Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-20
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN.
A Faithful Granddaughter I'm
aginary Campaign.

the Champs Elysees with DIR. ". trac-
ing in the walls riddled by shells and
the pavements torn by grapeshot the
story of Paris besieged, AS we neared
the Pond Point de rEtoile the doctor
paused, and pointing to one of those
great corner houses so showily grouped
around the Arc de Triomphe--
''Do you see," he said to me, "those
four closed windows above that bal
cony? During the first days of the
month of August-that terrible August
of the year 1870, SO laden with storms
and disaster, | was called there for a
case of apoplcctic stroke. 1t was the
residence of Colonel Jouve, a cuiras-
sier of the First Empire, an old man,
his head turned with glory and patriot
ism, who at the beginning of the war
had come 10 lodge in the Champs
Elysees, in an apartment with a bal
cony. Can you imagine whyp In
order to be present at the triumphal
return of our troops. Poor old man!
The news of Wissembourg came to
him rs he was rising 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 cuirassier stretched
his full length upon the carpet of the
room, his face flushed and dull, as if
from the blow of a club upon the head.
Erect, he must have been very tall;
PROSTATE, he appeared immense. With
fine feature, superb teeth, fleece of
white curls, eighty years which seemed
sixty. Near him knelt his granddaugh-
ter, all in tears. She resembled him.
Side by side they seemed two beautiful
Greek medallions struck from the same
die. The one, antique, earth-stained,
with the contour little worn; the
other, Respondent and clear, with all
the brilliancy and lustcr Of the new i'm
preston.
1.-The grief of this child touched me.
A soldiers daughter and grand
daughter of soldier, her father was
on the staff of MacMahon, and the
image Of this old man stretched before
her worked in her mind another image
not less terrible. l treasured her as
best could, but at heart held little
hope. We had a case of out-and-out
paralysis of one side, and at eighty
years that is not readily recovered
from.
During three days, in fact, the old
man remained in the same state of
motionless stupor. 1t was at this
moment that the news of Reischoffen
arrived at Paris. You recollect in
what O strange fashion. Until even
ing we all believed in great victory
twenty thousand Prussians killed; the
Prince Royal prisoner.
81 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 approaching his
bed, ! found no longer the same man.
The eye was nearly clear, the tongue
less heavy. He had strength to smile
at me, and stammcred twice:
"Vic-to-ryp"
eyes, Colonel, great victoryr
"And as / gave him the details Of
the splendid success of MacMahon
saw his features relax, his face cleared.
"When / went out the young CIR
was awaiting me, pale and erect, be-
fore the door. She was sobbing.
"'But he is saved said to her.
taking her hands.
1.-THE unhappy child had hardly the
courage to answer me. The true news
of Reischofien had just been posted
MacMahon in flight; the whole army
crushed. Our eyes met in consterna.
father. ] was trembling thinking o.
the old man. Surely he would no
resist this fresh shock. But what wa!
to be done. Leave him his Joy, tn,
illusions which had brought him bach
to lifep But then it would be neces
sary to deceive him.
"'Very well, / shall deceive him!
said the heroic girl quickly, wipins
away her tears, and all radiant sh,
went back into her grandfather room
1T was hard task which she hat
taken upon herself. For few days al
went well. The old mans head wa!
feeble, and he let himself be misled lik,
a child. But with returning health hi
ideas became clearer. II was necessary
to keep him informed of tho move
ment of the armies, to prepare militar,
bulletins for him. Ii was really pitifu
to see this beautiful girl bent night an,
day over her map of Germany, prick
ing out little flags, forcing herself L
combine whole glorious campaign
Bazaine directed upon Berlin, Frossar,
in Bavaria. MacMahon upon the Bal
tic. For all this she asked my advice
and aided her rs much as could, bu
il was the grandfather after all VIII
helped us most in this imaginary inva
sion. lie had conquered Germany 81
many shines under The First Empire
He knew in advance all the moves
Now. there's whore they're going
Thct 4 aI,at thcx'll dor and his 6rc