This Month's Installment
"In this time, one concern always drives out the others; the greatest comes first. His injury appears to be only of a light nature, thanks be to God."---173---"But all that he must have seen and experienced in such a short time!"The telephone, which stood on Hans' work table, rang.The mayor. A larger carriage of wounded would just be arriving with the railway. The city hospital would take a few, but now there would be no more free beds. Would a few admissions in the parish hall still be possible? His wife had also volunteered the lodge.Certainly, a few could still be accommodated.How many at most?Six, perhaps even seven.Good. They would come immediately by ambulance; it went to the lodge first and from there to the parish hall. There would probably be four.Would there be anything else?Yes, the refugees were rapidly increasing. A few new cities would be evacuated; one must prepare oneself for a larger influx. He would hold a conference to-morrow at the town hall, to which he had invited a number of men. It seemed desirable to him that Hans would also take part in it.At what time?One o'clock in the morning.Good, he would arrive."Again new cities evacuated!" said Hans as he put down the receiver. "The misery marches on. Our poor country!""It must take it upon itself. It is like one of the severely wounded warriors; it sacrifices itself so that the whole will be saved.""Yes - it sacrifices itself."---174---He lookt before himself for a long time. An endless sadness was on his face. She walkt over to him and laid her hand on his shoulder."You must tear yourself away from your melancholy thoughts, Hans," she said with a warm, urging voice, "one must not think about all this so deeply."
Grammatical Minutia/Commentary
I think I've translated "Vormittags ein Uhr" correctly as "one o'clock in the morning," although this seems like an odd time to have a meeting. Still, in this sort of urgent situation, such a time may be necessary.
I also want to point out that the word that I've translated as "telephone" is "Fernrufer," which seems like an old fashioned term.
