The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-01-11
The Siege of Berlin.
BY ALPHONSE DAUDET.


Champs Elysees with DR.. v, trying
to read in the walls pierced by cannon
balls and in the sidewalks broken by shot
the story of the siege of Paris when, a lit
tie behind the Rond- Point de TEtoile, the
doctor paused and pointed toward one
Of the stately houses grouped about the
Arc de Triomphe.
DO you see," said he. "those four
closed windows up there on the balcony?
In the early part of Augustine terrible
August of 1870, so full of war clouds and
disaster-I was called there to attend a
desperate case of apoplexy. 1t was the
home of Colonel Jouve, a cavalry soldier
of the First Empire whose soul was all
on fire with the glory of his country, and
who, at the very beginning of the war
had taken that balcony apartment on
the Champs Elysees. Can you guess
why? To see the triumphal return of our
army. Poor old man! The news of
Wissembourg arrived as he was leaving
the table. When he read the name of
Napoleon at the end of that record of de-
feat he was stricken with apoplexy.
81 found the old soldier lying at full
length on the floor of his room, his face
suffused with blood and as rigid as if he
had been struck on the head with a club.
Standing, he must have been very tall.
but lying down, he seemed huge With
fine features, splendid teeth, and shock
of curling white hair, you would have
thought his eighty years but sixty.
Near him knelt his granddaughter, weep
ing bitterly. She was very like him.
Looking at them side by side you thought
of two beautiful Greek medallions, except
that one was ancient and dull, with the
outlines a little blurred, the other re-
ndent and clear, in all The perfection of a
fresh imprint.
THE girls sorrow went to my heart.
Daughter and granddaughter of soldier
her father was an officer on MacMa-
hons staff-the sight of the old man
stretched out before her suggested to her
mind another picture that would be no
less terrible.
81 treasured as best | could, but |
knew there was little hope. 1t was a
well-defined case of semi-p paralysis, and
at eighty years one is hardly likely to re-
cover.
"Well, for three days the invalid re-
manned in the same state Of rigidity and
stupor. In the meantime came the news
of Rcichshoffen. you remember in what
strange way. Until nightfall we all be-
lieved it was a great victory, with
twenty thousand Prussians slain and the
Crown Prince prisoner.
II don't know by what miracle, by
what magnetic current, an echo of the
national joy found its way to our poor
deaf mute in the dim limbo of his paraly-
sis. At all events, when | reached him
that evening he was no longer the same
man. His eyes were almost clear, his
tongue lest thick He had strength to
smile at me, and stammered twice:
Vic-to-ryn
Ives, colonel, a great victory!
And little by little, as gave him the
details of MacMahon's achievement, l
saw his features relax and his face grow
bright.
"When went out the young girl fol
lowed me, and stood pale and erect be-
fore the door She was crying.
"'But he is savedr l said to her, press
ing her hands.
"The poor girl had scarcely the cour-
age to answer me- She had learned the
truth about Reichshoffen, MacMahon in
flight, the whole army shattered. We
looked at each other in terror. She was
distressed at the thought of her father.
l was trembling at the thought of the
old man. PROFESSIONALLY he would sue
cumb to this new shock. And yet, what
should we do? Leave him his joy, his
Illusions that had brought him back to
life =? But then we must lie.
"'Yes, l will lie! said the brave girl,
quickly drying her tears, and, radiant
with smiles, she went back to her grand.
| fathers room.
1T was a hard task she had taken on
herself, but for the first few days we
managed very well. Our patients mind
was feeble and he allowed himself to be
| deceived like a child. With returning
health, however, his ideas began to clear
1T was necessary to keep him informed
of the movements of the troops, and tc
invent for his benefit dispatches from the
front. 1t was pitiful, indeed, to see that
sweet child bending night and day ovel
her map of Germany, sticking i'll the lit
tie tin flags, forcing herself to devise thu
whole of a glorious campaign-Bazain'
before Berlin. Froissard in Bavaria
MacMahon on the Baltic.
"She asked my advice about it all, ant
| helped her as much as could; but i
was her grandfather who served us bes
in this imaginary invasion. Hehad con
quered Germany so many times unde
the First Empire. He knew all tn
moves in advance.
"'Now they will go there. Now the.
will do this, ard his prophesies were al
ways realized-a fact which did not fai
to make him very proud.