railleurs smartly advanced and took
possession of several small villages, although the French shortly
afterwards drove them out of these at the point of the bayonet,
exhibiting great gallantry. In the evening, both armies rested in the
same positions they had occupied at the commencement of the fight; but,
although the French greatly outnumbered their antagonists, being
especially superior in artillery, the fire of which had considerably
thinned the German ranks, they did nothing the whole of the succeeding
day. On the contrary, they rested in a state of complete inactivity,
when, if they had but pushed forwards, they might have compelled the
retreat of Manteuffel.

The next morning was that of Christmas Day.

Fritz could not but remember it, in spite of his surroundings, for he
received a small parcel by the field post, containing some warm woollen
socks knitted by Lorischen's own fair fingers, and sent to him in order
"to prevent his appropriating those of the poor French peasantry," as he
had intimated might be the case with him in his last letter home, should
he be in need of such necessaries and not have any of his own. His good
mother, too, did not forget him, nor did a certain young lady who
resided at Darmstadt.

It was the morning of Christmas Day; but not withstanding its holy and
peaceful associations, Fritz and every one else in Manteuffel's army
corps expected that the anniversary would be celebrated in blood. Judge
of their surprise, however, when, as the day advanced, the vedettes and
outposts they sent ahead returned with the strange intelligence that the
enemy had abandoned the highly advantageous ground they had selected on
Pont Noyelles, retiring on Arras.

The news was almost too good to be true; but, nevertheless, the German
cavalry were soon on the alert, pursuing the retreating force and
slaughtering thousands in the chase--thus Christmas Day was passed!

The new year opened with more fighting for Fritz; for, on the 2nd of
January, occurred the battle of Bapaume, and on the 19th of the same
month the more disastrous engagement for the French of Saint Quentin,
which finally crumbled up "the army of the north" under Faidherbe, which
at one time almost looked as if it would have succeeded in raising the
siege of Paris, by diverting the attention of the encircling force.
However, in neither of these actions did Fritz either get wounded or
gain additional promotion; and from thence, up to the