Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-07-25
From Chambers Journal.
THE MAD SAVANT.

60, my English friend, at No. 45 it is q
curio1s case and presently over our wine
! in the balcony / will tell you the story"
! said DR.. Frochot, the famous mad doctor
Of Berlin, TO me, with professional sang.
.troid. The doctor, as be spoke, slid aside
the little round piece Of brass that bid
glazed aperture il the wall, and then took
an elaborate pinch Of snuf, while look.
ed through it into the cell or No. As. 1t
was small, bare room, With no furniture
but trestIe- bed, one chair, aud small
triangular table. At this table eat tall
thin, gray. baird man, with q vacant, care.
worn face, who was bdsy counting heap
! Of those round, prismatic pieces Of glass
that are used - ornaments to chandeliers.
Having counted them some twenty times
over, he proceeded to breathe on each Of
them, aud then, one by one, to rub them,
and hold them to the light. Suddenly be
rose, drew himself to his full length,
struck his forehead, as if he was in pain
. there, or a. if some momentary fash of
reason had lighted up his mind, then gave
a loud shrek, and fell in swoon upon
, the floor.
replaced the brass slide with an in .
voluntary sigh. HE has swooned; sho' d
he not have help, DR.. Frochot p said to
| my friend the mad doctor.
NO be is often so." replied the imper.
turoabIs doctor; ''he will be better when
he comes to. We never visi, patients but
at regular hours. If we were always visit
ing patients, what tine should we poor
| doctors have for ourselves?
Nome tan ,n,pntoo lotor thu 1,of0e ~
| myself were seated in the balcony of one
OF the pleasau:est houses in Berlin, watch.
| ing the little heart shaped leaves Of the
iime'trees waver and futter in the street
below, as We smoked our cigars and sip
ped our Hochheimer Il was q quiet street
! in the suburbs, ond that part of the house
where the patient was confined was 'far
away from Us, and separated from the
| quarter that the doctor inhabited by a
large garden, and thus no groan or shrek
could reach Us. A pale, fat man, q recov.
cred patient waited On Us, aud the child.
ren from time to time ran out to us,
laughing and shouting, from the inner
rooms. As i Began to get dusk, and the
air grew cooler, and the first star spaskl.d
over The General Grautenciau's house Cd.
posl1e, the doctor. planting one foot on the
upper ledge Of tn, balcony, and resting
the other Oh u china ga-den. seat, began
his story
You must know, my dear English friend,
that ia lol2-that is to say, exactly eigh.
teen years ago-l, then q mere lad, ac-
companied the French army to Russia. l
was surgeon in Desout's corps, and was
often in the Emperor's tent. No. As
then a we'll known astronomer in Berlin
was also with the Grand Army, having
been expressly commanded by Napoleon
to make observations Oh the climate OF
Russia, ard to record its variations. His
hume WAS krautxer, aud he was we'll
known at that time in Berlin as an acute
observer of great industry and sagacity,
but OF an envious and avaricioas spirit,
that had led him to waste much time in
alcheu.ic pursuits, WHICH he had finally
abandoned in disgust, only to give himself
altogether up to place hunting and money
making. We knew each other BY night,
AID frequently saw him both during the
advance aud the retreat. The story tell
you is partly from my own knowledge,
and partly from the mouth of bis intimate
friends, many OF whom we're acquaintau-
ces Of mine.
But let me delay for moment my dear
English friend, to recall the glories of
that vast army OF three hundred thousand
men that crossed into Russia. Only yes.
terday al old country woman was brought
to see me, who had beheld that army pass
her cottage. She described Napoleon as
sitting OIL her small table, alternately y con.
suing his maps, and cutting huge slices
from loaf that lay on the table. All bis
marshals were round him, and all day the
troops moved past the doorway in dusiy
columns. The country gills were peeping
in at the window, TO catch a glimpse Of
the Emperor. why do you look at me-"
he said good.naturedly to one OF the pret.
tiest, chucxing her nnder the chin as be
spoke. Il am poor little fellow. Look
at these fine tall fellows, (poin,ing to De.
vout and Mura.). The old woman whs
told me this had head that kept nodding
with the palsy :; and it took one years back
to fancy her young, graceful and pretty
Bot that little story recalled to my mind
bow our army looked when We arrived at
Gjat, just before the affair at Borodinc.
We all know what happened then. The
Emperor rose at three in the morning,
called for glass Of punch, sent Rapp for
the reports, and transacted business with
Barthmer till five; then mounted on horse.
back, and ordered the drums to beat and
the trumpsts 10 sound. 1T 10 the enthu.
siasm Of Austerliz," be said u he rode
forward, and the troops began to Cheer
We lost ten thousand men, the Russians
fifteen thousand But few days after,
the Russians retreated, and We advanced
strsight on Moscow. s
dare say you have read dozen times
about this famous battle, but CANNOT e.
sist-pardon 10 an old soldier-brieay
reminding you Of ito chief points. The
Russians were in strong position.
strengthened BY ield.works /; their right
flank rested On M intrenched wood q
brock running through deep rayine GOV.
cred their right wing; from the village Of