The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-02-16
Wait o bit. I will notify


of my DOORS. opened and / saw advanc-
ing toward me tall Prussian, booted,
spurred, with long grayish side-whisk-
ers, who, with both hands extanded,
exclaimed in excellent French: M.
Riveti Is it you, nj. RivetY
Yes, it is /!
"'Ah! you have done we'll to come.
How happy am to see your
"And those two Piussian hands were
still extended toward me, but l patri-
otically held my two French hands at a
distance, as far as possible, behind my
back.
"'Ah! you are preiudiced,' said the
Colonel, bursting into beastly and
heavy laugh. L see how it is-you are
preiudiced. Very well; You will get
over your preiudices. But come along,
come along quickly. We are at table.
but don't want anything to eat.
"'You don't want to breakfast with
us. More preiudices But you must
come along, nevertheless, for the Bar
onne is at table with us and will be en-
chanted to see you
""The Baronne! A Baronne en-
chanted to see mel
"But, without listening to me, with
out answering me, the Colonel grasped
me by the arm and, pushing me before
him, made me cross my salon; then,
opening the door of my dining-roon,
he cried:
Madame Ia Baronne, here is your
uncle, here is M. Rivetp
"AnG .sinen / saw, seated at my table,
eight or ten Prussian officers and, in
the midst of these officers, Antoinette-
Antoinette, who had on one of my wife's
velvet dresses. My wife's diamond ear
rings were in her ears, all my wife's
rings on her fingers. Ny wife's neck
lace of black pearls was about her neck
and all my wife's bracelets were clasped
around her wrists. Rubies sparkled in
her hair and sapphires shone upon her
corsage. Antoinette was no longer
Antoinette-she was the show-window
of a iewelry shop!
"Antoinette, on seeing me enter, arose
quickly, turned very red, and let this
cry escape her: Monsieur, it is mon
sieurp Then quitting the table i'm
mediately, she ran to me, threw herself
violently upon my neck and began to
kiss me furiously, exclaiming: All!
how happy am TO see youp Then she
renewed her kisses, whispering in my
ear, Kiss me, kiss me very tendefly y
OF course / complied with her request,
and she showered another food of kiss
es upon me, and while continuing to
whisper to me: Seem more affected
than that! l am your niece, speak to
me lovingly-ah that's better-it is to
save Madame's diamonds We went on
kissing before all the Prussians. The
able, Antoinette being a charming little
person. All the officers stared ut me.
and had the air of saying to them
selves:
How delightful to be able to kiss
that pretty girl as much as you want
tor
And, naturally, this excited me!
But, after two or three minutes con-
secrated to this kissing business, min
gled with revelations and explanations,
Antoinette took me by the hand, led me
around the table, and obliged me to seat
myself beside her then, with much grace
and self-possession, she presented to me
in turn all my Prussian guests: Mon
sieur the Col. So-and-so, of the I'd
dragons, the Maj. So-and-so of the Sd
hussars, etc, etc. AS for me, L was
like one intoxicated, and l assure you
that | must be pardoned for having re-
manned thus seated for an hour at that
table, amid all those dragons and all
those hussars. / no longer knew either
where l was or what was taking place
around me, but, nevertheless, l have
preserved q very clear recollection of
the extraordinary conversation which
ensued, and in which, despite myself, L
was compelled to participate.
"Well, M. Rivet, said the Colonel,
L hope you will bring lime. Rivet
back Immediately. We lead charm
ing life here, as your niece will tell you.
We are not at all the savages which your
beastly journals call us
And then the Colonel gave vent to a
burst of the same heavy laughter which
little while before had shaken my
nerves. Instantly all the officers in
concert, as if obeying a command, aban-
doned themselves to violent hilarity.
There is lively and light gayety,
which is French gayety, and there is
another gayety, numbering and brutal,
which is Prussian gayety.
No, we are not savages, continued
the Colonel, and you can not condemn
Nine. Rivet to pass the winter in a
howell at the seaside-for we shall re-
main here the whole winter. Not on
account of the siege of Paris-oh, no!
Paris will be taken in five or six days,
the 1st of November, at the latest.
But there will be, perhaps, cartain diff
culties about the re-establisbment Of
the Emperor
1.-The re-establishment of the En-
perorg
GO Certainly; you can readily see that,
for your own interest, we shall be
obliged to disembarrass you of your
absurd republic. Beside, the Emperor
has received good lesson; he has be-
come reasonable; he will no more dis
turb the peace of Europe, while with
your republic one could be sure of
nothing Yes, we will restore yon your
Emperor, despite all the bawling of
/ vopr bnost1v io,,rpo1o,