Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-30

To MADAM VICTOR HUGO.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FREScH OF ALPHoSsE
KERR ny MISS - p-.l

When you 90 to Chartres, or rathe
when you pass through that city, afte
having trRversed the vast and mOnotO
N nous plains of La Beauee, 1t happens, Il
order to divert your mind, that you hav
to wait three hours for the coach Whicl
- succeeds the one that brought you from
Paris II, in the midst OF the bad hume
which this announcement, made cOldl,
to you by the conductor Of the stsge lin
T. necessarily puts you in, you shouli
chance to perceive above the trees Of tn
= walk the two steeples Of the church,
- congratulate you.
!. / will not give you description Of tn
!, edifice. II, notwithstanding the fin
d architecture Of the cathedral Of Chartres
Z Notwithstanding the extent of its nave
= there are more beautiful churches, j havt
:, seen none so full of contemplation RnC
mysticism, The building, almost open
: worked like a lace, is remarkable for the
number the beauty and the splendor o
itsglass windows, for the sculptures which
surround the nave, for its mosaic pave
ments, whose sinuOsities, often followed
by the piety of the faithful, allows them
to make, without leaving the church, 6
pilgrimage Of several leagues, to which
] are attached precious indulgences. But
what / have to speak Of to you to-day j;
a corner of the church where cOnsecrated
tspers are perpetuslly burnt before a
> black madonna, richly clothed and gilt
tering with Jewels. She is called "Our
= Lady Of the Miracles" and each Of the
ornaments which sdOrn her is token oi
the gratitude Of those who have had re-
: course to her powerful intercession.
Several centuries ago there was 3
: widow at Chsrtres, still young and very
7 / oil Of. rsf a
! second engagement, had cOnsecrated the
l remainder Of her best years to a son to
. whom she had transferred all the affeo-
: ton she had felt for her husband. Ma
ture and her cares had made this son an
object Of envy to all mothers, and OF
pride to his own; in fact, he was hand
some and well made, with a physiOg-
nomy noble end mild st the same time,
and everything in him gave promise of a
most admirable disposition.
Among other favors, he had been gifted
with the purest and most angelic voice
that has ever been heard; and as his
mother only made him sing sacred mU-
sic, whose words breathed only the purest
and most holy filial love, and were not
beyond the reach Of his young intelli-
gence, he gave TO his singing true and
natural expression which sometimes
| drew tears from LLe lew lEleluB W0Ou
the Young widow had retained.
The month of August came round, and
the bishop of Chartres himself came and
begged the widow to permit her son to
sing, on the day Of the greatest fesst OF the
Virgin. His age, the candOr and beauty
of his face, the gentleness and holiness
Of his disposition, the suave purity of his
voice, made him bear so much resem-
blance 10 the angels, that his homage
could not fail of being agreeable to the
Mother OF Christ, and of touching both
the children and the mothers who should
be present at this beautiful ceremony.
The day of the Assumption, the mother
| who, in placing her husband in the tomb,
had buried with him all desire Of pleas
ing, and had never taken off her mourn
ing garments, recovered her cOquetTy as
a young woman to adorn her son.
In effect, after the procession, to the
Dobly religious sounds with which the
organ filled the aisle, had stopped before
| the alta of Mary, the choristers ceased
! for a moment to strew flowers, and from
! the midst Of crowd of young boys of
his age, little John advanced, clothed in
| a white tunic, his long fair hair flowing
on his shoulders, and confined on his
| forehead by blue band. He kissed the
! pavement of the altar with respect, then
| lifted toward the Virgin his beautiful
ewes. shining with emotion. Then,
| throughout the church you could hear no
| one breathe; every one felt oppressed,
| and John, in a pure, expressive voice,
such as we imagine that Of the angels to
| be, sang:
'' Reqina coslq lortare aEebGd,
QUA qlierl msr1,istt port1Te, diieloHa, ETC.
His mother wept with ioy. When the
hymn Gduderc ct {Ttdre, 0 virgo Maria
came to an end, the choristers threw over
him the rose leaves which remained in
their baskets, and he found himself COW
cred with a perfumed cloud. But when
the cloud was dissipated there was no
longer anything under the flowers, and
John had disappeared. Notwithstsnd-
ing the efforts that were made, it was
impossible to find him again. His
mother and her friends went all over the
town, the magistrates had him sought
for everywhere, but all this trouble re-
manned fruitless. The poor widow then
refused to see any one she passed the
days ia praying on the fiag-stOne where
she had seen her son for the last tin3e,
and the nights in weeping and dream
ing, when fatigue weighed down her eyes
aud forced her to sleep, that she saw her
little John in heaven, singing on rosy
clouds in the midst of the concerts of the
angels.
But misfortunes fall upon the unhappy
with the same consts1cy as streams de-
scend to the rivers. Her husbands fam
ily, which had never consented to his
marriage, instituted claim against her
in the courts of law for all the property
Of her husband, which she had only re-
tanned in the capacity OF tutress to her
son, and after long suit she was COM
pletely ruined. The poor woman paid
but little attention to this. Her husband
and her son had carried off her heart and
soul, and had left nothing within her to
be touched on earth. She lived misera-
blv by the sale Of few jewels that they
could not take from her, and did not for |
a single day miss coming to pray In the
church before the altar of the Virgin. 1t
"a une to pass that all her jewels were |
sol,, and that she had nothing in the |
world left to live upon. She had recourse |
TO her husbands relations, but not one |
Of them ,yeigned even to listen TO her.
She had aothing left but the portrait /
Of her husband and of her little John ; /
hpt she would have died a hundred /
deaths before coUsenting to sell them |
She had not eaten for two days. She |
dragged herself with difficulty to the |
church. knelt on the marble, and began /
TO prav the Virgin to let her die there, |
and to reunite her TO her son.
In spite of herself, she vas disturbed |
by a great cOmmotion which Was going /
on in the church; everything was |
being covered with green branches |
aud flowers, and the altar Of the |
Virgin especially was being dscora- !
ted II was the day Of the Assumption, |
4 Il, ,sl,s had
lost her son. She gave thanks TO the |
Virgin. thinking that she was going to |
die that day, then placed herself in a |
corner and covered her head with her
Widows veil.
Some few persons recognized her, and .
did not venture to disturb her in her I
pious abstraction. Only they conveTsed |
in low tones about her misfortunes, and,
according to public rumor, they accused
her husbands relations of having put the
child out Of the way so as to seize upon
bis fortune.
The ceremony commenced.
The mother did not weep; only, with
unutterable joy, she felt herself grow
weaker, according as the ceremony pro-
ceeded.
The procession took place as customary,
then stopped before the chapel of the
Virgin. Inen the organ llIieu tue cnuTcn
with celestial harmony, the incense and
flowers covered the fag-stones of the
church.
There was a moment of silence, during
which nothing was heard but the sobs of
the poor widow.
All eyes turned towards her, and they
saw her dying, pale and in rags--she
whom they had seen SO happy and so
beautiful a year before. Suddenly, in
the midst of the silence, rose, pure and
sweet like the voice of the angels, voice
which sang:
Regina cGli, iGfdre, dlleltiid,
(Dttfd qtien nleTJffsfi DOTtaro, 0lleluid,
ResuTTerif sictt diEt Glleiutd.
The mother fell backwards, and the
whole congregation fell on their knees,
weeping, for the angel who was singing
vas little John, on the same stone,
clpthed in his white tunic, bis long fair
hair still flowing on his shoulders, and
confR ed on his forehead by a blue band.
The mother crawled on her knees to
him, aud grasping him with force,
seemed to fear that some one would come
ana drag him from her. The ehOristers
covered the mother snd child with