The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1861-11-21
THE LEGION OF HONOR.
" Are YOU willing be should 90 i?

care you willing he should go?"
Aud why not?" answered the young
wife, enthusiastically. g should despise
myself, Adele, if l were not willing to give
my husband to my country. France needs
all her sons in this extremity. | thank
God ] have Henri to offer on her altar"
Her sister shrugged her shoulders
"You always were romantic, my dean"
she said. For my part, if / had hand
some husband, splendid estate in Nor
mandy, a hotel in Paris, diamonds, cash
meres, eqmipages, servants, as you have,
| should not be willing to risk them so
light. Suppose Henri is killed You will
DO widow, and, fer time at least, can
enjoy none of these things"
80! 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 materialistic view
of life? That to eat, drink, and be merry,
seemed to be the whole purpose of exist
ence? That luxury had corrcded national
virtue? That the days of heroism had
passed? How often has my heart swelled
against these imputations, for | will not
believe human nature has sunk so low
No, have often told him the diyiner parts
of our race have not all died out. We are
still capable, we women, of making sacri-
fees for our country; and our husbands,
father, brothers, sons, are still capable of
dying for it. l could, myself, if the occa-
sion called for it, be, hope, second Joan
of Are. never loved Henri half so much
as when he came home the other day and
told me that in this crisis of Frances fate,
he had determined to offer his sword, and,
if necessary, his life. We can die but
once. What more glorious than to die in
q holy cause 2" And the young wife look
Cd sublime as she spoke it.
Natalie had been married but year or
two, Her beauty, accomplishments and
amiability had won 70, her at eighteen the
heart Of the young Count de Tankervil!e,
the greatest match of the season. Passion
ately attached to each other, they spent the
hours continually together; they read, they
rode, the did everything in company. The
life they led was more like an idyl than
like a 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 rose against France. The Emperor,
beaten back from Dresden to Leipsic, and
from Leipsic to the Rhine, was making a
last desperate effort to retrieve the fortunes
Of the nation. 1t was in this extremity
that the young Count stepped forward.
His father had been constitutional royal
list in the last days Of Louis XVI, and the
F,,,,.l, I,l fol - hs1
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 Tankerists held aloof from him.
But now, when the question was not Ma
poleon, but the nation, the young Count
felt that the time had come when his eoun-
try demanded his services. In view Of the
dismemberment of France, what were lands,
houses, life itself? "Save the Nation -
was the cry that rose 10 every patriotic lip.
Women brought their jewels, men brough,
their lives. Foremost among these were
Henri and his wife.
"Well," said Adele, who was one of
those cold, selfish natures, that could not
understand how anybody could do any
thing noble or heroic, +" | think you and
your husband mad. But go your own
ways
~ wish YOU were mad in the same way.
We are mad as Lconidas was mad, as Tell
was mad, as Bruce was mad, as every other
hero was mad who has did for liberty. 1t
is not now question of the Emperor. 1t
is a question of country. 1t is not whether
Napoleon shall reign, but whether France
shall be dismembered. 1t is whether that
flag of the nation. that glorious tri-color
which waved at Marengo and Austerlitz
shall be trailed in the dust, or shall still
bring tears to The eyes of Frenchmen, in
foreign lands, floating at the mast head"
We will not dwell On the parting of bus-
band and wife Natalie bore mp heroically
Not even Lady Russell, when leaving her
lord on the sad meaning of his execution,
controlled herself more nobly than did Ma
talie now. But when the door had closed
On Henri, when she heard the clatter of his
horses feet down the street, then she flung
herself on the bed. and wept as if her heart
were breaking.
1t was an eventful winter. A battle was
fought almos. daily. Like lion in the
tolls, Napoleon turned FIRST on one and then
another Of his foes, and always unexpect-