Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-05-20

more than anything else, which made him
believe so readily ia the siege of Berlin.
Beginning with this day, our military
operations were much simplifed. 1t was
only matter of patience to take Berlin.
From time to time, when the old soldier
was wearied too much, we read him a let
ter from his son, an imaginary letter of
course. You can readily imagine the de-
spair of the poor child, without news OF her
father, knowing him to be prisoner, de-
prived of everything and perhaps sick, and
at the same time having to read happy let
tiers from him. At last her determination
failed her. No news came to the colonel
for some weeks, and finally he grew very
restless and could sleep no longer. Imme-
diately letter came from Germany, and
she read it to him gayly, at the same time
struggling to keep back her tears. The
colonel listened attentively, smiled in an
appreciative manner, approved, criticised
and explained to us the meaning of the
troublesome passages. But he especially
enjoyed the answers which he sent to his
SON.
Never forget that you are French
man. said he once. BE generous to the
sion bear too heavily upon Them And
then would come some recommendations
some delightful precepts on the respect
which we owe to woman 1t was indeed
a true military code of honor for the use OF
conquerors. With these he also intermin-
gled some general considerations of polit-
which should be imposed upon the con-
ntp in hDt T ho
was not exacting.
"'The indemnity of war, nothing more
What good would it do to take their prov
inces from them? Can we make new
France out of Germany?'
'He said this in q firm voice, and there
seemed to be so much candor in his words
such beautiful, patriotic faith-that it
was impossible not to be moved.
During all this time the siege was go
ing on, but not the siege of Berlin, unfor-
tunately. The weather was severe, and
the misery was intensified by lombard
ments, epidemics and famine Neverthe-
less, thanks to our care and efforts, and to
the interchangeable tenderness that was
shown him by every one, the old soldiers
peace was not disturbed for moment
"Until the end I was able to procure him
white bread and fresh meat. There was
only enough fer him, however, and you can
imagine nothing more touching than those
repasts of the poor old grandfather, so in
nocently selfish, he on his bed, laughing
happily, and beside him his dear grand
daughter, somewhat pale because of her
privations, guiding his hand, helping him
to drink and assisting him at everything.
Then strengthened by the meal, amid the
corn forts of hic wary, Nom tho po!d win.
try wind and the snow beating against the
windows, the old cuirassier would tell us
about his campaigns in the north and re-
late for the hundredth time the story of
that unfortunate retreat from Russia
when they had nothing to eat but frozen
bread and horsefesh.
+" DO you realize it, my child he said:
we actually had to eat the flesh of horsesp
''She did, indeed, understand it we'll
For two months she had not eaten any
thing else. AS the days went by, our task
increased in proportion to the gaining
strength of our patient. The enfeepled
state of his mind and body, which had
disappear Two or three times already the
caused him to jump, his ear having become
to invent second victory Of Bazaine at
Berlin, and tell him that the cannon were
being fired from the Invalides as salute
in honor of the victory. One day, when we
had pushed his bed close to the window
he saw the National Guards assembling on
the avenue.
"'What are those troops doing there?
he demanded, and we heard him grum-
bling:
"'What showingl What showingp
"Nothing more came Of this, but we saw
that henceforth we must take the greatest
precautions. Unfortunately we did not
take enough. One evening as I was
coming in, the child came to me greatly
troubled
" 'The troops are going to enter the city
tomorrow she said.
HWas the old soldiers door open? 1t
must have been, for now remember that
his appearance was strangely altered that
evening. 1t is probable that he had heard
us. Only we spoke of the Prussians, and
he thought of the French, and Of the
triumphal entrance for which he had been
waiting SO long, with Mcmahon marching
down the avenue amid flowers and the
flourish of trumpets, his son at the mar
shal's side, and he up above on the bal
cony, in grand uniform like that which
he had worn at Lutzen, saluting the tat
tered flags and the powder stained eagles
s'Poor Colonel Jouve He had undoubt-
eddy imagined that we would hinder him
from viewing the grand return OF the
troops in order to avoid too great excite
ment on his part. So he spoke to no one
but on the following day, at the same hour
that the Prussian battalions were entering
the long avenue which leads from the
Maillot gate to the Tuileries, the window
up there opened softly and the colonel ap-
peared upon the balcony, his helmet on
his head, his sword at his side and in the
complete uniform Of q cuirassier, I still
ask myself by what effort OF will, by what
new hold upon life, he had thus been able
to put himself again in harness.
zone thing that am sure of, however,
is that he must have been greatly aston
ished, standing there behind the railing,
to find the streets SO empty and so quiet,
the blinds of all the houses closed, and all
Paris as gloomy as pesthouse. He must
have been astonished especially at the sin
gular appearance of the flags viii oh were
white with red crosses upon them, and
furthermore at the fact that there was no
body in the streets to greet the soldiers.
''For moment he appeared to think
that he had been deceived. But no. Be-
hind the Arc de Triomphe there was con-
fused clatter and black line which adj
vanced steadily. Then, little by little, the
peaks of the helmets began to glisten, the
drums began to sound, and through the
Arc de l'Etoiia, burst the tripmphal ranks
Of Schubert.
CITIZEN, in the dreadful silence terrible
cry was heard, AUX armes Aux armes!
Les Prussiens! And the four Uhlans of
the advance guard saw high above them
on the balcony tall old man stagger and
fall prone upon the floor. Colonel Jouve
was dead. TRANSLATED from the French
Of Alphopse Daudet for the Boston Tran
script.
Concert and Pnr1or Singing.
On the concert stage everything is sub
servient to the quality of the sound. If it