It was very
strange why he wouldn't draw off his troops. What did _he_ want with
Paris? What had Paris done to _him_? Weren't there plenty of other
cities in this world that didn't care a cent how much he bombarded them?
(I began to think that possibly I might be growing childish in my method
of stating the case, but it was only a momentary weakness that made me
think so.) Where was Tyre? Let him go and bombard Tyre. Nobody cares for
Tyre now. Where was Sidon? If he wanted to throw away his ammunition,
let him "go" for Sidon. Where was Tuckahoo, New Jersey? Would New York
care if Tuckahoo was reduced to the level of its original swamp?
Moreover, there were lots of cities away off in China, yearning to have
the rays of modern civilization let into them. Would it be anything out
of his way to travel in that direction with a few big KRUPP guns, and
give civilization a fair opening to get in at? Wasn't it cowardly to be
punching all the time at one poor, miserable little town like Paris,
that ain't big enough to help itself, and wouldn't have done the same by
him no matter if it got ever so many high old chances? "Think of it, oh!
think of it, my royal brother," I said, laying a hand on each of his
royal shoulders. He took my hands off, and told BISMARCK to bring him a
wisp-broom. It was a cruel insult, but I stood unmoved in the midst of
it.
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