Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/298

292 on such occasions gushes out like a stream which has been hidden in the bosom of the earth; they were proud of the opinions expressed by their friends: "Oh, he'll not return,—such a man, grown like a fir tree, as solid as if he were cast from metal,—they delight in such soldiers!" With such sweet drops, vanity tried to lessen the bitterness of the cup which necessity placed before them; on the other hand, that which comforted the strong, handsome men only embittered the hearts of those who had nothing to fear, who were conscious of their physical defects; many a vain fellow felt this burden so grievous that he would have preferred to be a soldier rather than hear remarks like the following:

"Your mother need not weep for you; you will not swear on a drum, you'll do to put into a dog's garter," or "Why, boy! join the cavalry; your legs are like the horns of an ox!" and other equally cutting remarks.

Grandmother entered the inn, but she did not venture into the bar-room, not because the air there was close and oppressive, but because she was startled by the heavy cloud of grief that had settled upon every countenance. She knew how those unhappy mothers felt. Here, one wrung her hands in mute agony; there, another was weeping quietly; while still another gave vent to her grief by loud lamentations. She understood the feelings of those girls, who were ashamed to make their grief visible and yet could not, without tears, look upon the pale faces of their lovers, who even while drinking became only sadder, and whose voices failed them when they tried to sing. She felt with those fathers who, seated around the table, spoke of noth-