The American patriot., 1855-01-03
joan of Arc,

The interest attaching to the history of this
extraordinary female 10 whom France was SO
largely indebted for thcp observation Of her honor,
and perhaps her nationality, but who finally re-
ceyed at the hands of her ungrateful countrymcn,
as a consummation of herglory, martyrs crown,
prompts us to copy this characteristic passage,
descriptive of her young life:
''The pensivc anfi retiring beauty Of Joan,
while it attracted the attention of men, rcpclled
familiarity Several, nevertheless, pleased with
her grace and modesty, solicited her hand from
her parents. She pcrscvered in remaining single
and free, possibly through some obscure present
imcnt which warned her that she would one day
have to give birth, not to family, but kingdom
One of the suitors, more violent had the boldncss
to claim her love as of right, swearing before a
court of justice that she was bctrothed to him.
The poor girl, abashed but indignant, appeared
before the judges at Tou, and cohtradicted by
oath this ealumny Of passion. The judges saw
through the plot, and sent her home free.
while her beauty thus charmed the eye the
composurc of her face. the thoughtfulness of her
features the solitude and silence of her life, aston
ishcd her father, her mother, and her brothers.
She possessed only 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 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 to something
greater ind more distant than her immediate
horizon. She played increasingly, spoke little,
and avoided the company of her equals in age.
She generally retired alone, and piled her needle
in secluded nook, under hedge behind the
house. from which she could only see the blue 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
stillcd.
'She was scarcely eight years Of age when these
signs of inspiration began to appear in her. lr
this she rcscmbled the Sybils of old, marked from
their infancy with the fatal seal Of sadness, beauty
and solitude, among the daughters of men-in
struments Of inspiration reserved for oracles, ant
to whom every other employment Of mind wa
prohibited. She loved everything that suffered
particularly anniinals-thosc intelligent being
gifted with love for us, but deprived of words t.
convey their feelings. Her companions say tina
sue was mild and mcrciful to birds. She con
considered them as creatures condemned by TO
to live near men, in state of transition betwee
soul and matter, and having in their nature nc
thing as yet complete hut the painful faculties {
suffering and love- All that was melancholy an
indefinite in the sounds of nature attracted an
absorbed her She was so fond of the sound
bells, says the old Chroniclcr, that she promise
the ringer hanks Of wool for the Autumn gather
ing if he would sound the Angelus longer in tn
mornings
"But her pity was most strongly excited for Il
Kingdom of France, and for the young Dauphi
--motherless, without a country, and without
throne. The tales she daily heard from monk
soldiers, pilgrims and beggals-thc cottage new
men of the timc-fillcd her heart with compassit
for the young Prince. His image was associat
in her mind with the calamities Of her tatherlan
1t was in him that she saw it perish it was TIN
<hc%, (No,1 a1s
Her spirit was ceaseicssly occupied with this an
iety and sadness --L0mortin<.