, 1881-07-29

i4Ah4s 1lI1 OCAIGNC oO
ly in the siege of Berlin.
From that day our military opera
tions became more simple. To take Ber-
lin was only an affair of time and pa
tience. Occasionally, when hours hung
letter from his son, an imaginary one, of
course, for nothing entered Paris now,
and since Sedan the marshals aide-de-
camp had been imprisoned III German
fortress. Can you fancy that poor child's
despair, as. without news from her
father, knowing him to be a prisoner,
and perhaps an invalid, she had to make
him speak in Joyous letters, a tritie short,
such as q soldier in the field might
write, as he advanced steadily into the
enemy's country. Sometimes her strength
would break down, and then We We were
weeks without news. The old Colonel
then would be anxious and wakeful
Then quickly came q letter from Ger
MANY. which she would gayly read at
his bedside, while she choked back her
tears. He would listen religiously, smile
in a knowing way, approve and crltlclse,
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 a Frenchman, he would say,
and be generous to those poor people;
don't let the invasion weigh too heavily
upon them; and there were interminable
recommendations, and lovely little SER
mons, on respect to private property,
gentleness towards ladies, a true military
code for the use of the cOnquerors. And
he would add some general pollctlcaI
considerations as to the conditions OF
peace which should be imposed upon the
nquished-indemnity for the war, and
nothing more. What could 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 listened.
''All this time the siege was progress
ing; 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
him, the old man was not for a moment
troubled. To the end I was able to pro-
cure little fresh meat and white bread
for him; but only enough for him; and
you cannot fancy anything more touch
ing than those grandfather's breakfasts,
so innocently selfish--the old colonel on
his bed smiling and cared for, with his
napkin tied under his chin, and near him
his grandchild, the palor of privation on
her cheeks, guiding his hand, giving him
drink, helping him to eat all the good
forbidden fruit. And then strengthened
and animated by his repast in the COM
fort of his warm room, with the wild
winter wind outside, and the snow driv-
ing against his windows, the old cuiras-
sier would relate his campaign in the
north, and for the hundredth time would
tell us of that sinister retreat from Rus
sia. when there was only frozen biscuit
and horsefesh TO eat.
"'Can you realize that, little girl? We
absolutely used to eat horsefeshp
''You can imagine if she realized itl
For two months she had been eating
nothing else.
"But, day by day, as he became con-
valescent. our task at the bedside became
harder and harder. The torpor of his
limbs, and of his senses, which had
served us SO well, commenced to pass
away. Two or three times already the
SAA&aI SCo I@OnA bAAC
had caused him to start and listen like a
hound on the scent. We had to inventa a
last victory of Bazaine's under the walls
of Berlin, and salvos of artillery dis
charged from the Invalides TO celebrate
it.
"One day when we had drawn his bed
to the Window think it was the Thurs
day of Buzenal-he saw clearly enough
some volunteers massed on the avenue
of the Grand Army.
"'What can those troops be?" he
asked, and we heard him grumbling be-
tween his teeth: ''Poor forml very poor
formp'
Nothing further came of it; but we
realized that we must take great precau-
tions. Unfortunately we were not eau
tious enough.
"One evening as L arrived, the girl met
me much distressed. They are to enter
tomorrow, she said. Was her grand
fathers door open? Thinking it over
since, / can recall that he had a 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
French, and of that triumphant entry
for which he had so long been waiting.
MacMahon riding down the avenue mid
flowers and music, and his son by the
marshal's side, and-he, the old Colonel
on his balcony, in full uniform as Lut-
zen, saluting the battle-tera standards
and the eagles blackened by powder.
"Poor old Colonell He fancied. no
doubt, that we wished to prevent him
from witnessing the display of our troops
to save him from too great emotion. And
so he spoke of 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 Maillot to the Tuiller ries, that win
dow up there was softly opened, and the
Colonel appeared upon the balcony with
his helmet on and his long sword. and
all the time-stained uniform of an old
cuirassier. still wonder at the power
of will and strength of life which en-
abled him thus to arise and put on his
harness. But it is certain that there he
stood. erect behind the railing, wonder
ing to see the wide avenues so deserted. |
SO silent, the blinds all drawn, Paris as |
dumb as great pest-house, flags every |
where. but sueh strange ones, white with |
= red cross. and no one there to welcome |
bur soldiers
''For a moment he believed himself /
mistaken.
But no. Over there. behind the