The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Broken Soldier and the Maid of France, by
Henry Van Dyke, Illustrated by Frank E. Schoonover

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Title: The Broken Soldier and the Maid of France

Author: Henry Van Dyke

Release Date: June 3, 2005 [eBook #15978]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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THE BROKEN SOLDIER AND THE MAID OF FRANCE

* * * * *

Books By Henry Van Dyke

The Broken Soldier and the Maid of France
The Americanism of Washington
The Christ Child in Art
The Lost Boy
The Mansion
The Story of the Other Wise Man

Harper & Brothers, New York
Established 1817

* * * * *

THE BROKEN SOLDIER AND THE MAID OF FRANCE

by

HENRY VAN DYKE

With Illustrations by Frank E. Schoonover

New York and London
Harper & Brothers Publishers

MCMXIX

[Illustration]

"God commands you," she cried. "It is for France."

CONTENTS

The Meeting at the Spring
The Green Confessional
The Absolving Dream
The Victorious Penance

The Meeting at the Spring

Along the old Roman road that crosses the rolling hills from the upper
waters of the Marne to the Meuse, a soldier of France was passing in
the night.

In the broader pools of summer moonlight he showed as a hale and husky
fellow of about thirty years, with dark hair and eyes and a handsome,
downcast face. His uniform was faded and dusty; not a trace of the
horizon-blue was left; only a gray shadow. He had no knapsack on his
back, no gun on his shoulder. Wearily and doggedly he plodded his way,
without eyes for the veiled beauty of the sleeping country. The quick,
firm military step was gone. He trudged like a tramp, choos