Smyrna times., 1900-03-14
An OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
A Sketch In the Franco-Prus-
sian War.
BY ANDRE THURIET.

The towns of certain of the French
provinces are like plants of the same
family in having the cast of cOunte-
nance, so to speak, which reveals the
common ancestry. HauteMarne's char
acteristic is its high perched, grim, sui |
len towns, among which l. is unde |
niably that which emphasizes the ia
miliar features with the greatest orig |
inality.
Built on the summit of a rocky hill, |
it is protected on the south by a citadel
with eight bastions, while on the north
stand forth its towers, hOspice, the
stern profiled cathedral and the dark
walls of the ancient ramparts which
stretch away from a Roman-Gallic tri-
umphal arch.
Within are the seminary and bar
racks. The old streets are constantly
swept by the fierce bise.
The smaller homes lie at the back of
a damp and solemn court, protected
from curious eyes by Il high wall and
a hermetically sealed carriage gate.
There are few windows on the street:
but, to make amends. many openings
overlook the inner gardens and the sur
rounding country. One gets the i'm
preston that the inhabitants rarely
venture out and so live after the Eng
lish motto, MY house is my castle"
The people of l. are, in fact, stay
at homes" uncommunicative, not par
ticularly pleasing, which. however,
does not hinder their being good ma
tured lot at heart and high spirited on
occasion to the point of absurdity.
My old cousin Melasippe Rousselot
had lived in l. since time immemO-
rial. He practiced medicine and was a
complete resume of the virtues and fol-
bles of his cOmpatriOts. Tall thin,
stern and rugged as native rock, pref
udiced and impassioned in his tastes
and ideas, he had withal the gentle
madness of the collector, the most he
roic chimeras and a tendency to make
mysterious the future. With a high
temper and the fierceness of a wild
boar. he was often brave to the point
of fOolhardness. He bOasted, indeed,
of having known fear only once, and
under these circumstances:
The province of Haute-Marne was
invaded by the Germans in the August
of 1870. They had already occupied
the principal points; but, despite Is
being an important town, they had neg
lected to lay siege to it, doubtless
thinking it useless to waste time and
men in investing it. while they COM
manded the situation on both sides.
So up to the beginning of January,
1871, not a helmet had been seen or a
cannon shot exchanged. Nevertheless
the invasion continued, and commune
cation with the outer world grew more
and more difficult, rations became
scarce and very dear, and, as they liv-
ed from day to day in the expectation
of being besieged, each one put him.
self on a short allowance.
Suddenly it was discovered that Z
fresh supply of drugs would be needed
for the ambulances. Ten miles away
at Recy-Sur Ource was a military phar
macy protected by the French troops
that occupied the part of the provinc,
of Cote d'Or which as yet had no
been invaded. To gain this little Bcr
gundan town. though. the risk mus
be encountered of falling into tn
hands of the Germans. My cousin Me
lasippe was a member of the Re-
Cross and offered boldly to go to Rec
for the necessary quinine and antiseI
tics.
So one morning. wearing the Re
Cross badge. bundled up in his fu
greatcOat. he set out on his journey
jogging along in an ancient cab draw
by a brisk mare. The road was free
not Prussian on the horizon-and b
4. 1t Il. In
tion. After stuffing the box of his W
hicle with a whole pharmacy he weI
to the principal inn and resolved to o
der a fine diuner. "If | am going {
pull in my belt these next few weeks
he reflected. lit is only right to conso
myself beforehand with a little dss
patiOn!'
In the hotel dining room he found
large and merry gathering of officer
delegates of the province, surgeons. a
epicures and the owners of good app
tites, so that they did honor to IL
menu. With the dessert they turne
to military affairs and the march I
the enemy. My cousin told of his e
peditiOn and said that he had fouI
the road open from l. to Recy.
Ah, you come from L., uOctOr
interrupted one of the delegate
when do you return"
Tomorrow morning"
"In that case | am going to chari
you with a dispatch for the sous-pr
fet. 1t is urgent"
Melasippe lost no time in puttil
himself at the prefectural service. T
official wrote his dispatch, sealed it
an official envelope. gave it to my cot
in, adding gravely:
81 commend this to you. 1t is II
portant business. and shall thank y
for delivering it into the hands of t
sous-prefet himself"
The next morning, after taking Fl
roast and some burgundy on board
ballast and trusting the official missi
to his WaictpOof pOpLQf MQlaSfn