Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-28

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yOu2 Here are forcing beds covered
With glass frames fragile things which
have been smashed as the soldiers
have trodden on them. Which one Of
these frames Is Of glass Ead wood. and
which the painted semblanee OF thems
A regular Tabble wall stretches along
in one plaes. and here Is green gate to
stable With q veil at the side. Are
they real or are they eAnvEg The few
bits o. meagre turf, still showing their
green, for il Is winter. are New York
sois, or are they painted? Only the
absolute touching Of them could de
eide. The Trick Of the thing has been
to mingle the actual and the artificial
with such subtlety, to piece out nature
BY means Of art, that the more the
spectator looks the more puzzled be
gets.
Around the great circle stretches
the scene Of combat. On the 18th OF
January, 1871, a vigorous sortie OF
some 100 men was made out OF be-
.sieged Paris 10 order 70 break through
the Prussian lines. Taking the Mont
Valerien as the base, thres French
columns, commanded By Generals
IDucrot, De Bellemare and FiuOy, we're
to make q direct attack on Versailles.
The housetop, the center Of the pano-
rama, is not far IRON the Prussisn
lines, and it would have been certain
death to have stood there. Near Il Is
the redoubt Of Montretout The Ger
mans had held 1t, and the small force
occupying it had been captured and
are being moved away. But It's oeeu-
pancy seems impossible. Ii is direstly
under 4 plungiBg hre from the Ger
man batteries on various points Of the
horizon, and Is un,enable By either
side, as the guns Of Mont Fslerien
| could reduce il TO powder. As seen
in the picture, il Is the locus Of the
| German FIRE. The French are doing
their best 70 hold il, and want 70 di.
rect . heavy FIRE on the neighborinE
houses, occupied b. the German IN
fsntry. Some four large guns are
being hurried up, but the
roads are heavy and the
artillery horses and men are
suffering from the German FIRE. Just
beyond the redoHbt > regiment i ling
hst on the grouBd in order 70 essspes
mar3erOus ERE. for > shell i bursting
jest near them. They are returning
the FIRE directed toward them from the
houses. which the Pussians have loop
holed. Beyond them is the advance,
the PreLeh skirmishers. They have
1kea saysBsgs Of every inch Of
ground. Some Of the sharpshOoers
are creeping close 70 the walls uhieb
divide the gsf3sos. OtheEs efOEeh BE-
hind trees. while some. stretched On
heaps Of manure. sretTyiDgto dislodge
the 6srusnA
AEsJoE i Psrs b5o1d the Seine.
and the Are De TriDuYbe S. Augus
ia. the 6eZs q the InTzlides. the
Pzntbeg1- Aoys Dane. al those veil
kBgEn lzn1E1ks q tie French eaU.
81 are E1sitls. A regiment Of The
Az6p1zl Guards i closiNg il columns
O tie highFsy. AID II their advance
Il ; sEsrn 81 brave fellows. toe
kfknrts1ss d the Ierues. Who are
tssrnT 1l0og toward the Park
POM d DDrFa. There are Whit Of
smoke eTeyEhers, % rztsrsl that yoB
eIpsg iosss hsn bl0EzE2yand hear
tie fhErp erzsklg 81 the chassepot
Away u n the distance artillery On
oDth Edsf - pounding away from
eTery eeTstioa
Ihs DeTfsi DrO 10 strategy car
selze the p9siiion The Prussizns al
gooef eoTsf Everywhere, aud the AZ.
lacking party al exposed French
l0sses we're hezgy, some 300 killed
aod EouBdsd. bbl Il i bs art Of var
y tZdt snoer ever when you can.
Ihis isa bare description Of The action.
such 1v details e. sDy one can eathef
IRON an account d No~ntretout. Bgt
u js the s~rtistie Effects which are
much more difficult % describe. Heye
are theVsaods 81 aggfss drawn aud
painted with the greatest skill The
ehsrAclerlsii9 81 ths French soldier
are preserved EYery individual
movement Of the man himself 1,
: caught. These are not rove Of wood
60 soldiers, marked a With parallel
a1lers, but a struggling mas Of mes
who are sighting for their country. II
does convey the best idea Of that mos
dreadful Of all human actions bzt,le
and = battle il 70 diverse In ~ Incl
dents, composed Of % many detsebel
movements, Of 70 many isolated Al
, tacks, that 10 NJ way better than b,
! a panorama can IT, movements 4,
understood II il IL irsgineDtary 4,
! a thousand places, is agonlzing mel
dents are non the less manifest. /
q the difficulties Of details Of draxirg /,
: regard 70 the Infinite number al Ggnys
Introduced we're all for which nrais
. could be accorded, there are ollie
parts Of this picture which have direc
4 claims for admiration The landgeane
: us rise and swell Of bin, the eourse =
the river, the bridges, ali nature on
huge scale, is m%aryelously cobied
Here are villages, villas. iarm.
o churches, houses, which are not weal
washes on canvas, but stand out IA /
they were Of solid construction. Their
d IS one out house, with its garden. N
n building showing the weather stsin,
d which is perfect. Now, people Of .,
q IRENE aesthetic motives, more %esnscisl
ly 10 this country, may turn no tbei
noses IN sovereign contempt' In,
deprecate the idea that anything ~,
be taught OF IN artistic Character bv
It panorama. This self asserted knowl
q edge often resents Whist deceiyes IA An
IS we on that account might be- i%nclino
to pooh pooh such effects as ara an
e to Mr.. Philippoteaux. but n
o fullest appreciation Of its exoeneoc
will be derived from the general mi
0 lie. Artists, most especially DO,
e who paint our theatrical scenery. Nj
be quite certain to End q vast amour