Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-11-12
The Legion OF Honor,


"And why mott" answered the young wife,
enthusiastically. " should despse myself,
Adele, 1t l. we're NOT willing TO give my husband
to my country. France needs all her sons in
this extremity. thank God l have Henri to
offer on her altar"
Her sister shrugged her shoulders. "You al.
Ways we're romantic, my DEAR" she eaid. "For
my part, If had handsome husband, splen-
did estate in Normandy, hotel in Paris, dia-
monds, cashmeres, equipages, servants, as you
have, should not be willing to risk them SO
lightly. Suppose Henri Is killed You will be
widow, and for time at least, can enjoy none
| of these things .H
"Oh! Adele, how can you talk so7 Has not
the good father Lacoire been telling US ever
since We we're children, that the curse Of mod
ern times was Its msterialistio view Of life2---
That to eat, drink and be merry, seemed to be
the whole purpose Of existencel That luxury
had corrOded national virtuei That the days OF
heroism had passed. How often has my heart
swelled against these imputations, for will
not believe human nature has sunk 30 lowi No,
l have often told him the diviner parts of our
race have not ell died out We are etlll cana
BILE, wo women, of making sacrifices for our
country; and our husbands. fathers, brothers,
sons, are still capable Of dying for it could,
myself, If the occasion called for 10, be, hope,
a second Joan of Arc. | never loved Henri
half 90 much as when he came homo the other
day and told me that, in this crisis Of Frances
fate, he had determined to offer his sword, and,
Il necessary his life. We can die but once. -
What more glorious than to die in a holy
cause1" And the young wife looked sublime
as che Spoke 1t.
| Natalie had been married but year or two
| Her beauty, accomplishments and Amiablity
had won for her at eighteen the heart OF the
young Count de Tankerville, the greatest match
of the season, PAssionately attached to each
other, they spent the hours continually togeth-
er; they read, they rode, they did everything in
company The lite they led was more like an
ldy than like a life 10 modern society and In
Paris. III the midst of tnIs dream OF bliss cam Q
the news of the retreat from Moscow. All Eu
rope rose against France. The Emperor, beat
en back from Dresden 10 Leipsio, and from
Leipsic to the Rhine, was making last des-
perate effort to retrieve the fortunes Of the ma
tiOn. IL was in this extremity that the young
Count stepped forward His father had leen
c institutional royaiist 10 the last days of Louis
XVI.S and the family had never emigrated; 1t
had never on the other hand, attached itself 20
the fortunes Of Nspoleon. SO long as the
great Emperor pursued bis career of conquest,
so long the TaDkerists held aloof from him.
But nov, when the question was not Napoleon,
but the nation, the young Count felt that the
time had come ahsn his country demanded his
services. In view Of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
France, what we're lands, houses, life ITSELF
"Save the nationi' was the CRY that rose 70
every patriotic lip, Women brought their Jew
els, men brought 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 anything noble or heroic,
81 think you and your husband are mad. But
20 your own ways"
al wish you were mad in the same way
We are mad as Leonidas was mad, as Tell was
mad, as Bruce was mad, as every other hero
was mad who has died for liberty. Ii is not
now a question of che Emperor. II Is a cues.
ton of the country. IL is not whether Napo-
leon shall reign, but whether France shall be
dismembered. It 10 whether that flag of the
nation, that glorious tri-color which waved
at Marengo and Austerliz shall be trsiled in
the dust or shall stil bring tears to the eyes of
Frenohmen, in foreign lands, floating ifom the
mastheads."
We will not dwell on the parting of husband
and wife. Natalie bore up heroically Not
even Lady Russell, when leaving her lord on
the sad morning Of his execution, controlled
herself more nobly, than did Natalie now
But when the door had closed on Henri, when
she heard the chatter of his horses feet down
the street, then she flung herself on her bed,
and Wept as If her heart we're breaking. 81
Il was an eventful winter. A battle was
fought elmost daily. Like lion in the toils,
Napoleon turned frsl on one and then another
OF his foes, and always unexpectedly. In the
brightest days of bis intellect he had never
been 60 terrible as now. Henri was foremost
in all these terrible bastles. Once he saved the
Emperor's life. The cross Of the legion of
honor soon decked his breast. He received the
decoration from Napoleon's own hand, on the
very day he heard Natalie had presented him
With son. But the genius of the Emperor
and the valor of his troops were Of no avail
Treachery wa9 At work at Paris while Napoleon
was absent in Champagne. The capital was
surrounded The Emperor was forced to abdi-
cate.
Every one knows what followed. The Bour.
bons oame back, forgetting nothing, az was said,
and forgiying nothing.
"Ah, my bleeding country" Henri would cry
to his young wife. At another time it was "Oh,
for one hour by the old Euperor.n
| AT last the nation could bear II no longer -
Napoleon landedi the army rose iul bis favor;
the king Aed; constitution was proclaimed -
once. more the young scout buekled on his
EsWord.
"AgAin 1 say, gO,n was the wife's heroic
partibgs land again and again. will stay at
home and pray. think sometimes IL Is harder
for women than for men. You have the excite
ment Of the campaign, but We only watt and
wait from one day 70 apother; He.oan only pray
aud pray through the, sleepless hou,s OF the
night. Do Dot suppose Lazy this to keep you
back. Go, may God crown you With victory,
| -, 10 uoA-O