Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-02-22
THE OLD COCKADE.


TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF FREDERICK soULE.
In the year 1881, l was spending an
evening at the house Of General, who
had been one Of NapoIeon's bravest Off
GERS. Lfhere were some other guests, and
we were chatting sociably around the
fire, when NJ. Louis Jacquet was an
nounced, and we saw an extremely hand
some young officer OF Marines. enter. He
seemed to be about twenty-five years
okh; his .ensi9n's uni!orm-Gvidenty
'IuRe new was put on with much care
and neatness. One portion of his cos
tune, however, cOntraSted Odly with the
rest. In the black, glossy cap which be
carried in his hand, was fastened an old,
soiled, faded cockade. lnYOiuntarlIy ma
nv eyes glanced curiouSly at this lncOngl'
nous decoration; and our host in a Wits
per. drew his wife's attention to the cir
cumstance, To which she replied by gen
tie smile. NJ. Jncquet bluShed deeply.
vet not with an air Of shame or cOnEu-
sion, but rather with one Of genuine mo
desty. And tho General, taking his
hand. said,
=" Yuu are brave lad, Louis"
The Generals wife then took his hand,
and the young officer kissed hers, with re-
>pecIiul tenderness.
This little scene Interested US all. yet
ID one ven,urcd to ask its explanation
when AN old officer. who had been silent
hthrSto, suddenly rose, and said to our
host:
So this.is your JacQuet, General, and
this the real cockAdc."
And taking the cap from the owners
hands, he looked al the battered orna.
;,I. 60 ,1,l,i fan
rolled dowa on his grey moustnchc. Eve
ry one present then crowded round to ex,
anime the my stcrous cockade, and asked
the General TO tell its history.
As he hcsi,alcd, the old officer said
"'Tis story whcl, | am sure will in
tercst you, and with the permission Of our
host and his youn4 friend, | will tell it,"
No objections being made, he began
thus:
..Afcr the memorable interview be-
tween Napoleon and Alexander, the for
mer Of these two EmperOrs wishing to
show the other the troops which conquer
ed him. grand review took place. AS
Napoleon was inspecting with a pleased
eye, the ranks Of his Imperial Guard, he
paused before remarkably powerful
looking grcuadier, whose face was scared
from the forehead to the chin with deep
scar. . Pointing him out to the Emperor
alexander, Napoleon said {:
What do you think Of the soldiers
who can gesist such wounds 2"
"What do you think of the soldiers
who can give them 2" said Alexander
readily :?
They are dead" said the grenadier !;
thus mngIing in the conversation Of the
81 l.. fI,,,,V
Alexander then tur ing towards his
mighty rival, said cOurteouSly:
Sir. you are everywhere conquer
or"
because the Guard has done its duty"
replied Napoleon, with n friendly geS.
ture towards the grenadier.
A few days afterwards, rs the Empe-
ror Of France was passing through the
camp. he saw the grenadier seated on a
stone. with his legs crossed, and dancing
a chubby boy of two years old upon his
foot. Napoleon paused before him, and
the old soldier without rising. said
"Pardon. Sir; but if stood up. Jacquet
would scream like one of the King Of
Prussia's tifers; and that would annoy
your majesty"
Ills we'll" said Napoleon. Your
uame Is Jacques =?
Yes, my Emperor, jacques. That's,
the reason they call this lille fellow Jac
quet."
L" He is your son ?"
"No. my Emperor his father was an
old comradc of mine, who had his ler
shot off Two months ago. and died on the
field. His mother who followed the
camp, was killed by sabre cut while
she was giving her husband drink
She had this baby tied on her back, and
we found him some hours after her death.
roaring like young bull with his sto-
mach as empty as the King Of spains
Golfers"
Then you have adopted the child ?"
Land my comrades. But as was
the first to find him, they have given him
especially to me-"
Napoleon looked for moment at the
grenadier, who continued to give Jacquet
lesson and then said
10 you my brave fellow am going
"u~ another honor for your bravery"
Me- my Emperor? You have al
4e"uy gwen me cross for this scar.''
owe you some return for what YOU
said to the Emperor Alexapder ~ ~
" Did l say"nnything unciy;I to that
Emperor? Has lie complained Of ~ oN %;
mo, certainly but am poinr to ~
ward you, come ! What do YOU wisI,
Cor ?''s -.... ~. : WISH
" Ma fol-" replied Jaques, IL don't