Show A HAM BONE IN HISTORY MR MB ARCHIBALD forbes FOBBES the noted war correspondent and lecturer is a cold blooded historic hia torio idol the springfield republican relates an instance ine tance ot of his bw having lately performed a piece kieft of work of that chur character acter mr forbes VM present at the surinder surrender eur render of louis napoleon at sedan and occupied the house the room and the bed which were used by the emperor the night beere he was removed a prisoner pr I 1 son er to Wilhelm shohe ip 19 this house the chateau bellevue the king of prussia and the french emperor had their memorable meeting lr and the surrender was finally arranged in one of the rooms of the chateau wasa was a great oak table at which mr forbes sat to write one of the letters to the london daily dagy news As he tat writing his bis companion stood near him and disconsolately gnawed at a ham bone the miserable remnant of our store of provisions the bone was well nigh bare and with a grumble it was thrown upon the table upsetting mr forbes inkstand and making a great ink spot on the polished surface A few months afterward when mr forbes revisited the chateau he was shown the same room and table it was at this table be was informed that the capitulation of sedan was signed hot words ensued over its terms and general overturned the ink bottle in the mii mist st of his bis excitement with a hasty motion of his bis hand band this ink spot the evidence of the regret and shame of a couL courageous ageous soldier was treasured highly ain as i a relic of the memorable day now comes mr forbes and wipes out this touching and poetic story by substituting a meat less ham bone for the distress and wrath of a defeated soldier if there had bad been more ham and less lees bone the spot would never have been made on that table some people are so particular about facts that they will not permit the romantic features of history to go unchallenged mr forbes is one of that class of persons imaginative people have no use for him |