Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-23
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN.
[ 7TOHs'O'esi from The French Of Al,HO,tse DdtNI
for The ErcqIieg SiOg-.l

[7JOB5sofe,I from The French Of AL,IOase Da,c'.
for The EreIiBg StoD.l
Some months after the siege of Paris
was passing along the avenue to the Champs
Elysees with my friend, Or. V, when a
short time before reaching the point
where the several streets meet at the
place dc rEtoiIe the doctor paused and direct
ell my attention to one of the great corner
houses so prominently grouped about the
Arch of Triumph.
DO you see those four closed windows upOn
the high balcony" he inquired. lin
the first days of the month of August the
terrible month of August of last year so
thick with fearful disaster. was called
there for very sad case of apopIexy. 1t was
the house of Col. JOuve a cuirassier of the
First Empire. an old man possessed with
the glory of BOnapartism, who since
the beginning of the war had come
To live in the Champs EIyseeS. in an
apartment on that balcony. Can YOU
imagine why? To assist AT the triumDhai
entry of our troops. Poor old man! The
news OF WlSsenbourg reached him as he rose
from the table Reading the name of Napo-
leon at the bottom OF the bulletin OF defeat
he fell thunderStruck.
Il found the old man stretched al full
length ON the carpet OF his room. his face
CHASTITY and dull as if he had received blow
upon the face from club. Standing erect
trate he had an immense appearance. The
fne features, superb teeth. a suit of curly
mar, anu with eighty years that seemed no
more than sixty. Near him knelt his grand
daughter all in tears. She resenbIed him
To see them side by side they were like two
beautiful Grecian medals struck from the
same stamp, only the one was antique
earthly, and a little effaced in its outlines
while the other was resplendent and pure in
all the veivety lustre of the original impress
sion
~ The grief of the child touched me Daugh-
Ter and granddaughter of soldiers, her father
was staff officer of MacMahOn, and the
Image OF the Oil man stretched before her
cOnJured up in her mind another image no
less terrible. i did my utmost 10 reaSsure
her, but in my heart had but little hope II
was case OF complete heIniplcgie. and al
eighty years OF age one has but little recu-
Teratiye power. For three days the sick
man remained in the same condition of i'm
movable >tupOr. In the meanwhile the news
of Re!Schaffen reached Paris. YOu will re-
member in what an unusual manner. Until
evening we all believed in a great victory
twenty thousand Russians slain, and the
Prince Royal a prisoner. i know not by
what miracle, what magnetic current, an
echo of the national joy reached our poor
deaf mute, even in the limbo of his paralysis;
hitherto the same, on approaching his bel
that evening found him no more the same
man. The eye was almost clear, the tongue
less heavy. He had power To smile at me,
and To stammer twice, "Vic-tO-ry!" Yes,
Colonel" i said, "a grand victory" and,
gradually, a. gave him the details of the
Il
lures brighten, his form Unbend.
w hen went out the granddaughter fol-
lowed me. and she was pale "a she stood sob
blng before the door.
But he is saved. = I said, taking her hands.
The unhappy child had been full Of cOur-
age. but she responded:
They will come and placarI the truth
about Reischaffen-MacM ahOn in flight and
all his army crushed TO pieces
We looked at each other in alarm She
was in despair at the thought of her father
EOT mart Il rrprpblel NJ thn1Uht If tE,a
old man Very surely he would not be able
10 survive this new blow. And now what
should we do? Leave the old man to- his JOY
and the illusions which had revived him?
But IL was necessary To invent falsehOods.
= Very well; 1 will tell lies said the he
role girl. quickly wiping away the tears, and
ail radiant she returned into her GRANDPA Tiers
chamber.
:. II was a rude task that she had under
taken The first days were very tireSome.
The good man was feeble in his intellect. and
allowed himself TO be deceived like a child.
But with Improving health his ideas became
more clear. II was necessary to hold him in
the course OF the movement of the armies
putting into order for him the military bull
Ietins- II was truly pitiful to see that beau
In1l ehlld bent over map OF Germany night
ing To combine all in a glorious campaign;
Bazaine near Berlin; FrOsSart in Bavaria;
MacNahOn on the Baltic. For all this She
required my advice, and / aided her a. much
as could. But II was the grandfather above
all whom we served in this imaginary inva-
u
many under the First Empire. He knew
every step of advance. :" Now that is where
they will go; this is what they will do and
MS predictions were always realized, which
could not fail to render him very proud. I'm
fortunately. though we were lucky in taking
cities and gaining battles, we were never
quick enough for him. The old man was in
satiable! Each day on my arrival learned
of a new feat OF arms. - Doctor, we have
taken Mayence," the granddaughter said
approaching me with sad smile; and I
heard through the door a joyous voice CRYING
4" That march that march, In eight DAYS
we will enter Beriin!" AT that moment the
Prussians were not more than eight days
1--WE considered whether he had not bet
Ter be carried into the country, but
as soon as the condition of France
would have become known 10 him he
would have been benumbed by the
shock, and 10 would not do to let him know
the truth. IL was decided that he should re-
''The first day of the investment went ND
to their house, L remember, much moved by
that anguish ofheart, which the closed doors
walls now became the frontiers of her iuris
diction. found the good man seated upOn
bis bed tubilant and proud:
"We1, he said, "nOw the siege begfnsv
81 regarded him with establishment.
show, Colonel, do you know" asked.
his granddaughter turned TO me:
On On, yes, Doctor IL Is great news! The
she said this as she threaded her needle,
Win an air so grave and quiet. What If he
should question something? He could not
hear the guns OF the forts. Unhappy Paris,
unfortunate and upturned, he could not see
II. That which he saw from his bed was the
i Ioas oil The Arch Of Triumph, and In his
FIRST Empire, well arranged to encourage
bis illusions. Portraits OF marshals, pictures
OF battles, the King Of Rome as q child; then
the grand consuls in full dress, copper orna-
ments, trophies, numerous imperial relics
&eaaIs, eEoRzes, the high rock VG ST. Helen