The herald., 1895-03-05
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN
ALrHoNss pAupsr

by grapeshot the history OF besieged
Paris when just before reaching the Place
Go 'Etoile, the Doctor stopped and
pointed out to me one OF those large cor
nor houses SO pompously grouped around
the Arc de Triomphe.
.Do you see," said he those four
closed windows OH the balcony up there?
In the beginning OF August-that terrible
month Of August in 20, so laden with
storm and disaster, | was summoned
there to attend case OF apoplexy. The
sufferer was Colonel Jouve, an old Cuiras-
sier of the first Empire, full of enthusiasm
commencement OF the war, had taken an
apartment with the balcony in the Champs
Eysees--for what do you think? To assist
at the triumphal entry of our troops !
Poor old mani The news of Wissembolirg
arrived as he was rising from the table.
On read ng the name of Napoleon at the
foot of that bulletin of defeat, he fell
senseless!
II found the old Cuirassier stretched
upon the floor, his face bleeding, and
inert, as from a blow of a club. Stand
ing, he would have been very tall; lying,
he looked immense; with fine features,
beautiful teeth, and white, curling hair,
carrying his eighty years as though they
had been sixty. Beside him knelt his
granddaughter, in tears. She resembled
hint. Seeing them side by side, they re-
minded me of two Greek medallions
stamped with the same impress, only the
one was antique, earth stained its out
lines somewhat worn; The other beautiful
and clear, in oil the luster OF freshness
1.-THE ehilds sorrow touched me.
Daughter and grandfather OF soldiers-for
her father was on MacMahon's staff-the
sight Of this old man stretched before her
evoked in her mind another vision no
1oua Arvr IL II Ixoc tx,
her, though in reality had but little
hope. We had to contend with hemop-
tysis, from which at eighty there is small
chance Of recovery.
"For three days the patient remained
n the same condition OF immobility and
sturor. Meanwhile came, the news OF
Reisehoien-you remember how strangely?
Till the evening we all believed in great
victory-20, 600 Prussians killed, the Crown
Prince prisoner.
~ cannot tell by what miracle, by
what magnetic current, an echo of this
national joy could have reached our poor
invalid, hitherto deaf to all around him;
! found new man. His eye was almost
. ear, his speech less difficult, and he had
the strength to smile, and to stammer:
.ctory, victory'
+" Yes Colonel, a great victrry.' And
as | gave the details Of MacMahon's
e.HttfilN sutVcsS ouW iiio lC6OuICo iOluA,
and his countcnance brighten.
'Whcn | went out his granddaughter
was waiting for me- pale and sobbing.
9 But he is saved, said l, taking her
hands.
answer mo. The true Reischofen had
just been announced, MacMahon fugi-
tive, the whole army crushed. We looked
At each other in CONSERVATION, she anx-
iuus ut the thought of her father, |
trembling for her grandfather. Certainly
he would not bear this new shock And
yet what could we do? Let him enjoy the
illusion which had revived him? But
s. = Well, then, l will deceive him! said
Sic brave girl, and hastily wiping away
iii, tears, she re entered her grandfather's
,ooal, with a beaming face.
ut was hard task she had set herself
For the first few days it was compare
lively easy, as the old mans head was
weak, and lie was credulous as child.
But with returning health came clearer
iIeas. 1t was necessary to keep him au
culirant with the movements OF the army
and to invent military bulletins. 1t was
i..iful to, see that beautiful girl bending
marking with little flags, forcing herself
to combine the whole OF a glorious cam
paign-Bazaine on the road to Berlin
irossard in Bavaria! MacMahon on the
Baltic! In all this she asked my coun-
sci, and helped her as far as / could,
but it was the grandfather who did the
most for us in this imaginary invasion.
He had conquered Germany so often dur
ing the first Empire! He knew all the
moves beforehand. Now they should go
there. This is what they will do, and
his anticipations were always realized, not |
d little to his pride. Unfortunately we
might take towns, and gain battles but
s<.s -at,f act for fha C.,I-
onel He was Unsuitable. Every day | |
was greeted with fresh feat of arms:
- Doctor, we have taken Mayence,'
said the young girl, coming to meet me /
with heart-rending smile, and through |
the door | heard a joyous voice, crying: |
/" We are getting on, we are getting ON |
In week we shall be in Berlin!'
'At that moment the Prussians were but !
q week from Paris. At first we thought |
1t might be better to move to the pro-
vinces, but once out OF doors the state of |
the country would have told him all and /
] thought him still too weak, too ener-
yated, to know the truth. 1t was there |
fore decided that they should stay where
they were.
ION the first day OF the investment l |
went to see my patient-much agitated !
l remember, and with that pang in my |
heart which we all felt at knowing that
the gates of Paris were shut, that the
had become our frontiers.
I found the old man jubilant and
proud.
i" WELL said he, the siege has begunp
Il looked at him stupefied.
= How, colonel, you known
"His granddaughter turned to me, ooh,
yes, doctor, it is great news. The siege of i
Berlin has commenced
s.She said this composedly, while draw
ing ont her needle. How could he suspect
He could not hear the cannon
nor see our unhappy Paris, SO sullen and
All that he saw from his bed
was calculated to keep up his delusion.
Outside was the Arc de Triomphe, and in
the room quite collection of souvenirs of
the First Empire. Portraits of marshals,
of battles, the king of Rome
In his baby robes; the stiff consoles, or
with trophies in brass, were
covered with imperial relics, medals,
bronzcs; a stone from St. Helena under
glass shade miniatures all representing
bhc same becurled lady, in ball Dress in
yellow gown with leg-of-mutton sleeves,
and light eyes; and all--the consoles, the
King OF Rome, the medals, the yellow
adde's with short waists and sashes I'M
Ter their arms in that style of awkward
stiffness which was the grace of 1906.
iood colonel! it was the atmosphere of
victory and conquest rather than all we
could say, which made him believe
laively in the siege of Berlin.
From that day our militay operations
became much simpler. Taking Berlin
was merely a matter of patience. Every
Il xx,1,a ~ |