The ground, is, however, so hard, that it is much like attempting to cut through a rock.

To my mind the whole thing is merely undertaken in order to persuade the Parisians that something is being done.

For the moment they are satisfied.

"The Prussians," they say, "have besieged us; we are besieging the Prussians now." What they will say when they find that even these operations are suspended, I do not know.

The troops have suffered terribly from the cold during these last few days.