Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-04-30
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN

walls and pavements around us, perforated
by shells and broken by canister shot.
\ Shortly before we arrived at the Square de
! i Etoile the doctor stopped, and pointing
to one of the large corner houses which
are so pompously grouped around the Arc
de Triomphe, said:
DO you see those four windows which
open out onto that balcony up there? Dur
ing the early part Of August, that terrible
month of 1870 which was so full Of storms
and disasters, was called to that house to
attend case of apoplexy. 1t was the
house of Colonel Jouve, a cuirassier of the
First Empire, and "A man full Of glory and
patriotism. He had lived since the begin
ming of the war in the Champs Elysees in
the apartments up there. Can you guess
whyy In order to assist at the triumphai
return Of our troops Poor old mani The
news Of Wissembourg came as he was get
ting up from the table. Reading Napo-
Icons name at the bottom Of the bulletin
of defeat he had fallen as if struck by a
thunderbolt.
81 found the old cuirassier stretched out
upon the floor of the room, his face as rigid
and as eXpressioness as if he had received
blow on the head from club Standing,
he must have been very tall. Lying down
lures, perfect teeth and head of thick,
white hair, made his eighty years seem to
be but sixty. Near him knelt his grand
daughter, in tears. She resembled him
very much. To see them together you
would have said that they were like two
dfeek medaiiiOns struck from the same
mold, only the one was old and time worn
and a little irregular in outline, while the
other was bright and perfect, like the COM
plete brlliancy and softness Of a new coin.
The chid's grief touched me She was
the daughter and granddaughter Of a sol
der Her father was on the staff of
MacMahon, and the figure of her old grand
father stretched before her called up in her
mind another image not less terrible. /
treasured her as well as | could, but to tell
the truth had little hope. 1t was case
of hemiplegia or paralysis Of one side Of
the body, and at eighty one hardly ever re-
covers from that. For three DAYS he re-
NAMED in the same motionless and stupe-
ned condition. In the meantime the news
of Rechshoffen had arrived at Paris. You
will recall in what a strange way the news
came.
Until evening we believed that the
French had gained great victory 10000
PrussiaHs killed and the prime royal a
by what magnetic current, an echo Of our
national joy found it's way into the para
lyzed mind Of the semiconscious soldier;
nevertheless, it is true that when | ap-
preached his bed that evening ! did not
find the same man. His eyes were almost
clear and his tongue was recovering its
usefulness. He had the strength to smile
at me and to stammer twice, 'Nic-tOi-rep
Yes, my dear colonel, a great victory
And as fast as | gave him the details Of
MacMahon's success, ! saw his features
- lax and his face grow brighter.
When / was leaving, the grandchild
accompanied me to the door She was pale
and was sobbing
"'But be is saved said, taking her by
the hand.
"The unhappy child had scarcely strength
enough 10 answer me The real news
about Reichschotfen had just been posted,
announcing that MacMahon was in flight,
and that his army was destroyed. We
looked at each other in CONSERVATION
She was grcving also at the thought of
her father. For myself, ! trembled at the
thought Of the grandfather. He surely
would not be able to resist this new shock,
and what could we do. Let him keep his
JOY and the illusions which had brought
would be necessary to lie.
Every we'll, then, will lie said the
heroic child and drying her tears quickly
she went back like a ray Of sunshine inCo
her grandfather's room.
at was a severe task which she had I'm
dertaken. At first all went well The poor
mans mind was greatly weakened, and he
allowed himself to be deceived as readily
as if he were child. But as be gained
strength his mind became clearer We had
to show him the course OF the army's move
ments aud TO rewrite the military bulletins
for him. 1t was truly pity to see the
pretty child bending night and day over
the map Of Germany and striving TO put
everything together into a glorious French |
campaign; Bazaine before Berlin, Frossard /
in Bavaria and MacMahon at the Baltic. /
She sought my advice in everything, and | |
helped her as well az / could but it was I
the old soldier himself who aided us most /
in this imaginary invasion. He had con- /
quered Germany so many times under the /
First Empire he knew all the campaigns I
in advance.
Now, this is where they are going TO /
go, and that is what they are going to do |
be would say, and his prophecies were al /
ways realized, a fact which did not fail to /
make him very proud.
Unfortunately we never went quickly /
enough for him in capturing cities and J
winning battles. His appetite for victory .
was Unsuitable Every day when ] called |
to see him ] learned Of new French vic |
tory.
Doctor, we have taken Mayence said /
the young girl one day, meeting me with .
weary smile. At almost the same instant /
/ heard a joyous voice exclaim from the .
next room:
March onl March ont In eight days |
we shall enter Berlin
AT that moment the Prussiaus were not .
more than eight days from Paris. We con /
sidered at FIRST whether it would not be |
better to take the colonel into the country /
but as soon as lac got outside Of the city he /
would have found cut the true circum- |
stances, and | found him still too feeble
and too weakened by his great shock to let