The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-02
The SIEGE OF BERLIN.
TRANSLATED from the French OF Alphonse
Daudet.]

TRANSLATED from the French Of Alphonse
Daudet.]
Some months after the siege of Paris, I
was passing along the avenue to the Camp
Elysees with my friend, DR.. ", when a
short time before reaching the point
where the several streets meet at the
place de IEtoile the doctor paused and
directed my attention 10 one of the great
corner houses so prominently grouped
about the Arch of Triumph.
':Do you see those four closed windows
apon the high balcony?'' he inquired.
sin the first days of the month Of -Au.
gust, the terrible month of August of
last year, so thick with fearful disaster,
was CALLED there for very
sad Case Of apoplexy. 1t was the
house of Colonel Jouve, a cuirassier of the
First E npire, an old man possessed with
the glory of Bonapartism, who since the
Beginning Of the war had come to live in
she Champs Ulysses, in an apartment on
shat balcony. Can you imagine why?
TO assist at the triumphal entry of our
troops Poor old man! The news of
Wissenbourg reached him as he rose from
the table. Reading the name Of Napoleon
at the bottom of the bulletin of defeat he
kell thunderstruck.
found the old man stretched at full
length On the carpet of his room, his
face CHASTITY and dull as if he had re-
eeiyed blow upon the face from
club. Standing erect he must have
been very large; lying PROSTATE he
had an immense appearance. The fine
features, superb teeth, a suit of curly
hair, and with 80 years that seemed no
more than 60. Near him knelt his grand
daughter, all in tears. She rcsembled
aim. TO sec them side by side they
were like two beautiful Grecian medals
struck from the same stamp, only the one
was antique, earthly, and little effaced
N its outlines, while the other was re-
splendent and pure, in all the vclvety
fustre of the original impression.
The grief of the child touched me.
Daughter and granddaughter of SOL
dlers, her father was staff officer of Nc
Mahon, and the image Of the old man
stretched before her conjured up in her
1lnd ap image no less terrible. did my
almost to reassure her, but in my heart
had but little hope. 1t was a case of
complete hemplegic, and at eighty years
Of age one has but little recuperative
power. For three days the sick man re-
manned IN the same condition of immova.
bic stupor. In the meanwhile the news
OF Reischaffen reached Paris. You will
remember in what an unusual manner.
until evening we all believed in great
victory, 10000 Prussians slain, and the
Prince Royal a prisoner. ! know not
oy 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 approach.
ing his bed 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 sta1nmer
twice, '*Vic-to-ry!'' "Yes, Colonel" l
said, "a grand victory,' and, gradually,
as gave him the details of the great sue
cess Of Mac Aahon, I saw his features
brighten, his form unbcnd.
When l went out the grand daughter
followed me. and she was pale as she
stood sobbing before the door.
but he is saved,' said, taking her
hands.
The unhappy child had been full of
courage, out she reSpon led:
~Ihey will come and placard the truth
ABOUT schatten-MacA1ahon 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 faith
er: For my part tremble at the thought
OF the old man. Very surely he would
not be able to survive this new blow. And
now what should we do? Leave the old
man to his joy and the illusions which
mad revived him? But it was necessary
to invent falsehoods.
Very we'll; will tell lies,'' said the
heroic girl, quickly wiping away the tears,
and all radient she returned unto her
grandfathcr's chamber.
1t was rude task that she had under.
taken. The first days were very tire
some. The good man was feeble in his
intellect, and allowed himself to be de. I