +incredible! I am certain that the Parisians are demanding to be led +out, especially as they are suffering from famine. Well, if sorties +were taking place, the Germans would want all their men down there, and +would be unable to come and overwhelm our already overtasked armies." + +Let them explain these things as they will, George was right. Since +the Germans were able to send away from Paris 40,000 men in one +direction, and 80,000 in another, evidently they were free to undertake +what they pleased; instead of surrounding the city with troops, they +might have set helmets and cloaks upon sticks all round, for +scarecrows, as they do to keep sparrows out of a corn-field. + +Here, then, is how we have lost: it was the incapacity of the man who +was commanding at Paris, and the weakness of the Government of +Defence--and especially of Monsieur Jules Favre!--who, when they ought +to have replaced this orator by a man of action, as Gambetta demanded, +had not the courage to fulfil their duty. Everybody knows this; why +not say it openly? + +The only thing which cheered us a little about the end of this terrible +month of January, was to learn that the francs-tireurs had blown up the +bridge of Fontenoy, on the railroad between Nancy and Toul. But our +joy was not of long duration; for three or four days after, +proclamations posted at the door of the mayoralty-house gave notice +that the Germans had utterly consumed the village of Fontenoy, to +punish the inhabitants for not having denounced the francs-tireurs; and +that all we Lorrainers were condemned, for the same offence, to pay an +extraordinary contribution of ten millions to his Majesty, the Emperor +of Germany. At the same time, as the French workmen were refusing to +repair this bridge, the Prussian prefect of La Menotte wrote to the +Mayor of Nancy: + +"If to-morrow, Tuesday, January 24, at twelve o'clock, five hundred men +from the dockyards of the city are not at the station, first the +foremen, then a certain number of the workmen, will be arrested and +shot immediately." + +This prefect's name was Renard--"Count Renard." + +I mention this that his name may not be forgotten. + +But all this was nothing, compared with what was to follow. One +morning the Prussians had given me a few sacks of corn to grind; I +dared not refuse to work for them, as they would have crushed me with +blows and requisitions: they might have carried me off nearly to Metz +again, they might even have shot me. I had pleaded the snow, the ice, +the failure of the water, which prevented me from grinding; +unfortunately, rain had fallen in abundance, the snow was melting, the +mill-dam was full, and on the 2d or 3d of February (I am not sure +which, I am so confused) I was piling up the sacks of that wicked set +in my mill; Father Offran and Catherine were helping; Gredel, upstairs, +was dressing herself, after sweeping the house and lighting the kitchen +fire. It was about eight o'clock in the morning, when looking out into +the street by chance, where the water was rattling down the gutters, I +saw George and Marie Anne coming. + +My cousin was taking long strides, his wife coming after him; farther +on a Landwehr was coming too: the people were sweeping before their +doors, without caring how they bespattered the passers-by. George, +near the mill, cried out, "Do you know what is going on?" + +"No--what?" + +"Well, an armistice has been concluded for twenty-one days; the Paris +forts are given up: the Prussians may set fire to the city when they +please. Now they may send all their troops and all their artillery +against Bourbaki; for the armistice does not extend to the operations +in the east." + +George was pale with excitement, his voice shook. Gredel, at the top +of the stairs, was hastily twisting her hair into a knot. + +"Look, Christian," said my cousin, pulling a paper out of his pocket; +"the armies of Bourbaki and Garibaldi are surrendered by this +armistice. Manteuffel has come down from Paris with 80,000 men to +occupy the passes of the Jura in their rear: the unfortunate men are +caught as in a vice, between him and Werder; and all who have escaped +from the hands of the Prussians and taken service again, like our poor +Mobiles of Phalsbourg, will be shot!" + +While cousin was speaking, Gredel had come downstairs, without even +putting on her slippers; she was leaning against him, as pale as death, +trying to read over his shoulder; when suddenly she tore the paper from +his hands. George wished he had said nothing; but it was too late! + +Gredel, after having read with clinched teeth, ran off like a mad +woman, uttering fearful screams: "Oh! the wretches! ... Oh! my poor +Jean Baptiste! ... Oh! the thieves! ... Oh! my poor Jean Baptiste!" + +She seemed to be seeking something to fight with. And as we stood +confounded at her outcries, I said: "Gredel, for Heaven's sake don't +scandalize us in this way. The people will hear you from the other end +of the village!" She answered in a fury: "Hold your tongue! You are +the cause of it all!" + +"I!" said I, indignantly. + +"Yes, you!" she shrieked, with a terrible flashing in her eyes: "you, +with your Plebiscite; deceiving everybody by promising them peace! You +deserve to be along with Bazaine and the rest of them." + +And my wife cried: "That girl will be the death of us." + +She had sat down upon the stairs. Marie Anne, with her hands clasped, +said: "Do forgive her; her mind is going." + +Never had I felt so humbled; to be treated thus by my own daughter! +But Gredel respected nothing now; and Cousin George, trying to get in a +word, she exclaimed: "You! you! an old soldier! Are you not ashamed of +staying here, instead of going to fight? The Landwehr are as old as +you, with their gray hairs and their spectacles; they don't make +speeches; they all march. And that's why we are beaten!" + +At last I became furious; and I was looking for my cowhide behind the +door, to bring her to her senses, when, unfortunately, a Landwehr came +in to ask if the flour was ready. The moment Gredel caught sight of +him, she uttered such a savage shriek that my ears still tingle with +it, and in a second she had laid hold of her hatchet; George had +scarcely time to seize her by her twisted back hair, when the hatchet +had flown from her hand, whizzing through the air, and was quivering +three inches deep in the door-post. + +The Landwehr, an elderly man, with great eyes and a red nose, had seen +the steel flash past close to his ear; he had heard it whiz, and as +Gredel was struggling with George, crying: "Oh, the villain; I have +missed him!" he turned, and ran off at the top of his speed. I ran to +the mill-dam, supposing he was going to the mayor's, but no, he ran a +great deal farther than that, and never stopped till he reached Wechem. + +Then Gredel became aware that she had made a mistake; she went up into +her room, put on her shoes, took her basket, went into the kitchen for +a knife and a loaf, and then she left the house; running down the other +side of the hill to gain the Krapenfelz, where our cow was with several +others, under the charge of the old rag-dealer. + +"This is a very bad business," said George, fixing his eyes upon me; +"that Landwehr will denounce you: this evening the Prussian gendarmes +will be here. I'm sure I don't know, my poor Christian, where you got +that girl from; amongst those who have gone before us, there must have +been some very different from your poor mother, and grandmother +Catherine." + +"What would you have," said Marie Anne; "she is fond of her Jean +Baptiste." And I thought: "If he but had her now; it is not I would +refuse them permission to marry now; no, not I. I only wish they were +married already!" + +I was thinking how I might settle this dangerous business. George said +we must overtake the Landwehr, and slip three or four cent-sous pieces +in his hand, to induce him to hold his tongue: the Prussians are +softened with money. But where could he be found now? How was he to +be overtaken? I had no longer my two beautiful nags. So I resolved to +leave it all to Providence. + +To my great surprise, the Landwehr never returned. That same day two +other Germans, with Lieutenant Hartig, came to take an invoice of the +flour, without mentioning that affair: one would have thought that +nothing had occurred. The next day, and the day after that, we were +still in painful expectation; but that man gave no sign of appearing. +No doubt he must have been a marauder; one of those base fellows who +enter houses without orders, to receive requisitions of every kind, to +sell again in the neighboring villages; such things had been done more +than once since the arrival of the Germans. This is the conclusion I +came to by and by; but at that time the fear of seeing that fellow +returning with the gendarmes, left me no peace; every minute my wife, +standing at the door, would say: "Christian, run! Here are the +Prussian gendarmes coming!" + +For a cow, or a Jew astride upon a donkey at the end of the road, she +would throw one into fits. + +Gredel remained a week in the woods in the Krapenfelz. Every day the +woodman brought her news of what was going on in the village. At last +she came back, laughing; she went up into her room to change her +clothes, and resumed her work without any allusion to the past. We did +not want to start the subject of Jean Baptiste again; but she herself, +seeing us dispirited, at last said to us: "Pooh! it's all right now. +There; look at that!" + +It was a letter from Jean Baptiste Werner, which she had received among +the rocks on the Krapenfelz. In that letter, which I read with much +astonishment, Werner related that he had at first wished to join +Garibaldi at Dijon; but that for want of money he had been obliged to +stop at Besancon, where the volunteers of the Vosges and of Alsace were +being organized; that upon the arrival of Bourbaki, he had enlisted as +a gunner in the 20th corps. Two days after there were engagements at +Esprels and Villersexel, where more than four thousand Prussians had +remained on the field. The cold was extraordinary. The Prussians, +repulsed by our columns, had retired from village to village, on the +other side of the Lisaine, between Montbeliard and Mont Vaudois. There +Werner, behind a deep ravine, had mounted batteries of +twenty-four-pounders, well protected, on three stages, one over +another; his army and his reinforcements were concentrated and securely +intrenched. In spite of this, Bourbaki, wanting to relieve Belfort and +descend into Alsace, had given orders for a general assault, and all +that country, for three days, resembled a sea of smoke and flame under +the tremendous fire of the hostile armies. Unhappily, the passage +could not be forced; and the exhaustion of munitions, the fatigue, the +sharp sufferings of cold and hunger--for there were no stores of +clothing and provisions in our rear--all these causes had compelled us +to retire, but in the hope of renewing the assault; when all at once +the news spread that another German army was standing in our line of +retreat, near Dole: a considerable army, from Paris. They had hurried +to get clear as far as possible by gaining Pontarlier; but these fresh +troops had a great advantage over us. Werder, also, was following us +up; and we were going to be surrounded on all sides around Besancon. +Jean Baptiste went on to say that then Bourbaki had attempted his own +life, and was seriously wounded; that General Clinchamp had then +assumed the command-in-chief; but that all these disasters would not +have hindered us from arriving at Lyons, across the Jura, if the Maires +of the villages had not published the armistice, causing the army to +neglect to secure a line of retreat; that a great number had even lain +down their arms and withdrawn into the villages; that the Prussians had +kept advancing, and that only in the evening, when they had occupied +all the passes, General Manteuffel declared that the armistice did not +extend to operations in the east, and that our army must lay down their +arms, as those of Sedan and Metz had done! But the soldiers of the +Republic refused to surrender, and they had made a passage through the +ice, the snow, and thousands of Prussian corpses, to Switzerland. + +Jean Baptiste Werner related, in this long letter, full particulars of +all that he had suffered; the attacks delivered by the corps of General +Billot, who was charged to protect the retreat, upon the rocks, at the +foot of precipices, in all the deep passes where the enemy lay in wait +to cut off our retreat; how many of our poor fellows had perished of +cold and hunger! And then the admirable reception given to our unhappy +soldiers by the noble Swiss, who had received them not as strangers, +but as brothers: every town, village, and house, was opened to them +with kindness. It is manifest that the Swiss are a great people; for +greatness is not to be measured by the extent of a country, and the +number of the inhabitants, as the Germans suppose; but by the humanity +of the people, the elevation of their character, their respect for +unsuccessful courage, their love of justice and of liberty. + +How much help have the Swiss sent us in succor, in money, in clothing, +in food, in seed corn, for our poor fellow-countrymen ruined by the +war! It came to Saverne, to Phalsbourg, to Petite Pierre--everywhere. +Ah, we perceived then that heaven and earth had not altogether deserted +us; we saw that there were yet brave hearts, true republicans; that all +men were not born for fire, pillage, and slaughter; that there are men +in the world besides hypocrites--true Christians, inspired by Him who +said to men: "love one another; ye are brethren." He would not have +invented petroleum bombshells, or declared that brute-force dominated +over right, like those barbarians from the other side of the Rhine. + +That letter of Jean Baptiste Werner's pleased me; it was clear that he +was a brave man and a good patriot. But in the meanwhile, the policy +of Bismarck and Jules Favre went on its way. The order of the day was, +"elect deputies to sit in the assembly at Bordeaux," which was to +decide for peace, or the continuance of the war: the twenty-one days' +armistice had no other object, it was said. + +So those who did not care to become Prussians took up arms, George and +I the first; myself with the greatest zeal, for every day I reproached +myself with that abominable Plebiscite as a crime. And now began the +old story again: no Legitimists, no Bonapartists, no Orleanists could +be found; all cried: "We are Republicans. Vote for us!" + +But in every part of the country through which the Prussians had gone, +the Plebiscite was remembered; the people were beginning to understand +that this unworthy farce was our ruin, and that men should be judged by +their actions, not their words. + +At Strasbourg, at Nancy, all who desired to remain French nominated two +lists of old republicans, who immediately started for Bordeaux. +Gambetta was elected by us and by La Meurthe; he was also elected in +many other departments, with Thiers, Garibaldi, Faidherbe, Chanzy, etc. + +These elections once more revived our hopes. We supposed that +everything had taken place in the West and the South as with us. + +Gambetta, who never lost his sound judgment in critical moments, had +declared that all the old official deputies of Bonaparte, all the +senators, councillors of State, and prefects of the Empire, were +disqualified for election. George commended him. "When a spendthrift +devours all his living in debauchery, he is put under restraint; much +more, therefore," he urged, "ought men to be restrained who have +devoured the wealth of the nation and put our two finest provinces in +jeopardy. All these men ought forever to be held incapable of +exercising political functions." + +But Bismarck, who relied chiefly on the old Imperial functionaries, by +way of testifying his gratitude to the _honest man_ for all he had done +for Prussia--for his noble behavior at Sedan, and his gift of Metz to +his Majesty, William--protested against this manifesto by Gambetta: he +declared that the elections would not then be free, and that liberty +was so dear to his heart, that he had rather break the armistice than +in any way cramp the freedom of the elections. + +George, on hearing this, broke out into a rage. "What," he cried, +"this Bismarck, who has warned the Prussian deputies to be careful of +their expressions in speaking of the nobleness and the majesty of King +William, 'because laws exist in Prussia against servants who presume to +insult their masters'--this very Bismarck comes here to defend liberty, +and support the accomplices of Bonaparte! Oh! these defenders of +liberty!" + +Unhappily, all this was useless; the Prussians were already in the +forts of Paris, and the menaces of Bismarck had more weight in France +than the words of Gambetta. Therefore, once more we had to yield to +his Majesty, William, and many of our deputies are indebted to him for +their admission into the Chambers of Bordeaux. + +These defenders of the Republic immediately showed that they were not +ungrateful to Bismarck; for they hissed Garibaldi, who had come from +Italy, old, sick, and infirm, with his two sons, to fight the enemies +of France, and uphold justice, when all Europe held aloof! + +Garibaldi was not even allowed to reply: these representatives of the +people hissed him down! He calmly withdrew! + +The Sunday following--I am ashamed to say it--our cure Daniel, and many +other cures in our neighborhood, preached that Garibaldi was a +_canaille_. I am not condemning them; I am simply stating a fact. +They had received orders from their bishops, and they obeyed; for the +poor country priest is at his bishop's mercy, and under his orders, +like a whip in a driver's hand; if he disobeys, he is turned out! I +know that many would rather have been silent than said such things, and +I pity them! + +Well, Bismarck might well laugh; he had more friends among us than was +believed. Those who want to make their profits out of nations, always +come to an understanding; their interests and their enemies are the +same. + +Then the Assembly of Bordeaux voted peace. No hard matter; only +involving the sacrifice of Alsace and Lorraine, and five milliards as +an indemnity for the trouble which the Prussians had taken in +bombarding, devastating, and stripping us! + +Then our unhappy deputies of Alsace and Lorraine were declared to be +German by their French brothers, against every feeling of justice; for +nobody in the world had the right to make Germans of us; to rend us +from the body of our French mother-country, and fling us bleeding into +the barbarian's camp, as a lump of living flesh is thrown to a wild +beast, to satisfy it; no, no one in the world had this right. We alone +freely ought to choose, and decide by our own votes, whether we would +become Germans or remain French. But with Bismarck and William, right, +liberty, and justice are powerless; might is everything. Our sorrowing +deputies at last protested: + +"The representatives of Alsace and Lorraine, previous to any +negotiations for peace, have laid upon the table of the National +Assembly a declaration, by which they affirm, in the clearest and most +emphatic language, that their will and their right is to remain +Frenchmen. + +"Delivered up, in contempt of justice, and by a hateful exercise of +power, to the dominion of the foreigner, we have one last sad duty to +fulfil. + +"We again declare null and void a compact which disposes of us against +our consent. + +"The revindication of our rights remains forever open to each and all, +after the form and in the measure which our consciences may dictate. + +"In taking leave of this Chamber, in which it would be a lowering of +our dignity to sit longer, and in spite of the bitterness of our +sorrow, our last impulse is one of gratitude for the men who for six +months have never ceased to defend us; and we are filled with a deep +and unalterable love for our mother-country, from which we are +violently torn. + +"We will ever follow you with our prayers; and with unshaken confidence +we await the future day when regenerated France shall resume the course +of her high destiny. + +"Your brothers of Alsace and Lorraine, separated at this moment from +the common family, away from their home, will ever cherish a filial +affection for their beloved France, until the day when she shall come +to reclaim her place among us." + +These were their words. + +Monsieur Thiers asked them if they knew any other way of saving France? +No reply was made. Unfortunately there was none: after the +capitulation of Paris, the sacrifice of an arm was needful to save the +body. + +Half the deputies were already thinking of other things; peace made, +they only thought of naming a king, and of decapitalizing Paris, as the +newspapers said, to punish it for having proclaimed the Republic! All +these people, who had presented themselves before the electors with +professions of republicanism, were royalists. + +Gambetta, having accepted the representation of the Bas Rhin (Alsace), +left the chamber with the deputies; and other old republicans, +contemptuously hissed whenever they opened their mouths, gave in their +resignations. + +Paris was agitated. A rising was apprehended. + +About that time, early in March, 1871, Prussian tax-collectors, +controllers, _gardes generaux_, and other functionaries, came to +replace our own; we were warned that the French language would be +abolished in our schools, and that the brave Alsacians who felt any +wish to join the armies of the King of Prussia, would be met with every +possible consideration; they might even be admitted into the guard of +his Royal and Imperial Majesty. About this time, an old friend of +Cousin George's, Nicolas Hague, a master saddler, a wealthy and highly +respectable man, came to see him from Paris. + +Nicolas Hague had bought many vineyards in Alsace; he had planned, +before the war, to retire amongst us, as soon as he had settled his +affairs; but after all the cruelties perpetrated by the Germans, and +seeing our country fallen into their hands, he was in haste to sell his +vineyards again, not caring to live amongst such barbarians. + +George and Marie Anne were delighted to receive this old friend; and +immediately an upstairs room was got ready for him, and he made himself +at home. + +He was a man of fifty, with red ears, a kind of collar of beard around +his face, large, velvet waistcoat adorned with gold chains and seals; a +thorough Alsacian, full of experience and sound common-sense. + +His wife, a native of Bar-le-Duc, and his two daughters were staying +with their relations; they were resting, and recruiting their strength +after the sufferings and agonies of the siege; he was as busy as +possible getting rid of his property; for he looked upon it as a +disgrace to bring into the world children destined to have their faces +slapped, in honor of the King of Prussia. + +I remember that on the second day after his arrival, as we were all +dining together at my cousin's, after having explained to us his views, +Nicolas Hague began telling us the miseries of the siege of Paris. He +told us that during the whole of that long winter, every day, were seen +before the bakers' shops and the butchers' stalls strings of old men +half clothed, and poor women holding their children, discolored with +the cold, close in their arms, waiting three or four hours in rain, +snow, and wind, for a small piece of black bread, or of horse flesh; +which often never came! Never had he heard any of these unhappy people +expressing any desire to surrender; but superior officers and staff +officers had shamelessly declared, from the earliest days of the siege, +that Paris could not hold out! And these men, formerly so proud of +their rank, their epaulettes, and their titles, who were solely charged +to defend us, and to uphold the honor of the nation, discouraged by +their language those who were trusting in them, and whose bread they +had eaten for years passed in useless reviews and parades, in frivolous +fetes at St. Cloud, at Compiegne, the Tuileries, and elsewhere. + +According to Nicolas Hague, all our disasters, from Sedan to the +capitulation of Paris, were attributable to the disaffection of the +staff officers, the committees, and those former Bonapartist +place-holders, who knew well that if the Republic drove out the +Prussians, nobody in the world would be able to destroy it; and as they +did not care for the Republic, they acted accordingly. + +"There is a great outcry at the present moment against General Trochu," +said he, "principally got up by the Bonapartists, who, in their hearts, +reproach him with having supported France rather than their dynasty. +They make him responsible for all our calamities; and many Republicans +are simple enough to believe them. But, when it is remembered that +this man arrived only at the last moment, when all was lost already; +when the Prussians were advancing by forced marches upon Paris; when +MacMahon was forsaking the capital, _by order of the Emperor_, to go to +Sedan, to get the army crushed down there which was to have covered us; +when it is remembered that at that moment Paris had no arms, no +munitions of war, no provisions, no troops; that the whole +neighborhood, men, women, and children, were taking refuge in the city; +that wagons full of furniture, hay, and straw were choking the streets; +that order had to be restored amidst this abominable confusion, the +forts armed, the National Guard organized, the inhabitants put upon +rations, etc.; and, then, that all those thousands of men, who did not +know even how to keep in ranks, were to be taught to handle a musket, +to march, and, finally, led under fire;--when all these things are +remembered, it must be acknowledged that, for one man, it was too much, +and that, if faults have been committed, it is not General Trochu who +is to be blamed, but the miserable men who brought us to such a pass. +Above all, let us be just. It is quite clear that, if General Trochu +had had under his orders real soldiers, commanded by real officers, he +might have made great sorties, broken the lines, or at least kept the +Germans busy round the place. But how could I, Nicolas Hague, saddler, +Claude Frichet, the grocer round the corner, and a couple of hundred +thousand others like us, who did not even know the word of command--how +could we fight like old troops? We were not wanting in good will, nor +in courage; but every man to his trade. As for our percussion rifles, +and our flint locks, and a hundred other discouraging things, you feel +utterly cast down when you know that the enemy are well armed and +supported by a terrible artillery. Trochu was well aware of these +things; and I believe that neither he, nor Jules Favre, nor Gambetta, +nor any of those who declared themselves Republicans on the 4th of +September, are responsible for our misfortunes, but only Bonaparte and +his crew!" + +At last, having heard Nicolas Hague explain his views, seeing that we +had been delivered up by selfish men--as Cousin Jacques Desjardins had +foreseen four months before--but that the Republic was in existence, +and that no doubt justice would be done upon all who had brought us +into this sad condition, by which means we might rise some day and get +our turn, I had resolved to sell my mill, my land, and everything that +belonged to me in the country, and go and settle in France; for the +sight of Placiard and the other Prussian functionaries, who were +fraternizing together, and shouting, "Long live old Germany!" made my +blood boil. I could not stand it. + +Cousin George, to whom I mentioned my design, said: "Then, if all the +Alsacians and Lorrainers go, in five or six years all our country will +be Prussian. Instead of going to America, the Germans will pour in +here by hundreds of thousands; they will find in our country, almost +for nothing, fields, meadows, vineyards, hop-grounds, noble forests, +the finest lands, the richest and most productive in Central Europe. +How delighted would Bismarck and William be if they saw us decamping! +No, no; I'll stay. But this does not mean that I am becoming a +Prussian--quite the contrary. But in this ill-drawn treaty there are +two good articles; the first affirms that the Alsacians and the +Lorrainers, dwelling in Alsace and Lorraine, may, up to the month of +October, 1872, declare their intention of remaining French, on +condition of possessing an estate in France; the second affirms that +the French may retain their landed estates in Germany. + +"Well, I at once elect to remain a Frenchman, and I take up my abode in +Paris with my friend Nicolas Hague, who will be happy to do me this +service. I don't want to become a burgomaster, a municipal councillor, +or anything of that kind; it will be enough for me to possess good +land, a thriving business, and a pleasant house. Yes--I intend to +declare at once; and if all who are able to secure an abode in France +will do as I am doing, we shall have German authorities over us, it is +true, but the land and the people will remain French and the land and +the men are everything. + +"Were not the old prefets and sous-prefets of the _honest man_ +intruders, just as much as these men are? Did they care for anything +but making us pay what the chambers had voted, and compelling us to +elect for deputies old fogies who would be safe to vote whichever way +the Emperor required them? Did they trouble themselves about us, our +commerce, our trade, any farther than merely to draw from us the best +part of our profits for themselves, their friends, their acquaintances, +and all the supporters of the dynasty of the perjurer? + +"These new prefets, these _kreis-directors_, these burgomasters, set +over us to defend the Prussian dynasty, will not concern us much more +than the others did. At first they will try mildness; and as we have +been well able to remain French under the prefets of Bonaparte, so we +may live and remain French under those of Emperor William. + +"My principal concern is that a large majority should declare as I am +about to do. The fear is lest the Placiards, and other mayors of the +Empire kept in their places by the Prussians, will be able to turn +aside the people from declaring themselves as Frenchmen, by +intimidating them with threats of being looked upon suspiciously, or +even of being expelled; the fear is lest these fellows should keep back +day after day those who are afraid of deciding: for when once the day +is past, those who have not declared for France will be +Prussians--their children will serve and be subject to blows at the age +of twenty, for old Germany; and those who have already fled into France +will be forced to return or renounce their inheritance forever. + +"My chief hope now is that the French journals, which are always so +busy saying useless things, will now, without fail, warn the Alsacians +and Lorrainers of their danger, and explain to them that if they +declare for France their persons and their property will be guaranteed +in safety by the treaty; but if they neglect to do so, their persons +and their property fall under the Prussian laws. They would even do +well to furnish a clear and simple form of declaration. By this step, +all who are interested would be clearly informed, and these papers +would have done the greatest service to France. + +"As for me, here I stay! I am here upon my own land; I have bought it; +I have paid for it with the sweat of my brow. I will pay the taxes; I +will hold my tongue, that I may be neither worried nor driven away. I +will sell my crops to the Germans as dearly as I can; I will employ +none but Frenchmen; and if the Republic acquires strength, as I hope it +will--for now the people see what Monarchies have been able to do for +us--if the nation transacts its own business wisely, sensibly, with +moderation, good order, and reflection, she will soon rise again, and +will once more become powerful. In ten years our losses will be +repaired: we shall possess well-informed constituencies, national +armies, upright administrations, a commissariat, and a staff very +different from that which we have known. + +"Then let the French return; they will find us, as before, ready to +receive them with open arms, and to march at their sides. + +"But if they pursue their old course of _coups d'etat_ and revolutions; +if the adventurers, the Jesuits, and the egotists form another +coalition against justice; if they recommence their disgraceful farces +of plebiscites and constitutions by yes and no, with bayonets pointed +at people's throats and with electors of whom one-half cannot read; if +they bestow places again by patronage and recommendation of friends, +instead of honestly throwing them open to competition; if they refuse +elementary education and compulsory military service; if they will +have, as in past times, an ignorant populace, and an army filled with +mercenaries, in order that the sons of nobles and bourgeois may remain +peaceably at home, whilst the poor labor like beasts of burden, and go +and meet their deaths upon battle-fields for masters they have no +concern with:--in a word, if they overthrow the Republic and set up +Monarchy again, then what miseries may we not expect? Poor France, +rent by her own children, will end like Poland; all our conquests of +'89 will be lost. Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, all the free +nations of the Continent will share our fate; the great splay feet of +the Germans will overspread Europe, and we unhappy Alsacians and +Lorrainers will be forced to bow the head under the yoke, or go off to +America." + +This speech of George's made me reflect, and I resolved to wait. + +Many Alsacians and Lorrainers have thought the same; and this is why M. +Thiers was right in saying that the Republic is the form of government +which least divides us: it is also the only one which can save us. Any +other form of government upon which Legitimists, Orleanists, and +Bonapartists could well meet on common ground, would end in our +destruction. If it should happen that one of these parties succeeds in +placing its prince upon the throne, the next day all the others would +unite and overthrow it; and the Germans, taking advantage of our +division, would seize upon the Franche Comte and Champagne. + +The Deputies of the Eight ought to reflect well upon this. It is to +reinstate the country, not a party, that they are at Versailles; it is +to restore harmony to our distracted country, and not to sow fresh +dissensions. I appeal to their patriotism, and, if this is not enough, +to their prudence. New _coups d'etat_ would precipitate us into fresh +revolutions more and more terrible. The nation, whose desire is for +peace, labor, order, liberty, education, and justice for all, is weary +of seeing itself torn to pieces by Emperors and Kings; the nation might +become exasperated against these anglers after Kings in troubled +waters, and the consequences might become terrible indeed. + +Let them ponder well; it is their duty to do so. + +And all these princes, too--all these shameless pretenders, who make no +scruple of coming to divide us at the crisis when union alone can save +us--when the German is occupying all the strong places on the frontier, +and is watching the opportunity to rend away another portion of our +country! These men who slip into the army through favor; whose +disaffected newspapers impede the revival of trade, in the hope of +disgusting the people with the Republic! These princes who one day +pledge their word of honor, and the day after withdraw it, and who are +not ashamed to claim millions in the midst of the general ruin. Yes, +these men must conduct themselves differently, if they don't wish to +call to remembrance their father Louis Philippe, intriguing with the +Bonapartists to dethrone his benefactor Charles X.; and their +grandfather, Philippe Egalite, intriguing with the Jacobins and voting +the death of Louis XVI. to save his fortune, whilst his son was +intriguing in the army of the North with the traitor Dumouriez to march +upon Paris and overthrow the established laws. + +But the day of intrigues has passed by! + +Bonaparte has stripped many besides these Princes of Orleans; he has +shot, transported, totally ruined fathers of families by thousands; +their wives and their children have lost all! Not one of these unhappy +creatures claim a farthing; they would be ashamed to ask anything of +their country at such a time as this: the Princes of Orleans, alone, +claim their millions. + +Frankly, this is not handsome. + +I am but a plain miller; by hard work I have won the half of what I +possess: but if my little fortune and my life could restore Alsace and +Lorraine to France, I would give them in a moment; and if my person +were a cause of division and trouble, and dangerous to the peace of my +country, I would abandon the mill built by my ancestors, the lands +which they have cleared, those which I have acquired by work and by +saving, and I would go! The idea that I was serving my country, that I +was helping to raise it, would be enough for me. Yes, I would go, with +a full heart, but without a backward glance. + +And now let us finish the story of the Plebiscite. + +Jacob returned to work at the mill; Jean Baptiste Werner also came back +to demand Gredel in marriage. Gredel consented with all her heart; my +wife and I gave our consent cordially. + +But the dowry? This was on Gredel's mind. She was not the girl to +begin housekeeping without her hundred livres! So I had again to run +the water out of the sluice to the very bottom, get into the mud again, +and once more handle the pick and spade. + +Gredel watched me; and when the old chest came to the light of day with +its iron hoops, when I had set it on the bank, and opened the rusty +padlock, and the crowns all safe and sound glittered in her eyes, then +she melted; all was well now; she even kissed me and hung upon her +mother's neck. + +The wedding took place on the 1st of July last; and in spite of the +unhappy times, was a joyful one. + +Toward the end of the fete, and when they were uncorking two or three +more bottles of old wine, in honor of M. Thiers and all the good men +who are supporting him in founding the Republic in France, Cousin +George announced to us that he had taken Jean Baptiste Werner into +partnership in his stone quarry. Building stone will be wanted; the +bombardments and the fires in Alsace will long furnish work for +architects, quarrymen, and masons: it will be a great and important +business. + +My cousin declared, moreover, that he, George Weber, would supply the +money required; that Jean Baptiste should travel to take orders and +work the quarries, and they would divide the profits equally. + +M. Fingado, notary, seated at the table, drew the deeds out of his +pocket, and read them to us, to the satisfaction of all. + +And now things are in order, and we will try to regain by labor, +economy, and good conduct, what Bonaparte lost for us by his Plebiscite. + +My story is ended; let every one derive from it such reflections and +instruction as he may. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Plebiscite, by +Emile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLEBISCITE *** + +***** This file should be named 36860.txt or 36860.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/6/36860/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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