Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-02-05
ONE ACTOR In THE SIEGE OF PARIS.


His name was Stenne, little Stenne.
He was "child of Paris, thin and pale,
and was 10, perhaps II years old, for
one can never say exactly how old
those children are. His mother was
dead, and his father, an ex-marine, was
the guardian of square in the quarter
of the temple. The nurses and babies,
the old ladies who always carry their
own folding, chairs, and the poor moth
ers all that small world of Paris, which
seets shelter from vehicles in those
gar1ens that are surrounded by pave
ments, knew Father Stenne and loved
him They knew that under his rough
mous,aGhe, which was the terror of
dogs and Gisturbers of benches, was hid
den kind, tender and almost motherly
smile, ana in order to bring it forth they
had only % say to the good man:
GLOW 10 your little SOM"
For Father Stenne loved his little
son so much!
He was so happy in the afternoon
when, after his school, the little boy
would call for him, and together they
stopping at each bench to speak to the
habitues of the square and to answer
their good wishes.
But when the siege began everything
was sadly changed. Father Stenne's
square was closed and filled with petro-
leum, and the poor man condemned to
an incessant surveillance, passed his
life in the deserted, upturned paths,
quite alone, not permitted to smoke,
and only seeing his little son late in the
evening at his home. You should have
seen his moustache when he spoke of
the Prussians. Little Stenne, howev er,
did not complain of this new life.
A siege! Nothing is more amusing
for such urchins. No more school, no
more studies Holiday all the while
and the streets are exciting as a fair.
The child ran about ali day till night
fall. He followed the battalions of. the
quarter to the ramparts, choosing those
that had good band. Little Stenne
was we'll posted on the subject. He
would tell you very glibly that the 96th's
band was not worth much, but that the
55th had an excellent one. sometimes
he would watch the Mobiles training,
and then there was the procession. g.
With his basket under his arm he would
Join In the long files that were formed
in the dark, cold winter mornings, when
there was no gas, before the butchers
shops. There, with their feet in the wet,
the people would make acquaintance
and talk politics, and, as he was Mr..
Stenne's son everybody would ask him
his opinion. But the most amusing
of all were the afternoon games, especi-
ally the famous game of galoche, which
the Breton Mobiles made the fashion
during the siege. When little Stenne
was not at the ramparts or bakers
shop, you would be sure to find him at
the square of the Chateau-d' Eau. He
did not pay, however; it needed too
much money; he was satisfied in watch
ing the players with all his eyes.
One especially, a great fellow in blue
workman's blouse, who only played
with five franc pieces excited his ad-
miration. When he ran one could hear
the coins iingling under his blouse.
One day as he was picking up piece
that had rolled under little Stenne's feet
the great fellow said to him in a low
tone: ''That makes you wink, hey?
Well, if you like, I'll tell you where
they're to be found"
The game over, he took him to a cor
ner of the square, and proposed that he
should join him in selling newspapers to
the Prussians. That would make thirty
francs for every trip. AT first Stenne
was very indignant, and refused, and
what was more he remained away from
the game for three days. Three terrible
days. He neither eat nor slept any
more. At night he would see great
heaps of galoches piled on the foot Of
his bed, and five-franc pieces moving
over it, bright and shining. The temp
tation was too strong for him. The
fourth day he returned to the Chateau
dEau, saw the large fellow and vgs
overcome.
They set out one sunny morning, 8
linen bag thrown over their shoulders
and their newspapers hidden under
their blouses. When they reached the
Flanders gate it was yet hardly dawn
The little fellow took Stenne by the hand
and approached the sentinel gooC
civilian with red NJ 1tand kind air
he said to him, with Iplaintive tone:
Let US pass, my good monsieur. Oul
mother is i'll, and papa is dead. We are
going to see-my little brother and /
If we can't find some potatoes to pick
up in the fields"
He cried, and Stenne, who wa:
ashamed, lowered his head. The sen
tinel looked at them a moment, anC
then, giving a glance over the white
deserted road, $50 quickly" said he tt
them, moving aside, and then they
were on the road to Aubervilliers. How
the large fellow laughed.
Confusedly, as though in dream
little Stenne saw the manufacture:
transformed into barracks, their courts
deserted and hung with wet rags, thei
tall chimneys which pierced the fog
and seemed to reach the sky, freles
and battered. Now and again they
would see a sentinel and officers who
were looking far off through their fielC
glasses, and their small tents wet witt
snow, which was melting before dyin!
fires. The large fellow knew the way
and would take short cuts over tn,
fields in order to escape the outposts
But suddenly they came upon q larg,