The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-28

thought had struck him, and he con-
| tlnued: " But no matter perhaps it is
better as it is. Lend me your cross,
| Rapp /; and yours, marshal. ] will re-
| place them tomorrow.
Then poiting to the tree amazed old
men, who still remained hear him, he
said =
Help me, marshal and gentlemen.
to recompense three generations of
Heroes. These brave men have fought
IN three glorious -Friedlingen
/ Racours and Fleurus. France owes
| them honor as well as livelihood. I
! give your decoration, marshall, to Je-
1 rome and yours, lietenant, to Cyprien;
and here father, to you, ] give, . taking
/ off his own cross, ''my own"
Shouts again rent the air, g Long live
| Napoleon Long live the Emperor r'
90 Sire, said old Maurice, in a voice
| trembling with emotion, s'you have
made the remainder of life happy to me
and my childrenI' I'
My brave fellow, replied Napo-
leon, giving his hand, which the old
man seized, and pressed respectfully
with his lips, " / repeat that / AM only
| discharging debt which France owes
you"
After saying few words to the hun
dreds of veter5d around him, Napoleon
took leave of the governor, and the
crowd opening made way for him to
pass to the gate. Rapp had sent back
| the horses and ordered the carriage with
an escort of Dragons to be in attend
ance. The emperor entered with his
aid-de-camp, while the echoes of the
Seine resounded with shouts of g V5Ce
= Enlperear"
This has been the happiest days Of
my life,, he said to Rapp. 81 should
like to pass the rest of my days in the
Invalides.
And l." replied the aid-de-camp,
= should like well enough to be assured
of dying and being buried there.
"Who knows?" unused the great
chieftain aloud "who knows-it may
be" and he fell into a reverie which
his attendant knew him too well to in
terrupt.
The first incident of our story occur
red in 1705 ; the second in 1906. Turn
we now to a later chapter of French
history, as late as 1910.
On the 10Th of December of that year,
perhaps the most imposing funeral
cOrtege the world ever saw was slowly
vending its way to the most gorgeous
of catafalques. Within the emblazoned
sarcophagas, which was borne on a fu-
neral car, covered with wreaihs and
crowns of laurel, preceded by the ban
ner of France, and followed by her 10
armies, were laid the remains of the
great Napoleon. Slowly, with measured
pace, to the march of solemn music,
the procession passed beneath the tri-
umphal arch de Z Etoile and along the
Grand avenue of the Camp Elysees to
the hotel des Invalides.
In the estimation of the veterans
who composed the escort, it was fitting
honor rendered to the ashes of him who,
in the space of fifteen years, had we'll
nigh conquered the world. The dead
Napoleon was, tardily indeed, but with
pOmp and circumstance, borne to fit
ting resting-place beneath the dome
raised above the home of heroes.
Late n the evening of the same day
when the crowd had slowly dispersed,
when the murmus of thousands of
lnournful voices were hushed, when the
solitude complete and the silence I'M
broken. an invalid, a centogenarian, a.
most blind, and walking on two wood
Ell legs, entered the chapel where had
been deposited the body of Napoleon.
Supported by two his comrades, he
reached with difficulty the foot of the
imperial catafalqna. Taking off his
wooden legs in order to lneel. and re-
moving tie cross of honor that hung on
the stone, he bent his venerable head
ON the steps and presetly, mingled
with sobs, uttered in broken accents the
words =
Napoleon the Great Emperor
Father =
At length his companions succeeded
in drawing him away: and as he passed
out the officers OF the hotel respectfully
saluted the old man. He who came to
render thus this last homage to the
master, was Cyprien, the grandson TO
Father Maurice