The Princeton union., 1881-08-18


the yellow ladies seemed all high girdled
and short wasted, with that quaint stiffness
which was graceful in 1906. Poor, brave
colonel! It was this atmosphere of VIC
tories and conquest, much more than all
we could tell him, which made him be-
lieve SO sincerely in the siege Of Berlin.
From that day our military operations
became more simple. To take Berlin was
only an affair of time and patience Oc-
casionally when the hours hung heavily for
the old m IN, we read him letter from his
son, an imaginary one, Of course, for moth
ing entered Paris now, and since Sedan,
the marshal's aid de- camp had been i'm
prisoned in a German fortress. Can you
fancy that poor child's despair, as. without
news from her father, knowing him to be
prisoner, and perhaps an invalid, she had
to make him speak N joyous letters, a trife
short, such as a soldier in the field might
write, as he advanced steadily into the en-
emy's country? Sometimes her strength
would break down, and then we were weeks
without news. The old colonel then would
be anxious and wakeful. Then quickly
came letter from Germany, which she
would gayly read at his bedside, while she
choked back her tears. He would listen
re]igiously, smile in knowing way, ap-
prove and crihcise, and explain to us the
passages that were a little obscure. But
where he came out best of all was in the
answers he would send to his son: Never
forget that you are q Frenchman,' he would
say, and be generous to those poor people;
don't let the invasion weigh too heavily up
on them;' and there we're interminable rec
concentrations and lovely little sermons on
the respect of private property, gentleness
toward ladies, a true military code for the
use OF the couquerors. And he would add
some general political considerations as to
the conditions of peace which should be
imposed upon the vanauished-indemn
for the war, and nothing more. What
would be the use of taking their provinces?
Can you make any France out Of Germany?
And he would dictate it all with such
clear voice, with so much candor in his
words, with such deep patriotic
faith, that it was impossible not to be
moved and touched as we sat by and list
ened.
"All this time the siege was progressing;
not that Of Berlin, alas! We had to
pass through intense frosts lombard
ments, epidemics and then famine. But
thanks to our efforts and our care, and the
indefatigable and tender attentions
which his grandchild multiplied
around Linn, The old man was
not for moment troubled To the
end I was able to procure a little fresh
meat and white bread for him; but only
enough for him; and you cannot fancy any
thing more touching than those grandfath-
er's breakfasts, SO innocently selfsh-the
old colonel Oh his bed, smiling, and cared
fo-, with his napkin tied under his chin
and near him his grandchild, the pallor of
privation on her cheeks, guiding his hands,
giving him drink, helping him to eat all the
good forbidden fruit And then, strength
ened and animated by his repast in the
| winter wind outside, and the snow drifting
against the windows, the old cuirassier
| would relate his campaigns in the north.
And for the hundredth time would tell us
of that sinister retreat from Russia. when
there was only frozen biscuits and horse
flesh to eat.
"Can you realize that, little girl? We
absolutely used to eat horse1esh!'
You can imagine if she realized it! For
two months the poor child had been eating
nothing else.
But from day to day,as he became con-
valescent, our task at the invalid's bedside
became harder and harder. The torpor of
his limbs and of his senses, which had
served rs SO we'll, commenced to pass away.
Two or three times already the furious
charges from the Porte Maillot had caused
him to start and listen like a hound on the
scent. We had to invent last victory of
b .Zaine's under the walls Of Berlin, and
salvos of artillery discharged from the In.
valides to celebrate it.
One day when we had drawn his bed to
| the window think it was the Thursday of
Buzenvalhe saw clearly enough some vol
| unteers massed on the avenue of the Grand
Army.
What can those troops be?" he asked,
and we heard him grumbling between his
teeth: Poor form! very poor form!'
Nothing further came of it; but we re-
allied that we must take greater precau-
tons Unfortunately we were not for
tunate enough.
"One eveniBg as arrived the girl met
me much distressed. They are to enter
to. morrow, she said. Was her grandfath-
er's door open? Thinking it over since. I
ean recall that he had strange expression
on his countenance that night He had
probably overheard US. Only we were
speaking Of the Prussians, and the old man
was thinking of the FIench, and of that
triumphant entry for which he had SO long,
been waiting MacMahon riding down the
avenue amid flowers and music, with his
son by the marshals side, and he, the old
colonel, on his balcony in full uniform as
at Lutzen, saluting the battle torn standards
and eagles blackened by powder.
! Poor old colonel! He fancied, no
doubt, that We wished to prevent him from
witnessing tie display of our troops to save
him from too great emotion. And so he
spoke o. 1t to no one. But the next day at
the very hour when the Prussian battalions
cautiously entered the long stretch which
leads from the Porte Mailot to the Tuiler-
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