Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-10-03
MISCEIIANY Y.
Charlotte Corday.
nr JonN 5. c. ABBorr.

During the French revolution of 1883,
there lived in the city of Caen. France
young lady, Charlotte Corday dArmont, a
grand daughter of the celebrated Corneille.
Though born of gentle blood she had been
nurtured in the school Of adversely; her
father had been too aristocratic to work,
TOO poor TO live comfortably without work.
In early life she had been placed in a mon
astery in Caen, when her whole future des-
tiny was influenced by the peculiar dsci-
pline to which she was exposed, and the
ideas of duty which were inculcated. In
dreams of the cloister her ardent soul be-
came fired with the ambition of exalted
deeds, which should render her benefac-
tress to her race.
After thus living for six years, the Jaco-
bin government suppress: ed the convent and
she took up her residence with an elderly
relative in Caen, where she remained until
she Was nearly twenty-five years of age.
Living amidst scenes of the revolution,
where the guillotine was in constant exer-
else, and the mob daily demanding the blood
OF new victims. her thoughts naturally
turned 10 the possibility of stopping these
horrors. She mingled as II uch as possible
with the Girondists, to ascertain who were
the principal agents in these woes which
were desolsting her native land.
Though Danton and Robespierre were
then in their ascendency, the sanguinary
deliiium OF Murat rendered himself more
CONSPICUOUS TO the mass Of the people, who
saw !. tyranny and freedom in one mans
hands only" To Marat then, the eyes of
Charlotte Corday were directed, as the one
who was drluging the country IN blood
She thought that bis death would arrest
this food and save the lives of thousands.
Ii had been announced that lie prescribed
twenty-five hundred victims III Lyons, three
thousand in Marseilles, twenty-eight thou
sand in Paris, and three hundred thousand
in Brittany. Conspracies were being or
sanized all over the Republic for the over
throw of this bloodthirsty lyrant. The
lover of Charlotte Corday, HON she idol
lied with all the purity and tervor of her
impassioned nature, was engaged IN one of
these conspiracies, which. it successful
woul,i cost the lives of thousands, and fun
successful, would only consolidate the power
of the tyrant. Charlotte resolved to free
France OF the monster at the certain risk
Of her own life.
All the energies of her being were now
aroused for the accomplishment of this OBJ
ject. /, was no easy matter for an obscure
young lady to get such access to the tyrani
as to be able to assassinate him. She, how
ever. formed her plans SO successfully as to
guard against every conceivable cause Of
failure. Not an individual was admitted to
her confidence. Religious enthusiasm con-
tribuied to strengthen her enterprise, ftr
she doubted not that she was engaged IN q
holy undertaking. Her well read Bible
contained a pencil mark around the pas
sage:
judith went forth from the city, adOrn-
ed with a marvellous beauty, which the
Lord bestowed on her TO deliver Israeli"
Having made all her arrangements sh,
informed her friends that she was going tc
England to seek that asylum which France
no longer afforded. A few trifing memen
toes were conferred on her intimate ae
quaintances, and on the 9th OF July, 1898
she took the diligence for Paris. Her whole
worldly possession consisted of small par
eel of clothes, and volume of Pluarch':
lives.
Charlotte was tall and dignifed, with pro
fuse black hair, and long eyelashes, which
seeming darker than her clustering ringlets
gave great depth to her piercing eyes. Her
cheeks were filed, and had the FRESHNESS:
and health of youth, and were often Grim
soned with the blush OF excitement or mod
esty. Her dazzling beauty, winning man
ners, and vivacity in conversation, quite
won the hearts of her fellow travellers whC
tried unsuccessfully 10 draw from her the
object of her journey and her address. Ont
young gentleman became so enamored tha
he begged permission TO solicit of her rela
tives her hand in marriage. She pleasant
ly repelled the honor, but promised that h'
should know more of her ere long.
: !, After two days ride she arrived in Paris
i and went to a hotel where she allowed her
self two days rest, that her faculties nigh
be in the best condition. She had no de
!. sire to figure as a heroine. 1t was not fo
h fame that she wished to sacrifice her life
In the cloister she learned the lesson o
self-abnegation, and rather desired Oblivion
than netoriety, as more pleasing to Cod
She also wished the ACT of assassination TO b
a sacred, solemn scene, which would strik
terror to the hearts of all tyrants. Sh
, wished it to be public, that many nigh
witness the just retribution of fiend-lik
y cruelty.
Her first plan was 10 kill Marat in tn
Champs de Mars, at a great celebration
which was to occur on the 14ih of July
: The adjournment of this ceremony necesi
tated a change ,sf the theatre and she dc
termined to strike him in the midst OF tn
convention, surrounded by his satellites
She had no doubt the result to herself woul
>, be that her body would be torn limb froI
limb. This plan was frustrated, as Mara