The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-01-27
THREE VISITS TO THE HOTEL DIES
 INVALIDES, 1705, 1906, lS40.
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place, At your age 1t is not good to be under the night air"
 Here he comes at last!" cried Je- rome.
 The emperor looked with some curl- osity at this wild boy, for whose youth allowance was to be made, and saw to his astonishment an invalid of some sixty years old, with two wooden legs, but one eye, and a frightfully scared face, advancing toward them as quick ly as his infirmities would permit. Je- rome began to reproach his truant son, but the latter interrupted him by hold ing up flask, a piece of white bread and few Jumps of sugar. See" he said. Tt was getting these things that delayed me. I knew grandfather would like a draught of warm wine and sugar after his long stay out; so went to my old friend Colbert, and persuaded him to give me his allow ance of wine in exchange for my mounting guard in his place to-mor- row."
 Well, we'll" said Jerome, that was thoughtful of you. my boy, but mean time We should have been badly off but for the kindness of this noble colonel who has made your grandfather lean on him.
 Cyprien saluted the emperor, whom, in the increasing darkness he did not recognize, and said, Now then, sir with your permission I will resume my post"
 And an honorable one it is,' said Ma nIn AL were you wounded?"
 At the battle of Fleurus, colonel gained against the Austrians by Gene ral Jourdan, now Marshal of the Elm pire. A volley of grape-shot knocked out my eye, and carried off both my legs at the same time. But added Cyprien, striking his powerful chest, my heart was not touched, nor my stomach either, and they have both. I hope, some good days work in them yet"
 Napoleon smiled. "The battle of Fleurus,' he said, twas fought, think, in 1794?"
 Yes colonel"
 That was already in Bonaparte's time" remarked Maurice. Grandfather" replied Cyprien, please to say the Emperor Napoleon the. Great; that is his proper title.' Tn the time of his late majesty, Lou is XIV"
 "Ah, grandfather" interrupted Cy- prien, impatiently, we're tired of hearing about that monarch of the old regime, who used to go to war in a ,,rior ,,;JJ Jasc | not to be mentioned in the same year with the emperor, who dresses and | lives like one of ourselves. Is it not so, | colonel?"
 | Napoleon knitted his brows, and an- | swered coldly: You are mistaken, M. | Cyplien; Louis XIV. was great king! l It was he who raised France to the | first rank among the nations of Flu rope; 1t was he who first marshaled \ four hundred thousand soldiers on 1 land, and one hundred vessels on the sea- He added to his dominions Rous- sillon. Franche-Comte and Flanders; l he seated one of his children on the ! throne of Spain; and it was he who l founded this Hotel des Invalides < Since Charlemagne, there has not been king in France worthy of being com | pared to him!"
 l This eulogium on the monarch whom ! he almost idolized, caused the dim eyes of old Maurice to sparkle; he tried to straighten himself, and said, in brok- en voice: Bravo! bravo! An! colo nel, you are worthy to have served his late majesty, Louis XIV. Had you lived In his time he would have made | you a field marshal!''
 1 Somewhat abashed, Cyprien stam- mered out, Excuse me, colonel; but you know I never knew this king of grandfather's. I only heard him spoken of by some of the oldest men here"
 I And those who spoke disrespectfully
 of him." said Napoleon, did wrong
 Here, at all events, the memory of Louis XIV. ought to be venerated. 1 At that moment lights appeared at
 the end of the court, sound of voices was heard, and many persons ap- preached. Rapp had waited long time on the spot where the emperor had left him; but when it became dark and his master did not return, he grew
 uneasy, and giving the horses in charge
 to soldier, he entered the Hotel and | told the governor, Marshal Serrurier
 that the emperor had been for the last
 hour incognito within the walls The
 news spread quickly among the off.
 cers; they hastened to look for their be. l loved master, and found him on the
 terrace conversing with his three com. panions.
 At tine cries of Here he is! Long
 live the emperorn' Cyprien, fixing his
 eye attentively on the supposed colonel
 suddenly recognized him, and claspine
 his hands, exclaimed: "Ah, sire, par.
 don me- Father, grandfather-this is
 the emperor himself!"
 You the emperor, colonel?" cried the two old men.
 "Yes, my children" replied Napoleon
 kindly holding each by an arm in order
 to prevent them from kneellng, "al
 though much younger than you, I an your father and the father of every sol dier who has fought for the honor o France"
 At that moment Rapp, the governor and their attendants, came up and sa
 luted Napoleon. With stern look, h,
 said to his aid-de-camp in an undertons
 You should have had patience t, wait.'' Then turning to the others, ii
 an affable manner he said: Approach Y T f1n,,, t,aI, 4