The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-09-20

all of him that was visible fell to laugh
ing.
1.-THE shorn one Is proof against DEATH
"What yarn Is that, Watrinp'
"Great Godl You know what mean.
Is he not always In the front ranks Why
do the bombs leave him alonep You can
do the reckoning yourself. In a full dozen
years that man has seen thousands of VIC
tories and hasn't even had buttonhole
burned in his coat Isn't IL plain enoughS
The bombs know him well-better than
we do, EVENLY his white horse, his little
green mantle, his blazing eyes. Woe to
such as poster himl And, look you, even
the grapeshot recognize him perfectly and
skip over his head, for his hat they dare
not touch That point
Suddenly powerful voice interrupted
the speaker, and the sentinel cried:
The emperor"
1t was he. The staff, silently accom-
panying him, stood, muffied and motion
less, four PAGES in the rear. He was dress
ed as light infantry officer with green
tunic and white waistcoat. He was rec
ognized by the smallness of his stature and
the greatness of his escort.
"How is the appetite-good?"
"Yes, emperor" said the grenadier.
Whats in the soups"
Austrian horse"
Napoleon broke into a laugh. He loved
the humor of his soldiers.
Listen, my men, he said, speaking
rapidly. "We fought yesterday. We will
fight again tomorrow. Let every one who
has a claim TO the Legion Of Honor or to
promotion come forward now, on the spot,
and declare himself"
A man stepped out of the ranks.
"What Is your namep"
"Watrin, sire-grenadier under Oudi-
not
"And you desirep"
1.-THE crossl'
Napoleon looked at him. 1t was his
custom of an evening to stroll among the
bivouac fires, questioning the soldiers, cor
recting in this way the i'll will or the neg
lect of the regimental chief, awarding
recompenses upon the spot.
Come" said the emperor, speak.
What have you done to deserve the CROSSE
Watrin stood at parade" motionless,
in the attitude of the soldier without
arms, almost like the rigidity of death.
"It was /" he said timidly, sit was
who in the desert of Yafa, presented you
with a watermelon when the heat was
enough TO burn the hair off ones head.
The men burst out laughing why no
one knew. Napoleon himself smiled.
II renew my thanks, F" he said, "but the
gift Is not worthy of tho cross. Let us
wait, both of us, for better occasion.
hope that tomorrow
Tomorrow, as at the other tines
said the veteran.
No one heard him The merriment,
waxing louder, sent its reverberations into
the distance, reaching other bivouac fires.
There was hurry; there was running.
Torches of straw flared up in the night.
Those words: 1.-The emperor The en-
perorl' already resounded on every side.
Napoleon, being compelled to proceed,
quilted Watrin, and, followed by the staff,
was swallowed up in the multitude
The dawn of the 22d of May.
The archduke renewed the attack and
str, to pierce the line between Essling
anu Aspern. A division of cuirassiers
flew at the enemy Messana yelled,
Grenadiers, there's fun over there and
we're not in itl'' and away he rode, his
saber in hand, where the bombs offered
him distraction" Lannes rushed for
ward at full gallop, without troubling
himself TO see IL he was followed, and the
Old Imperial Guard, unmuzzled, threw it
self, tooth and nail, upon the Austrians.
In one hour the archduke's army had melt
ed away In the SUM- 1t crystallized anew
however, and the guard received 1t with
grapeshot. Once more 1t paused, alright
ed. Bessieres, enraged, ordered the double
quick Decisive charge! The enemy fed,
and returning, fled again. These counter
strokes caused the victory to waver, like
the pillows of the ocean, but for lack OF
Ill
reau's and Claparede's divisions of infan-
try gorged themselves with glory, even to
the point of repletion. The comba had
lasted 80 hours.
In the evening there was rest, and the
emperor, according to his custom, made
the round of the hospitals.
AS he was passing along the rows Of
wounded head that he recognized caused
him to stop.
"It's my man of yesterday, he said.
A surgeon was there.
els this mans wound a grave onep'
"No, sire The bandage might even be
taken of. F"
The emperor did not reply. Watrin was
sleeping like post. His face was cleft
from ear to ear.
Let Claparede be summoned"
An officer vanished, and the general soon
appeared.
"Tell me about this man" said the en-
peror.
Claparede, accustomed to questions Of
this sort, sent for his adjutant and the
regimental records.
The wounded were all conscious Of the
emperor's presence In sinister relief,
their figures half emerged above their Gov
erings and they were silent. The adju
tant came Claparede motioned to him,
and the adjutant, taking up passbook,
read:
"watrin, born at Romeny, vosges, in
1907
"Omit that, said the emperor. HAS
this man received any punishmentsf'
None" said the general
And his servicef"
Ciaparede himself ran through the REQ