Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-27
THE SIEGE or BERLIN.

walls riddled by shells and the pavements
torn by grape shot the story Of Paris besieg-
ed. As we neared the Rond Point de l'E ollie
the doctor paused, and pointing to one OF
those great corner houses 80 sho willy group.
ed around the Arc de Triomphe-
do you see, he said to me, 'those four
closed windows above that balconyl During
the first days OF the month Of August-that
terrible August of the year 1870, 80 laden
With storms and disasters / was called there
for case OF apoplectic stroke. 1t was the
residence of Colonel Jouve, a cuirassier Of
the First Empire, an old man, his head turn.
ed With glory and patriotism. who at the be-
ginning Of the war had come TO lodge in the
Champs Elytess, In an apartment with bal
cony. Can you imagine why In order to
be present at the triumphal return OF our
troops. Poor old man The news Of Wis
sembourg came TO him as he was ri-ing from
the table. As he read the name Of Napoleon
at the foot Of the bulletin OF defeat he fell
stricken.
II found the old ouirassier stretched his
full length upon the carpet of the room, his
face flushed and dull, as IL from the blow Of
club upon the head. Erect, he must have
been very tall PROSTATE, he appeared i'm
mense. With fine features, superb teeth, a
fleece Of white cuTls, eighty years which
seemed sixty. Near him knelt his grand
daughter, all In tears. Side by side they
seemed two beautiful Greek medallons struck
from the same die. The one, antique, earth.
stained, with the contour little worn the
other, resplendent and clear, with all the
brilliancy and velyety lustre Of the new i'm
preston. -
the grief Of this child touched me. II sol.
dier's daughter and granddaughter Of sol-
der her father was on the staff of MacMa-
hon, and the image Of this old man stretched
before her worked in her mind another i'm.
age not less terrible. / treasured her as
best could, but at heart | held little hope
We bad q case Of out-and-out paralysis Of
one side, aud at 80 years that is not readily
recovered from.
"During three days, in fact, the old man
remAined in the same state of motionless stu
por. 1t was at this moment that the news OF
Reiscboden arrived at Paris. You recollect
in what strange fashion. Until evening we
all believed in a great victory-twenty thous-
and Prussians killed the Prince Royal
prisoner.
II do not know by what miracle, what
magnetic current an echo Of this national
Joy reached our poor deaf mute In the grasp
of his paralysis, but that evening, on ap.
preaching his bed, l found no longer the
same man. The eye was nearly clear, the
tongue less heavy. He had the strength to
smile at me, and stammered twice:
"'Vic to-ryT
Yes, Colonel, great victory
Aud as | gave him the details of the
splendid success of MacMahon l saw his
features relax. his face cleared.
when l went out the young girl was
awaiting me, pale and erect before the door.
She was sobbiug.
But he Is saved said to her, taking
her hands.
'The unhappy child had hardly the cour-
age to answer me. The true news of Reis-
chotfen had Just been posted Mahon in
flight the whole army crushed. Oar eyes
met in CONSERVATION. She was desolate
thinking Of her father. was trembling
thinking OF the old man. Surely he would
not resist this fresh shock. Bot what was to
be done. Leave him his joy, the illusions
which had brought him back to life? But
then it would be necessary 10 deceive him.
Every we'll, shall deceive him 7 said the
heroic girl quickly, wiping away her tears,
aud all radiant she went back into her grand.
fathers room.
TT was a hard task which she had taken
upon herself. For few days all went we'll
The old mans head was feeble, and he let
himself be misled like a child. But with re-
turning health his ideas became clearer. 1t
was necessary to keep him informed of the
movement Of the armies to prepare military
bulletins for him. 1t was really pitiful to see
this beautiful girl bent night and day over
her map of Germany, pricking out little
ha4s, forcing herself TO combine a whole glo-
rous campaign. Bazaine directed upon Ber.
lin, Frossard in Bavaria, MAcMahon upon the
Baltic. For all this she asked my advice, and
l aided her as much as could, but it was the
grandfather after all who helped us most in
this i'm UfnaFy invaaiOn He haA
Germany so many times under the FIRST En-.
pire He knew in advance all the moves
Now, there's whore they're going. That's
what they'll do = and his predictions were al
ways realized, which gave him no little
pride.
"Unfortunately il was in vain that we took
cities, gained battles-we never went fast
enough for him. That old man was insatia.
ble Each day when arrived learned of g
! new feat of arms.
"'Doctor, we have taken Mayence,' the
young girl would say, approaching me with
a heartbroken smile, and heard through the
| door Joyous voice which cried out to me,
We're getting on Ia eight days We shall
enter Berlin " At that moment the Prussians
we're not more than eight days from Paris.
| We questioned at first whether it would not
| be better to remove him to the country but
| once out OF doors, the state of France would
| nave revealed all to him, and l deemed him
still too feeble, too bewildered by his great
| shook to permit him to know the truth. 1t
was decided to remain.
"The FIRST day OF the investment of the
city went up to their apartment, recollect,
very much moved, with that anguish of heart
which was brought to us all by the closed
gates of Paris the battle under the walls our
suburbs became frontiers. found the good
| man iuhiIant and nroud
"'Eh, bien !" he said to ma, the siege has
| commenced then
II looked at him stupehed.
| "'What, Colonel, you knowH
''His granddaughter turned toward me
"'Ah Yes doctor, it is the great news.
The siege of Berlin has commenced
'She said that plying her needle with such
a tranquil little air. How could he suspect
anythingl He could not hear the cannon of
the forts. This unfortunate Paris, desolate
and upturned. he could not see it What he
did see from his bed was panel Of the Arc
de TriOmphe, and in his room, about him, a
complete brio a-brao of the First Empire
we'll calculated to maintain his illusions. Por-
traits OF NJ ,rshals. engravings of battles, the
| King of Rome in baby dress; then the great,
stiff side tables ornamented with copper tro-
phies, loaded with imperial relics, with me.
dallions bronzss, fragment Of the rock OF
| st. Helena under glass, various miniatures OF
the same lady, all becurled in ball costume,
with a yellow robe, mutton leg sleeves and
clear eyes and all this-tbe side tables the
King of Rome, the Marshals, the yellow Ia
dies with the high shoulders aud short waists,
of that awkward stiffness which was the grace
of 1906 was this atmosphere of victories
aud cOnquests, even more than all that We
could say TO him, that made the brave Colo.
mel believe 80 ntively in this siege of Berlin
''From this time we found our military op,
erations much simpli6ed. Taking Berlin wai
now only a matter of patience. From time
to time when the old man worried too much
letter from his son would be read to him =
an imaginary letter Of course, as nothing nov
entered Paris, and as since Sedan, the aide
de- camp of MaeMahon had been sent to
fortress in Germany. You can imagine the
despair of that poor child, without news OF
her father, knowing him To be prisoner, de
prived of everything, sick perhaps, and her
self obliged to make him speak In joyoui