Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-11
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN,

ElyseeS with DR.. ", tracing In the Walls rl0Ql0d
by shells and the pavements torn by grape
shot the story of Paris besieged. As we neared
the Rond Point de rEtoie the Doctor paused,
ana pointing to one of those great corner
| houses so showily grouped around the Arc dc
| TriOmphe-
.Do YOU see," he said to me, "those four
| closed windows above that balcony? During
the first days of that terrible August Of 1870
| was called there for a case of apoplectic stroke
| 1t was the residence of Col Jouve, cuirassier
of the First Empire, his head turned with glory
and patriotism, who at the beginning OF the
/ war had come to lodge in the Champs Elysees,
| in an apartment with balcony, to be present
at the triumphal return of our troops. Poor old
man. The news of WissembOurg came to him
| as he rising from table. As he read the
name OF Napoleon at the foot of the bulletin OF
defeat he fell stricken.
al found the old cuirassier stretched upon the
carpet, his face flushed and dull, as II from the
| blow of a cub. Erect, he must have been very
/ tall; PROSTATE. he seemed immense. Fine
| features, superb teeth, a fleece of white curls,
so years which seemed 90. Near him knelt his
! granddaughter, all in tears. She resemDied
| him. Side by side they seemed two beautlfuI
Greek medallions struck from the same die.
| The ono. antique, earth-stained, with the con-
| tour little worn; the other, resplendent and
clear, with all the brilliancy and velvety luster
| of the new impression.
1.-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 her as best 1 could, but
at heart held little hope. We had case of
Out-and-out paralysis of one side, and at so that
is not readily recovered from: During three
days, i'll fact, the old man remained In the same
| state of motionless stupor. II was at this
/ moment that the news OF Reichsoften arrived
| fashion. Until evening all believed in q great
/ Victory-2o,600 Prussians killed; the Prince
| Royal a prisoner. do not know by what mira.
/ Gle, what magnetic current, an echo OF this ma
| tional joy reached our poor deai-mute In the
grasp of his paralysis, but that evening, on APP
! preaching his bed, found no longer the same
| man. The eve was nearly clear, the tongue
less heavy. He had the strength to smile at
me. and stammered twice:
| "'Yes, Colonel. a great victoryr
"And as gave him the details Of the splen-
did success OF MacNahon saw his features re-
when went out the young girl was await
ing me. pale and erect, before the door. She
Sobbing.
"'Rut he is saved / said to her, taking her
hands.
1.-The unhappy child had hardly the courage
to answer me- The true news Of Reichsoffen
had just been pOSted-MacMahon in flight; the
whole army crushed. Our eyes met in conster-
trembling, thinking of the old man. Surely he
would not resist this fresh shock. But what
to Ss haa him hs the Hut
then 1t would be necessary To deceive him.
every well, shall deceive him! said the
heroic girl, quickly wiping away her tears and,
all radiant, She went back into her grand
fathers room.
1T was "a hard task which she had taken upon
herself. For a few days all went well. The old
man was feeble, and he let himself be misled
like a child. But with returning health his
keep him informed of the movement of the
armies. to prepare military bulletins for him.
1t was really -pitifnl to see this beautiful girl
bent night and day over her map of Germany,
pricking out little flags forcing herself to COM
bine whole glorious campaign. Bazaine di-
rected upon Berlin, FrOSsard in Bavaria, Mac
Mahon on the Baltic. For all this she asked
my advice, and aided her as much as could,
but it was the grandfather after all who helped
US most In this imaginary invasion. He had
conquered Germany so many times under the
First empire! He knew In advance all the
That's what they'll do And his predictions
were always realized, which gave him no little
pride.
Unfortunately it was in vain that we took
cities. gained battles-we never went fast
enough for him. That old man was Unsuitable.
Each day when arrived learned of a new feat
OF arms.
,"'Doctor, we. have taken Mayence,' the
young girl would say, approaching me with
door joyous voice which cried out to me:
We're getting on! We're getting on! In eight
days we shall enter Berlin! At that moment
the Russians were not more than eight days
from Paris. We questioned at first whether 1t
would not be better to remove him to the coun-
try: but once out of doors, the state Of France
would have revealed all to him, and deemed
him still too feeble, too bewiidered by his great
shock, to permit him to know the truth. 1t
was decided to remain.
1.-The first day OF the investment of the city
went up to their apartment. l 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
become frontiers. found the good man jubi-
liant and proud:
"'En bten' he said to me, the siege has COM
menced, then
II looked at him stupefied,
".W hat, Colonel, you knows?
His granddaughter turned toward me:
"'Ah! Yes, doctor, 1t Is the great news. The
Berlin
'She said that plying her needle with such a
tranquil little air How could he suspect any
forts. This unfortunate Paris, desolate and
UptUrned, he could not see iti What he did
- set from his bed was panel of the Arc de
Iflomp1e, and In his room, about him, COM
plete bric-a-brac of the First Empire well cal
cuafed 10 maintain his illusions. Portraits OF
narshals, ensravings of battles, the King OF
Rome in baby dress; then the great stiff side
tables ornamented with copper trophies loaded
with imperial relics, with medailions, bronzes
d fragment of the rock of st. Helena under
glass various miniatures Of the same lady, all
becurled in ball costume, with yellow robe,
the side-tables, the King of Rome, the Mar
shals the yellow ladies with the high shoulders
and short waists, OF that awkward stiffness
mosphere OF victories and cOnquestS, even more
than all that we could say TO him, that made the
Berlin.
From this time we found our military ope-
ratiohs mucn sinplified. Taking Berlin was now
when The old man worried too much letter
from his son would be read to him-an imasn-
airy letter, OF course, as nothing now entered
Paris. and as since Sedan the aide-de-camp of
MacMahon had been sent to a fortress i'm Ger
many. You can imagine the despair of that
poor chud, without news of her father know
ing him TO be prisoner deprived of every
thins, sick perhaps. and herself obliged to
make him speak in joyous letters q little short
soldier the field would write, ALWAYS
advancing into the conquered country. Some
times strength failed her; weeks would pass
without news. But the old man grew restless
and no longer slept. Then there quickly ar
rived u letter from Germany, which she came
and read To him gayly by his bedside repreSs-
ing her tears. The Colonel listened reIieiously
smiled significantly, approved, criticised, ex-
piatned To us the confused passages. But finest
of ali were the answers he sent to his SON.
Never forget that you are French he would
say To him. BE generous with these poor peO-
And there We're tnterminable recommeda-
tons admirable preaching on respect for the pro-
prletles, the pOliteness due to lades-a regular
code of military honor for the use of conou
There were also general considerations on
politics, the conditions OF peace to be i'm posed
on the vanqushed. On this point am bound
to say he WAS not exacting.
"Repayment of the cost Of the war and
nothing more. What good in taking their
provinces? Can you make France out of Ger
many?
Ale dictated this in q firm voice. and there
was such candOr in his words, such q beauti-
iul, patriotic faith, that 1t was impossible to
listen uDmoved.
Meanwhile the siege was constantly ad.
vancing. Not that Of Berlin alas! 1t was The,
TIME OF tie great cold, Of the bombardment, Of