large/10244/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_12_dunsany_64kb_9
large/10244/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_12_dunsany_64kb
English
10244
One may wave one's hand vaguely eastwards and say "Over there,", but to name a village and the people that occupy it is to offend against the silence that in these days broods over France, the solemn hush befitting so vast a tragedy. ONE MAY WAVE ONE'S HAND VAGUELY EASTWARDS AND SAY OVER THERE BUT TO NAME A VILLAGE AND THE PEOPLE THAT OCCUPY IT IS TO OFFEND AGAINST THE SILENCE THAT IN THESE DAYS BROODS OVER FRANCE THE SOLEMN HUSH BEFITTING SO VAST A TRAGEDY
France introduces you, and five minute acquaintance in a place like Peronne, where things may change so profoundly in one night, and where all is so tense by the strange background of ruin that little portions of time seem very valuable, five minutes there seem quite a long time. And so they are, for what may not happen in five minutes any day now in France. Five minutes may be a page of history, a chapter even, perhaps a volume. Little children with inky fingers years hence may sit for a whole hour trying to learn up and remember just what happened during five minutes in France some time about now. These are just reflections such as pass through the mind in the moonlight among vast ruins and are at once forgotten. Those that knew where the battalion was that the wandering officer looked for were not many; these were reserved and spoke like one that has a murder on his conscience, not freely and openly: for of one thing no one speaks in France, and that is the exact position of a unit. MEET AGAIN BUT LA FRANCE INTRODUCES YOU AND FIVE MINUTES ACQUAINTANCE IN A PLACE LIKE PERON WHERE THINGS MAY CHANGE SO PROFOUNDLY IN ONE NIGHT AND WHERE ALL IS SO TENSE BY THE STRANGE BACKGROUND OF RUIN THAT LITTLE PORTIONS OF TIME SEEM VERY VALUABLE FIVE MINUTES THERE SEEM QUITE A LONG TIME AND SO THEY ARE FOR WHAT MAY NOT HAPPEN IN FIVE MINUTES ANY DAY NOW IN FRANCE FIVE MINUTES MAY BE A PAGE OF HISTORY A CHAPTER EVEN PERHAPS A VOLUME LITTLE CHILDREN WITH INKY FINGERS YEARS HENCE MAY SIT FOR A WHOLE HOUR TRYING TO LEARN UP AND REMEMBER JUST WHAT HAPPENED DURING FIVE MINUTES IN FRANCE SOME TIME ABOUT NOW THESE ARE JUST REFLECTIONS SUCH AS PASS THROUGH THE MIND IN THE MOONLIGHT AMONG VAST RUINS AND ARE AT ONCE FORGOTTEN THOSE THAT KNEW WHERE THE BATTALION WAS THAT THE WANDERING OFFICER LOOKED FOR WERE NOT MANY THESE WERE RESERVED AND SPOKE LIKE ONE THAT HAS A MURDER ON HIS CONSCIENCE NOT FREELY AND OPENLY FOR OF ONE THING NO ONE SPEAKS IN FRANCE AND THAT IS THE EXACT POSITION OF A UNIT
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