The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-08-29
THE Siege or BERLIN.

We were passing up the avenue of the
Champs Elysees with DR. v, tracing in
the walls riddled by shells and the pave
ments torn by grape shot the story of
Paris besieged. Aswe neared the Rond
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 Sec" he said to me, ''thosc
four closed windows above that balcony?
During the first days of that terrible
August of 1870 | was called there for Il
case of apoplectic stroke. 1t was the
residence Of Colonel Jouve. a cuirassier
of the first empire, his head turned with
glory and patriotism, who at the begin
ming of the war had como to lodge in
Champs Elysecs, I'M an apartment with a
balcony, to be present at the triumphal
return Of our troops. Poor old man lThc
news Of Wissembourg came to him as he
was rising from the table. As he read
the namo OF Napoleon at the foot Of the
bulletin of defeat he fell stricken.
Il found the old cuirassicr stretched
upon the CARPET, his face flushed and
dull, as if from the blow of a club.
Erect, he must have been very tall
PROSTATE, he seemed immense. Fine
features, superb teeth, fleece of white
curls, eighty years which seemed sixty.
Near him knelt his granddaughter, all
in tears. She rcscmbled him. Side by
side they seemed two beautiful Greek
medallions, struck from the same die.
The one, antique, earth-stained with
the contour a little worn, the other, re-
splendent and clear. with all the bril-
liancy and yelvety lustcr of the new I'M
preston.
"The grief of this child touched me,
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. | treasured hel
as best | could, but at heart ! held little
hope. We had case of out-and-out
paralysis of one side, and at eighty 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 oI
Reichsoffen arrived at Paris. You recol-
lect in what strange fashion. Until
evening we all believed in a great victory
30, 600 Prussians killed; the prince
royal a prisoner. l do not know by
what miracle, what magnetic current, an
echo of this national joy reached oul
poor deaf mute in the grasp of his para
lysis, but that evening, on approaching
his bed, | 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-ry?"
Yes, colonel, a great victoryp
"And as gave him the details OF the
splendid success of MacMahon l saw his
features relax.
"When went out the young girl was
awaiting me, pale and erect, before the
door. She was sobbing.
" But he is saved, said TO her, tax
ing her hands,
The unhappy child had hardly the
courage to answer me. The true news
Of Reichsoifen had just been posted
MacMahon in flight; the whole army
crushed Oweye met IN CONSERVATION.
She was thinking Of her father I wac
trembling, thinking Of the old man.
Surely De would no, resist this fresh
shock Eut whs, was % be. done.
Leave him bis joy tho illusions which
had brought h.m ba-a to Ite2 but then
10 would be necessary to deceive him
" Very VellT shall deceive h,mg said
the heroic gil, quickly wip.ag away TIE