The New Orleans bulletin., 1876-03-12

L
The most striking spot, however, in thi
mournfutly celebrated corner Of Ardennes
the weaver's house in the Donchery road, tn
little house where Napoleon and NJ Bismarcl
had that famous interview which precede'
the capitulation, and which the Chancello
of William has described in An autograph
etter.
Small, one story high only, with modes
orchard behind, the house Of the weaver
situated on the left of tho highroad coming
from Sedan, whence ono can contemplate tht
immense panorama Of the envlrons q lne
city, where the cannon of Bazaine might per-
chance havc plowed path through the forces
of the enemy had the commander Of the
army Of Metz tried all means to break through
the circle that surrounded him.
If Bazaine had come But it Was not Be-.
zaine but the Prince Royal that hastened
thither. Eternal fatality It is Grouchy who
il expected, and it is Blucher who arrives!
The room where the Emperor and N. Bis.
marok were is that whose window opens to
the left of the little house. At first the vic-
tor and the vanquished conversed together
tor moment before the door, each seated on
chair, Napoleon wearing the kepi Of gen
| eral officer, his shoulders covered with cloak
with red lining, without . sword (Gen.
Reille had taken it to the King Of Prussia);
Bismarck booted, helmeted, sabre at his
| side. A group of generals conversed in low
| tones at little distance.
In few moments, perhaps because the air
Vas cool, the two interlocutors wished to en-
tor tho house There are two entrances, ono
to tho right, the other to the left They took,
behind the house, the staircase of the left
hand part, little, steep, winding staircase Of
wood They reached tho first and solitary
story. guided by the woman Of the house;
@R Ahnn hno
situated to the right Of the entrance, they
shut themselves up there, after making sign
to tho woman to withdraw. She remained
outside while they talked. Their voices were
low. The Emperor seemed crushed. It was
in this interview that Napoleon threw upon
his people the responsibility Of the war, which
his familiars had declared necessary to the
interests of the dynasty.
A round table covered with oil-cloth sepa-
rated the two men; placed before the win
dow, their gaze upon the land where death
had done its work, they remained, Bismarck
ct the right of the mantel-piece and Napoleon
at the left. On the mantel-piecs were some
little ornaments Of porcelain gilded with Ger.
called, and an image representing st. Vincent
do Paul. The two shepherds of men could
contemplate the image Of one who had never
known what it was to shed the blood of
others.
The woman of the house has caused the
1--WE gold pieces that Napoleon put into her
hand when the conversation was over to be
set in . frame and suspended against the
wall.
Incredible and ironical as it may seem, this
interview Of Donchery, which marked the
fall of an empire, was destined ut the same
time to bring an unexpected rivalry into the
- k1,<. Er0 \
so industrious an abode.
This weavers house was in reality the house
Of two weavers, the brothers Fournaise, who
worked there in common, both married and
both happy. When Napoleon and Bismark
had passed that way, the humble dwelling be.
came on the morrow something like an histor-
ioal monument. Visitors crowded thither-
tourists, travellers, Englishmen. Everybody
paid to see the room of the interview, and to
cast glance at the five louis left by the en-
peror and at the image Of St. Vincent de Paul
Some amateurs of historical relics even pro-
posed to purchase the framed gold pieces, and
to pay very high for them.
"They are not for sale, replied the weaver.
And he contented himself with selling
OF the house.
All this only profited one of the brothers
Fournaise the one into whose rooms the EN- |
peror and M Bismarck had entered.
"The house belongs to us both, I" said the |
other. at was by chance that they went up |
stairs to the left-that is to say, to your rooms;
when they might just % we'll have gone up |
the right hand staircase-that is to say, to |
mine. Let us share, therefore, the prof of |
the adventure, and let rs put into common |
purse these new earnings, as We did those of |
our past labor"
~ l~nA
visitors; "it was to my home that they came,
and the profits are all mine. Each for him |
self, and 80 much the worse for you"
The women also interfered. Irritation and |
bitterness arose. After 80 many years of |
mutual affection, jealousy divided these two |
good hearts, and finally brought about q sep
lratiop.
To-day little wall Of stones rises in the
midst nf the house Of the weavers. and sepa-
lates their two abodes. They continued to
1weli side by side-they must, for their roof is
here; but they no longer speak; and the
Fournaise who continues to work looks with
'nvy on the Fournaise who can, if he pleases.
ave money while sitting with his arms folded, |
,nly using his hands to pick up the coins that
all constantly in his lap since the war.
Az was returning to Sedan, my coachmsn
aid to me:
"Did you see the five gold-pieces that
Napoleon gave the weaver's wite?"
"Yes."
"D.d you remark one thing?"
"What is that?"
'Among those five pieces Of gold there are
10 two alike. There is ono Of Napoleon I.
me Of Louis XVIII, one of Charles X, one
# Louis Philippe, and one Of Napoleon III
the last five reigns."
The last fve reigns Those words struck
ne. Chance caused Napoleon III, In drawing
rom his pocket five gold pieces, to take
hence five different coins. Chance has often
Incredible, ironicsl, terrible encounters.
Tho two passwords for the guard Of the
,alace of the Tuileries-pass-woris settled,
ccordipg to custom, q long time beforehand
for the 4th of September, 1870. were-will
be believed ?-Soult and Sedan
Why write romances, invent tragedies, seek
or the impossible. the astonishing, and the
ouching, when there exists that eternal trag-
dy, that incredible romance, that living ina
possibility called history?
number of Philadelphia gentlemen pro-
,ose to set apart about one hundred acres of