The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-08-31

qfaseless Iinery had cost would have made
her parents, e4 h..t,t.., 5-.s
'llo# melancholy that girl looks?' said
the yohhg lady remarking Martha's Pres
ence for the first time.
She wants very much 10 speak 10
your father, Mademoselle Marie, said her
nurse. Il -4s,
.Topapa? That won't be difficult. He
is quito near, for he walked hither with us.
Papsl papsl CypienI do you call, for
your voice. IS stronger than mine--papal'
she continued, addressing an officer, who
advanced. talking to an elderly man, dress
ed in brown, here is little girl who wants
70 speak to you Marie presented her to
her father, -.,..
Poor Martha, she had arranged little
speech in her head, which was 10 have
commenced with my lord have pity on usl'
But whom she found Eerself standing be-
fore him, she blushed and ttemblcd, and
could not utter single word. ~.
Meantime, Lord Varenna looked al her
closely, and exclaimed: 'Tis the little
damsel of the cakesl What doyou wish
me to do for you, dear child?' he asked
smiling kindly, DO you want some
more cakes to give 10 tho prisoners?'
'Ah, no, my lord, it was something quite
di6erent-----' z 3ac
8 We'll, my child, speak, don't be afraid.
l saw you this morning perform an action,
which | wonld give the best farm in my
possession to have seen done by Mario.
looked for you afterwards, but you were
gono. Come, hold up Your head and
speak freely. If what you want be in my
power TO bestow, promise now not to re-
fuse her who this morning went without
her breakfast to feed tho hungry prison
ers.'
Atthese kind words Martha fell on her
knees, and clasping her hands exclaimed:
oh, my father and my mother! you will
be saNedl My lord, she continued, my
father owes you hundred crowns-he
cannot pay it on account of tho hail, and
the rain, and
Stuff and monscnsep interrupted the
man in brown. t'f
MY lord, ifyou listen to all that your
tenants choose TO tell you, you will find that
the hail, or the rain, or the sun, whl al
ways prevent them paying their rent
'Silencel M. Bubois, said bis master,
sternly. 'Ifthis little girl assures me that
her father cannot pay,I fully believe her.
The parenGs who have brought her mp,
must be worthy people. Stand up, my
child: go home, and tell your father and
mother not TO be uneasy. win go TO sec
them tomorrow. Meantime, here is some
thing to repienish your basket of cakes.
And Lord dc Varenue put into Martha 5
trembling hands purse nearly filed with
silver.
The child felt as ii she was drcaming.-
is it mine-al mine?' she said And her
friend having assured her thatit was, she
scarcely waited to thank and bless him, but
dartcd off homewards at full speed Out
of breath, she rushed into the cottage, threw
the purse into her mothers lap, and ex-
claiming: Take this: my lord will come
himself o-morrowp-fell nearly fainting
on the ground. She soon, however, re-.
covered; and in her parents thanks and
blessings found a sweet recompense for her
conduct.
Such is one of the anecdotes which a
French writer has related of the early life
of Martha Biget, whose subsequent career
of benevolence corresponds with the prom
Use Of her childhood. During the bloody
scene of the French Revolution, she lived
at Besangon and her house was place Of
refuge for oldsor sick people and children.
She lived on brown bread and milk, in Or
derto have more to give away. On the
22d of March 1900, fire broke out in a
small village near Besangon. Sister Mar
tha as she was commonly called) hasten
cd to the spot. and did what she could TO
bring aid to the sufferers. A cottage, in
habitcd by a woman and two orphan chill
dren of whom she had charge, burned 50
rapidly, that despite Of Martha's tears aud
cntreaties, no one would venture TO enter
it. She offered everything as bribe, but
in vain. AT length, feeble woman as she
was, she rushed herself into the burning
ruin, and, aided no doubt by the Divinoss-
sistancc on which she relied, succeeded in
rescuing the three helpless inmates. On
another occasion, in 1907, while occupied
in gathering medical herbs on the bank of
the river Doubs, she heard loud splash
near her; it was q child of nine years old,
the son Of a poor shepherd, who had fallen
into the water. Martha, without knowing
how 10 swim, jumped in and succeeded in
rescuing the drowning child. Prisoners
Of war always excited her most active
sympathy. There was at BesaHgon a sort
Of depot, of sick and wounded prisoners,
belonging to almost every country in Eu-
rope. Martha worked for them, begged
for them, and nursed them in their illness.
Many stout fellow was through her kind
offices, restored 10 the friends who wept
for him on the banks Of the Tagus, the
Oder, or the Volga.
During the years 1913 and 1914 France
was desolated by the horrorsof war. Sister
Martha braved all the dangers of the battle
field, to carry succor to the wounded, wheth-
er friends or enemies She has been seen
to 20 to them nnder the very mouth of the
cannon, and after the bloodiest actions
were ended, her place was in the field hos
pitals. On one occasion, in 1914, the
Duke Of Qeggio met her, snd said; 4 have
long been familiar to your name, madame;
for whenever my soldiers are wounded,
their first cry always is Where is our sis
ter Martha9b &