Southern shield., 1856-12-20
{ Sketch bg A .s issea stusle.s,
The Shadow of a Hand.
Written for Me Baltimore Patliot.

It is a question that has often been deba. ted, whether man or woman possesses most moral courage. shall not pretend to enter into discussion of the matter here, but sim ply relate an incident that came to my know ledge some years since, proving, 1 think. in- c0ntestibly, that some of the fairer portion of creation are endowed in an eminent de- gree with this virtue. Y
 In the autumn of l846 circumstances call ed me to Dieppe. To tell the truth, was by no means sorry to visit this fashionable |. place. The change is very agree | able one after long soiotrn in Paris. It was late in the evening of the l4th of August that arrived at the end of my journey, and proceeded at once to the Hotel des Bains which, by the bye, can retommend to those of mreaders who may happen to visit Di- eppe,) and @ftor light supper, retired to rest.
 | have always leen an early riser. It makes no difference slat time go to bed at night, am sure to gt up early in the nor ming. suppose this isa habit, more than anything else. Howeve that may be, the morning after my arrival a,. .)leppe 1 was upby cock-crow. Hooked at myratcL a.sA e found 1t wanted a few minutes to four. determined would go and explore the town.
 When 1 arrived in the street 1 was very much surprised to find it full of people, l gave the inhabitants of Dieppe credit for be- ing very industrious, beating their Parisian brethren to nothing in theexercise of thevir- tue of early rising, and expected to discover upon inquiry a practical Illustration of the truth of the adace, by finding tho citizens of that pretty but rather slow townnoted for their health. renowned for their wealth. and courted for their wisdom
 was disturbed from these reflections bv observing that the people were all going iii one direction, and they hurried forward as if stimulated by some extraordinary curi- osity. l addressed enquiries to some of them, but they were too breathless and in too great hurry to make any reply to me. All they did was to point before them and nod their heads.
 Not being able to obtain any satisfaction from them, determined to follow their foot steps, as 1 was now convinced there must be something to be sen.
 We advanced at yery quick pace down d handsome street, which afterwards learned was the chief street in the town, called the Grande Rue: the crowd all the time getting denser, so as to render it more difficult to proceed. We might have gone q mile, per haps, when the street suddenly opened into large square this square was densely packed with neat mob. The most distrac- ted noise and confusion prevailed, but I saw something there, raised on a platform at the further end of the square, that engaged my whole attention, and made my blood feel as if it were turned into ice.
 It was a guillotineI
 Yes, there was the hidcous framework, painted black, that had seen once before at the Place du Trone in Paris. At the mo- mont turned my eyes on this instrument of death, a man was engaged oiling the grooves, and to enable him todo it more conveniently the knife was lowered half way down be- tween the two posts, and the morning sun made the blade glitter, rendering it easily to be distinguished by the whole multitude.
 Although had before seen an execution, and was well aware of the painful effect it had upon my mind for months afterwards, morbid curiosity impelledme to remain and see the conclusion of the tragedy. l had not to wait long-a neighbOring bell began to toll and a cart made its appearance bear ing the criminal. He appeared to take mat ters very easy, and when first saw him he was oonversing gaily with the two gendarmcs who accompanied him. He was smoking cigar, and glanced around at the multitude with the most perfect n0nCbGtdlce. The populace, when they saw him, raised yell of execration; palpable sneer was the only reply he deigned to make.
 He ascended the steps leading to the scaf- told with an easy gait, and turning sharply round to the mob, stood. for . minute or two with his arms folded and foot advanced, as if defying them. He glanced at them a look of unutterable scorn, and muttered be- tween his teeth the word "CanaiUe."
 It was during this minute or two that had time to make a note of his appearance. He seemed to be about thirty-fve years of age. He was tall and powerfully built, but his features were the very epitome of vil- lainy. His eyes were dark and large, sur mounted by bushy eyebrows. He wore q long moustache, which extended far beyond his cheeks. Every badpassion seemed to be expressed in his face; in fact, his counten- ance might be called perfectly devilish. An involuntary shudder ran through me us 1 gazed upon it.
 He resigned himself into the hands of the executioner. and in a few minutes all was over When the time came for theknife to descend, I had not the courage to look, but turned my head away, and it was only by Q shout from the mob that knew the tragedy was finished.
 Inquired of spectator near me thename of the criminal and the crime for which he had suffered.
 The man stared at me with astonishment, saying
 "Why, it's Jacques Reynauld '"
 The name struck me as being somewhat familiar, and 1 endeayored to remember where had heard it before. 1 suddenlyre- the Paris newspapers some months back had been filled with the history of sev- eral awful murders committed in Dieppe, and this mans name was in some wav con