Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-02-19

would not be better TO take him into
the country; but, once outside the
walls, the condition of France would
have told him all, and l considered
him still too week, too benumbed by
his great shock. to be allowed to
know the truth. So we decided to
stay.
The first day of the siege l went
up to their apartments, | remember
much agitated with that anguish of
heart which we all felt to find the
gates of Paris closed. the battle I'M
der our walls, our suburbs become
the frontier. found the old NAH
sitting up in bed. jubilant and proud
WELL he said, the siege is be-
gun at LAST
Il looked at him in bewiljerment.
How, colonel, do you know
His granddaughter turned to me:
why, yes. doctor 1t is the great
news. The siege of Berlin has be-
gum
'tShe said that, plying her needle
so calmly. so TRANQUILITY. How could
he have suspected anything? He
could not hear the cannon of the
forts. He could not see that unhap-
by city, Paris, gloomy and distressed.
What he saw from his bed was Bit
of the Arc de Triomphe, and in his
room about him relics of the first
empire well adapted to maintain his
illusions. Portraits of marshals, Ell
cravings of battles, the king of Rome
in his baby dress; then great stitr
consoles, adorned with brass es-
cutcheons, loaded with imperial rel
les, medals, bronzes, rock of st.
representing the same lady with
ringlets, in ball costume, in a YET
low dress with leg of mutton sleeves,
with bright eyes and ali
this, the consoles, the king of Rome
the marshals, the yellow ladies with
short waists, the awkward stiffness
which was considered graceful in
1906 it was all this, this at
mosphere of victories and conquests,
much more than all we could say to
him, which made him believe with
such simplicity in the siege of Berlin
From that day on our military op
erations were much simplified. Tc
take Berlin was only matter of pa
thence. Now and then, when the ole
man found it too dull, we would read
him a letter from his son, an imagin
!. airy letter, of course, since nothing
entered Paris any more, and since
the battle of Sedan MacMahon's aiC
de camp had been confined to a Ger
man fortress. You can imagine
that poor girls despair, without news
of her father, knowing him to be I
, prisoner deprived of everything, an(
perhaps sick, yet obliged, as SHIT
was, to make him speak in gay let
tiers, rather short, as a soldier would
write on campaign, always advanc
ing into the conquered country
Sometimes she lacked the sIrengtf
to write; we were weeks withou
news. But the old man would ge
uneasy, would be unable to speak
Then quickly letter would come
from Germany which she would
come and read to him gayly nea,
his bed, restraining her tears. The
colonel would listen soiemnly, smile
with a knowing air, approve, critl
else, explain to us the more obscure
passages. But where he appeared
especially fine was in the answers
he used to send his son. Never for
get that you are Frenchman,' he
would say to him. BE generous to
wards these poor people. Do moi
And there were endless injunctions,
delightful little sermons on the re-
spect for proprieties, the politeness
due the ladies, a regular code of Mill.
tary honor for the use of the conquer
ors. Sometimes he would mix in a
few general considerations on policy
on the conditions of peace to impose
on the conquered. In that matter, l
ought to say, he was not exacting:
: 1.-The war indemnity, nothing
more. What would be the
use of taking provinces from them ?
Can France be made out OF
Germany?
lie stated lHdL with III III fCICCi
and there was so much candor in
his words, such fine patriotic faith,
that it was impossible to hear him
without being affected.
During that time the siege was
still progressing, but alas! not that
of the great cold, OF the lombard
OF Berlin. II was the time
ment, of epidemics, of famine. But.
thanks 10 our care, to our efforts, to
the tireless tenderness lavished upon
him the serenity of the old man was
not disturbed for a moment. To the
last | was able to have white bread
for him, fresh meat. There was
none except for him, of course, and
YOU can imagine nothing more touch
ing than those grandfather's break
fasts, so innocently selfish-the OLD
man in his bed, fresh and laughing,
his napkin tucked in at his chin, near
him his granddaughter somewhat
blanched by privations, guiding his
hands helping to drink, to eat all
those good things forbidden to her.
y