PREFACE. A S the ceaseless, dreary rain after a severe thunderstorm, when clap has succeeded clap with fearful rapidity, so, after the mighty struggles of the first weeks of the Franco-German War, followed the monotonous siege of Paris. And like the wanderer who, during the first violence of the storm, has gladly renounced all idea of pursuing his journey, to seek shelter under some friendly roof, as the echoes of the last thunderclap die away, looking again and again from the window on the misty landscape, impatient for the rain to cease, so we waited. and watched for the hour which should conduct us to our hearths and homes in the brilliant rays of the Sun of Peace. But week after week, and month after month passed by, and no white flag appeared upon the walls of the forts, When the day's work was done, and the shades of evening descended upon the lovely heights crowning the city of the Seine, we sat by the lonely firesides of the deserted French villas and chateaux, and when the fire crackled and the sparks flew upward, to many of us came strange old-world thoughts. In life and in form they came from behind the dark heavy window curtains, or from out the gay many-coloured chintz hangings, and advanced close to the dreamer. On looking wonderingly in their faces, in astonishment old acquaintances were recognised, many long, long-forgotten coming back even from childhood's days. For it is extraordinary what strange things a German soldier will dream of at French chimney-corners. Spécialité de réveries Allemandes. Allez donc ! To the relater of these tales such apparitions frequently presented themselves, and now and then, when the snowflakes drifted and fell thick out of doors, he took his pen and tried to put these dream-phantoms on paper, and faithfully the Field-post carried the hasty sketches home to her to whom this book is dedicated. On returning at last to the German Fatherland, surrounded by children at his own hearth, he found with astonishment how the singly sent pages had gradually become a small volume. In this form let it go out into the world, in remembrance of that great and glorious time, with which it can only claim to be connected in so far that it has grown out of love for what we struggled and fought for -love of German ways and German character, and so God bless our noble Fatherland! LEIPZIG, Easter Festival, 1871. RICHARD LEANDER. |