THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. 75 
gth. Business connected with our Society took me to 
Phalsburg. It was three weeks and two days since this 
stronghold had fallen. Darkness set in ere we could climb 
the steep ascent, and it was night when we heard the 
challenge of the sentries summoning us to halt. The orders 
of the guards were to be very particular about admitting 
any persons after nightfall. After a short parley we were 
permitted to show our credentials, and when they had been 
examined and nothing treasonable found, we were marched 
off under military escort to the guard-house, where, after 
being detained for an hour like prisoners, we were per- 
mitted to go our way. The tight little city of Phalsburg 
underwent three assaults, and forty houses were destroyed 
irretrievably. However, it fared better than Thionville, 
for whole streets were untouched ; but the petroleum shells 
had set the church ablaze, and the stone of the tower had 
peeled off in great flakes. It does seem wonderful to me 
that these cities did not prefer surrendering at once, know- 
ing that they must eventually capitulate, by which they 
might have saved an infinity of property. After an hour 
spent with the authorities, we set out for the villages under 
the guidance of a lad. 
The Curé at the village of Mittlebrun appeared to be a 
more honourable man than some of his fraternity. He told 
us frankly that he did not consider his parishioners to be in 
want, indeed he said they were well off compared with the 
villages round Metz. The next place was the Protestant 
village of Zilling. Only about eighty inhabitants, few of 
whom could speak French. They said the principal trade 
of the place was the straw hat manufacture. Since the war 
broke out, trade had been depressed, and they had only 
been receiving two “sous” a hat, straw provided. 
On our way home I went to see the earthworks of one of 
the Prussian batteries. The guns had been placed on the 
brow of a slope, facing away from the town, so that while 
