The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-18

the despair Of the poor child without news
OF her father, knowing him to be a prisoner
deprived Of everything, and, perhaps, sick,
yet obliged 10 fabricaie joyous letters from
him. somewhat brief letters, such o. a
soldier IN the field would write as be push.
| ed constantly ahead through q ~vanquished
| country. Sometimes her strength failed her
| and we had no tidipgs for weeks. But the
| old man. when such was the case, grew
| uneasy and could not sleep. Then q letter
| quickly arrived from Germany, and she
| read Il TO him gaily al bis bedstead, the
! while forcing back her tears. The Colonel
| listened a.lentive!y, smiled with q knowing
! air. appsoved, criticized and expIsined 70 US
| the obscure passages. But he was at MS
| beat tur tho answer he sent TO his son :
Never forget that you are a Frcnchman,'
| dictated be. BE generous to those poor
| peopIe. Do not make the Invasion 100 haru
| Tor tbem 70 bcar.' aud there were recon-
| mendstjons without end, adorable sermons
on respecting private property ana the
not;,ene.s due TO ladies--an entire code OF
| military honor. 10 fact, for the use OF me
~conouerors. With 1t were also. mingled
some general political observations upon
| the conditions OF peace to be imposed on
| tho yapauished. There, l ought to say ne
was not ex~sctiug: sThe war indemnity'
but nothing more. or what good u II 10
take their provinces? Can we make France
out OF Germany
:" He dictated all this In a firm voice, and
there was so much sincerity, u aamira-
bje patriotic faith, 10 his words that IL was
impossible not 10 be affected on bearipg
him.
"Duriug this time the siege was constant.
" progressipg-aIas not hal OF Berlin !
II was the period OF intense cola, OF the
bombardment, OF epidemics, OF famine.
But thanks to our care, to our efforts, 10 inc
indefatigable tenderness when muuipilea
itself about him, The serenity OF the OLD
man was never for an instant broken.
| Until the end / was able to procure white
bread and fresh meat for him. There was
| onjy enough for him though, and you can
| imagine nothing more touching than these
breakfasts OF the grandfather so innocentiy
| s%e,dsb-the old mar in bed, fresh ana
| smiling, with bis napkin tucked under MS
chin, and beside him his granddaughter,
somewhat pale through priyafioD, guiding
his hands, making him drink, assisting
him as be ate all those forbidden deiicacies.
Then, animated by the repast in the COM
fort of his warm chamber, with the wintry
| wind without aud the snow whirling
around his windows, the aged cuirassier
| recalled his campaigns In the North, ana
relsted 10 us, for the hundredth time, the
| story of the terrible retreat from Russia,
| during which there was nothing TO eat Dut
| frozen biscuit and horse flesh. Can YOU
understand, my child We ate horse fiesh.'
"Of course she understood 1t. For Two
| months she had eaten nothing, else. From
day to day, in proportion as he grew better,
| our task with the patient became more
| difficult. The sluggIshness OF bis senses
and limbs, which bad been OF such service
TO Us up 10 that time, began TO disappear.
| Twice or thrice already the terrible cannon
| AIDE at the Maillot gate had made him leap
| nm with ear as attentive as that OF a hunting
| dog. and we had been obliged to invent Tor
| RI zaIne a recent victory before Berlin and
| saIyos fred In honor OF It at the lnvalldes.
Another dav, when we had pushed his Ded
nm 10 the wiudow-it was, l believe, the
| Thurs day OF ~Buzenval-he saw quite plainly
| some National Guards massed upon the
| Avenue de Ia Grande-Armee. :,
"sWbat 0 are those?' asked the ola
man, and we heard him mutter between
his teeth .Wretched-looking raenl'
"Nothipg further came OF it, but we
| realized that for the future we would nave
TO be very careful. Unfortunately we were
not careful enough. u,
Zone evening on my arrival the chiio
came to me in sore distress.
".They will enter tomorrow aid she
Wa the grandfather's Chamber-door
| openi The fact is that since then, or
| thinking the matter over, L remembered
| that the old mans face wore an extfaorai'
| nary expression that night. 1t Is propapie
| that he had overheard us. But we SPOKE
OF The Prussians and he thought OF the
French, OF that triumpbal entry for which
| be bad waited so long-NacMah0n rldipe
| down the avenue amid flowers and trumpei
| flourishes, bis son beside the Marshal, apo
| be, the old man, upon bis balcony 10 iut
| dress, IS at Lutzeu. saluting the mtattereo
flags and the eagles black vith powder.
q "Poor old Jouve! He evidently una
pined that we wished to prevent MIN IRON
witnessing this display OF our troops &c
spare him too great excitement, Hence nt
said not a word to any one; Dut on the
morrow. at the very hour the Prussiar
hattalions cautiously entered the Ions
%thorougb,are leading from the Maillot gate
IN the Tu,lleries, his window opened soitl'
and the Colonel appeared upon the balcony
in his helmet and all bis glorious old cuiras
sier uniform. l still ask myself, VIVA
effort of will, what sudden accession OF lie
thus nut hin on his feet and into his har
ness? But certain it is that he was there
erect behind the balustrade, astonished q
find The avenue so deserted. so hushed, TIT
blinds OF the dwellings closed, Parls a
iIl-omened-looking as a pest-house, nag
every wbere-but such singular ones, al
white with red crosses on them-and III
one goine TO meet our soldiers.
"For q moment be seemed TO think ni
eyes deceived him. ,
:. But mol down behind the Arc d
TIiompbe there was a confused noise
black line advancing In the growing light
Thea, little by little, the helmets began q
} ~glistan, the drums to beat, and beneath tn
lArc de PEtoiIe, accompanied by the beav,
tramp of squads, by the clanking OF saDres
burst forth the tfiumphai march OF Schu
bertl sfl
"Tben, amid the sad silence OF th
SQUARE, arose a cry, a terrible cry: IT
arms To arms the Prussians u And Ia
four Uhlans OF the advance guard saw, u
on the balcony, a tall old man stag9er wit
unified hands and fall like a stone. Thi
time Colonel Jouve was indeed dead!"
Scotch Ghosts.