Evening star., 1898-07-16
CHAPTER XIII.
AShea of Empire.

From the first of November the situation
in Paris became more alarming day by day.
During the beginning of the siege the fear
Of bombardment had driven people to hang
cut ambulance flags or hoist the colors of
neutral nations over their houses, hoping
that the German cannon might spare build
ings so protected. Over the dismal freez-
ing streets thousands Of dingy, tattered
flags, mere rags for the most part, still
fiuttered in the November wind, although
the inhabitants OF the wretched city began
to regard the Prussian siege guns myths.
In all the weeks of fighting that had passed
since the first Uhlans cantered into Versail-
les not a single cannon shot from the Prus-
sian lines had been fired against the city.
Now the people no longer believed in the
Prussian cannon.
Yet with the opening days of November
there came into the streets of Paris some
thing new, something mysterious, intangi-
BE, vaguely dreadful. 1t was reflected in
the thin, pinched faces of the people: it
lurked in the hollow eyes of the soldiers
IL was everywhere in the cold gray waters
of the Seine, in the sad twilight of the
lampless streets. in the brooding November
clouds. 1t was not fear, it was not despSir;
II was the fear of despair.
The bOulevards were no longer frequent
ed: the cafes, the vital sparks of life to
boulevard and street, were now closed at
10 o'clock With the closing Of the ca es
the last sign of animation left the streets,
and at IL o'clock the city lay in darkness,
save for the dark figures on the icy ram
parts clustered to watch the flash of some
great gun, the far flare of the shell, the
monotOnOus rockets climbing TO the zenith
from the forts of the south
But the sickly light of dawn now fell on
crowded streets instead of empty ones for
everywhere at the doors of butcher stalls
Interminable lines of women stood card in
band, waiting TO draw their meager rations
of horse flesh.
There were few cabs and fewer omni-
buses left in the city; the government need
ed horses for artillery and cavalry; the peo-
pie needed food Factories had closed ev-
erywhere. save where the Gail steel woI Ks
famed, turning out cannon. Most OF the
railroad stations stood silent and empty.
The Orleans station, however served for
balloon manufacture.
One by one the last gas jets were cut off
and public buildings lighted with candles
and petroleum, until even these gave out
The police existed no longer, the National
Guard was supposed to perform police du-
ties.
There was no communication with the
OUTSIDE world except when rare spy eva i
ed the Prussian nnes-or by balloons and
pigeons once or twice spies, sent from the
provinces, crept into Paris, a few pigeons
found their way into the besieged city hut
no balloons ever returned.
Inc balloons left Paris at night to avoid
the hre Of the German outposts Some were
never again heard from, some were lost at
ssa, some fell in Belgium. A number how
ever, descended in the southern provinces
WheIe Gambetta was performing prodigies-
TO his own satisfac tion-aHd occasionally
deIuding Paris with foolish announcements
OF success for the French arms in the
south and the imminent arrival of the
army Of the Loire before the walls of Paris
4he army OF the Loire! What heights of
nope, what depths of despair marked its
Drlef careeri on the ramparts the starving
soldiers looked
army that never came; in the filthy streets
starving women and sick children listened
LOT the sound OF its cannon. Rumors grew
10 certainties; the army of the Loire had
hailed Issy; its cannon had beep hoard in
the West-in the south; its rockets signaled
victory and rescue from the east! Then the
ifeeZing streets echoed with din of gallop-
ing batteries; SUDDEN columns of cavalry
filled the outer boulevartls framing mast
III eager silence; endless masses of infa ntry
swung through the Icy streets with the
startling outcrash of drums echoing and
re-echoing from window to pavement while
the great guns doomed on the Point dn
Jour. and the forts took up the burden from
NahNss 10 St Denis, and from RomainvilIe
to the battery Of the Double Crown
Then after the sortle cana the aubu-
iances. file after file treading the frozen
roads to the battle-ground. And the ra-
tufh!-the creaking wagon loads of dying.
the stencil of musty blood-soaked straw,
th3 spectral regiments tramping Through
the gates. the ragged crowd looking on
freezlng, starving, dumb with misery, yet
ready Tor another sortie when the dull gov
srnor OF Paris could stir from the shadow
OF MS ShadOw-ha1.nted chamber
Little by little the rations Of hors, meat
We're reduced to the miserable scrap of
uhlrty graInnaS fO- adults and fifteen
sramInes for children. White bread had
disappeared: thers was no flour left. A
hard. dry morse. of black bread was ra-
TONED daily to the people. scarcely enough
70 sustain life until the dawn of another
day brought another crust
Ihe newspapers published schedules of
prices from week to week the poor shiver-
ing IN the bitter November dawn stoo6
nour after hour, ragged sick, ankle deep in
siusn patiently awaiting their rations OF
iean horsefesh, and reading the weekly
schedules to pass the time.