Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-11-19

lark vaults, and with none near save the
mouldering remains OF those who once
ruled Russia, she mad passed her time in
| tprayers to Heaven, before the rude altar,
at which a lamp was always kept burning.
that Tie 'priesls in neverss-a1ing slpplicat;on,
might pray Tor the souls of the illrstrious
dead. The Pfies,sa had lfled-the coarse
food they, bad left was, all consumed, and
nough, remained to hnlowna, for tha,
was her name, but % diessfn this situation
she was dlscoyesed tapd- ssng eyed TO The
quar,er&of Mnssaonss e- =
Paulowna was, but seventeen. Her raven
hair fell in ringlets over a neck of alabas-
Ter whi,eness, and single glance, of her
deep blue eye, told Of the innocent and con-
tiding spirit of its owner. She was one 10
love with all hearts dcvotion-one of
those fair beings, sometimes, though but
rarely, placed on earth, rs type Of the
beauty of that heavenly choir which clus-
ter around the Eternal Throne. Her
hear. knew no guile, and she dreamed no,
of it in others. Unaccustomed TO society
and its forms, she knew not that it was
wrong to inhabit the quarters of an officer,
for nought had yet transplred to show her
The dangel. Upon Marmont she looked
as her preserver from q fate worse thou.
sand fold than death, and her gratitude
knew no bounds. The willy Frenchman
saw .his-he knew the victim was ensnared
was his own. He spoke of love, bu,
hardened as he was in guilt, there was tina,
in Paulowna's eye which made him fear
10 breathe in her chas.e ear word that
could be construed into dshonor. 1e prof.
tered marriage, and by that means wrung
! from Paulowna the avowal that he alone
possessed her virgin heart. A mock Prizes,
"A creature of Marmont's, who donnad
the robes Of one Of Gods minister's, per.
formed the Ceremony, and Pauowna pledg.
ed her love, even uilo death, to the man
who stood beside her, and he triumphed
over the ruin Of simple and friendess fe.
male, which he had accomplished by fraud
and perjury5 in the face OF heaven
While this scene was acting, the demon
Of destruction seemed to preside over that
once fair city. Night after nigh, the
flames burst forth and spent their fury
Order no longer reigned in Moscow -
Hundreds of wrelches, old and young, were
driven from their secret hiding places into
the streets by the flames, or by the gnaw-
ings of hunger. Females were brutaIly
violated, aud perished in the Streets
Strong men reduced to skeletons, died by
hunger, and the ruins of that famed city
showed war in its most horrid aspect
Napoleon>seemed irresolute. With an
open foe, he would dare any hazard, but
with q secret one such as he now had to
deal with he knew not how to combat. -
Numerous wretches, caught applying torch.
es TO the houses, were executed with re-
morseless cruelty, but they died exulting
in the devastation they had caused. Fired
by their example, ard locking upon those
who thus died as martyrs Others we're ready
to supply their places, and the conviction
reluctantly forced itself upon the mind of
Napoleon, that Moscow could not be saved,
and that elsewhere the Grand Army must
seek Its winter quarters, and orders were
given for lis evacuation Of the city, now
but lltle else than mountains of ashes,
cinders and hackened walls, ready 10 toppla
and fall. lis spacious streets were no
longer to be seen-its fine gardens and
spacious palaces were but ruins, and the
Gnest city Of the Muscovite then existed but
in name and in memory. The little left
had been destroyed by the French.
After holding Moscow for thirty-four
days, the orders were given for the evacu.
a,ion OF its ruins
Marnonl still loving, as much as his
base heart could love the poor dupe of his
yillainy, provided hberally for her simple
wants. Father, mother, home, conntry,all;
all, had been forgotten in the wild love she
lelt Tor HIM TO whom she had given that
ehleiest treasure, her virgin heart, and like
Ruth TO Naorni in the liuIness Of her love,
she was ready 10 exclain5 'wheresocver
thou goesi, | will go-thy people shall be
my people-thy God shall be my Godp-
She aceompanid the army ia its retreat, and
bore with uncomplaining meekness, the
trials all had to endure.
The weather, which up 10 the evacua-
tion, had remained calm, clear and warmer
than ever known before, now changed, and
the storm clouds which drove UP to Heav.
ems zenith, told the Russian winter was
setting in and as the army marched on Ka-
louga, the air was frequently filled with
snow. The affair Of Mala-Yarowslave,z,
in which the Brigade Of Marmont acted a
conspicuous part, showed that the retreat
of the Russians before the Grand Army on
its march to the city of the Cars, resulted
not from fear of measuring arms with
the troops OF Napoleon, but was part of
that grand, yet fearful experiment, which
had lured Napoleon ON 10 his own deslruc
tion by lulling him into false security.
But who can paint the sickening agony
OF the young wife, when the dull heavy
boom OF the cannon told her of the danger
OF her hearts idol and she not by his side
TO share his peril. And who can pain,
woman's heart, so full of apparent contra.
diciions, and yet ever so true in her love
TO man. During the conflict, as various
reports oftbe village being lost and won,
and as the tide of battle ebbed aud flowed,
the siluation-the agony Of poor Paulowna,
was heart-rending. She sought relief in
prayer, but her thoughts were less of Heav.
en- than Of earth, and thus she remained in
an agony OF suspense, until night drew its
sable curtain around the battle field and
darkness separated the combattants. 1t
was the first baltic in which Marnont was
engaged since she first knew him, but the
joy Of his return, black with the smoke of
battle, yet unwounded, she deemed an am