bewildered
expression. "I fear you are right. The French are our masters now, and,
as our king has declared peace with France, we have the unhappiness of
being French subjects. May God protect us from such a fate! It would be
fearful if we dared not call the great hero--king our king, and, if we
should live to see the day when our sons should be compelled, as French
soldiers, to go to battle against their king. Only think, Charles Henry,
you would not be allowed to wear your fine Prussian uniform on Sundays,
and it is so becoming to you, and is as good as new. But how is it, my
son, that they have left you the uniform? They are usually taken from
the released soldiers and put amongst the army stores."

"We all came home in our Prussian uniforms," said Charles Henry, "but of
course we will lay them aside to-day."

"Why to-day?"

"Because we are French subjects, and therefore it is not proper for us
to wear the uniform of the enemy, the King of Prussia. That is also the
reason why we have returned home. When we learned that Cleve had fallen
into the possession of the French, we knew that we were no longer the
subjects of the King of Prussia, and we dared not fight under his flag
against the French, whose subjects we had become. We considered that,
and we thought how much it would injure you all here in Brunen if
it were known that your sons were in the army of the Prussian king.
Principally on that account we determined to return home, and we left
our regiment yesterday morning, which was on the point of marching off
to Minden, and we walked the entire day and half the night. We slept
a few hours in a forest, and at the break of day we recommenced our
journey. And now, father, that I have seen you, and you know every
thing, I will go to my room and take off this uniform, and become a
peasant once more." He sought to leave the room hastily, for the amazed,
horror-struck expression of his father was most disagreeable to him.

But Buschman placed his hand so heavily upon his son's arm that he
was compelled to remain. "Say it is a jest, Charles," he cried, in an
excited voice. "It is not possible for my son, the brother of my six
hero-boys, to speak thus! It is merely a jest, Charles. You wished to
joke with your old father. It is not true that you have deserted the
flag of our king; put an end to this cruel jest, Charles Henry, and
show me your leave of absence which every honest soldier obtains
before leaving his regim