Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-12-02
Joan of Arc

The pcnslye and retiring beauty OF joan,
while it attracted the attention of men, repealed
familiarity. Several, nevertheless pleased with
her grace and modesty, solicited her hand from
her parents. She persevered in remaining single
aud free, possibly through same obscure pre-
sentiment which warned her that she would one
day have to give birth not To II family, but Il
kingdom. Onc of the suitors, more violent, had
the boldnrss to claim her love of right, swear
Ing before n court of justice that she WAS be-
trothed to him. The poor girl, abashed, bat in
dignant appeared before the Judges at roul, and
cpntradeted by oath this calumny of passion
The Judges saw through the plot, and sent her
home free.
while her beauty thus charmed the eye, the
Composure of her face, the thoughtfalncss of her
features the solitude and silence of her life, aS-
tonished her father her mother and her brothers.
She possessed only the grace and attractions of
her sen she had none OF its weakness. Her
face exhibited neither her feelings or the emo
tions of her heart Its expression, concentrated
in her eyes, seemed rather that Of meditation than
of feeling. yet she was compassionate and tender
but her pity and tenderness extended 10 some
thing greater and more distant than her immedi-
ate horizon. She prayed increasingly spoke lit
tie, and avoided the company of her equals in
uge. She generally retired alone, and piled her
needle i'll u secluded nook, under hedge behind
the house, from which She could only see the blae
sky, the tower of the church, and the distant
crest of the mountains. She seemed to hear
voices within her which the noise of the world
would have stiled.
"Shc was scarcely eight years of age when
these signs of inspiration began to appear in her.
In this she rcsembled the Sibyls of old. marked
from their infancy with the fatal seal of sadness
beauty and solitude, among the daughters of
embellishments of inspiration reserved for
oraclcs, and 10 whom every other employment of
mind was prohibited She loved everything that
| suffered, particularly unmals-thosc intelligent
! beings gifted with love for us, but deprived of
words to convey their feelings Her companions
say that she was mild and mercful to birds
| She considered them rs creatures condemned by
Tod to live near men, in state of transition be-
tween soul and matter, and having in their ma
ture nothingas yet complete but the painful ia
cules of suffering and love. All that was mel
ancholy and indefinite i'll the sounds ofnature at
tracted and absorbed her. she was 50 fond of
the sound of bells says the old Chronicler. that
she promised the ringer hanks of wool from the
autumn gathering if he would sound the Angeus
longer in the mornings.
but her pity was most strongly excited for
the kingdom of France and for the Young dau-
! phn-motherless without Il country and with.
ont u tmone The tales She daily heard from
monks, soldiers, pilgrims aud beggars-the cot
tage newsmen of the time-hlled her heart with
compassion for the young prince His image
was associated nher mind with the calamties
of her faherland. 1t was in him that She saw il
perish; ii through him that She prayed TO
God for its deliverance. Her spirit was cease
less Y occupied with this anxiety and sadness,
-LamdrtiHe.