Josef Svatopluk Machar

“ To be sure, poetry is only a pastime for wealthy people—and such must not have their nerves shaken by some harsh truth. You have everything smoothed out—everything lovely—it all fairly sparkles—scoundrels are punished and virtuous lovers secure each other—but in reality—
“But lest I forget—Šetina’s mother was stricken with paralysis on hearing of her son’s death. What became of his sweetheart I don’t know. She has probably become someone’s wife.” ”

“ That was not war—it was a chase after a rabble of wild men in which the necks of the pursuers were in danger every second, and if I were to tell all that we suffered you would say, ‘It isn’t possible for a man to live through all that.’ And yet a man had to live through it. Habit— A man gets used to everything in this world. ”

“ Gacko is an abominable nest. A dirty, frowning village of Christians and Turks who would gladly have killed us in perfect unanimity of mind. Whether a a youth or an old man met you—each one fairly pierced you with his eyes. ”

“ You hear often of the beauty of Hercegovinian women, you see their pictures—I ought not to spoil your illusions. I looked at every woman that I met, and I arrived at an opposite conclusion on the beauty question. ”

“ He must know that with his life there disappears a sword from the ranks of the army of his country and therefore he ought to appreciate the worth of his life.’
“‘Šetina is right,’ interrupted Captain Kristovic, a native of Croatia, rocking on his chair.
“‘I still insist on my own view,’ burst out Martini. ‘One sword more or less—his Majesty always has a substitute. No one but a philistine or a coward would act as Šetina says. An Austrian officer sees no heroism in it.’
“Šetina’s cheeks filamed. ”

“ Yes, a man forgot and drank—and frequently drank down his whole future.
“The entertainment there was not startlingly varied. We played cards, talked, sang. We liked to strike up the melancholy Hercegovinian songs. Our conversations were about every possible thing on earth. Often we waded into subjects which none of us understood.
“One evening I returned with my division from a sentry inspection. We were tired to death. For ten whole hours we had climbed cliffs, crawled through ravines and waded through snow up to our knees. ”