Meanwhile Napoleon was becoming more furiously Jacobin every day. In July the two brothers were only saved by the intervention of a brigand chief from being massacred by a band of Catholic fanatics at a religious procession in Ajaccio. This 'gentle outlaw' was afterwards made an Inspector of Woods and Forests in Corsica by the First Consul.

In October Napoleon's leave expired, and it would seem that he twice was prevented by bad weather from crossing. At any rate, he was in no hurry to return to his regiment, for he took an active part in the formation of a Patriotic Club at Ajaccio in January 1791, attended all the debates, and took the leading place in them, and on one occasion proposed to present Mirabeau with a complete Corsican costume, including a gun! His last public proceeding was to write a most violent and insulting letter to Buttafuoco, who was still one of the deputies to the National Assembly. If Napoleon felt any resentment that Paoli failed to appreciate his abilities, he did not show it; and he left for France on February 1, accompanied by his young brother, Louis, aged thirteen.

In about ten days' time he arrived at his quarters, having outstayed his already extended leave by three months and a half, but he was well provided with certificates from the municipality of Ajaccio, testifying to his patriotism and lofty republican sentiments, and also to the fact that he had tried to leave in October, but had been prevented. His colonel not only welcomed him, but backed up his demand for arrears of pay, which was granted by the War Office!

In looking back over the fifteen months which had elapsed since he was last with his regiment Napoleon must have found that he had learned much. The sombre and thoughtful youth had made his first essay as a man of action, and not without satisfactory results. He had conducted a popular rising to a successful issue. In the recognition of Corsica by France which followed he had learned the lesson that violence and illegality may have more effect than the most eloquent appeals to justice and the rights of men. His genius in cajoling and managing his fellows had made itself felt in his successful efforts to procure the election of Joseph to public posts, and he had learned the adroit use of grandiloquent and startling phrases in his harangues at the Club. We have now the future maker of coups d'état in germ. W. B. DUFFIELD.

MY MOTHER'S DIARY.

BY MARY WESTENHOLZ.

DURING the war between Denmark and Germany in 1864 my mother kept a kind of diary. She was at that time twenty-four years old and lived at home with her father, who was a clergyman and a widower, and then parson at Vinding, a little village south of Veile in Jutland.

The diary begins on February 1, the day after her only brother, the dear companion of her childhood, had left for the army in which he was a lieutenant, but as, up till the date of the arrival of the German troops at Vinding, it only relates facts that are well known to those who took an interest in the war, and of no interest to those who did not, I have omitted the first part, and in the latter part left out all notes on political or military affairs.

After the loss of Dannevirke on February 5, my uncle Christian's regiment had retreated to Dybböl. Here he remained, partaking in the gallant defence of this fortress till the final struggle on April 18, in which he was killed. Another part of the army had gone further north, passing through Vinding, and by this time camping on the hills north of Veile, so that, though the Danish troops were continually coming and going at Vinding, no one had been quartered there for more than a day and a night. On March 8 the Germans marched into Jutland, and from that day up till the end of May they made Vinding, and the country thereabout, one of their standing quarters.

THE DIARY.

March 9th-The Germans have come.

This morning, at the

break of day, they passed on the high road; a short time after we heard our outposts shooting, and later, at about noon, the shooting began and lasted incessantly till darkness set in. I felt neither fright nor anxiety about our men. I suppose I was stunned at least I felt bodily weak to a degree that I have never known before. Father and I walked up the hills, from whence

we could see across the Fjord. We saw the smoke from the cannons and could discern different detachments moving about. The sound of the cannons is better than is that hard scratching noise of the guns. At each step I took I felt as if I must collapse, and yet, as I have said, I am perfectly certain that I was not frightened. At about 8 o'clock, in pouring rain and pitchdarkness, the German troops came back. An Austrian colonel, a lieutenant and twenty men, infantry, fell to our lot here at the parsonage. I was too busy arranging for the night to go in for supper. All the rooms are occupied, we have only got our two bedrooms; the dining room must do as sitting room and study too, and must be shared with the officers at meals. We shall have to sit down with them. I have determined I will not talk German with them. Letter from Christian-I suppose the last for a long time to come. He is all right and in good spirits. March 10th.-Oh! what a come-down I have had! They have been resting to-day, and at home for all meals. At dinner the colonel spoke to me, and, true to my resolution, I answered him in French. He immediately changed from German into. French, and then it appeared that while he spoke it fluently I could not manage even the simplest sentences, and after a few clumsy attempts I had to recur to German. The colonel behaved very gentlemanly, he not even smiled at my discomfiture, but I hardly dared to move or lift my eyes from my plate during the rest of the meal. It was a most painful experience, but perhaps it was as well that I got this snub at the very start and so was brought down to my level from the high horse I intended to ride, though father warned me. War puts you in your right place, it seems, as quietly and simply as school and society do, and after the first shock you soon find it a relief to feel that no one expects you to act the rôle you intended for yourself. Supper went off quietly and peacefully without many remarks on my side. The colonel is a quiet, delicate-looking man. I don't like the lieutenant; he is very handsome and very conceited, far too officious for an unwelcome guest.

March 12th. It is wonderful how quietly you settle down to any kind and way of living if it be inevitable. Here we are with the house full of enemies, scattering and distributing our winter stores of food and fuel; everything turned upside down; no news, nor any prospect of news, from Christian, the war, or the outer world at large, and yet the days pass as if this were the natural

state of things. What I cannot patiently put up with, is the way our poor horses are treated. They are hardly ever at home, but toiling away from morning till night on those wretched roads. Jens and I both cried when he was ordered out with them to-night after a long drive and waiting in the rain half day. In my anguish I went in and spoke to the colonel about it. He said he was very sorry, but could not help it. Father was vexed at my

interference.

March 15th.-The officers are away most of the day, and only come back for supper. The days are busy, but the evenings are my great trial. Father and the colonel play at chess, and I am left to the mercy of Lieutenant Ferch. I hardly know how to hold my own against that man, with his odious compliments and attempts at familiarity. What right has he to speak of the beauty and fairness of Danish girls? How dare he hint at the impression my appearance made upon him? Should not a gentleman forcing his way into your house as your enemy, be blind and deaf to all such things? To-night I spoke to father about it. He was very sorry for me, but asked me to try not to notice it, as he cannot see how he can interfere without causing me greater annoyance still; but he will not play at chess with the colonel any more. The fuel is going fast enough as it is, or I would have a fire in my room at night. That being out of the question, I think I will go to bed immediately after supper, as long as these men are here.

March 18th. Thank God they are gone. From feeling uncomfortable I came to be frightened. When at last Lieutenant Ferch found out that he could in no way please me, he decided to do what he could to tease me. Whenever he could catch me alone, he would, with mock humility, offer me the coarsest flatteries, and when in answer I only turned my back on him, he would insult me with excuses that were not meant to be taken seriously. I cannot see that I have been to blame. I have given absolutely no provocation, but treated him civilly from the very beginning. C'est la guerre, I suppose, and I have realised what it means to have your enemy and conqueror in the house. I have been very miserable, but they are gone now, and the house is our own again.

March 19th. We have had second or third hand, but quite reliable, news from Christian. He is seeing hard fighting now, but he is safe and all right. I know it is just what he wished—to

be in the middle of it all. Now and then we fancy we hear the cannons at Dybböl. I have been perfectly happy these last two days, moving unhindered about the house, enjoying all my little daily duties and pleasures. The hyacinths in the pots are coming out; I found snowdrops in the garden to-day, and the little new lambs have been frisking about in the sun in the yard to-day. The very air seems full of hope and promises.

March 26th.-Poor old Lotte's foal was born to-day-in the byre. I think she felt it; she did not look the least proud, as she did last year in her nice comfortable box. She looked anxious, or is it I who see my own anxiety reflected everywhere? I know now we can hear the shooting down at Dybböl, especially during the night, when there are no sounds in the house. Our peace is at an end-last night brought a new invasion. An Austrian captain with twelve dragoons and as many horsesthence poor Lotte's degradation. The captain came in for supper, a gentlemanly-looking man of about thirty. Nothing offensive about him or about his manners. No excuses or regrets for the trouble and discomfort he causes. Neither the mock humility nor the commanding arrogance, alike offensive in the conqueror; but a quiet business-like acceptance of an unpleasant but unavoidable situation. He and father talked a great deal about the war and its chances. He speaks quite openly, and told us about our army and its movements-mostly sad news. It seems to be the general opinion amongst the German officers that all our undoubted valour and perseverance in the defence of Dybböl is wasted.

March 30th.-I was alone with Captain Freileben to-night at supper, father having been called away. He related different little incidents from the Italian campaign of '59-he served during that war, and so, thank God, knows what defeat means too. He took no notice of my silence, but went on talking till the meal was finished, and I rose, then he immediately went away into his own room.

April 2nd. No news except those cannonades! O those dreadful cannonades !-telling us that they are wounding and killing without pity or cessation down at Dybböl. They keep me awake at night, and make me feel faint and sick during the day. We are very busy now, with the house full of people, who have to be fed and warned-and dried, too, for it is pouring down incessantly at any time of the day or night. I lose my temper ten times a day. When I look at father's quiet dignified countenance, never ruffled by even the strongest provocations, Į