Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-02-16
THE SIEGE OF BERLIN.
e. Atp-lonse Dau3et>
TRANSLATED by .9rot. George {. Rowland.


des Champs Elysees with DR.. v
seeking to read in the bomb rlddIeo
walls, the shot shattered Sidewalks
the story of Paris besieged, when,
Just before reaching the Place de
pEtoile, 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, l was summoned
up there to a 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.
ct found the veteran cuirassier ly-
ing at full length on the carpet, his
face bleeding and still as if he had
been struck on the head with mace.
He must have been tall when stand
ing, as he lay there he seemed i'm
mense. Handsome features, magnl-
fiCent teeth, an abundance Of white
curly hair, 30 years old, but seeming
60. Near him his granddaughter on
her knees weeping. She resembled
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 incrusC-
ed. somewhat worn in outline, the
other bright and clean in all the bril-
lance and de1icacy of a new stamp
ing.
ct was touched by the girls's grief.
Her father, like her grandfather,
was a soldier and was serving Oh
MacMahon's staff, and the sight of
that old man stdetched out before
her suggested to her imagination an
other picture no less terrible. I re-
assured her as best / could, but in
truth I had little hope. 1t was
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
and stupor. Meanwhile the news or
Reichshofen reached Paris. You re
member how strangely. Until even
ing we all believed in a great victory,
10000 Prussians killed, the prince
royal prisoner. I 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 I approach
ed his bed I 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!'
eyes, colonel, a great victory
"And as I 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
girl was waiting for me at the door.
She was pale and sObbing.
"'But he is saved!' | said to her,
grasping her hands. 1.-The unhappy
child scarcely had the courage to
answer me- The true news Of
3eichshofOn had just been announc-
I'd; MacMahon in flight, the whole
rmy crushed. We looked at each
,ther in CONSERVATION. She was in
'espair, thinking of her father. /
rembled to think of the old man.
.urely he could not stand this shock
and yet what should we do?
cave him his JOY, the illusions
hich had brought him back to life?
ut then we should have to lie!
&c well, I will Iie,' said the heroic
ri quickly wiping away her tears,
Id radiantIy she entered her grand
theirs room.
ct was a hard task that she had
sumed. The first few days it was
sy enough. The old mans head
as weak and he could be deceived
le a child. But with returning
lalth his ideas became more pre-
Sc. We had to keep him informed
to the movement Of the armies, to
aw up military bulletins for him.
was pitiful to see that beautiful
RI bending night and day over her
ap Of Germany, sticking in little
tgs. trying to plan a whole glorf-
IS campaign-Bazaine advancing on
9rlin, Frossard in Bavaria, MAGMA
IN advancing on the Baltic. She
ught my advice in all this and
9Iped her all l could, but it was
5ove all the grandfather himself
10 served us in this imaginary in
lsion. He had conquered Germany
many times under the first en-
re! He knew all the. moves in adj !
tnce: Now that is where they are
)ing This is what they are
)ing to do, and his predictions