The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-15

atons on politics. the conditions of peace to be
imposed on the vanquished. On this point am
bound to say he was not exacting.
Repayment of the cost of the war and moth
ing more What good is taking their provincess
Can you make France out Of Germany
He dictated this in firm voice, and there
was such candor in his words, such a beautiful
patriotic faith, that it was impossible to listen
unmoved
Meanwhile the siege was constantly advan-
cling. Not that of Berlin alas! 1t was the time
of the great cold, of the bombardment, OF the
epidemic, of the famine. But thanks to our
care and effort-to the indefatigable tenderness
that surrounded him-the serenity of the old
man was not Cor an instant disturbed Up to the
last was able TO get white bread for him and
fresh meat. 1t only for him, indeed
and You cannot imagine anything more touching
than those innocently selfish breakfasts of the
grandfather-the old man on his bed fresh and
smiling, the napkin tucked under his chin: near
him his granddaughter little pallid from priva
tons, guiding his hands, giving him drink,
helping him to eat all these forbidden good
things. Then, animated by the meal, in the
comfort OF his warm room, the winter wind
without, the snow tossing about his windows,
the old cuirassier recalled his campaigns in the
North, and recounted to us for the hundredth
time that terrible retreat from Russia, when
there was nothing but frozen biscuit and horse
flesh to eat
" Do you understand that, little one?-we ate
/ horsefesh.
did she understand it. For two months she
had eaten nothing else.
From day to day, however, in proportion as
convalescence approached, our task with the
sick man grew more difficult. That dulling of
all his senses which had served well until then
commenced to disappear. Two or three times
already the terrible broadsides of the Port
Maiilot had made him start with ears erect like
hunting dog. We had to invent a like victory
of Bazaine under the walls of Berlin, and salutes
fired in honor of it on the Hospital of the lnva-
| lides. Another day, when his bed had been
pushed near the window-it was, | think, the
Thursday of Buzenyal-he saw plainly the Ma
tional Guards, who formed in the Avenue of the
Grande Armee.
What troops are thoser demanded the old
man, and we heard him grumbling between his
teeth
"'Bad drill. bad drillH
HE said nothing more about it, but we saw
that henceforth we would have to take great
precautions. Unfortunately there were not
enough taken. -
Zone evening as came In the girl came to me
very much troubled:
"To morrow they enter she said to me.
WAS the door of the grandfathers room
open! The fact is that on thinking of it since
recall that he had that evening an extraordinary
expression. 1t is probable that he had heard US.
Only we spoke of the Prussians, and he good
| man, was thinking of the French, for whose
triumphal entry he had waited SO long MacMa
hon coming down the avenue amid flowers, the
flourish of trurpets. his son by the side of the
Marshal, and he, the old man, his balcony in
fulldress uniform as at Lutzen saluting the torn
| flags and the eagles black with powder.
Poor Father Jouve! He doubtless imagined
| that we wished to prevent his witnessing the
parade Of our troops in order to guard him from
too great emotion, so he carefully refrained from
| speaking of it to any one but On the morrow. at
| the very hour that the Prussian battalions
advanced cautiously on the long road which
| led from the Port of Maillot to the
| Tuileries an upper window was gently raised,
and the colonel appeared on the balcony with his
helmet, his great saber, his glorious old uniform
| of the ancient cuirassier of Mihaud complete
/ still wonder what effort of will, what rebound
of life thus put him upon his feet and into uni
form. What is certain is that he was there,
erect behind the railing astoDished at finding
the avenues so wide-so stil-the blinds of the
houses closed Paris desolate as great pest
house, flags everywhere; but so singular, all
white with red crosses, and no one to meet our
soldiers.
For moment he could believe himself mis-
taken. But no! down there behind the Arc de
Triomphe there was confused noise, a black
| line which advanced in the rising light. Then
little by little the spikes of the helmets flashed
| the little drums of jena began to beat, and TN
der the Arc de / Etoile, its rhythm marked by
| the heavy tramp of the seconds and the clash Of
| sabres, burst forth the triumphal march of
Schubert
''ihen in the gloomy sien> of the place
there was heard a cry-a terrible cry-"ro arms
TO arms The Prussiansn And the four Uhlans
of the advance guard could see up there on the
balcony tall old man stagger, and, waving his
arms, fall rigid.
This time Colonel Jouve was indeed dead. !"