upon the rear and flanks of the enemy. Every bridge, every wood,
every village should be defended to the death. In this way the
Prussians would only hold the ground they stand on; and it would be
absolutely impossible for them to feed their immense armies, or to
bring up their siege materiel against Paris.

"The spirit to do this may possibly be excited by the revolution;
otherwise, France is lost. Success alone can excuse it; for a more
senseless, more unjustifiable, more shameful revolution was, in my
mind, never made. It has been effected purely by the Radicals and
roughs of Paris--the men who have, for years, been advocating a war
with Prussia; and who, a month ago, were screaming 'To Berlin.' For
these men to turn round upon the Emperor in his misfortune and,
without consulting the rest of France, to effect a revolution, is
in my mind simply infamous.

"Even regarded as a matter of policy, it is bad in the extreme.
Austria, Italy, and Russia--to say nothing of England--would,
sooner or later, have interfered in favor of an established empire;
but their sympathies will be chilled by this revolution. The
democratic party in all these countries may exult, but the extreme
democratic party do not hold the reins of power anywhere; and their
monarchs will certainly not feel called upon to assist to establish
a republic.

"Prussia herself--intensely aristocratic in her institutions--will
probably refuse to treat, altogether, with the schemers who have
seized the power; for the King of Prussia is perhaps the greatest
hater of democracy in Europe.

"Still, boys, these changes make no difference in your duty. You
are fighting for France, not for an empire or a republic and, as
long as France resists, it is your duty to continue. In fact, it is
now more than ever the duty of you, and of every Frenchman, to
fight. Her army is entirely gone; and it is simply upon the pluck
and energy of her population that she has to trust."

"Do you think Paris will hold out, papa?"

"She is sure to do so, boys. She has made the revolution, and she
is bound to defend it. I know Paris well. The fortifications are
far too strong to be taken by a sudden attack, and it will be a
long time before the Prussians can bring up a siege train. Paris
will only be starved out and, if her people are only half as brave
as they are turbulent, they ought to render it impossible for the
Prussians to blockade such an immense circle. At any rate, France
h