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

letters, little short, az a soldier on the field
would write, always advancing into the con.
querod country. Sometimes strength failed
| her weeks would pass without news. But
the old man grew restless and no longer slept.
| Then there quickly arrived q letter from Ger
many, which she came and read TO him gay
ly by bis bedside, REFRESHING her tears. The
Colonel listened relgously, smiled siRnih-
cantly, approved, criticised, explained to US
the confused passages But the finest OF all
we're the answers he sent to his son. Never
forget that you are French, he would say TO
him. BE generous with these poor people.
Do not make the invasion too burdensome.'
And there were interminable ecommenda.
tlons admirable preaching on respect for the
proprieties the politeness due to ladies-a
regular code Of military honor for the use of
conquerors. There we're also general consid-
erauons on politics, the conditions Of peace
to be imposed on the vanquished. On this
point am bound to say he was not eIactiDg.
Repayment Of the cost Of the war aud
nothing more. What good in taking their
provinces Can you make France out Of
GermanyT
'He dictated this in firm voice, and there
was such candor in bis words, such beauti-
full, patriotic faith that it was impossible to
listen unmoved.
Meanwhile the siege was constantly ad-
vancing. Not that of Berlin, alas II was
the time Of the great cold of the lombard
ment OF the epidemic, Of the famine. But,
thanks to our care aud ehort--to the indefa
tigable tenderness that surrounded him-the
serenity Of the old man was not for an in.
slant disturbed. Up to the last was able to
get white bread for him and fresh meat. It
was only for him, indeed and you cannot
imagine anything more touching than those
innocently selfish breakfasts Of tho grand
father-the old man on his bed fresh and
smiling, the napkin tucked under bis chin
near HIM his granddaughter, a little pallid
from privatons, guiding his hands, giving
him drink, helping him 10 eat all these for
hidden 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 horst flesh to eat.
"'Do you understand that, Little One p
we ate horsehesh.'
'Did she understand il For two months
she had eaten nothing else.
From day TO day, however, in proportion
as convalescence approached, our task with
tue blCk ulhu grew mOI6 uluCuI. llhL GULL
ing of all his senses which had served 80
well until then commenced to. disappear
Two or three times already the terrible broad.
sides Of the Port MAillot had made him start
with ears erect like hunting dog We had
to invent last victory OF Bazaine under the
walls Of Berlin, and salutes fired in honor of
it on the Hospital Of the Invalides Another
day when his bed had been pushed near the
wIndow--it was, | think, the Thursday of
Buzenval-he saw plainly the National Guards
who formed in the Avenue of the Grande
Armes.
"'What troops are those ? demanded the
old man, and we heard him grumblng be-
tween his teeth
bad drill bad drill =
HE said nothing more about il, but we
saw that thencefoTth we would have to take
great precautions. Unfortunately there were
not enough taken.
lone 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 grandfather's room
open9 The fact is that on thinking of it
since recall tina. he had that evening an ex-
traordinary 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, MscMahon coming down
the avenue amid the flowers, the flourish of
trumpets, his son by the side of the Marshal,
and he, the old man, on his balcony in full
dress uniform as at Lutzen, sslutIng the torn
flags and the eagles black with powder.
Poor Father Jouve! He doubtless i'm
agined that we wished to prevent him from
too great emotion, so he carefully reirained
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 bal.
cony with his helmet, his great sabre, his
glorious old uniform Of the ancient cuirassier
of Milhaud complete. / still wonder what ef-
fort of will, what rebound of life thus put
him upon his feet and into uniform. What
is certain is that he was there, erect behind
the railing astonished at finding the avenues
so wide-so still--the blinds of the houses
closed, Paris desolate as a great pest house,
flags every where but, SO singular, all white
with red crosses, and no one to meet our SOL
diers.
"For q moment he could believe himself
mistaken. But no down there behind the
Arc de Triomphe there was a confused noise,
q black line which advanced in the rising
light. Then little by little the spikes of the
helmets flashed, the little drums of jena be-
gan 70 oeat, ana ~ der the arc de Etole, It's
rhythm marked Oy the heavy tramp of the
sections and the clash of sabres, burst forth
the triumphal march Of Schubert
Then, in the gloomy silence Of the place
there was heard a cry-a terrible cry-'To
armsl To arms The Prussiansl = 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. From the French Of AlphOnse Ddt-
det.