The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-04-01
CORRESPONDENCE.
(For the Cki<f)
NAPoLB0N's RETREAT FROM MOS
An Oratien Dcliverea NJ the AnassI Contest
MareH 9th, 1870
IA BrELfR, Or IHE AfstesfA SOCIETY.

MafeE 9th, 1870.
br MISS JULIA BrkLfR, Or TdE AfstckfA SOCIETY.
Year after year. in shadowy turn gides the vaults
Oblivion without leaving upon their SCARED
monuments Of devastation and woe; monuments that
mark the birth place Of pestenee, famine. and blood
thirsty But do not AL these menentoes of Fates
inevitable doom burst into Of nothngness, when
modern history throws that which stands para
mount among the series of tragea events that character
lied the year Isl2f-the year that dawnod in noonday
light but too nanted in midnight darkness
Look upon the ancient palace of Cars and the
crowns lonely spire with gorgeous mist behold
hi tious Napoleoh with hundred and eighty
thousand men, draining the cup disappointment and
feelag anguish Of soul lifted pinnacle Of
happiness moment to be dashed by the Of
adversely upon the desoate shores of reality The
gores Of Marengo Jena and Austetz had lost their
counting charms and longer up realization of
feverish dreams; and the gaze with grieffIed
eyes upon the refend that bowed proud Moscow in
ins they felt the last hope fOm their quiverng
embrace and the hero watched the 6tfu CLEAN and
gloom chase er the faces Of his in wrathfu
weled up his spirits pride and suiting the action
those imperial commands, leads again the pride and
chvary of Europe.
Itwas a golden Autumn; for softly and almost unfelt
the anguid Summer months had gone and in their fight
left lingering Of buried love wa
through the dreamy days Of Autumn. The tired winds
longer with feversh touch bowed valleys lower wi,
sckenins heat but seemed breathe cooling for
all the world From natures garished robes the last Of
rarths sweet incense seemed offered up once more to
God while like the sound Of seheing that lash
aro shore low pIcadings for brilliant dreams
of fame for qua Of nectar before the last lau-
rel Of ambition had faded from his brow For like the
thought which wakes the poets mind to haunt him with
thirst that's quenched Europes hero thirsed
yet drink and burning with that insatate desire for
fama will frpnz
and hovers like hdeous nightmare around the chamber
bed peers once through ashy whirls that
rise in vengefal shapes and chase into boundless
space. He the spires and domes loom up in hadowy
FORM and pale with grief searches from the pointed blue
to the moed base for but vesse that he could clasp
to his bosom and call his own but they rise in rigid
outlines like mockns sentnes Of better days hope died.
and in return bitter curse which broke the wreahs Of
smoke around his brow and laden with the beros sad
gret swept back and breathed it the smoulderng
walls. The Autumn day that dawned bright, grows
chilled Wild fancy has broken her golden Tyre and the
last sweep the magic chords falls like awakening
knel into the depths Of the heros soul calling him back
from the world of deity to the sunless realms of bar
rcn waste not spot Of veure rich with dewy sweet
smiling oasis at which the fsmished soul
could satisfy its longngs and awaken its melody that lies
mute within. But think ye Napoleon folded his in
despair and lamented in and ashes Napoleon
do this! no. but wrapping the mantle Of ambition about
him. proudly he turns upOn the mockng and his
nervous steed measures of the weary distance that
stretched far where the banners softened light
cleaned through the quiet air.
Two days have spun their shadows night and the
third faltering the Threshold of light staggers
forth with bending sky Of darkness Septembers wealth
Of golden hours lies boarded in visions the past while
in suen haste the threatening claims of Winter come
See those massive belts nky clouds strive in the
to belch forth their bterest contents The draws in
| his warmth behind that hangs