Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-20

4
unfortunately, IL 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 new feat
of arms.
doctor, we have taken Mayence,'
the young girl would say. approaching
me with a heart-broken smile, and
heard through the door a joyous voice
which cried out 10 me, We're getting
on! We're getting on! In eight days
we shall enter Berlinr At that mo-
ment the Prussians were not noSe than
eight days from Paris. We questioned
at first whether il would not be better
TO remove him to the country but
once out of doors the state of France
would have revealed all to him, and
deemed him still too feeble, too bewil-
dered by his great shock. 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,
l recollect. very much moved with an
guish of heart which was brought to us
all by the closed gates OF Paris the
battle under the walls, our suburbs be-
came frontiers. l found the good man
jubilSnt and proud.
"'Eh, bienr he said to me, the siege
has commenced, then
IL looked at him stupefied.
"'What, Colonel, you knowr
"His granddaughter turned toward
me:
"'Ah! Yes, doctor, il is the great
news. The siege of Berlin has COM
menced.'
"She said that plying her needle with
such tranquil little air. How could
he suspect anything! He could not
hear the cannon Of the forts. This un-
fortunate 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,
q complete bric-a-brac of the First
Empire well calculated to maintain his
illusions. Portraits of Marshals, en-
cravings 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
medallions, bronzes, a fragment of the
rock of st. Helena under glass, var
ious miniatures of the same lady, all
becurlcd in ball costume, with a yellow
robe, mutton-leg sleeves and clear eyes;
and all this side tables, the King
of Rome, the yellow ladies with the
high shoulders and short waists, of
tn" awkward stiffness which was the
grace of lS06---it was this atmosphere
of victories and conquests, even moro
than all that we could say to him. that
made the Colonel believe so naively in
the siege of Berlin.
From this time we found our mill
tary operations much simplified. TAX
ing Berlin was now only 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
now entered Paris, and as since Sedan,
the aid-de-camp of MacMahon had
been sent to a 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
herself obliged to make him speak in
joyous letters, a little short, as n SOL
der Oh the field would write, always
advancing into the conquered country.
Sometimes strength failed her; weeks
would pass without news. But the old
man grew restless and no longer slept.
Then there quickly arrived letter
from Germany, which she came and
read to him gayly by his bedside. re-
pressing her tears. The Colonel
listened religiously, smiling signifi-
cantly approved, criticised. ex-
| planned to us the confused
passages. But finest of all were 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 inva-
sion too burdensome.' And there were
interminable recommendations, ad-
mirable preaching on respect for the
proprieties, the politeness due to ladies
"a regular code of military honor for
the use of conquerers. There were
also genera considerations on politics,
the conditions of peace to be imposed
on the vanquished. On this point 1
am bound to say he was not exacting
Repayment of the cost Of the war
and nothing more. What good in TAX
ing their prOvinccsp Can you make
France out of Germany
"He dictated this in a firm voice,
aud there was such candor in his words,
such beautiful, patriotic faith, that it
was impossible to listen unmoved.
Meanwhile the siege was constantly
advancing. Not that of Berlin, alas!
1t was the time of the great cold, of
the bombardment, of the epidemic, of
the famine. But, thanks to our care
and cfiort--to the indefatigable tender
ness that surrounded him-the serenity
of the old man was not for an instant
disturbed. Up to the last I was able
to get white bread for him and fresh
meat. 1t was only for him, indeed;
and you can not imagine anything
more touching than those innocently
selfish breakfasts of the grandfather
the old man on his bed fresh and smil-
ing, the napkin tucked under his chin;
near him his granddaughter, little
pallid from privations, guiding his
hands, giving him drink, helping him
to eat all these forbidden 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 re-
counted to us for the hundredth time
that terrible retreat from Russia, when
there was nothing but frozen biscuit
and horsefesh to eat.
"Do you understand that, Little
Onep--we ate horsefesh.'
Ibid she understand that! For two
months she had eaten nothing else.
"From day to day, however, in pro.
portion as convalescence approached,
our task with the sick man grew more
difficult That dulling of all his sense.
which had served so well until then
commenced to disappear. Two OIL
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 lasting vic