Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-02-16
The siege On BERLIN


pierced by shell, the pavement plowed by
grape-shot, the history of besieged Paris,
when just before reaching the Place de
rEtoile, the doctor stopped and pointed
out to me one of those larger corner
houses so pompously grouped around the
Arc de Triomphe.
DO you see,'' said he, 'those four
closed windows on the balcony up there?
In the beginning of August, that terri
bic month of August of 20, so laden with
storm and disaster, I was summoned
there TO attend a case of apopleXy. The
sufferer was Col. JOuve, an old cuirassier
OF the First empire. full of enthusiasm
for glory and patriotism, who, at the
commencement of the war, had taken an
apartment with balcony in the Champs
Elysees-for what do you think? To as
slst at the triumphal entry of our troops!
Poor Old man. The news of Wissem-
bourg arrived as he was rising from
table. On reading the nume of Napoleon
at the foot of that bulletin of defeat he
fell senseess
Il found the old cuirassier stretched
upon the floor, his face bleeding and inert
as from the blow of a club. Standing,
he would have been very tall, lying he
looked immense; with fine features, beau
tiful teeth, and white, curling hair, car
rying his 80 years as though they had
been 90. Beside him knelt his grand
daughter in tears. She resembled him.
Seeing them side by side, they reminded
me Of two Greek medallions stamped
with the same impress, only the one was
antique, earth-stained, its outlines some
what worn; the other, beautiful and
clear, in all the luster of freshness.
The cbilds sorrow touched me-
Laughter and granddaughter of soldiers,
tor her father was on MacMahOn'S staff,
the sight of this old man stretched before
her evoked in her mind another vision no
less terrible. | did my best to reassure
her, though in reality had but little hope.
We had to contend with memoptysis,
from which at 80 there is small chance Of
recovery.
For three days the patient remained in
the same condition of immobility and stu
pOr. Meanwhile came the news of Reichs
hOfen-you remember how strangely? Till
the evening we all believed in great vic
tory-20, coo Prussians killed. the Grown
Prince prisoner.
L cannot tell by what miracle, by what
magnetic current, an echo of this national
JOY can have reached our poor invalid,
hitherto dead to all around him; but that
evening, on approaching the bed, / found
a new man. His eye was almost clear,
his speech less difficult, and he had the
strength to smile and to stammer:
Victory, victOryr
Yes, colonel, a great victory. And as
[ gave the details of MacMahon's splendid
success, l saw his features relax and his
countenance brighten.
Nv hen went out, his granddaughter
was waiting for me- pale and sobbing.
But he is saved said l, taking her
hands.
The poor child had hardly courage to
answer me. The true ReichshOfen had
n moi
tive, the whole army crushed. We looked
at each other in CONSERVATION; she anX
ious at the thought of her father, | trem-
bling for the 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
then we should have to deceive him.
well, then, [ will deceive him. said
the brave girl, and, hastily wiping away
her tears, she re-entered her grand
fathers room with a beaming face.
1T was a hard task she had set her
self. For the first few days it was COM
paratvely easy, as the old mans head
was weak, and he was as credulous as q
child. But with returning health came
clearer ideas. 1t was necessary to keep
him informed of the movements of the
army and to invent military bulletins. It
was pitiful to see that beautiful girl
bending night and day over her map of
Germany, marking it with little flags,
forcing herself to combine the whole of a
glorious campaign-Bazaine on the road
to Berlin! Frossard in Bavariai Mac
Mahon on the Baltic! In all this she
asked my counsel, and I helped her as
far as | could; but it was the grand
father who did the most for US in this
imaginary invasion. He had conquered
Germany so often during the First en-
pirei He knew all the moves before
hand; Now they should go there. This
is what they will do and his anticipa-
lions were always realized, not little to
his pride. Unfortunately we might take
towns and gain battles but we never
went fast enough for the colonel. He
was Unsuitable. Every day I was greeted
with fresh feat of arms:
Doctor, we have taken Mayence
said the young girl, coming to meet
me with a heart-rending smile, and
through the door heard joyous voice
crying:
We are getting on, we are getting
on! In = week we shall enter Berlin!'
AT that very moment the Prussians
were but a week from Paris. At first we
though it might be better to move to the
provinces, but once out-of-doors, the
state OF the country would have told him
all. and | thought him still too weak,
too enervated. to know the truth 1 was
therefore decided that they should stay
where they-W were
ION the first day of the investment I
went to see my patient much agitated,
remember, and with that pang in my
heart which we all felt at knowing that
the gates of Paris were shut, that the
war was under our walls, that our SUBJ
urbs had become our frontiers.
L found the old man jubilant and
proud.
We'll said he, the siege has begunr
i looked at him stupefed
:" How, colonel. you know?'
His granddaughter turned to me: 'Oh.
yes, doctor, it is great news. The siege
of Berlin has begun
''She said this composedly, while draw
ing ing out her 1e needle How could he sus-
pect anything! He could not hear the
cannon nor see that unhappy Paris. so sui
len and disorderly., All he saw from his
bed was calculated to keep up his deu-
sion. Outside was the Are de Triomphe.
and in the room quite a collection of
souvenirs of the First empire. Portraits
Of marshals, engravings of battles. the
King of Rome in his baby-robes; the stiff
consoles Ornamented with trophies in
brass. were covered with imperial relics,
medals, bronZeS: q stone from ST Helano