Page:Cesare Battisti and the Trentino.djvu/34

 This was not the only work that kept him busy in that period of supposed rest; he left many memoirs on the viability of Trentino and other economic problems, representing his preparative work for the post-war reconstruction.

Meanwhile, the Austrian offensive in the highlands was under way. The 27th of April, 1916, in a letter to me, he writes: "Austrian preparations against us are assuming enormous proportions. Austria's intention is to repeat against us the German attack on Verdun, but we are well organized. We can oppose not only men brimming over with enthusiasm and courage, but munitions aplenty and no end of defenses."

The offensive takes place, and nothing can hold Battisti in Verona any longer; he insistently requests to be sent to the front. The end of May his request is granted, and he is given the command of a marching company belonging to the Vicenza battalion of the Sixth Alpine Regiment. Attached to the same company are Dr. Fabio Filzi, from Rovereto, a friend and admirer of Battisti, and forty very young soldiers of the district of Verona, who, though simple peasants, had asked to be assigned to that company in order to fight under Battisti. Can we conceive anything finer than this spontaneous offering of themselves to an idea represented in a man!

The 29th of May, Battisti, with his Alpine soldiers, entered Trentino territory at Vallarsa, and during almost the entire month of June one assault followed the other. From those rugged crags he wrote many a touching letter to his, his life companion, the egregious woman that now so nobly guards his name. Sometimes, between the pages, there was the fragrance of the lily-of-the-valley, the blue forget-me-not, or the scarlet rhododendron; but later, when the troops reach the limit of the eternal snows, he writes: "I cannot send you any more flowers. I am encamped up in the mountains at 6,000 feet; the scenery is marvelous. A magnificent flora just begins to sprout under the snow. You know how glad I would be to send you more flowers! I am always thinking of you and my dear children!"

Gigino, Camillo, Livietta, these are the names of Page thirty-two