The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-01-27

that delicate courtesy so well under stood by the king, the troops in at tendance were ordered to sheathe their swords and fall back as he entered the gateway, M. de Breteuil," said the monarch to the captain of his guard, the king of France has no need Of an escort when he finds himself in the midst of his brave veterans. | Followed by the Dauphin, the Mar quis de LouVais, and other distinguish ed personages, Louis carefully inspect ed the invalids, pausins now and then to address few kind words to those whom he recognized One young lad chanced to attract the kings attention. His face was very pale, and he seemed to have received a severe wound in the neck.
 What is your name?" asked Louis. Maurice, sire'' l Tn what battle were you wounded?" At Blenheim, sire.''
 | At that word the brow of Louis dark ened
 Under what marshal did you server" Sire, under Monseigneur de Tal- lard"
 "Messieurs de Tallard and de Mar sein," said the monarch to Louvais, can reckon a sufficient number of glo- rious days to efface the memory of that one. Even the sun is not without spot" And again addressing the young soldier, he said, Are you happy here?'
 "Ah, sire" replied Maurice, your majesty's goodness leaves us nothing to wish for"
 l The Marshal de Grancey,s governor of the establishment, advanced and said: Sire, behold the fruits of your l beneficence! Before your accession the | defenders of France had no asylum; now, thanks to your majesty, want or distress can never reach those who have shed their blood for their country. And if that which still runs through our veins can do aught for the safety or glory of our king doubtless we wul yet show our successors what stout hearts and willing hands can do."
 Once more Louis looked around and asked in a loud voice: Well, my chill dren, are ye happy here?'
 Till that moment etiquette and disci- pline had imposed solemn silence; but when the king asked question must he not be answered? So two thousand voices cried together: We are! we arel Long live the king! Long live Lous!"
 Accompanied by the governor and a guard of honor chosen from among the invalids, the monarch then walked through the establishment. The guard consisted of twenty men, of whom ten had lost a leg and ten an arm, while the faces of all were scared and seam ed with honorable wounds. One of them, while serving as a subaltern at the battle of Berengen, threw himself before his colonel In time to save him, and received a ricochet bullet in his own leg. Another, at the age of sev- enty-five, was still dandy and man aged to plait queue with three hairs which yet remained on the top of his head In one of the battles his arm was carried off by bullet. 'Ah, my ring, my ring!" cried he to a trumpeter next him--"go get me my ring" It had been a present from a noble lady; and when the trumpeter placed 1t in his remaining hand he seemed perfectly contented.
 The royal procession quilted the ho- tel amidst the saluting of cannon and the shouting of the inmates, and the next day, in order to commemorate the event, the following words were en- graved on 0 piece of ordnance: Louis the Great honored with his august presence, for the first time, his Hotel des Invalides, on the 9th of May, 1705. '"
 H.
 On the afternoon of the 1st of Sep tember, 1906, Napoleon mounted hi horse and quilted St. Cloud, accompan7 fed only by his grand marshal. his aide-de-camp, Rapp, and a page After enjoying brisk gallop through the Bois de Bpulogne, he drew up at the gate of Maillot and dismissed his at- tendants, with the exception of Rapp, who followed him into the avenue of Neuilly. Galloping by the spot where the triumphal arch was then beginning to rise from its foundations, they reach ed the grand avenue of the Champs Elysees, and proceeded toward the Ho- tel des Invalides. There Napoleon stop- and gazed at the splendid editice glow ing in the beams of the setting sun.
 Fine! very fine!" he repeated sev- eral times. Truly, Louis XIV. was a great king!" Then, addressing Rapp ne SalQ, l d1il SOlDB to Niolt ihy AilNc'A ids this evening. Hold my horse-l shall not stay long" And throwing the bridle to his aid-de-canp, Napoleon passed beneath the principal gateway Seeing man dressed in military hat and with two epaulets badly conceal. , ed by his half -buttoned redingote the sentry supposed him to be superior officer and allowed him to pass without question. Crossing his arms on his chest, the visitor, having reached the principal court, stopped and looked around him. Suddenly the conversa ton of two invalids coming out of the building attracted his attention In or der to listen, he walked behind them regulating his pace by theirs. for they walked very slowly. These two mer seemed bowed down with years. The least feeble of them led his companion and as they tottered on he looked anx iously around.
 "Jerome,'' said the eldest. in a husky voice, do you see him coming?"
 'No father; but never mind! IT : read him a lecture which he won't for } get in a hurry-careless boy that ht isl"
 : "But, Jerome, we must make some al , lowance for him-we were once youns oIlrselyas Resides I dare say hs