The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-12
The Siege of Berlin.
From Appleton's journal.

ave were riding up the Avenue DIES
Champs Elysees with DR.. ", read
ing, in the houses riddled with bullets,
the pavements demolished by the shells
the history of the seige of Paris, when,
just before arriving at the Rond Point
de lEtoile, the doctor stopped and
pointed out to me one of the large cor
ner houses that form such an imposing
group around the Arch of Triumph.
''Do you see those four closed win
doWs yonder on that balcony? e. he
said. SIN the beginning of August,
so pregnant with storms and disasters
for us, was called to attend a case of
apoplexy in that house. The patient
was Col. Jourve, a cuirassier of the
first empire, firm believer in the
glory Of his country, who, when war
was first declared, took up his residence
on the Champs Elysees in an apart
ment with a balcony. Guess whv?
In order to witness the triumphant en-.
try OF our troops. Poor old man |!
The news of Wissembourg reached
him as he was rising from dinner.
While reading the name of Napoleon,
written at the foot of this bulletin of
defeat, he fell insensible.
Il found the old cuirassier extended
on the floor of his room, his face
flushed, and as unconscious as if he
had been felled by a club. Standing
he must have been very large man );
lying there, he looked immense. Reg.
ular features, superb teeth, mass Of
white curling hair, 80 years old, but
looking 60. Beside him knelt his
granddaughter, weeping bitterly. She
was very like him. Seeing them side
by side reminded one of two Greek
medals struck from the same stamp,
only one antique furnished, rather
worn in the outline, while the other
was clear and distinct in all the fresh
ness and brilliancy of new stamp.
"The grief of the young girl touched
me. The daughter and granddaughter
OF soldiers, her father was on MacMa.
hons staff, and the sight of the old
man lying insensible before her, called
up to her mind another sight not less
terrible. I did my best to reassure
her, but to tell the truth had myself
very little hope. The old man had
been struck down by an apoplectic fit,
ana at eighty years of age one seldom
RECEIVERS from that. For three
days, in fact, the invalid re-
manned in the same condition, motion
less and insensible. just at this time
the news of Reichshoffen reached
Paris. You remember in what
strange fashion. Until evening we all
believed. in a great victory, twenty
thousand Prussians slain, the prince
royal captive. I do not know by
what miracle, or what magnetic cur
rent, an echo of national rejoicing
reached our poor invalid in the depths
OF his paralysis, but that evening, on
approaching his bed, found him an
other man. His eyes were almost
bright, his tongue less heavy. He
was strong enough to smile, and he
stammered out twice:
"'Victory!'''
' Eyes, colonel, great victory!'
''And while I related the details of
MacMahon, $ success, saw his cOunte.
nance brighten, and his features re-
lax. :
'.When I left the room the. Young
girl was waiting for me, and weeping
bitterly.
",He is saved!' said I, taking Der
hands in mine. -.
" The poor girl had hardly courage
to reply. The real news of Reichshof.
fen had just been pnblished-MacNa-
hon flying, the army routed! We
looked at each other in CONSERVATION.
She was heart broken, thinking of her
father. I trembled, remembering the
old man. He surely never could stand
this new and terrible shock. What
was to be done! Should we leave him
to his Joy and to the illusions that had
revived him! Then we would have to
lie to him.