Part 30 (2/2)

Such things do not sell in this country; they are of no value except to the family.”

”Very well,” said he, ”we will talk about that by and by.”

He put back the miniature into the bag.

”Do you read German?” he asked.

”Very well.”

”Ah, good! I am curious to hear what this kaiserlich had to write.

See, it is a letter! He was keeping it doubtless for the baggage-master to send it to Germany. But we came too soon! What does it say?”

He handed me a letter addressed to Madame Roedig, Stuttgart, No. 6 Bergstra.s.se. That letter, Fritz, here it is. Sorle has kept it; it will tell you more about the landwehr than I can.

”b.i.+.c.helberg, Feb. 25, 1814.

”Dear Aurelia: Thy good letter of January 29th reached Coblentz too late; the regiment was on its way to Alsace.

”We have had a great many discomforts, from rain and snow. The regiment came first to b.i.t.c.he, one of the most terrible forts possible, built upon rocks up in the sky. We were to take part in blockading it, but a new order sent us on farther to the fort of Lutzelstein, on the mountain, where we remained two days at the village of Petersbach, to summon that little place to surrender. The veterans who held it having replied by cannon, our colonel did not judge it necessary to storm it, and, thank G.o.d! we received orders to go and blockade another fortress surrounded by good villages which furnish us provisions in abundance; this is Phalsburg, a couple of leagues from Saverne. We relieve, here, the Austrian regiment of Vogelgesang, which has left for Lorraine.

”Thy good letter has followed me everywhere, and it fills me now with joy. Embrace little Sabrina and our dear little Henry for me a hundred times, and receive my embraces yourself, too, thou dear, adored wife!

”Ah! when shall we be together again in our little pharmacy? When shall I see again my vials nicely labelled upon their shelves, with the heads of aesculapius and Hippocrates above the door? When shall I take my pestle, and mix my drugs again after the prescribed formulas? When shall I have the joy of sitting again in my comfortable arm-chair, in front of a good fire, in our back shop, and hear Henry's little wooden horse roll upon the floor,--Henry whom I so long for? And thou, dear, adored wife, when wilt thou exclaim: 'It is my Henry!' as thou seest me return crowned with palms of victory.”

”These Germans,” interrupted the sergeant, ”are blockheads as well as a.s.ses! They are to have 'palms of victory!' What a silly letter!”

But Sorle and Zeffen listened as I read, with tears in their eyes.

They held our little ones in their arms, and I, too, thinking that Baruch might have been in the same condition as this poor man, was greatly moved.

Now, Fritz, hear the end:

”We are here in an old tile-kiln, within range of the cannon of the fort. A few sh.e.l.ls are fired upon the city every evening, by order of the Russian general, Berdiaiw, with the hope of making the inhabitants decide to open the gates. That must be before long; they are short of provisions! Then we shall be comfortably lodged in the citizens'

houses, till the end of this glorious campaign; and that will be soon, for the regular armies have all pa.s.sed without resistance, and we hear daily of great victories in Champagne. Bonaparte is in full retreat; field-marshals Blucher and Schwartzenberg have united their forces, and are only five or six days' march from Paris----”

”What? What? What is that? What does he say?” stammered out the sergeant, leaning over toward the letter. ”Read that again!”

I looked at him; he was very pale, and his cheeks shook with anger.

”He says that generals Blucher and Schwartzenberg are near Paris.”

”Near Paris! They! The rascals!” he faltered out.

Suddenly, with a bad look on his face, he gave a low laugh and said:

”Ah! thou meanest to take Phalsburg, dost thou? Thou meanest to return to thy land of sauerkraut with palms of victory? He! he! he! I have given thee thy palms of victory!”

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