The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-06-26
CHARLOTTE CcRDAY.
ny JOHN S. G. ABBOTT.

| During the French Revolution Of 1898.
there lived IN the city of Caen. France,
young lady, Charlotte Corday d'Ar
mont, q granddaughtcr of the celcbrat-
ed Corneille. Though born Of gentle
blood, she had been nurturcd in the
school Of adversely, her father h ad been
too arlstocratic to work, and too poor
to live comfortable without work. In
early life she was placed in monastery
IN Caen, where her whole future destiny
was Influenced by the peculiar discip
line to which she was exposed, and the
ideas OF duty which were inculcated.
In the dreams of The clnster her ardent
soul became fired with the ambition or
| exalted deeds, which should render her
4 benctactress to her race.
After ,hus living for six years. the
.iac"bin government suppressed tho
convent, ana she took NJ her residence
with an elderly relative III Caen
where she remained until she was
nearly twenty-five years of age. Iiv-
ing amidst scenes OF the revolutions.
where the guilIotine was In constant
exercise, AMI the mob daily demanding
The blood Of new vicii.ns, her thoughts
naturally turned to the possibility of
stopping these horrors. She mingled
as much q; possible with tile Gircnlists
70 ascertain who were the principa!
agents il these woes which were desc
iatin., her native land
Though DaEton ard Robcspier:e were
then III their ascsrs.cncf, the sang,inary
aeliriu,n Of Marat rendered him more
conspicuous 10 the mass Of the people,
who saw "tyr.nny and freedom in one
mans hands only 10 Marat, then.
the eyes Of Charlotte Gorday were ii
fectel, II he one who WI. delugin. The
republic ii blood. She thought that his
death WoE.l arrest this flood and save
iaN hSs. ~ lIoa~iilus. IL nll been
announced that he had prescribed
twcnt, five hundred victims in Lyons.
three thousand in Marsvil!>s, twenty
eight thousand il, Paris, and three hunG
red thousand ii Brittany. Conspiracies
We're being organized al over the re-
public for the overthrow Of the blood
thirsty tyrant. The lover Of Charlotte
Coraay, whom she idolizcd with all the
purity and tervor OF her inpassinned
nature, was engaged in one Of these
conspiracies, which, il successful would
cost the lives OF thousands, and il un-
successful! would only consolidate the
power Of the tyrant. Charlotte resolved
to free France Of the monster at the
certain sacrifice Of her own life.
All the energies Of her being were
now aroused for the accomplishment
Of this object. 1t was no easy matte,
for m obscure young lady to get such
access to the tyrant as to be able to as.
sassinate him. She, however formed
her plans SO cautiously as to guard
against every conceivable cause Of fail
urc. Not an individual was admitted
to her Observation-Disclosures enthus-
iasm contributed its strength to her
enterprise, for she doubted not that she
was engaged il holy undertaking.
Her well read Bible contained penci..
mark around the passage:
a.Iulith went forth from the city.
adorned with a marvellous beauty, which
the Lord bestowed III her to deliver
Israeli
Having made al her arrangements
she informed her friends that she was
going to England to seek that asylum
which France no longer afforded. A
few triiiing mementocs were conferred
upon her intimate acquaintance, and
on the 9th Of July, 1898, she took the
diligence Of Paris. Her whole worldly
possessions consisted Of small parcel
Of clothes, and volume Of Plutarch's
Lives
Charlotte was tall and aisnifed, with
profusc black hair, aud long eyelashcs.
which seeming even darker than her
clustering r;ng'ets, gave great depth to
her piercing eyes.-Her checks were
well filed, and had the freshness and
the health cf youth. and were often
crimsoned with the blush oieNcltement
o. modesty. Her dazzling beauty, win
min. MANNERS, and vi,acity in CONVEX
sation, quite won the hearts Of her fel-
low travellers who strove unsuccessfullv
to draw from her the object Of her jour
Iney, and her address. One yonne
gentleman became So cnamorvd that Iii