The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-12-22

Sne DrOuSnJ ana read Sally 10 MIN at
his bedside, keeping back her tears.
The colonel listened religiously,
smiled with an intelligent air, ap-
proved, criticised, and explained to
us the difficult passages. But where
he was especially fine was in the an
swers he sent to his son:
Never forget that you are a
Frenchman,' said he. BE generous
to those poor people. Do not make
the invasion too heavy for them.
And then there were endless recon-
mendations, adorable twaddle about
respect for the proprieties, the polite
ness due to ladies-in fact, a COM
plete code of military honor for the
use of conquerors! He added also
some general observations on poll
tics, and the conditions to be i'm
posed on the conquered. On that
point, must say. he was not unrea-
sonable.
A war indemnity, and rothing
farther. What is the good of taking
their provinces? Can you make
france out or Germany
"He dictated all this with a firm
voice, and one felt there was so much
candor in his words, such fine, pa
triotic faith, that 1t was impossible
to listen to him unmoved.
"All this time the siege was ad-
vancing-not that of Berlin, alas!
1t was time of great cold, lombard
ments, epidemics, and famine. But,
thanks to our care, our efforts and
the indefatigable tenderness which
surrounded him, the serenity of the
old man was never for an instant dis
turbed. Up to the end | was able to
get him white bread and fresh meat.
There was only enough for him, and
you can imagine nothing more touch
ing than those breakfasts of the
grandfather, so innocently selfish
the old man upon his bed, fresh and
smiling, his serviette tucked under
his chin; near him his grand-daugh-
ter, little pale from her privations,
guiding his hands, giving him drink,
helping him to all those forbidden
good things. Then, revived by the re-
past, in the comfort of his warm
room, with the winter wind outside,
and the snow whirling past his win
dows, the old cuirassier recalled his
campaigns in the north, and related
to us for the hundredth time that sad
retreat from Russia, in which they
had nothing 10 eat but frozen biscuit
and horse-fesh.
DO you understand, little one?
We used to eat horses
"She understood only too we'll.
For two months she had eaten moth
ing else. From day to day, however,
as convalescence progressed, our task
beside the invalid became more diff
ficult. That paralysis of his senses,
and Of all his limbs, which had served
us so we'll up to this time, began to
disappear. Two or three times al
ready the terrible volleys from the
Maillot Gate had made him start and
prick up his ears like greyhound;
we were obliged to invent last vic
tory for Bazaine, under BeIin, and
salvos fred in his honor at the In
valides. Another day his bed had
been moved to the win iow-it was,
l believe, the Thursday of Rezonville
and he saw the National Guards
massed together on the Avenue of
the Grande Armee.
What are those troops doing
there?' he demanded; and we heard
him mutter between his teeth, Bad
form! bad form!'
Nothing else happened; but we
understood that, in future, we must
take great precautions. Unhappily,
we were not cautious enough.
'One evening when l arrived the
child came to me full of trouble.
" 1t is tomorrow they enter she
said.
WAS the grandfather's door open?
The fact is, that in thinking over 1t
remembered that his
face had, on that evening, an extra
ordinary expression. 1t is probable
that he heard us. Only we spoke of
the Prussians, while he thought of
the French, in that triumphal entry
which he had so long expected-Mac-
Mahon coming down the avenue in
the midst of flowers and the flourish
Of trumpets. his son beside the mar
shal, and he, the old father. upon his
balcony, in full uniform, as at Lut-
zen, saluting the torn flags and the
eagles blackened with powder.
Poor father Jouve! He doubtless
fancied that we wished to prevent
him from being present at this march
past of the troops to avoid too great
an excitement fo- him. He took care
to speak to no one; but the next day,
at the very hour in which the Prus-
slams were timidly entering on the
long road leading from the Maillot
Gate to the Tuileries. the window
just above there opened softly, and
the colonel appeared on the balcony,
.