The Washington herald., 1914-09-27

forces were much larger than they really
were, while he did not hesitate TO declare
bring '3oOOOO men against him under the
walls Of Leipzig, could not have more
than 5000 for their march on Paris.
At the Frontier.
BuIow did enter Holland But contrary
to Napoleon's forecast the Dutch people
rose to welcome him, and he had no diff
ficulty in going where he pleased. Blucher
came down the Moselle, but instead OF
crossing Belgium he advanced through
Lorraine, drove Victor from Nancy, ana
easily captured Toul
The main army, under Schwarzenberg,
and accompanied by the Czar, the En-
peror Of Austria, and the King of Prus-
sia, did not scruple-to ignore Swiss neu-
trality, and, crossing the Rhine between
Basic and Schanhausen, IT assembled at
Solothurn, on the, soil OF Switzerland.
1t had protected its crossing and advance
by sending out small bodies a week and
ten days before to invest the more
strongly fortified places, such as Stras-
burg. Huningen, -Belfort,- Breisach. and
SchIettsdadt while minor fortressss, like
But no time or blood was wasted in as
saulting strongholds, the allies being con-
tent to mask them and leave before each
just enough watchdogs to shut In the
garrisons.
Nevertheless, this duty required 50
many troops and so wide dispersal that
the army Of the sovereigns was extended
over a front Of almost 200 miles when
ii moved into France early in January.
But its advance in overwhelming num-
bers was a military promenade. The
French helplessly fell sack from town TO
town and from river to river, while the
invading forces swept forward until they
stood at the borders of Burgundy and
Champagne, where they looked down the
valleys of the Seine and the Marne to-
ward Paris.
Thus the Cossacks were In the heart
of Eastern France before Napoleon could
piece together the semblance of an army
OF defense. He did not leave Paris, in
deed, until nearly a month had passed
since the allies first crossed his frontier.
The wife and Child.
Realizing the. desperate chances Of his
situation, he again invested Marie Louise
with the regency, and chose Joseph Bon
aparte, the dethroned King Of Spain, as
her chief adviser. Assembling the officers
of the National Guard, that Partisan mi
litia which so often march across the
pages of revolutionary history, in the
great hall where he had seen Louis XVI
compelled to put on the red cap of. lib
held his last leVee with theaEmpress, to
which the scourtiers all came, hioing their
fears behind, their smiles or their treach
cries behind their fawnings. y.
When the Emperor entered the salon,
the Empress was with him, and between
them was the King Of Rome, his yellow
curls falling. over the shoulders of the
blue coat Of his uniform of the National
Guard. That simple picture Of father
and mother and, son touched the heart
and kindled devotion beyond any words
however eloquent. -, s~
! After the three had walked directly to
the large group of officers, the Emperor
said to them: Gentlemen, / am about
TO go TO the army, but I intrust to you
what ] hold dearest in the world-my
wife and son. Let there be no political
divisions Then he took his son in his
arms and carried him among the officers
and courtiers, who cheered and wept
while they pledged their lives for the pro-
lection of the Empress and the King of
Rome. -
In 4 few hours more Napoleon held his
boy in his arms and looked into his blue
eyes for the last time. For the last time,
too, he folded Marie Louise In his en-
brace as he was departing at o'clock
on a dreary January morning to battle
with her father.
Back at Brienne.
Although he had been going away to
the wars for a full score Of years, he
never before had gone on such an expe-
dition as lay ahead Of him now. In
other campaigns he had SCARED over the
Alps and the Pyrenses or sped across
the PrussiRn, Polish. and Russian plains
to fight his foes on their own ground.
Row he must meet them on the soil OF