Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

DEPARTURE AND RETURN. 319
"
My good friend," she said, putting out both hands to my
mother, with her peculiar
grace and her strong and energetic
way, " I have only just learned that your son is going away.
These are certainly sad moments, but each one of us must suffer
for the country. These are great days for Italy
! A great
war ! Believe me, it is impossible that the enemy should be
able to withstand for any length of time the wave of fire which
will seize it on all sides. The army has a whole people at
its back ready to go into the field. These are great days. This
is the way nations are made ! "
My mother looked at her in astonishment.
" If I could once see a great battle from a distance. To see
it at the finest point, when our regiments have driven the
enemy from all the hills of the line of battle, and down the
slopes ;
on the other side, horses, soldiers, wagons, cannon, all
flying precipitately ! Courage, dear lady ;
this is a veritable
crusade ;
even the women and children would like to fight too.
If the army was broken up,
another would form in fifteen
days."
" " Yes !
yes ! broke out my mother with a dash that was
meant for enthusiasm, and was in reality nothing but maternal
affection veiled in the love of country.
" Yes ! It is a crusade !
Every one ought to go to the war ; every one, so that there
would be millions and millions, and that the enemy would
really be frightened, abandon the idea of resistance, and open
the doors of the fortresses."
" Where is my son ? " a trembling voice asked in a neighboring
room, and at the same moment the door opened, and the
old blind man appeared, with his arms outstretched as if calling
me to him. I embraced him ;
he touched my sword, sash,