Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-01-27

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inhabitants, and forcibly placed them in
line before them. The women and
children awaited near in terrible anxiety
for no one understood the words which
were spoken, and these ominous prepara-
tons led them TO imagine the worst.
AT this juncture the son of the viii
lage pastor appeared upon the scene
He was young man oftwenty, who was
studying theology in order to become his
fathers successor, and fortunately had
some knowledge OF French. The ap
pearance of things, without the cries and
entreaties of the terrified people, told
him that his help was wanted. He i'm
mediately addressed himself to Lieut..
Lamotte, and begged for an explanation
of the proceedings.
/" ] am ordered TO punish this village, 4"
answered the latter, for your treatment
of our soldiers last night. The marshal
orders that ten of you must be shot. The
only thing that l can do is to allow you
to draw lots smong yourselves, or to point
out those concerned in the outrage"
But" continued the young, man.
"yOur general has been misinformed.-
No French soldiers have visited our vii
lage before you. We have truly been in
great fear and anxiety the whole night ;
but the valley is deep and the village is
partly concealed from view by the woods
on the side. There is also the villages
of Middle and Lower Waldorf, which lie
further down in the open valley. You
can soon satisfy yourself, sir, that this
village is entirely innocent; and | en-
treat you not to shed the blood of our
harmless people"
"There is no time for investigation y
said the officer. 81 was ordered to pro-
ceed to Waldorf, and am guided hither.
Fl will wait until you make your choice Of
ten to be sacrificed, but have no authority
to do more"
BY this time the people had learned
the fate that was in store for them. The
women with tears and appealing gestures
!: crowded around the officer, begging him
10 spare their sons and husbands the
men stood silent, with bloodless faces and
dumb, imploring eyes. The scene wa,
evidently painful, both TO the officers and
soldiers, accustomed as they were to the
unmerciful code of war. They were
anxious to put an end TO it and leave; bur
the clergyman's son, inspired with the be-
lief that the fate of ten men rested upon
his efforts, continued to urge his plea
with Zeal and eloquence that would mol
be set aside. Lieut. Lamotte struggled
awhile between his sense oi duty and hi.
natural humanity, while the young advo.
f cate appealed to his conscience and to the
obedience which he owed to a higher
commander than Davoust. Finally he
consented to wait while sergeant wa:
E dispatched to head quarters accompanied
by a peasant TO show him the neares
way. A few lines hastily penciled stated
the facts in the case, and asked fol
further instructions.
Meanwhile, the inhabitants waited ir
state ofsuspense scarcely to be endured
Lieut.. Lamotte--who, as a thorough
Frenchman, soon wearied of a painful
emotion, shaking it off at risk of ap
pearing heartless-said: "The mornipe
is keen. and walk before sunrise doesn'
diminish the appetite; can you give u.
some refreshments from your hidden sup
plies 2" AT word from the young man
many Of the women brought together tht
coffee they had prepared for their owl
breakfast, with black bread, mugs of beer
and small cheese or two-sufficient fo
rough meal-of which the sol6iers par
took with the usual laughing cumment
D on " Ia crutsine 44tlemanda." The com
pany of victims looked on in sil.-ncp, anc
more than one mutterrd gloomily: Wv,
are feeding our executioners."
a Even if that should be true" saie
the young man, =" it is but doing as Chris
5 has taught US. Whether or not we OBJ
tain Christian charity from these men
let US, at least, show them that we ar,
: Christians"
h This reb1ke had its effect. A few o
the men assisted in entertaining the sol
r diers, and the latter with their facility o
: determination, soon made themselves a
l. homc. AS the stomach fills the hear
also enlarges, and the men began to sal
among themselves: " II is pity tina
these men should be shot by mistake"
1t was not long before the sergean
e and his guide arrived. The forme
!, handed the lieutenant a note, which h,
: hastily tore open and read. Waste n,