Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-02-19


lEtoile, the doctor stopped and
pointing to one Of those great man
sions grouped so pompously about
the Arc de Triomphe, said:
DO you see those four closed win
dows up there on that balcony?
Early in August, that terrible Aug
ust Of last year, so heavy with tenn
pest and disaster, | was summoned
up there to case Of apoplexy 1t
was the home of Col. Jouve, a CUR
assier Of the first empire, an old en-
thusiast in the matter Of glory anu
patriotism, who at the beginning OF
the war had come to live on the
champs Elysees in a suite of rooms
with a balcony. Can you guess
why? To witness the triumphal re-
turn of our troops. Poor old man!
The news of Wissembourg reached
him as he was leaving the table. On
reading the name of Napoleon sign
ed to that bulletin of disaster he had
fallen unconscious.
Il found the veteran cuirassier "
ing at full length on the carpet, his
face bleeding and still as if he had
been struck on the head with a mace.
He must have been tall when stand
ing; as he lay there he seemed i'm
mense. Handsome features, magnl-
ffCent teeth. an abundance of white
curly hair, &c years old, but seeming
GO. Near him his granddaughter on
her knees weeping. She resembIed
him. To see them side by side you
would have said two fine Greek med
ais bearing the same impression,
only one of them old, earth incrust-
ed, somewhat worn in outline, the
other bright and clean in all the bril-
lance and delicacy Of a new stamp
ing
L was touched by the girls's grief
Her father, like her grandfather,
was soldier and was serving Oh
MacMahon's staff, and the sight of
that old man stdetched cut before
her suggested to her imagination an
other picture no less terrible l re-
assured her as best I could, but in
truth | had little hope. 1t was a
genuine case Of partial paralysis, and
at so recovery is rare. For three
days in fact the invalid remained in
the same condition of mOtiOnlessness
AM stupor. Meanwhile the news OF
ReichahOfen reached Paris. You re
member how strangely. Until even
ing we all believed in a great victory,
10000 Prussians killed. the prince
royal prisoner. | do not know by
what miracle, what magnetic current,
an echo of this national JOY sought
out our poor deaf mute even in the
limbo of his paralysis, but at any
rate that evening when 1 approach
ed his bed l found no longer the
same man. His eye was almost
clear, his tongue not so heavy. He
had strength enough to smile at me
and stammered twice ''Victory!"
Yes, colonel, a great victory
And as / went on TO give~the de
tails OF MacMahon's grand success /
saw his features gradually relax, his
face light up.
when I left the room the young
She was pale and sobbing.
But he is saved!' / said to her.
gIasping her hands. THE unhappy
child scarcely had the courage to
answer me. The true news of
Reichshofon had just been announc-
ed; MacMahon in flight, the whole
army crushed. We looked at each
other in CONSERVATION. She was in
despair, thinking of her father |
trembled to think Of the old man.
Surely he could not stand this shock
and yet what should we do?
Leave him his JOY, the illusions
which had brought him back to life?
But then we should have to lie!
well, I will lie said the heroic
girl. quickly wiping away her tears,
and radiantly she entered her grand
fathers room,
1T was a hard task that she had
assumed. The first few days it was
easy enough. The old mans head
was weak and he could be deceived
like child But with returning
health his ideas became more pre-
else. We had to keep him informed
as TO the movement of the armies, to
draw up military bulletins for him
1t was pitiful to see that beautifm
girl bending night and day over her
map of Germany, sticking in little
flags, trying to plan a whole glort-
Gus ampaign-BaZaine advancing on
Berlin, FrOssard in Bavaria, MacMa-
hon advancing on the Baltic. She
sought my advice in all this and
helped her all | could, but it was
above all the grandfather himself
who served us in this imaginary in
yasion. He had conquered Germany
so many times under the first en-
pire. He knew all the moves in ad-
vance: Now that is where they are
going This is what they are
going TO do and his predictions
were always realized, a thing which
did not fail to make him pround
Unfortunately. no matter how
many cities we took, how many bat
ties we won, we never went fast
enough for him. The old fellow was
Unsuitable. Every day when I came
| learned of some new feat of arms.
Doctor, we have taken Mayence,
the. girl would say, coming to greet
me with a heart broken smile and /
would hear through the door a joy
Gus voice crying out to me:
Were getting on. In a
week we shall enter Berlin,'
AT that moment the Prussians