The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-12

2 Js,ilfts lfIlF ~ ~ So ~ la.F fe = aaaif 4
was never.endinC. cdlfyins sermons
about respect OF properly, the polite
ness due TO ladies. In short quite
code 81 military honor for the use OF
Iconquerors. With all this he put In (,
rome general reflections on politics aud
tho conditions Of the peace TO- be I'm.
TO the latter. ! must say be was not
iexacting.
".rhe war Indemnity md nothing
else. II is not wellfto take provinces.
Can one turn Germany Into France7
"He dictated this with 30 firm q voice,
and one felt so much sincerity IN his
words, 20 much patriotic faith, that 1t
was impossible TO listen TO him IN.
moved. ittWyH @ T
, "Sieanwhllc the siege went on-not
the Siege OF Berlin, anal We were at
the worst period Of colo, OF lombard.
incnt. OF epidemic, OF famine. But,
thanks TO our care and the indeiRtlg-
able tenderness which surrounded him.
B the old mans serenity was never for
moment disturbed. Up TO the end was
Y able TO procure white bread and fresh
meat for him, but for him only. You
could not Imagine anything more touch.
Ing than those breakfasts OF the grand
father go innocently egotistlc, sitting
up In bed, fresh and smiling, the nap
kin tied under his chin. at his side his
granddaughter. pale from her prlva-
iIons, guiding his hands, making him
drink, heipin. him to eat Nil these
good, forbidden things. Then. revived
by the repast. in the comfort OF his
warm room, with the wlntry wind shut
out and the snow eddylng about the
window, the old culrassIeT would recall
his northern campaigns, and would re-
late 10 us that disastrous retreat In
Russia, where there was nothing to cat
but frozen biscuit and horseilesh.
"'Can you understand that, little
one? We ate horsenesh.'
II should think she did understand Il, 1
For two months she had tasted nothing
else. AS corRalescence approached, our
task Increased daily In difficulty. The
numbness OF the colonies senses, as we'll
as OF his limbs, which had hitherto help
ed US so much, was beginning to pass
away. Once or twice already those ter
rlble vollcys at the Port Aiaillot had
made him start and prick up his cars
like n war horse: We were obliged to in
vent victory OF Bazaine's before Berlin
and salvos fired from the Inyalldes In
honorof It. Another day (the Thursday
of Buzenval. / think 1t was), his bed
had been pushed TO the window, whence
he saw some OF the national guard
massed upon the avenue de 10 Grande
Armee.
what soldiers are those?' he asked.
and we heard him grumblns beneath
his teeth:
Badly drilled, badly drilled
: Nothing came Of this, but we under
stood that henceforth greater precau-
lions were necessary. Unfortunately,
We we're not careful enough.
One evening was met by the child,
In much trouble.
1T is tomorrow they make their
entry,Tshe said.
Gould the grandfather's door have
been open? In thinking OF Il since I
remember that ALI that evening his face
wore an extraordinary expression,
Probably he had overheard us; only we
spoke OF the Prussians and he thought
OF the French. OF the trlumphal entry
he had so long expected. MacMahon de-
sceEdirS ...e avenue amid flowers and
flourish of trlmpets, his own son riding
beside the marshal, and he himself on
his balcony. In full uniform us at Lut-
zen. saluting the ragged. colors and the
eagles blackened by powder.
Poor Col. Jouve! He no doubt i'm
agined that we wished to prevent his |
assisting at the deile OF our troops. lest
the emotion should prove too strong for |
him. and therefore took care to saw |
nothing to us; but he next day, Just ut |
the time the Prussian battaliOns eau
tously entered the long road leading |
from the Porte Maillot to the Tulleries. |
the window up there was softly opened |
and the colonel appeared on the. bal |
cony with his helmet, his sword, all his
lonS-unuSed but glorious apparel of |
Milhaud's cuirassiers.
Il often ask myself what supreme et-
fort OF will, what sudden impulse of fad
Ing vitality, had placed him thus erect
in harness.
All we know is that he was there,
standing at the railing. wondering to |
find the wide avenue SO silent, the shut
tiers all closed: Paris like n great laza-
ret; flags everywhere, but strange ones.
white with rcd crosses, and no one to
meet our soldiers.
For moment he may have thought
himself mistaken.
But no! There, behind the Arc de-
irlomphe; there was confused sound.
a black line advancing in the growing
dayltght--theI. little by little. the
spikes OF the Uhlars' helmets g,Is,en,
the little Prussian drums begin to beat,
and under the Arch OF the Star. accom-
panied b. the heavy tramp OF the
troops. by the ciatter OF sabers. bursts
forth Schuberts 'Trlumphal March,
In the dead silence OF the street was
heard n cry-1 terrible cry:
To arms!-to arms!-the Prus-
slams" And the four Uh!ans OF the ad-
vance guard might have seen. up there.
on the balcony, tall old man stagger'