Robert,

"After the Battle" was touching, I didn't know that Hugo also wrote poetry. Beautiful indeed. As a novelist he adds color to an otherwise drab historical footnote. I find the same is true of Tolstoy, Dumas and Stendahl. As Tolstoy says, the historian can give the reader the facts, but the novelist can give the reader the feelings of a battle.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

v/r Greg