The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-22

| also at the parting with his Old Guard. At
noon on the day previous to his departure for
Elba after his first abdication in the court yard
of the palace of Fontainebleau, the veteran regi-
| ments of the Old Guard were drawn up to re-
| ceive the parting words of their exiled En-
| peror. After delivering his farewell address he
/ beckoned General Petit, the commander of the
| Guard, who came slowly forward and stood with
bowed head between the Guard and the EN-
/ peror. Napoleon approached the General, and,
with tears dimming his eyes, encirded him
tcnderly IN his arms and drew him to his breast.
| With this demonstration of kindness and
| affection on the part of Napoleon, the General
| broke down and sobbed aloud The Guard was
! likewise affected. and for some moments nothing
| but sobs and means were heard throughout
| their ranks and tears flowed thick and last
down the bronzed cheek of those weather
| beaten and battle worn warriors. He wept, Also
| upon the occasion of his divorce and separation
| from Josephine, preparatory to his marriage
| for ssstate purposes" with the ArchOucheSS Marie
Louise of Austria. Again. overcome with an
| guish at the humiliation of his faithful" Guard
| at Waterloo he vented his anguish in deep signs,
1 aud subsequently, at an interview with Caulain-
court, while dwelling upon the terrible destruc-
ton to all his devoted troops upon that fatal field,
| he broke down and burst into sobs and tears.
| The other occasions upon which Napoleon wept
| are too numerous to mention. Suffice 1t to say
that, though he is put down in history as the
greatest Of the worlds soldiers, yet it is as the
one who ''wept and sighed, and trembled like
woman
! Marcus Brutus the chief of the assassins of
Caesar, wept at the 'fate of the Xanthians."
/ After the death of Caesar Brutus retired into
| ASIA where with his army, he laid siege to
| Xanthus, one of the Greek cities of Asia Minor.
| The Xapthians had long been famed for the des-
| perate valor with which they defended their
| homes Ages before, during the Persian war,
the ancestors of the present Xanthians had set
| fire to their city and burned it to the ground,
| thousands of them voluntarily perishing In
the flames rather than submit to the Persian
| yoke. Now, again. was to be displayed the deS-
perate vaor of that indomitable people-this
| time against the Romans. Upon the approach
| of the Roman army the popuace from all parts
| of the surrounding country crowded into the
| city AS the siege progressed favorably to the
Romans and all hope of successful resistance
had fed, the present inhabitants resolved to en-
ulate the action of their ancestors and seek
| grave beneath the ruins of their burning city
rather than submit to the Romans. They
cordingly fired their city simultaneously in vari-
| Gus parts, and then commenced the work of self
| destruction. Men, women and children, in full
| gaze of the Romans, standing on the roofs Of
their houses, leaped into the flames or, Chamber
| ing to the top of the walls, stabbed them
selves, cut their throats. fell upon their
| swords, or, besmearing themselves with burning
| oil or other combustbes, threw themselves
| upon the heads of the asssailants Brutus, hor-
rified at the CHASTITY sight rode around the walls
/ like one demented, wringing mis- hands stretch
| ing forth his arms, weeping and waline lmplor-
| ing Xanthians to spare themselves. promising
| them his clemeDcy, beseeching them to accept
] the assistance of the Romans in extingushing
| the flames and offering heavy reward to any of
| the Romans who would save the life Of Kan
| THAN But all to no avail Out of populous
| and overcrowded city but $50 escaped and they
| were saved against the most persistant efforts
| to destroy themselves. On another occasion
Brutus lamented bitterly over the corpse of Cas-
sius and when recounting the names of those
| who had been slain before his eyes at Philippi,
he sighed heavily at the mention of Fiavius
| and Lebeo."
| Besides the instance already cited of the weep
| ing of the Old Guard at the parting with Napo-
| lean. there are many other instances of the
| French armies having wept. Napoleon said that
| the cannon ball which struck and stunned
| Marshal Besseres, at the battle Of Wagram,
| drew tears from every man in his Guard they
supposing him to have been killed, and at the
| death of Duroc they crowded around and stood
silent and fearful by the side of their weeping
| Emperor" And it was very common occur
renee, when making his customary rounds
| among the dead and wounded after a battle, for
the eyes of the dying soldiers to fill with tears of
| gratitude at the kind words and affectionate
deeds of Napoleon. Upon the occasion of Alex
anders grief, at the refusal of his officers to go
further with him in his world conquest, the
whole army crowded around his tent and with
tears in their eyes implored him to forego further
conquest and return homeward. AT another
| time, when he had dismissed for some mutt
nous conduct his guards and filled their places
with Persians, they disarmed themselves clad
/
tent, where they remained for two days and
nights weeping and moaning and imploring their
| dear master" to receive them back into his
service The Roman army under Antony, in his
Parthian expedition, having crossed in their
| treat the river Araxes, wept with JOY and kissed
| the ground in alteration at the deliverance from
/ all their tolls and sufferings. Upon hearing that
! Otho 1.-The ruined gambler who played for en-
pire, but lost ia battle fought with one of his
| rivals near the city of Bedracum having de-
| clared against him-had resolved to commit
| suicide the Roman forces under his command
were frantic with grief. They to his
residence, crowded around his gates, seized
| his hands, kissed them fell at his feet, and with
groans and tears implored him not to forsake
/ them. To disprove a rumor that his troops
would go to his rival when the opportunity
| afforded private stepped from the ranks, APP
| preached Ohio and said, ''Know, Caesar, what
/ your soldiers are ready to do for you" Drawing
his sword from its scabbard, he plunged it into
his heart and fell dead upon the spot Despite
| this proof of attachment on the part Of his sol
| diers, Ohio, seeing his luck was against him,
| with the careless air of gambler who has
! played his last trump and lost. threw up the
| game, committed suicide, and handed the
pire over to his successful rival. 1t is needless
| to state that upon his death there was another
| great turnout in the camp.
There are many other instances of great gen
| erals, whole armies and the various sects of
philosophers having wept but a further nara
| ton would be but repetition of similar circum
STANCES, Will Lie SaIIl6 OF Will
uals, and would be monotonous to the reader.
Enough has already been said, perhaps to
change the opinions of some regarding the sub
| ject of tears. Whether tears, or the shedding of
| them, really should be considered ''womanly
weakness, or manly attribute" is a matter
| somewhat difficult to determine, and which the
writer will not attempt Some OF the most COM
mon instances of their having been shed. to-
| gether with the circumstances under which it
occurred, frequently by men whose characters
as to manliness are certainly beyond question,
have been furnished and the drawing of conclu
sions as to their true metaphysical sense will be
left to the intelligence of the reader.
| Mothers Jewels.
| Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.
i 1t may be only Barlow knife with rusty