The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-09
they had dandled in their arms. How
could this be? That question the good

town of Vaucouleurs with a relation
who kept an inn. There, from the
passers 6y, Joan heard things which
infamed her wrath yet more against
the English. When they went back
again to Domremy, she talked openly
of being commissioned by God, through
st. Catherine and st. Margaret, to de-
liver France from her enemies. Her
mother said the child was crazy. Her
father, thinking that this showed a
wild ligntness in his daughter, which
would lead to something worse, declar-
ed that he would rather see her dead
than following the army. There was
an honest young man who loved her.
They pressed her to marry him, but
Joan steadily refused. She loved and
honored her parents, but she loved and
honored God more, and she believed
that He had given her q great work to
Catharine and st. Margaret were in re-
ality merely the voices of her own
genius.
At length, when she was seventeen,
Joan could rest no longer. She went
to Baudricourt, the governor of Vau-
coulers, and telling him her mission,
begged him to send her to the king.
Baudricourt was q stern old soldier,
whose thoughts had seldom travelled
further than his stable or his armory,
and whose idea ola woman was good
cook. No wonder, then, that he could
not find out that there was in this peas
ant girl the soul of a patriot and the in
tellect of general. He thought her a
gOod-looking lass, whose head was
| turned with too much thinking and
chattering about things she had no bu-
siness with. He therefore sent her
back to her father, with message, that
if he were in his place he would box
her ears, and get her husband. Joan
stayed quiet at home for a little while.
But she was depressed and restless, and
spent much of her time fasting and
weeping. One day, urged by her vol.
ces, she ran away to an uncle who lived
near Vaucouleurs. He seems to have
been a shrewd, kindly man, who
thought there was more in the girl than
her parents did. He took her once
more to Baudricourt, who this time
looked on her more favOrably. The
kings cause was, he knew, almost des-
perate, and so there could be no harm
in Joan trying to mend it. He gave
her knight to protect her, horse, and
a suit of armour, for her voices had bid
den her put OH mans attire. Then,
with a farewell, half of encouragement,
half of mOckery, he sent her to the
court. Charles the Seventh was at
Simon, spending three-quarters of his
time in industriOusly making love by
turns to his pretty Queen Marie and
his various mistresses, and the other
portion in playing at state craft with
his ministers. The real handspring of
the government was the premier, De
La Tremouille, an artful, time-serving
man, who always managed to keep one
foot on the step of Charles throne, and
the other on those of the throne of the
English king. Thus, whatever turn
things might take, his game was safe
all those around him, though to try
her he purposely stood among the
crowd of cOurtiers. This was consider
ed miracle, but probably she had Of
ten had Charles described to her.
Charles had some doubts of his own
legitimacy. He limited these to Joan
i'm a private interview he had with her,
and she without really understanding
what he meant, told him he was GER
tainly the rightful heir to the crown.
Charles, with all the heready superstition
of his time, looked upon this as SUI
pernatural sign of the truth of her mis-
sion. No doubt Joan was very much
surprised when she understood the real
drift of the kings words, but she had
wit enough to keep his counsel and her
own. A rumOr, however, of her hav-
ing given the king some such sign got
abroad, and worked her much mischief
OH her trial. De La Tremouille did not
like Joan. Her ways were far too bold
and straightforward for him. He,
therefore, constantly whispered doubts
of her into the kings ear. Yet even
while he half mistrusted her in his
heart, Charles, by his handsome face
and gracious manners, contrived to
knit the simple peasant girl to his SER
vice. From that time she was faithful
to him even unto death. Her loyalty,
indeed, seems almost to have amount
ed to passionate alteration. The feel
ing was noble, though the idol was un-
worthy.
Before Joan was allowed to go to the
relief of Orleans, the siege of which she
promised to raise, she was examined
first by jury of churchmen, to decide
whether she was good Christian, and
then by a jury of ladies, to decide
whether she was a good woman. Both
gave answer in her favor. Queen YO-
land, Charles mOther-in-law, who was
at the head of the ladies' committee,
was especially delighted with her. The
hearts of this good princess and of the
village girl seem always to have beat
in wOndrOus unison.
At last she went away with the ar
my. Charles gave her q fine horse and
splendid suit of mail for a parting gift.
She must have been a goOdly sight as
she rode away that spring morning.
Her white charger curvetted lightly
her gay arms flashed in the sunshine
her fair young face beamed beneath
her plumed helmet; from under its
brim peeped out here and there locks
of shortcut, but still thick and wavy
dark hair; before her fiuttered her gor-
geOus standard, on one side of which
was represented the Savior, and on the
other the Virgin. We have no space
to trace minutely Joan of Arcs career
in war. From the day when she en-
tered Orleans till Charles was crowned
at Rheims it was one unbroken course
of victory and triumph. Her success
was no doubt partly caused by the pam
ic she spread among the English sol
diers, who always believed her to he
witch; but it was also in a great meas
ure due to her skill as commander.
The Quickness with which she took in
at a glance every detail of a battlefield,
and the art with which she disposed
her troops, We're indeed nothing less
than wonderful, and can only be ac-
counted for by her having true mill
tary genius. Most of the old generals
hated Joan. Her prompt action was
so different from their slow, pOnderous
tactics. Besides, what business had
this peasant girl to have a sword in her
hand instead of q diStaff? But the
Younger officers loved and admired
her.
Joan never forsOOk her simple village
habits. She would sometimes go fast
ing through long, firing day, and her
meals often consisted of Onlya piece of
bread and cup Of wine and water.
She loved, it is true, beautiful horses
and rich arms, and all the bravery of
war, but she showed it i'm frank, al
most childlike way, which was infin
itely naive and pretty. She was
thorough woman in the midst of the
clash of swords and the blare of trum
pets. She would often spring from her
horse to support and comfort a dying
soldier, whether friend or fore; she cried
with the pain when she herself was
wounded. Her care, also, for the souls
of her soldiers was eminently woman