The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-09-04
THE LEGION OF HONOR.

y
'Why not, answered the young wife
enthusiastically. II should despse my
self, Adele, IT | was not willing to give
my husband to my country. France needs
all her sous in this extremity | thank
God have Henri to offer on her alter"
Her sister shrugged her shoulders
"You always were romantic, my dear,
she said For my part, if had hand
some husband, a splendid esteafe in Nor
mandy. hotel in Paris. diamonds, cash,
meres, equipageS, servants, as you have,
| SHOULD DOT be willing to risk them SO
tightly. Suppose Henri is killed. Yuu
will be . widow. and for time at least,
can enj Joy none of these things"
Goa! Adele, how can you talk so !? Has
not the good father Lacoire been telling
US, ever since we were children, that the
curse of modern times Was its materials
It's view of lite a? That to eat. drink, and
be merrv seemed to be the whole purpose
Of existence That luxury lad curroded
natIoual virtuei That the days OF hero
ism had passed How often has my
heart sweIled against these Impctations,
for | will not believe that human nature
has sunk 20 low No have often .old
him, the dIviuer parts Of our race have
not all died out, We are still capable,
We women, of making sacrifices for our
country; and our husbands, fathers, bro
theirs, sous, still capable of dying for it
[ could, myself, if the occasion called for
1t, be, | hope. second Joan of Arc. |
never loved Heurl half So we'll as since
lie came home, the other day, and told
me, that, in this crisis of Frances fate.
he had determined to offer her his sword,
and, if necessary, his life. We can die
but once. What more glorious than to
die in holy cause - Aud the young
wife looked sublime as she spoke it.
Natalie had been married but year
or two Her beauty, mpIiShments,
and amiabilIty had won for her, at eigh,
teen, The heart of the young Count de
Tankerville, the greatest match of the
season. PaSsonately attached to each
other, they spent the hours CONTINUALLY
together they read. they rode. they did
everything in company. The life they
led was more like an ldy than ike life
in modern society and in Paris. In the
midst of this dream of bliss came the
news of the retreat from Moscow All
Europe arose against France. The Eru-
peror. beateu back FROM Dresden to Leip-
sic, and from Leipsic to the Rhine, was
making last desperate effort to retrieve
the fortunes of the nation. Ii was IN this
extremity that the young count stepped
forward. His father had been consti-
tutional royalist in the last days of Louis
XVI, and though the family had never
enigrafed, it had never, on the other
hand, attached itself to the fortunes of
Napoleon So long as the great Emperor
pursued his career of conquest, so long
the Tankervilles held aloof from hun.
But now, when the question was not Ma
poleon, but the nation, the young count
felt that the time had come when the
country demanded his services. In view
OF the dismemberment of France. what
were lands. houses, life itself? "Saye
the nation y was the cry that rose TO
every patriotic lip. Women brought
their jewels, men brought their. lives.
Foremost among these were Henri and
his wife.
"Well," said Adele, who had one of
those cold, selfish natures, that cruld not
understand how anybody could do any.
thing noble or heroic, 81 think you and
your husband mad But go your own
ways"
II wish you were mad in the same
way. We are mad as Leonidas was mad,
as Tell vas mad, as Bruce was mad, as
every other hero was mad that died for