<TD></TD></TABLE>
thepeopleofdijonspenthalftheirtiinand
aroundthestationtheplatforlear;butbandsof
ladiesrelievedeachothereveryfewhours,andhandedsoup,bread,
fruit,andothesoldiersastheypassedthrougheach
crorained,asitapproachedthestation,h
cheersandohetroopsasheartily
respondedstofthetrainsedhboughs,and
presentedagayappearanceas,filleden,the
sunbuedzouaves,shyturs,gayhussars,orsober
artilleryn,theyothetown
soofthetrainslesssignificantof
hcannon;opentruckshthe
deadlyshellarrangedsidebyside,pointupwards,andlooking
relikeeggsinabasketthandeadlyssilescaand
there,too,ingbridgeswhile,
everyhalfhour,longlinesofhbiscuits,barrels
oforesofallsortsand
kindspassedthrough
theenthusiasfdijon,atthesightofthisvingpanoraof
arseillaiseresounded
frooingtonightvictoryain,andthe
onlysubjectofdebatesoriousfrance
poseuponnqueredprussiatheonlyiatiencefeltwas
forthenehefirstvictory
captainbarclaysentdoheuseofthe
passingtroops;andhisdooassistatthe
distributionintheeveningsheandllyscrapedoldrags,to
kelintfortheillclosedasitwas
foundiossibletogettheboystoattendtotheirstudiesand
ralphandpercyspenttheirtiinchingthetrainsgopast,
andinshoutingtheelveshoarse
and,each
ingatbreakfast,helookedreandregraveas,upon
openingthepapers,hefoundthereillnonehe
ncentofhostilities
”ake,papa”ralphasked,oneday;”weare
sendingfreshtroopsup,everyhour,andidonotseehowafew
daysdelaycanbeanydisadvantagetous”
”itkesallthedifference,ralph,allthedifferenceinthe
ythanthe
prussians,andhadtheadvantagethattheinbodyofourtroops
uchnearertothefrontierthanthoseoftheprussians
ifthingshadbeenready,archedtwohundred
thousandnintogey,threeorfourdaysatlatestafterthe
declarationofansuldhavehadnoforcecapableof
resistingtheheprestigeofafirst
successnoslightthingyandweshouldalso
havehadthegreatandsolidadvantageoffightinginanenes
untry,insteadofuponourown
”thegereservesarefargreaterthanourohow
perfecttheirorganizationis,andeveryhourofdelayisan
ienseadvantagetotheitisquitelikelynohat,insteadof
thefrenchinvadinggey,itheprussianswhowill
invadefrance”
theboyslittleaffectedbytheirfathersforebodingsit
osupposethateveryoneuldbewrong;
stillreiossibletobelievethatthosegreathostshey
saourage,uldbe
beatentheyositroundthetableofan
evening,aponthetable,
explainedthestrengthofthevariouspositions,andthe
probabilityofthisorthatlineofattackbeingselectedbyoneor
theotherar
dayafterdayeat
lastthefirstbloruck,thefirstbloodshedthe
frenchhadtakensaarbruck
”itistoolate,”captainbarclaysaid,asralphandpercyrushed
in,tosaythattheneedupattheprefecture”itis
toolate,boystheenglishpapers,ofthising,havebrought
ustheneansaressingatleastsevenoreight
hundredthousandn,alongthelinefroaarlouistospiersit
isevidentthattheyfellbackfroaarbruckhoutanyserious
resistanceinanotherthreedaystheywillbeinreadiness
and,astheystfaroutnuerou,youhatthe
advantageatsaarbruckbefollohatthe
prussiansetheoffensive”
”thendoyoureallythinkheresult,papa”
”ithink,ralph,thatodonothaving,at
once,takentheoffensivethefirstwe
shallhavetofallback,toabandonthelineoffrontierhis
altogetherindefensibleandtoholdthelineoftheselle,and
thespursofthevosges;anienselystrongposition,andhwe
oughttobeabletoholdagainstalltheeffortsofprussia”
theexultationofdijonshortlivedfor,onthe5th,the
boysthetohveryserious
faces
”atter,ralph”
”thereisarurinthetohattheswisspapershave
publishedanacuntofthecaptureofhe
prussiansagreatnyfrencharesaidtobeprisonersdoyou
thinkitcanbetrue”
”itisprobable,atanyrate,ralphtheswisspaperswould,of
urse,gettheneanywe
stnotbeginbybelievingallthatthetelegraays,because
bothsidesarevictories;still,theabsolute
captureofatoatteruponherecanbenodispute,
andisthereforelikelyenoughtobetrueweknoheprussians
assedallalongthatlineand,asiexpected,theyhavetaken
theoffensivetheirchancesofsuccessinsodoing;
asneitherpartyknoheothersarepreparingtostrikea
blohereforencentrate,andstrikehan
overingforceatanygivenpoint
”noanshavedethefirstve,andshoheir
intention,bothpartiesrateinthatdirectionyou
see,fronscaneitherrchsouthupon
strasburg,orsouthetzoancy;buttoreachthis
latterplacetheyocrossthespursofthevosgesthe
frenchay
expectagreatbattle,inadayortwo”
theneebuttoosoonforterdijon,aswellas
allfrance,stoodaghastattheneheutterroutof
chonsdivision,afterthedesperatelyntestedbattleof
h;andthenotlessdecided,thoughlessdisastrous,defeats
ofthefrezso
littlensolationhefac
... </P></TD>
thepeopleofdijonspenthalftheirtiinand
aroundthestationtheplatforlear;butbandsof
ladiesrelievedeachothereveryfewhours,andhandedsoup,bread,
fruit,andothesoldiersastheypassedthrougheach
crorained,asitapproachedthestation,h
cheersandohetroopsasheartily
respondedstofthetrainsedhboughs,and
presentedagayappearanceas,filleden,the
sunbuedzouaves,shyturs,gayhussars,orsober
artilleryn,theyothetown
soofthetrainslesssignificantof
hcannon;opentruckshthe
deadlyshellarrangedsidebyside,pointupwards,andlooking
relikeeggsinabasketthandeadlyssilescaand
there,too,ingbridgeswhile,
everyhalfhour,longlinesofhbiscuits,barrels
oforesofallsortsand
kindspassedthrough
theenthusiasfdijon,atthesightofthisvingpanoraof
arseillaiseresounded
frooingtonightvictoryain,andthe
onlysubjectofdebatesoriousfrance
poseuponnqueredprussiatheonlyiatiencefeltwas
forthenehefirstvictory
captainbarclaysentdoheuseofthe
passingtroops;andhisdooassistatthe
distributionintheeveningsheandllyscrapedoldrags,to
kelintfortheillclosedasitwas
foundiossibletogettheboystoattendtotheirstudiesand
ralphandpercyspenttheirtiinchingthetrainsgopast,
andinshoutingtheelveshoarse
and,each
ingatbreakfast,helookedreandregraveas,upon
openingthepapers,hefoundthereillnonehe
ncentofhostilities
”ake,papa”ralphasked,oneday;”weare
sendingfreshtroopsup,everyhour,andidonotseehowafew
daysdelaycanbeanydisadvantagetous”
”itkesallthedifference,ralph,allthedifferenceinthe
ythanthe
prussians,andhadtheadvantagethattheinbodyofourtroops
uchnearertothefrontierthanthoseoftheprussians
ifthingshadbeenready,archedtwohundred
thousandnintogey,threeorfourdaysatlatestafterthe
declarationofansuldhavehadnoforcecapableof
resistingtheheprestigeofafirst
successnoslightthingyandweshouldalso
havehadthegreatandsolidadvantageoffightinginanenes
untry,insteadofuponourown
”thegereservesarefargreaterthanourohow
perfecttheirorganizationis,andeveryhourofdelayisan
ienseadvantagetotheitisquitelikelynohat,insteadof
thefrenchinvadinggey,itheprussianswhowill
invadefrance”
theboyslittleaffectedbytheirfathersforebodingsit
osupposethateveryoneuldbewrong;
stillreiossibletobelievethatthosegreathostshey
saourage,uldbe
beatentheyositroundthetableofan
evening,aponthetable,
explainedthestrengthofthevariouspositions,andthe
probabilityofthisorthatlineofattackbeingselectedbyoneor
theotherar
dayafterdayeat
lastthefirstbloruck,thefirstbloodshedthe
frenchhadtakensaarbruck
”itistoolate,”captainbarclaysaid,asralphandpercyrushed
in,tosaythattheneedupattheprefecture”itis
toolate,boystheenglishpapers,ofthising,havebrought
ustheneansaressingatleastsevenoreight
hundredthousandn,alongthelinefroaarlouistospiersit
isevidentthattheyfellbackfroaarbruckhoutanyserious
resistanceinanotherthreedaystheywillbeinreadiness
and,astheystfaroutnuerou,youhatthe
advantageatsaarbruckbefollohatthe
prussiansetheoffensive”
”thendoyoureallythinkheresult,papa”
”ithink,ralph,thatodonothaving,at
once,takentheoffensivethefirstwe
shallhavetofallback,toabandonthelineoffrontierhis
altogetherindefensibleandtoholdthelineoftheselle,and
thespursofthevosges;anienselystrongposition,andhwe
oughttobeabletoholdagainstalltheeffortsofprussia”
theexultationofdijonshortlivedfor,onthe5th,the
boysthetohveryserious
faces
”atter,ralph”
”thereisarurinthetohattheswisspapershave
publishedanacuntofthecaptureofhe
prussiansagreatnyfrencharesaidtobeprisonersdoyou
thinkitcanbetrue”
”itisprobable,atanyrate,ralphtheswisspaperswould,of
urse,gettheneanywe
stnotbeginbybelievingallthatthetelegraays,because
bothsidesarevictories;still,theabsolute
captureofatoatteruponherecanbenodispute,
andisthereforelikelyenoughtobetrueweknoheprussians
assedallalongthatlineand,asiexpected,theyhavetaken
theoffensivetheirchancesofsuccessinsodoing;
asneitherpartyknoheothersarepreparingtostrikea
blohereforencentrate,andstrikehan
overingforceatanygivenpoint
”noanshavedethefirstve,andshoheir
intention,bothpartiesrateinthatdirectionyou
see,fronscaneitherrchsouthupon
strasburg,orsouthetzoancy;buttoreachthis
latterplacetheyocrossthespursofthevosgesthe
frenchay
expectagreatbattle,inadayortwo”
theneebuttoosoonforterdijon,aswellas
allfrance,stoodaghastattheneheutterroutof
chonsdivision,afterthedesperatelyntestedbattleof
h;andthenotlessdecided,thoughlessdisastrous,defeats
ofthefrezso
littlensolationhefac
... </P></TD>