“The violence of the applause,” says one who was present, “continued until all were breathless; then a sudden silence preceded the great event of the evening.  In clear, firm tones, Faure launched forth the first notes of the ‘Marseillaise;’ and as the first verse ended, he bounded forward, and unfurling the flag to its full length and breadth, he waved it high above his head as he electrified the audience with the cry, ‘Aux armes citoyens!’ and subsequently, when in the last verse he sank upon one knee, and folding the standard to his heart, raised his eyes towards heaven, he drew all hearts with him; tears flowed, hand grasped hand, and deeply solemn was the intonation of the volunteer chorus following the call to arms!

“The month of July was drawing to a close when the emperor took his departure for Metz, where he was to assume the post of generalissimo.  With him went gayly the young Prince Imperial, then fourteen years old.  Their starting-point was the small rustic summer-house in the park of Saint-Cloud, the termination of a miniature branch railroad connecting with the great lines of travel.  There the father and son parted from the empress, who removed the same day to the Tuileries, where she administered the imperial government under the title of empress-regent.

“It would have been injudicious for the emperor at this time to risk a public departure from Paris.  The Parisians were so full of confidence and enthusiasm that he might have received an inconvenient ovation in advance.”

Skirmishing had been going on along the frontier between the French and German outposts since July 21.  On August 2 the campaign began in earnest.  After luncheon on that day, the emperor and the Prince Imperial set out by rail from Metz, and returned to Metz to dinner, having invaded German territory and opened the war.  They had alighted at Forbach, and proceeded thence to make a reconnaissance into the enemy’s territory near Saarbrueck,—­a small town of two thousand inhabitants, where, strange to say, an International Peace Congress had held its session not many months before.  This place had an ordinary frontier garrison, and lay two and a half miles beyond the boundary of France.  General Frossard, under the emperor’s direction and supervision, led on his men to attack the place.  The first gun was fired by the Prince Imperial, who here, as his father’s telegram that night reported to the empress, received his “baptism of fire.”  The garrison returned the fire, and then, having lost two officers and seventy-two men, it retired, leaving the French in possession of the heights above the town.  Poor Prince Imperial!  Some harsh lines concerning his first exploit were published in the London “Spectator:”—­

  “’How jolly, papa! how funny! 
     How the blue men tumble about! 
    Huzza! there’s a fellow’s head off,—­
     How the dark red blood spouts out! 
    And look, what a jolly bonfire!—­