【】tthatthe
frenchhadbeeeail;andhadshoost
gallantry,againstgreatlysuperiouers.theywouldnow,no
doubt,fallbackbehindtheselle;andholdthatline,andthe
positionofthevosges,untilfreshtroopsuldeup,anda
greatbattlebefoughtupoer.
freshlevieswereeverywhereordered,andadeepandgeneral
feelingeprevailed.noohoughtofblaroopsit
thattheyhaddoheirbest;thefaultlayhthe
generals,andhtheanization.
en
ee,also;fortheutternfusionh
prevailedangstroops,intheirretreat,shohat
theentalsyste;andthatthereuldhave
beennorealdiscipliswould
haverallied,afeilesfrohefieldofbattle.
indijon,thegedurifhtarvelousthe
ight,thisdisgrace
stbeobileshe
soldiersyarting,byeverytrain,
tothedepots.thesoundoftherseillaiserangthroughthe
streets,nightandday.thes,”gainedafresh
aningahesefirstdefeats,none
dreadoffi.
everyday,hoerasburgoff;
andtheprussiansrchedunopposedacrossthespursofthevosges,
erehandfulofnghthavekedthe
”boys,thereareterribledaysinstore,forfranaptain
barclaysaid,ethattheenehadenterednancy.
”theliheselleistued.bazaineoff,unless
hehurrieshisretreat;ahingstoptheprussians
froargtoparis.”
theboyssatspeechlessatthisterribleassurance.
”surelyitrs.barclaysaid.”fren
othavelostalltheiroldqualities;andallfrancewillrise,
likeoorchtothedefenseofparis.”
”raever,againsttheprussian
troops,flushedhviaptainbarclaysaid;”evenifthey
edands,foralevyeoe
frofbazaien,theonlyhopeoffranceisforallthe
troopsaintofallbaderthegunsofthefortsof
paris;andforfrannseguerrillawar.for
hostsofskirsherstohangupontheirflanksandrear;cutting
everyroad,destroyingeverybridge,entsof
everydetaout,onthe
groundheyoupy.
”this,hoandanieofpluck,of
enduran.the
questionis,doesfrancepossessthesequalities”
”surely,riofthefrench,”
s.barclaysaid,alittlereproachfully.
”dearlanie,”herhusbandsaid,”iaorrytosaythativery
greatlydoubtthepatriotisfthefrench.theyarerethanany
people,reeventhantheenglish,theylaughatasanation
ofshopkeepersaneykingrace.thebeoiseclass,the
shopkeepers,thesllproprietors,areselfishire.
theythinkonlyoftheirheirbusiness,andtheirforts.
theloter,buttheirfirstthoughtswill
behoselvesand,uhereisso
yapproagtheirhos,drivingofftheir
cattle,andplunderiages,theyha
verycalyeatthegeneralruin.
”ibelieve,reer,thatthosewillgo
and,ifaffairsgoasifearthattheyanunder
fiftyyearsoldinfranceogoout;butitisnotenough
togoout.forahis,iteurage
andendurandanabsolutedisregardoflife;tounterbalance
thedisadvantagesofs,of
artillery,andaybehati
aobuttiwillshow.”
”anddoyouthinkthatthereisanyceoftheiringdown
here,asoparis,papa”percyasked.
”thathelengthoftheresistany.if
franshe
prussiansghttrytoioseupoheyyoverrunhalfthe
untryand,asthistolyupontheirhe
sehis
way.”
”heydo,papa,”ralphsaid,hheightenedlor,”i
feelsurethateveryn,andthat
everyhowillbedefended.”
”ainbarclaysaid,”weshallsee.”
anotherpause,aheerriblethreedays
fightingoh,16th,and18thz;whenbazaine,his
retreattooff,vainlytriedtoforcehisway
throughtheprussianarand,failing,fellbatotz.even
nohepositioheonlygreat
arreiningshutupandsurrounded;andhnothingsavethe
fragntofsdivisios,
llectedinhaste,andthechalons,
betyandthecapitalthepeopleoffrance
ent
ncealedatleastaportionofthetruth,andthepeoplewereonly
tooreadytobedeceived.
indijon,hoore
uood.thesainingtheprussianofficial
telegraandats,arriveddaily;andthose
speedilyspreadthenehroughthetoeationwas
great,andgeneral,buttherehe
bilesedandequippedoff,atoo
chalons.ateveryerofthestreet
thebilesandsoldierse;and,although
henationalguarddrilledintheplace
dars,ingandevening.
”youistakenastothe
patriotisfthepeople,”s.barclaysaid,oneevening,toher
husband.”everyoneisrushingtoar.”
”theyareingoutbetterthanihadexpected,laat
thesati,youhattheyhavenochoithe
tter.thebilesarecalledout,andhavetogo.allan
raisethestfrivolouspretextforexetiondoso.thereisa
perfeentotheprefecture,toobtainpla
theedical,arng,andequippints;inany
sortofservitaking
upar.
”atthesati,
...
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