Waldfried Part 48

Before that, the Englishman had been a mere stranger to us; but now he was our enemy, and would not deign to bestow a glance on us. When any one of us walked or drove by, he would turn his back on us.

In all this trouble, Ludwig was calm and kind; but careless work made him so indignant that he characterized it as crime and villany. He was dissatisfied, because, in their own home, he found that the German workmen had two great faults--they were awkward, and wasted too much time. In the new world, these very people would act quite differently.

Annette wanted to erect kitchens down by the banks of the stream for the workmen. She had already discussed the matter with the schoolmaster's wife, and the locksmith's widow was ready to a.s.sist; but the people took no interest in the affair.

Although she had already made up her mind, the locksmith's widow considered it her duty to consult Ludwig in regard to her marrying again. She had chosen the young stone-mason, who was hardly as old as she.

The wedding took place on a Sunday; and Annette busied herself conjecturing how the three children must have felt at their mother's marriage.

We were obliged, out of compliment, to be present at the marriage feast; and Schweitzer-Schmalz, who was a relative of the bridegroom, called out, at the top of his voice, that the bridegroom had not needed to marry so soon for fear of being obliged to go to war again. The blatant Prussian would not venture to try conclusions with France; and if he did really attempt it, the real Germans, that is, the South Germans, would not a.s.sist.

In a loud voice, he retailed the wisdom of the popular journals; and I verily believe that he did it with the intention of drawing us out.

Ludwig whispered to me, "It is not worth while trying to convert this man; events will teach him."

Although I did not believe there would be war, Ludwig looked forward to it with great certainty, and only feared that we might neglect the proper moment to let the whole world see that it was France that was wantonly and impiously forcing war upon us.

We went down to the valley stream in order to see that no accident should happen while the rocks were being blasted.

Ludwig superintended the blasting in person. With Annette and Conny, I was stationed down the road, while Rothfuss and Martella were on the other side, in order that all might be warned of the danger.

Suddenly there was a loud report which reverberated through the valleys and the forests; the blasting was a complete success.

Soon after, we were a.s.sembled on the road, and even the quarry-men were with us, when Ikwarte, accompanied by one of the forester's men, came running up to us, out of breath, exclaiming, before he reached us:

"War has been declared!"

The forester brought me a message informing me that France had declared war, and calling on me to repair to the meeting of the Parliament at once.

Ludwig gave instructions that the work should be continued without interruption, and placed the completion of the new building in charge of the engineer. That very evening he accompanied me to the capital, Martella going with us.

The Englishman stood by the bank, angling.

It was not until after I had left home, that I began to realize what was in store for us.

BOOK FOURTH.

CHAPTER I.

The great crisis which we have dreaded and yet hoped for has at last arrived. We are again obliged to contend with our hectoring neighbor, whose l.u.s.t of power goads him to trample on our rights. We must fight, if we wish to endure; and will all Germany be united? If in this juncture we are not as one, our ruin is a.s.sured, and will be richly deserved.

To know that the decisive moment is at hand, and that you cannot actively partic.i.p.ate--that you are only a single wave in the current, is at once an oppressive and an exalting thought.

In my mind, I go over the list of my fellow-members in the Parliament.

The decision seems to hang in doubt. Eccentricity is still rampant, and decks itself with all sorts of revolutionary ideas.

And how is the Prince inclined? Were it better if it rested with one man to decide whether we should have war or peace?

And there is another bitter experience that is forced upon us in periods of doubt and indecision; namely, that fixed principles begin to waver.

I found it a great comfort to have Ludwig with me. He was so thoroughly in sympathy with me, and yet, at the same time, a foreigner. He had become a citizen of the New World, in which he had lived over twenty years, and his views were freer from prejudice than ours could be.

In spite of the declaration of war on the part of the French government, the ravings in the French Legislative Chambers, and the outcry in the streets of Paris, I yet encouraged a hope that war might be averted. But Ludwig thought--and I was obliged to agree with him--that it were both treachery and folly now, when the right was on our side, not to accept the battle which would thus only be postponed.

For this constant waiting and watching for what others may do, is a painful state of dependence.

Ludwig was younger; his pulse was steadier. He had already fought in this country with undisciplined crowds, and, in the United States, had taken part in the great war.

He said in confidence that if he had known that the decision was so near at hand, he would have kept on better terms with Funk; because, at that moment, the great object was to gain his allegiance and that of his party, in which there was no lack of n.o.ble enthusiasts. Ludwig held that, in politics, it was not alone permissible, but even necessary, to use strategy and double-dealing.

Martella so urgently entreated me to permit her to accompany us, that, for her sake, Ludwig's wife remained at home.

At the village down by the railway station, and at nearly every station on the road, I was asked whether I believed there would be war, and whether I would advise the people to drive their cattle into out-of-the-way ravines and valleys, and to hide their household goods, on account of the threatened invasion of the French hordes.

I took great pains to explain my views; but, at the second station, Ludwig said: "Father, you are giving yourself unnecessary trouble. The people do not wish to learn anything. They think that you cannot know any more about it than they do. They simply ask you idle and anxious questions, just as they would at other times, 'What kind of weather do you think we will have?' Father, do not pour out the deepest feelings of your heart."

After that, I replied that one could not say much upon the subject; and I observed that the people, were more respectful because I was so reserved. They a.s.sumed that, as I was a delegate, I was fully informed on all subjects, and neither dared nor desired to unbosom myself.

It was rather late, but not too late. From that day, I learned that it is not best to open one's soul to another and reveal all that is within it; and for that reason, it is said of me that, since the beginning of the war, I am a changed man. In those days, I learned things that never were suffered to pa.s.s my lips.

The first one whom we met at the capital was my son-in-law, the Major.

"What is the opinion in the army?" inquired Ludwig.

The Major looked at him steadily, and, after a pause, answered, "Opinion? In the army there is obedience." With forced composure, he added, "As far as I know, the army neither debates nor votes."

He turned to me and said that this time we were better prepared than four years ago.

I asked whether the army orders had already been promulgated.

He shrugged his shoulders, and evidently did not care to divulge anything. He told me, though, that since the evening previous, he had been advanced to the rank of colonel, and had been placed in command of a regiment. When I spoke of this, as indicating that the Prince had decided for war, he lapsed into silence.

We soon parted, regretting that we could not go to his house, for Annette had already prepared quarters for our reception.

I then went to our club-house and learned that our party was already broken up. The Funk faction--I must give it this name, although he was not its leader--held separate meetings.

Ludwig determined logo at once to the meeting of Funk's party, because it was important above all things to know what was being done there.

"I believe in Lincoln's maxim," said he, "that 'it will never do to swap horses while crossing streams.'"

In little more than an hour, he returned and told us that he had been coldly received, although the leadership was shared with Funk by two members who had once been among his most intimate friends. He was now, however, able to tell that their plan was to insist on neutrality. They did not dare to think, much less to speak, of an alliance with France.