The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-05

under the walls, and our suburbs con-
verted into frontiers, l found the old
man seated on his bed, joyous and eX-
ultlng.
"'Well, Doctor,' said he, 'the siege
has cOmmenced.'
II looked al him in amazement.
"'What, Colonel! do you know?"
"His granddaughter turned 30 me.
"'WAy, yes, Doctor: that is the great
news; the siege OF Berlin mas COM
mencBd.' She said that while drawing
the needle through the canvas, with such
a quietly deliberate tonel How could
he suspect anything? The cannon OF
the forts-he could not hear them? Un-
happy Paris, all gloomy and disturbed
he could not see her. A small section
OF the Arcn OF Triumph was all that he
could see from his bed, and In the room,
all around him, were the relics OF the
first Empire, we'll calculated to sustain
his deiusionS.
"Portraits of Marshals, engravings Of
battle SUBJECTS, the infant King Of Rome,
large consoles covered with imperial
relics, medals, bronZes, a stone from st.
Helena under glass shade, miniatures,
all representing the same lady in ball
costume, yellow dress, leg-of-mutton
sleeves, and light eyes; and all those
the consoles, the King of Rome, the
Marshals, the ladies i'll yellow, with the
short waists, girdles under their arms,
and that dignitied stiffness that was the
grace OF 1906. Good Colonell 1t was
| GhaJ atmosphere OF victory and of con-
quests that surrounded him, more than
anything we could say, that made him
| belleYe so implicitly in the siege Of
| Berlin.
"From that day forward our military
operations were much simpltied. Ihe
taking of Berlin was only a matter of
patience. Flom time to time, whenever
| the old man grew weary and impatient,
his granddaughter would read him "a let
| Ter iIom his son-an imaginary letter,
of course-as for long time nothing
| had entered Paris, and, after Sedan, his
son, VINO was MacMah0n's saide-de-camp,
mad been sent q prisoner to u German
fortress. You can imagine the despair
of that poor girl, without news of her
father, knowing him to be Il prisoner,
perhaps ill, ana yet obliged to make him
| talk IN Joy Gus though brief letters such
alone as a soldier always marching on
ward in q conquered country has time to
write. Sometimes her strength tailed
her. and weeks passed without news.
| Blt then the old man grew uneasy and
could not sleep. Then letter would
arrive at once from Germany, which
She would come and read 10 him besit
his bed in gay tone while choking ba, k
her tears. The Colonel listened reliy,-
iously, smiled with critical air, ap-
proved, criticised, explained to us the
, involved passages. But where he was
really tine was IN the answers he sent to
his son.
"tNever forget that you are French
man, he said be generous to the poor
nponle. Do not make this invasion t. O
nard for them to bear.' Then came enc
| less recommendations, delightful lee
| tures upon the respect OF the proprie-
Ties. the p0liteness which one owes to
ladies'. a whole code of military honor
for the use of the conquerors. He also
added some general reflections upon
politics and the conditions OF peace TO
impose upon the PruSslans. In that
respecL must confess that he was not
eXacting.
"'rhe war indemnity, nothing more.
Why should we take their Provinces?
Can we make France out of GermanyP
"He dictated that in u firm voice, and
one lelt so much candor in his words,
| such fine patriotic faith, that it was
impossi bic not TO be touched while list
| ening to him.
"Meantime the siege went on; not that
| of Berlin, alas
"It was the time of the terrible cold
weather, the bombardment, epidemics,
and famine. But, thanks to our care,
our efforts, and to the indefatigable ten
derness that surrounded him, the old
mans serenity was never once troubled.
"UntIl the end | c0ntriVed to procure
| for him white bread and fresh meat.
| There was only enough lor him, though;
and YOU can not imagine anything more
touching than these innOcenLly-
breakfasts OF the old man-the Colonel
| propped up in the bed, his napkin
! tucked under his chin, beside him his
grand daughter, thin and pale from her
| priyations, guiding his hands, making
| him drink, helping him to eat all the
GOOD cheer. Then, revived by his re-
past. in the comfort Of his warm room,
| the Wintry frost outside. and the snow
Whirling before the windows, the old
euirassier would recall his northern
campaigns, and would relate to us for
| the filJleth time the account of that ter
rible retreat from Moscow, when they
| had nothing to eat but frozen biscuit anu
! Lorse. flesh.
"'Can You imagine it, little girl? we
| ate horse?
| ''oha could easily imagine 1t; for two
months she had eaten nothing else.
From day to day, however, as GONZALES
cence approached, our task became more
and more difficult. That numbness OF
mind and body alike that had so well
aided us up to that time began to dlsap-
pear. Two or three times the terrible
explosions from Porte Maillot had made
him start, prickIng up his ears like
hunting dog; we were obliged to invent
Il recent victory of Bazalne before Ber.
lin, and artillery fired in honor of the
occasion at the InyalIdes. Another day,
when we had pushed his bed up to the
window { think it was the day of the
fight at BuzenNaD, he saw plainly the
National Guards collecting OH the Ave-
nue. de la Glrande Armee.
"sWhat troops are thosep asked the
old man; and Iheard him mutter to him.
self, Badly oNraledl badly drilledp
"lhat. was alls but we understood
that in future we must take great pre-.
cautions. Unh apply, we We're not eau
tlous enough.
lone evening" on my arrival, the
young girl came TO meet me, looking
very anxious.
"'rley enter the city tomorrow she
said.
"Was the grandfathers door
open! DO not know. But, in
thinking it over since, / remem-