Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-12-20
] DAN OF ARC.

The following is from Lamartine's new
work entitled Memories of celebrated
Characters
The pensive and retiring beauty of
Joan. while it attracted the attention of
men. repelled familiarity Several, new
ertheless, pleased with her grace and
modesty. solicited her hand from her pa
rents. She persevered in remaining sin
gle and free, possibly through some OBJ
scure presentimen: which warned her that
she would one day have TO give birth not
to family. bat kingdom One of the
suitors. more violent had the holiness to
claim her love as of right swearing before
court that she was betrothed to him
The poor girl abashed but indignant ap-
peared before the Judges at Toul. and con-
tradicted by oath this calumnv of passion.
The judges saw through the plot. and
sent her home free
s'Whiie her beauty thus charmed the
eye, the composure Of her face, the
thoughtfulness of her features, the soli-
tude and silence of her life. astonished
her father. her mother, and her brothers..
She possessed the grace and attractions
of her sex-she had none of its weakness.
Her face exhibited neither her feelings
nor the emotions of her heart Its ex-
preston concentrated in her eyes. seemed
rather that of meditation than of feeling,
vet she was compassionate and tender
but her pity and tenderness extended to
something greater and more distant than
her immediate horizon. She prayed un-
ceasingly. spoke little. and avoided the
company of her equals in age She gem
orally retired alone, and piled her needle
in some secluded nook under hedge be-
hind the house, from which she could only
see the blue sky. the towers of the church,
and the distant crest of mountains. She
seemed to hear voices within her which
the noise of the world would have stilled.
She was scarcely eight years of age
when these signs of inspiration began to
appear in her. In this she resembled the
Sibyls of old. marked from their infancy
with the fatal seal of sadness, beauty and
solitude. among the daughters of men
instruments Of inspiration reserved for
oracles, and to whom every other employ
ment of mind was prohibited She loved
everything that suffered particularly ami
/ tlldlS--tiioct ihbtt4i-tnt SittCu "itA
love for US, but deprived of words to con-
vey their feelings Her companions say
she was mild and merciful to birds She
scOnSIdered them as creatures condemned
by God. to live near men. IN a state of
transition between soul and matter, and
having in their nature nothing as yet
complete but the painful faculties of suf-
fering and love. All that was melancholy.
aud indefinite in the sounds of nature at
tracted and absorbed her She was so
fond of bells says the old Chronicler,
| that she promised the ringer. hanks Of
wool from the autumn gathering, if he
would sound the Angelus longer in the
mornings
| But her pity was most strongly excl
ted for the kingdom of France, and for
| the young dauphin-motherless without
country. and without throne The
tales she daily heard from monks. sol
diers, pilgrims and beggars-the cottage
uewsmen OF the time-flled her heart
with compassion for the young pri-ce--
His image was associated In her father
land. 1t was IN him that she saw it per-
ish; it was through him that she prayed
to God for its deliverance Her spirit
was eeaselessly occupied with this anxiety
and sadness"