M. Victor Hugo had manifested the intention to leave Paris unarmed,
with the artillery battery of the National Guard to which his two sons
belong.
The 144th Battalion of the National Guard went in a body to the poet’s
residence in the Avenue Frochot. Two delegates waited upon him.
These honourable citizens went to forbid Victor Hugo to carry out
his plan, which he had announced some time ago in his “Address to the
Germans.”
“Everybody can fight,” the deputation told him. “But everybody cannot
write _Les Chatiments_. Stay at home, therefore, and take care of a life
that is so precious to France.”
I do not remember the number of the battalion. It was not the 144th.
Here are the terms of the address which was read to me by the major of
the battalion:
The National Guard of Paris forbids Victor Hugo to go to the front,
inasmuch as everybody can go to the front, whereas Victor Hugo alone can
do what Victor Hugo does.
“Forbids” is touching and charming.
December 11.--Rostan came to see me. He has his arm in a sling. He was
wounded at Créteil. It was at night. A German soldier rushed at him and
pierced his arm with a bayonet. Rostan retaliated with a bayonet thrust
in the German’s shoulder. Both fell and rolled into a ditch. Then they
became good friends. Rostan speaks a little broken German.
“Who are you?”
“I am a Wurtembergian. I am twenty-two years old. My father is a
clockmaker of Leipsic.”
They remained in the ditch for three hours, bleeding, numb with cold,
helping each other. Rostan, wounded, brought the man who wounded him
back as a prisoner. He goes to see him at the hospital. These two men
adore each other. They wanted to kill each other, and now they would die
for each other.
Eliminate kings from the dispute!
Visit from M. Rey. The Ledru-Rollin group is completely disorganized. No
more parties; the Republic. It is well.