THE GREAT WAR CURSE. "AND HANG THEIR ARMOUR ON THE WALL, HAPPY days, when this shall be really done! and when, in the more emphatic language of the Hebrew prophet, they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." War, dreadful war, has always been the great curse of our world. What awful scenes of desola tion and misery has it caused on the earth! Well might the pious Psalmist, many hundreds of years ago, pray to God-"Scatter thou the people that delight in war." And how is this dreadful curse to be driven out of the world? Only by the spirit and power of the religion of love. Jesus Christ taught men to love one another, and he set them an example. The more men imitate Him, the more will peace and love prevail; and when they all do, war will cease. But I want to impress deeply upon the minds of my young readers, and so deeply that it may never be effaced, a conviction of the wickedness and cruelty of war; and I cannot do this better, perhaps, than by telling them a few facts, which, though very distressing and horrible, will, I hope, lead them to hate all war as long as they live. More than sixty years ago there was what is called a "revolution" in France. The king and nobles had long oppressed and despised the people, who at length rose and overthrew them, taking terrible vengeance. Amid the scenes of war which followed a man arose who became the head General of the French armies. Being very clever, bold, and ambitious, he fought many bloody battles, and rose to be Emperor of France, and Dictator of nearly all the nations of Europe. He quarrelled with Russia, and in the year 1812—I remember it well, for I was a youth in my teens at the time-he invaded that country, leading against it the most powerful and terrible army that had ever been gathered under the controul of one man. It was composed of men from many nations, commanded by captains of great talent and reckless daring. In vain did the Russians oppose the invasion of their country; they were swept down in thousands by the cannon balls of the French artillery and the fierce charges of their horse soldiers. On the invaders went, until they reached the ancient capital of Russia-the city of Moscow. The But now their turn for suffering was come. Russians set fire to the city, which being soon in one general blaze, the French soldiers were compelled to quit it. Winter was approaching, and so, as they had neither food nor shelter, orders were given for retreat. This "retreat from Russia" is one of the most awful chapters in history. But I shall first give a few scenes from THE INVASION. Aug. 19, Smolensk.—After an obstinate battle, the Russians set fire to the city, and retreated, leaving the streets and squares covered with their dead and wounded. Labaume, the officer, thus describes his entrance on the following day. We entered Smolensk by the suburb on the bank of the river, marching in every direction over ruins and dead bodies. The palaces still burning presented to our view only walls cleft by the heat: amidst their smoking ashes lay the blackened carcasses of the inhabitants who had perished in the flames. The soldiers had taken possession of the few remaining houses, whilst the proprietor, bereft of an asylum, stood at his door, weeping the death of his children, and the loss of his fortune. The churches alone afforded some consolation to the wretched beings who had no longer a shelter. The cathedral, celebrated throughout Europe, and highly venerated by the Russians, became the refuge of those who had escaped the conflagration. In the midst of this desolation, the passage of the army into the interior of the city offered a striking contrast: on one side was seen the abject submission of the conquered; on the other the pride attendant on victory. Those had lost their all; the victors, rich in spoils, and strangers to defeat, marched haughtily to the sound of martial music, at once impressing with fear and admiration the unhappy residue of a vanquished population. Sept. 5. Borodino.—A redoubt on the left of the Russian position was taken by storm. This im portant position was purchased by the blood of one thousand of our men, more than one half of whom were left dead in the entrenchments. This affair was the prelude to a more dreadful combat. Sept. 7th. Before day-break the two armies were drawn up in order of battle. At six o'clock the thunder of the artillery broke the dreadful silence, The battle soon became general, and raged with tremendous fury. The fire of 200 pieces of cannon enveloped the two armies in smoke, and mowing down whole battalions, strewed the field with the dead and wounded. The latter fell to expose themselves to a death still more terrible, and to accumulated sufferings. How agonizing was their situation! Forty thousand dragoons, crossing the field in every direction, trampled them under the feet, and dyed their horses' hoofs in blood. The flying artillery, in rapid and alternate advance and retreat, put a period to the anguish of some, and inflicted new torments on others, who were mangled by their wheels. A redoubt in the centre of the Russian army was several times taken and retaken with desperate slaughter, and finally remained in possession of the French. The interior of the |