Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-15
saved by "a Beetle.

LtTiOS.
On May morning, in the year 1872, 70
man about thirty years If age might have
been seen vending hI- way over the broad
road. lined with luKuriaut old cha-'Hut-,
that leads out u the little town # BriTe-
lA-Galliarde.
II was a glorious morning. Tic fresh,
bracing air. the uncloudsd sky. and the
grateful odor OF the young vegetation.
were all calculated 10 make the heart
light and the head clear. But our wan
derer-for such the bundle Le carried Uu
his shoulder, on the end 81 q staff denoted
him to be-seemcd = take no notice of
the beauties that surrounded him. Prom
time TO time. however, he would pause
and cast a melancholy glance u the -Yira-
behind him, aud on the forest - lay
half league distant Oh lis road.
His heart was heavy and sad One
more look, and he turned away. .c.er
again, perhaps, t. behold tho spot around
which all his youthful memarse- clEs-
tered.
The political horizon OF France was OBJ
aour.d Ly a-rL and rartautan- clouds
The party known Is the Mount 4iu" had
drawn up prescription let that might
well have been the work al Death itself
Even Latreille. the priest and good -hep-
herd of Brive-la-Gaili4rde, Wa compelled,
a. one Of the prescribed, 70 leave his hum
bic home. Sentenced - be trans ported.
he fed toward Bordeaux, hoping there.
by the aid Of some friends, to find an
asylum.
The heart Of Latreilla Wa warmed tya
noble aud innocent love-lhe love -
science, and especially fpr entomology.
which be pursued with great enthusiasm.
So, now quickening and now rerar4lu-s
his pace, he walked on, listening 10 the
cries of an occasional locust, or watching
the butterflies, as they flew from ilJw,r %
flower in the bright morning sun
Thus guarded against the tHuns II a
Journey on foot, lac walked Oh for -Hnc
hours, until. finding himself VERY. De-
sat down under the shade % a tr.e. lie
Was scarcely seated when the buLLiHg oT
a beetle attracted hi- attention.. La
trielle sprang 10 his feet, aud. weary a.
he was, gave chase. The insect We uot
easily caught, but Iatriclle per-er,red.
and at last he had it, Ii proved - b.. au
chronological rarity OF the -AcrrOJtE ruff
c0rHts Our naturalist drew pin our a.
his coat-sleeye, with which he secured
his victim on the interior Of hi- hat. Just
after nightfall he reached the village
where he proposed to spend the might.
Without hesitation, lie raped a. the
door of the house that seemed 60 him
most likely 10 afford him comfortable en-
tertainment and offer greatest security.
when, 10! what spectacle presented IT.
self 10 his astonished vision. \ complete
apparatus OF the Reign or Terror, with
the minions having it in charge: hand
! cuffs. chains: in short, iron. and nothing
1 but iron, with the necessary vehicles for
4 transportation.
! His appearance excited suspicion be
was questioned, and as Ice betrayed "a de-
gree of embarrassment that rendered bis
history less cre1itahle than it otherwise
would have been. he was arrested on
suspicion. No plea. no enircaty, was OF
any avail against the logic OF the heart
less wretches into whose hands lac had
I fallen be was destined, that very day
/ to lie added to the victims which the pri,
1 sons of France held in READINGS. for the
murderous guIllotIne.
After brief hearing, Latrelle, exhaus
/ ted not less by the mental anxiety Of the
last hour than by his long walk, threw
himself upon his prisoners couch q
4 avail III. Etllittft- Ilt Nil mol lDDZ u
wait. lie had frankly confessed himself
guilty of two offences, that OF being q
prizes. and one of the prescribed. What
more was necessary 10 insure sentence
Of DEATH
The day was far advanced the next
morning the execution was 20 take place
Latreille had become resigned he look
ed forward 10 the awful moment calmly
and fearlessly. Above all, be felt the ne.
cessity Of restoring his exhausted ener
gies His jailer, for consideration, not
only furnished him with plentiful meal
but 80 far condescended az 10 give him
his company, and TO return his toast to
his own health and that of his family
The wine soon commenced to make the
jailer loquacious. lie commenced by Civ
ing his prisoner history of the prison
with an account Of the most noted prison.
ers he had seen within its walls, and such
other particulars AS naturally belong tc
such narrative.
0"What do you think" said he suddenly
dropping the histoty of the prison, "whai
do you think of our citizen-president,
who read you your death-sentence Nor
dieu he has a face, TO my mind, Just such
as q president ought TO have, as hard and
as stern as a statue. And yet he has q
handsome head don't you think so?
Our poor naturalist was content to nod
an affirmative.
"And, then, when he Is out of the
courtroom he has a. many virtues as they
] ~ the old Romans bad; no hatred OF