The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-09
A ROMANTIC STORY
OF DREADFUL WAR

A vigorous story Of the war between
Al. Germans and the French In 1870 II
aid by Walter Bloom in "The iron
YEAR" translated from the German by
s,ola Bloch John Lane Company.
Tho reader will think perhaps that Capt.
A, ponchalon Of the French army was
.,,hor too Overwhelming q fellow with
,hs ladies lie had beetling browr. The
snorous rlances of his dark eyes were
ds,ycrcd from between heavy and half
c,osed lids. 1t is To be suspected that In
bis periods Of elouuence he was not above
hrsssing. We have a scene at Ems Just
bsforc the breaking out OF the war. The
anurple floods" Of wine accompanying
me hotel dinner had bathcd both French
and German bosons. "Wreaths OF Gig
arctic smoke foatcd fragrantly above
r.ddened faces and cleaning eyes.
ponchalon was speaking. telling Of that
18Th OF June before Sebastopol."
Ponchalon was eloquent. He had gifts
- Arc and music He spoke with flash
ing eyes and nervous rcsticulatlon. He
did not evade the subject Of his own
heroic activities in the battle. On the
contrary. he told without cone ealment or
shy abbrevlation how In the whirl OF the
advancing storm and the teeth OF the
terrible opposition he had caught up n
sinking eagle and waving IT on high had
gained his cross ~ honor. Tht effect
was electrical and all that he could have
desired. The story says. III the men
were CENTRALIZED. the women were COM
pletely carried away. Agnes and Marl-
anne sat opposite TO the speaker hand
In hand shoulder touching shoulder.
their lips slightly apart. with unseeing
eyee. needless Of all around The old
spell was at work. the charm that had
, been the undoing OF Dcsdemona. the
charm that has ever surrounded the
narrator OF a cleverly woven tale OF per.
sonal bravery. who relates colossal deeds
as though they were but every day oc-
currences." Marianne was the daughter
Of Baron Won Rassow- Reckenthien the
great Prussian cavalry General. 1t was
a disastrous matter for her. this meet
ing with tho heroic French officer at
Ems. The story specifics further re-
garding Ponchalons appearance that
ne had mustachc waxed into points
and pointed goatee. like his Emperor's.
The detail OF the story Is full OF in
tsrest There Is plenty Of the thunder
and terror OF battle. We noticed a
queer expression In the description Of
one encounter. There was gallant
charge by the French. They advanced,
shouting wildly. They twirled their
rifles with the slightly curved bayonets
around their heads" A Prussian gren.
adler hated the young officer who led
them He did not know why. He had
never seen him before. The hated
officer had downy mustache. His good
humored young face was bathed in
sweat. II was somewhat distorted also
by gr!macc. His end was immediate.
The sword was Knocked from his right
hand and the pistol from his left hand
by single blow from the grenadier's
rife butt. The grenadier seized him by
the throat and by sword belt. raised
him aloft and dashed him upon the
rocks. You dog, you dog" cried the
grenadier. And all around iron pierced
into flesh. butt ends OF muskets crashed
down on splitting skulls. nailed boots
trod on cracking kneecaps. clawed
hngers pressed into straining throats. -
The French retired with cries Of "Sauve
qu! peui" and There are tigers up