Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-09-10

queIt at mass and confession. She
tasted often, and prayed long in the
church, and received the Eucharist al
mGt daily. She sometimes sought the
shade Of the so-called enchanted beech,
no doubt under a vague idea that the
supernatural would there be more like
~ 10 come near her. Afterwards, how
ever, on her trial, her visits to this tree
were brought up against the poor girl
to prove that she was q witch. Joan
was still the darling of the village.
She was, as formerly hopeful in her
home. She was sympathetic to her
young companions. She was the gen.
tlest and most skilful sick nurse in the
parish. Yet even while they loved her
these simple people felt that she was
changed. Without knowing why they
now treated her with q sort Of rever
ence. Yet, still she was the same Joan
they had dandled in their arms. How
could this be? That question the good
folks Of Domreny could not answer.
When Joan was sixteen, the tide of
war reached Domremy. The family
of Arc for safety left their home, and
lived for time in the neighbOring
town Of Vaucouleurs with relation
who kept an inn. There, from the
passers by, Joan heard things which
iniamed 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 great work to
do. So He had. The voices of st.
f 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 n stern old soldier,
4 whose thoughts had seldom travelled
further than his stable or his armory,
and whose idea ofa woman was good
+ cook. No wonder, then, that he could
not find out that there was in this peas
N ant girl the soul of q patriot and the i'll
tellect of general He thought her a
! g0od-l0oking lass, whose head was
turned with too much thinking and
4 lchattering about things she had no bu-
! siness with. He therefore sent hei
!. back to her father, with message, that
n if he were in his place he would box
r her ears, and get hera husband. Joan
stayed quiet ut home for a little while
, But she was depressed and restless, ant
!, = spent much of her time fasting and
u = weeping. One day, urged by her vol
= ces, she ran away toan uncle who livet
{ near Vaucouleurs. He seems to have
! been a shrewd, kindly man, whC
n n thought there was more in the girl thai
: Eher parents did. He took her onc'
more to Baudricourt, who this tint
Z looked on her more favOrably. Tht
:, kings cause was, he knew, almost des
J perate, and 80 there could be no harm
= in Joan trying to mend it. He CAV,
y her aknight to protect her, horse, ant
v suit of armour, for her voices had bid
den her put on mans attire. Then
} with a farewell, half of encouragement
!, half of mockery, he sent her to tn
y y court. Charles the Seventh was a
u Simon, spending three-quarters of hi
II time in industriOusly making love b.
,o y turns to his pretty Queen Marie an
3. 3, his various mistresses, and the othe
Il 4 portion in playing at state craft wit
~ his ministers. The real handspring
" the government was the premier, d
~ La Tremouille, an artful, time-servin
~ ~ man, who always managed to keep OIL
~ foot on the step of Charles throne, an
el the other on those of the throne of til
r. II English king. Thus, whatever tur
u things might take, his game was a sal
:, one. Joan knew the king at once frol
~ ~ all those around him, though to tr
W her he purposely stood among IL
{ crowd of fcourtiers. This was conside
e e ed miracle, but probably she had o
" ten had Charles described to he
~ Charles had some doubts of his ow
a. J." legitimacy. He limited these to Joa
y in private interview he had with he
u, and she without really understandir
~ what he meant, told him he was ce
y a. tainly the rightful heir to the crow
~ u. Charles, with all theready supersititio
We of his time, looked upon this as s.
ns pernatural sign of the truth of her mi
Ia sion. No doubt Joan was very muC
en- surprised when she understood the re
,es ,5s drift of the kings words, but she hi
- wit enough to Keep his counsel and b
W own. A rumor, however, of her ha
" y, ing given the king some such sign
ne abroad, and worked her much mischi
"a on her trial. De La Tremouille did n
~ ~ like Joan. Her ways were far too bo
~ iHs and straightforward for him. i
~ therefore, constantly whispered dout
ne of her into the kings ear. Yet ev
W. while he half mistrusted her in |
ger heart, Charles, by his handsome ia
oii and gracious manners, contrlved
%" knit the simple peasant girl to his 81
vice. From that time she was faith
ny to him even unto death. Her loyalt
'ng indeed, seems almost to have amour
nS .nS ed to a passionate alteration. The fe
tu ~ ing was noble, though the idol was u
ii' iwI worthy.
,op Before Joan was allowed to go to I
ora relief of Orleans, the siege of which S
ne promised to raise, she was examin
md first by jury of churchmen, to dec
nm whether She was good Christian, a
she then by a jury of ladies, to dec
for whether she was u goodwoman Bt
lin. gave answer in her favor. Queen
' land, Charles mother-in-law, who v
vas at the head of the ladies' commit
the was especially delighted with her. !
no hearts of this good princess and of
ner village girl seem always to have b
md in wondrOus unison.
in AT last she went away with the
lold nv. Charles gave her a finehorse q
avs avs splendid suit OF mail for a parting g
iyer I She must have been a goodly sight
and She rode away that spring mornl
.s LJar white charger Curvetted light