Excerpt from Conscript of 1813 and Waterloo Alsace, and perhaps their descriptions Of the beauties of that really charming country are somewhat idealised. They lived in the days of rich living, when rich living could be Obtained. The voice of the teetotaler had not been heard in the land, neither had that of the apostles Of the simple life, if we except the sturdy Capuchin who wrought such havoc at the Inn of the Ham of Mainz. But that does not belong to this book. We take for our guide good old Father Goulden, who, looking through his big spectacles from his Shop window at Phalsbourg, relates the history of Europe as he saw and read it, in those stirring times when Wordsworth sang of the joy of being alive - and young. We who have lived a little longer have seen the fruits Of many of the seeds sown in those vivacious years. Some are good and some are evil, after the manner of all human and transitory actions. But Father Goulden, if rather too enthusiastic for the cause he had had at heart, was a just man, and admitted the faults Of his early idols. Joseph Bertha, the domesticated young man with a good heart and a bit Of a limp, tells us of the terrible campaign of 1813. In his mouth is placed the military part of the story, and in Father Goulden's the political. We rejoice over the sweet womanliness of the young man's wife, and smile at the vehemence of Aunt Grethel. She would worship Napoleon to-day, and, if it appeared to suit her peace of mind, she was equally ready to do homage to the Bourbons and to, attend the masses of expiation for Cadoudal and his colleagues. The plot is correct and well conceived. The military portion of the books is excellent if we take the point of view that the Observations are those of a young conscript, who hears more than he sees. The charm of the authors will never fade. Day by day we perceive the fact that their more serious books are by no means tales of adventure after the manner of Peter Simple, but a unique and truly French mixture of realism and thrifty love. Tolstoy could hardly do more to enhance the cause of peace than do the present works. They have been re garded as books for boys, but there is that in them which the serious student of history can ill afford to miss. The intense patriotism of the Alsatians is one of the outstanding features of modern European history. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.