"
"No, general," said Hennemann, "it seems to me the Prussian soldier
has a great deal to do."
"Well, what do you think he has to do?" asked Blucher.
"To expel the French from Prussia, that is what he has to do," said
the old man, raising his voice.
"Yes," said Blucher, smiling, "if that could be done, I should like
to be counted in."
"It can be done, general; every honest man says so, and it ought to
be, for the French are behaving too shamefully. They must be
expelled from Germany. Well, then, my Christian wishes to assist you
in doing so; he wishes to become a soldier, and help you to drive
out the French."
"Alas, he must apply to some one else if he wishes to do that," said
Blucher, mournfully. "I cannot help him, for they have pensioned me.
I have no regiments. I--but, thunder and lightning! what is the
matter with my pipe today? The thing will not burn." And he put his
little finger into the bowl, and tried to smoke again.
"The pipe does not draw well, because it was not skilfully filled,"
said Christian. "I know it was badly filled."
"Ay?" asked Blucher. "What do you know? John has been filling my
pipes for four years past."
"John has done it very poorly," said Christian, composedly. "To fill
such a clay pipe is an art with which a good many are not familiar,
and when it is smoked for the first time it does not burn very well.
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