The morning call., 1892-03-04

Berlin. 1t was q period OF severely coid
weather. the bombardment was in progress
and there were epidemics and famine. But.
thanks TO our care, to our efforts. to the in
defatigabe tenderness which surrounded
him, the serenity OF the soldier was not for
a moment disturbed.
"When at last my patient was allowed to
eat bread and fresh meat you could not I'M
aglne anything more charmiDgly touching
than one of his Little breakfasts. The old
man would sit up ia his bed, happy and
smiling. his napkin under his chin. and
near him his granddaughter. little pale In
consequence of her many cares, guiding his
hands and giving him drink. Then, re-
frcshed by his repast, there In his COM
Portable. warm chamber. while the wintry
north wind whistlcd without and the snow
beat against the windows, the old soldier
recalled his compalgns In the north. and re-
counted TO us for the hundredth time that
terrible retreat from Russia when there
was nothing to eat but frozen biscuit and
horse flesh
do You understand. granddaughter? we
ate horseflesh."
"Ah! she understood him we'll. For two
months she had eaten scarcely anything
else.
From day to day thereafter, as he be-
came conyalescent, our task in caring Tor
the patient became more difficult. The
torpor of his senses and his limbs, which up
to this time had served our purpose, be-
gan to disappear. Two or three times
already had the terrible voleys fred from
the Malot gate made him start. 1t be-
came necessary TO invent a final victory Tor
Bazane al Berlin, and we told him that IN
honor OF 1t these saluteS were fired from
the lnyalides. One day, his bed having
been pushed near The window, he plainly
saw the National Guard as they were being
massed in the Avenue de la Grande Armee.
~ wonder why those troops are there?
said the old man, and we heard him mutter
between his teeth. They carry themselves
badly, very badly!'
Nothing more happened at that time !;
but we perceived that benceforth il would
be necessary TO take the greatest precau-
tions. Unfortunately we were not careful
enough.
Zone evening when / arrived at the house
the young girl displayed great anxiety as
she received me.
"'To-morrow they will enter the city, she
said to me.
AT that moment the door of her grand
fathers room was opened. On thinking of
the matter since then / have recalled the
Tact that his face wore an extraordinary
expression that evening. 1t is probable that
he had overheard us. We, however, had
spoken Of the Prussians, and he thought
we had referred to the French, to their
trlumphal return, for which he had waited
| so long-MacMahon descending the avenue
| amid flowers and the blare OF truinpets.
Colonel Jouve's son at the side of the mar
| shall, and be, the old man, on his balcony. in
| grand military costume, as at LutZen, salut-
ing the tattered battle flags and the eagles
blaekened with powder.
Poor old Colonel Jouve! Without )ubt
he thought that we were trying to prevent
him from witnessing the parade of our
troops 10 order that he might avoid emotion
that would be too severe for him. He
spoke little TO any one that evening. The
next morning, however. az the very hour the
tfaltd int ta.a
long way which leads from the Mailot gate
to the Tulieiies, the window was opened
| softly and tie colonel appeared on the bal
cony wearing his casque and the gorgeous
costume of an old cuirassier. l have often
asked myself since what effort of the VIII,
what renewal OF youthful vgor, had thus
put him on his feet and in harness. At any
rate he was there, standing erect behind the
railing OF the balcony. He seemed surprised
10 find the avenue almost empty and silent,
the shutters of the houses closed. Paris
gloomy as great laZaret. flags every where,
but, strange TO say, all white with red
crosses, ana 10 one there to receive our SOL
diers
For moment he seemed to think that he
had been deceived.
But no. From q distance behind the
Arc de IriOmphe, came a confused sound
and a long black line moved into sight.
Then, one by one. the eagles or the caSques
cleaned IN the sunlight, the drums began to
peat, ana under the Arc de Et0lle where
the pavement sounded with the rhythmic
tread OF the legions ana the clanklng IF
sabers, burst forth the triumphal march Of
Schubert.
Then a cry was heard, a terriblecry:
To arms, to arms! The Prussiansr And
the four Unlans Of the advance guard saw
ABOVE them on the balcony grand old man
totter, throw up his arms and fall. This
time Colonel J0uye was dead. From the
French of Alphonse Daudet