World War, 1914-1918 -- France -- Alsace; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
“Soul of my soul, misfortune is happening to my son! Night is falling.
Where is he?” And he goes to the window and looks out. Some one answers:
“Fear not, illustrious father of so dear a child. He has doubtless
tarried with the holy fathers of Moutiers.” But the night gets blacker,
the lords and ladies drop their golden hanaps and the troubadour is still.
Then Mason, in the grip of deeper presentiment, cries out, “Who loves
me to the succor of my son!” And they seek with torches for the child.
Alas! the white body of Mason’s son, born of a dead, beloved wife, is
found floating upon the little stream, and Mason, pressing what was once
his child to his heart, cries out: “Nothing can ever give me joy again.
I will build a monastery wherein to pass my days until God calls me from
this heavy world.” And that is the origin of Masevaux—Masmunster. The
legend has it, too, that on moonless nights the child returns, weeping,
because he did not live long enough to read all the beautiful stories
inscribed by the gods, the prophets and the wise, concerning the sons
of men. And as I looked up at the great grass- and vine-covered rock
whereon the castle of Mason once rose, the Doller flowing at its base,
the cannon of the great war sounded. Down the white road was disappearing
a battalion of blue-clad men, going toward the black and rust and
yellow of the hills—a red cherry tree between me and them. Then I turned
back into the town and hied me to the _popote_, where some half-dozen
extremely agreeable men were awaiting me, as well as a sustaining repast.
The American _communiqué_ was immediately and very appreciatively read
out. Our victorious advance was continuing along the Meuse (known as the
“Muse” by the doughboy), the First American Army attacking on the west
bank in liaison with the Fourth French Army on the left. Then we looked
over the Turkish armistice terms, quite satisfyingly comprehensive from
the opening of the Dardanelles to promises on the part of the Turks not
to speak to any of their former friends.
And we talked of how from the terrace of Versailles, where the German
Empire was proclaimed, the statesmen of the world will watch the twilight
descending upon Walhalla and its gods; and here in Alsace the crash of
falling temples can be heard.
After lunch I went with Lieutenant Lavallée to see a bit of Alsace from
within, for he was to invite various mayors of villages to go to Paris
for the “Fêtes Alsaciennes,” to be held the middle of November, and also
to select a discreet number of veterans of 1870 and school-children of
1918 to accompany them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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