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

We were walking up the Avenue dess
Champs Elysees with Doctor ", and reads
ing the story Of the siege of Paris in the
walls and pavements around us, perforated
by shells and broken by canister shot.
Shortly before we arrived at the Square de-
L Etoile the doctor stopped, and pointing
to one of the large corner houses which
are SO pompously grouped around the Arc
dc Triomphe, said: 49, AAA44z& -
"Do you see those four windows which
open out onto that balcony up there? Dur
ing the early part of Aug that terrible
month of 1870 which was SO full of storms
and disasters, was called to that house to
attend a case of apoplexy. 1t was the
house of Colonel Jouve, a cuirassier of the
First Empire, and 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
why? In order to assist at the triumphal
return of our troops. Poor old man! 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
thunderbolt.
81 found the old cuirassier stretched out
upon the floor of the room, his face as rigid
and as expressionless as if he had received
blow on the head from aclub. Standing,
he must have been very tall. Lying down
he appeared immense. His handsome fea-
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
l. I&1J cd, T.
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 brilliancy and softness of new CON-
"The child's grief touched me. She was
the daughter and granddaughter of sol
dier. 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. l
treasured her as well as T 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
manned in the same motionless and stupe-
fed condition. In the meantime the news
of Reichshoffen had arrived at Paris. You
will recall in what strange way the news
came.
"Until evening we believed that the
French had gained great victory, 10000
Prussians killed and the prince royal a
prisoner. I do not know by what miracle,
by what magnetic current, an echo of our
national joy found its way into the para
lyzed mind of the semiconscious soldier;
nevertheless, it is true that when / ap-
preached his bed that evening I did not
find tho Soma mon He ovoS xuov.o I'm oct
clear and his tongue was recovering its
usefulness He had the strength to smile
at me and to stammer twice, 'Vic-toi-rep
ayes, my dear colonel, great victory
"And as fast as gave him the details of
MacMahon's success, / saw his features
relax and his face grow brighter,
"When was leaving, the grandchild
accompanied me to the door. She was pale
and was sobbing.
"'But he is saved said, taking her by
the hand.
"The unhappy child had scarcely strength
enough to answer me- The real news
about Reichschoffen 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 grieving 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
him to life again. But in that case it
would be necessary to lie.
"'Very well, then, will ie,' said the
heroic child, and drying her tears quickly
she went back like ray of sunshine into
her grandfather's room.
SIT was 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 q child. But as he gained
strength his mind became clearer, We had
to show him the course of the army S move
ments and to rewrite the military bulletins
for him, 1t was truly a pity to see the
pretty child bending night and day over
the map of Germany and striving to put
everything together into glorious French
campaign; Bazaine before Berlin, Frossard
in Bavaria and MacMahon at the Baltic.
She sought my advice in everything, and
helped her as we'll as could, but it was
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
in advance.
"fNow, this is where they are going to
go, and that is what they are going to do
he would say, and his prophecies were al
ways realized. fact which did not fail to
make him very proud.
UNFORTUNATELY we never went quickly
enough for him in capturing cities and
winning battles. His appetite for victory
was Unsuitable. Every day when called
to see him I learned of a 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
l heard joyous voice exclaim from the
next room:
"'March on! March onl In eight days
we shall enter Berlin
"At that moment the Prussians 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 he got outside Of the city he
would have found out the true circum-
stances, and / found him still too feeble
and too weakened by his great shock to let
him know the truth. We therefore de-
cided to remain in Paris.
"On the first day of the siege went to
his rooms-as I recollect-very much ex-