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194 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
for atheism. Man is then too near his Maker and to the
threshold of eternity.
Our service ended quietly ; no airmen came to disturb us,
even the guns seemed to respect the day of rest. We took
a walk round the town. The Town Hall, which looks on to
an open space, has been turned into quarters for the Land-
Sturm Guard, which is changed at midday. Officers also come
in and out to receive their orders. Close by the Chief Command
has been accommodated in the Palais de Justice, whilst another
house has been chosen for the headquarters for the Comman-
dant of the Lines of Communication. One sees no new or
handsome houses. The streets look dull, with their monoto-
nous, old-fashioned frontages, not old enough to bear the
picturesque impress of antiquity. The only really attractive
structure is the Church of Saint Morille ; it looks old enough,
in fact I was told by a native that it dates from the thirteenth
century. Its fa9ade is richly ornamented, but also bears the
marks of bullets from 1792, so I was told. The interior of the
church is gloomy and typically Catholic with its mighty
pillars, its figures of the Virgin, its altar ornaments, memorial
tablets and votive tablets to the Virgin.
Facing the church is a statue of Taine on a pedestal, the
front of which illustrates his genius reclining against a pile of
bronze folios. Over the doorway of a house close by I read
the words :
" Hippolyte Adolphe Taine de VAcadémie Frangaise
est né dans cette maison le 21 avril 1828."
By the side of Taine’s statue stood three elderly citizens,
busily chatting together. What they were talking of I do not
know, but perhaps it was not hard to guess. I greeted them
and they returned my greeting. I asked for some information
about the church and about Taine, and from this we passed on
to more practical subjects. It seemed that in common with
many others they had decided to stop at Vouziers. Those
who had left the town, about three thousand, had in their
opinion acted unwisely, for they would find their houses and
furniture ruined, whilst those who remained behind were able
to safeguard their interests and property. Of the coming
winter they hardly dared to think. It would be terrible, and
would bring famine and destitution in its wake. " But the
Prussians will have to provide us with our daily bread."
Their political views practically amounted to this : France
cannot gain anything by this war, but can lose much ; but
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