MOBILE DIGITAL LIBRARY - SOCIETY OF YOUNG NIGERIAN ...

crying."But he is going to get well," I said, taking her hands in mine.The poor child had hardly courage to answer me. The true story of the battle ofReichshoffen had just appeared on the bulletin boards. Mac Mahon was retreating and thearmy cut to pieces. Surprised and shocked, our eyes met, she thinking of her father and Iof my patient. Surely he would succumb to this new blow; and yet what could we do?Leave him the joy, the illusion that had brought him back to life? That meant keepinghim alive with lies."Very well, I will tell them," said the child, and quickly wiping away her tears she wentback to her grandfather's room with a smile on her face.It was not an easy task which she had set herself. For the first few days she had no greatdifficulty. The old gentleman's head was very weak and he was as easily deceived as achild, but as his strength came back his mind became clearer. He wanted to be kept intouch with troop movements and to have the War Department Bulletin read to him. It waspathetic to see the little girl, night and day, bent over her map of Germany, sticking inpins with little flags on them, and trying hard to invent to the last detail a successfulcampaign: Bazaine advancing on Berlin, Frossard penetrating Bavaria, and Mac Mahonreaching the Baltic.