the rest of the world, yet
divided amongst themselves--the German people had least call of all to
make a beginning. They must, like every other nation, look to a strong
army as their safeguard.

But then came the crushing thought: that army was no longer the same
that had in one famous struggle forced the whole world to unwilling
admiration.

Reimers took a mournful farewell of the beloved heroes of that mighty
epoch. Every name connected with it thrilled his memory: Saarbruecken, a
skirmish still scarcely imbued with the gravity of war, and assuming
rather the character of playful bantering provocation; Weissenburgh and
Woerth, where Bavarians and North Germans met as comrades in arms;
Spicheren, where a slight encounter with the rear-guard grew into a
serious conflict; Metz, which cost the enemy one of his two armies
in the field, and was the cause of weeping to countless German mothers;
Beaumont, the prelude to the huge tragedy of Sedan; and lastly, Paris,
and the grim tussle of the seasoned fighters with the young enthusiasm
of the republican army of relief at Orleans, Beaune la Rolande, Le
Mans, St. Quentin, and on the Lisaine. He saw the army returning from
the campaign crowned with victory; and then began that steady
persevering activity which, not content to rest on its laurels,
proceeded with the work of strengthening and protecting what had been
won.

Then he thought of the present, and, still more gravely, of the future.

A good part of that modest, quiet devotion to duty was still alive in
the army; but was not the new-fangled, shallow, noisy bustle of show
and glitter every day displacing the good old feeling that recognised
its power without any big words? A proud self-denying asceticism had
given way to trivialities and superficialities. And that in a time when
such follies were more than ever dangerous!

And in proportion as the army pursued this course did disintegration go
forward within its ranks. The ever-increasing spread of socialistic
opinions among the men, and the growing disaffection for military
service, perfected the work which was already loosening the structure
from without. This army, lacking in martial ardour, and educated more
for parade than for war, was rushing with blinded eyes towards its
doom. The flames of annihilation already shone ahead; the heirs of
Sedan's conquerors marched straight onward, firm and erect in grand
ceremonial array--and the sign-posts by the way pointed t