The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-12
NDAY MORNING FEBRUARY 1g, 1871.

L
of London on this cold, raw. fOgsy, dispirit
ing January day. A comparatively. Paul Pier
| rard-has very generously given up portion
OF ms business premises for the uses of the
| OF which body he is the honorary secretary
1t is curious to find priest in such q place
more eurions still to find priest of France
up his temporary quarters there, my readers
must not disdan to remember the address-6(
aoorgate street, London, e. C., where sub
| scriptions addressed to NJ the Able Baudelot
the priest, to NJ. Pierrard, will fall into the
proper hands.
Yes; here, amidst ledgers and desks and of
nee Stools and other paraphernalia consecrated
to the worship of mammon, stood N. Baudelot,
who but q few short weeks ago had no other
surroundings, and no other associations than
those consecrated to the worship of God. A
miserable environment of things altogether
for an exile from the sunny land, and that ex-
lie priest. But the breviary on the table
made all places seem one, dare say, to Father
The father, as have said @has come to have
rope round his neck in this wise: The Ger
mans have thought fl to accuse him of having
organized and headed that alleged resistance
OF his villagers which led to the burning of
Bazeilles. Their anxiety to, vindicate the
character of tile sacred office is equal to their
zeal in the cause of self-preServatou. And
thus the father stands doubIy condemned, as q
fighting Parson and as an enemy to the inya-
ders of his country. Either offence is deserv-
ing of dfath in German ewes and for both of
them ttIea would make a man die twice over
it that were possible. So they have threaten
ed this priest with a shorter shrift than even
that Of ), Fran tireur if he fall in til cir way.
Lest they should not have time to listen to his
defence, if they do catch him, it may be
we'll to lay it before them in advance. Father
Bandelot never organized any resistance on tho
that such resistance took place. "How
could my parishioners fight the German armyw
asked the father; "and as for me, was their
general or the pastor of their souls?'
or all men should say the least likely one
this priest to have hounded men to the work
of mutnai slaughter, in any cause soever.'
man who appeared to be, though in the world
not of it, SO wholly absorbed did he seem by
superior subjects of contemplation to any
which this world has to offer; quiet, subdueti
ono might almost say dreamy and absent in
ion of a grand destiny i'll store for his kind, q
dwelling some mighty scheme
of human erfectbifty-anything i'll short,
but one thing. a shedder of human blood, even
III the sacred ca Use of country. Meet him in
the street, and the swift summary of the mo-
nleut would set him down emphatically as
man of peace. And this impression would be
derived from genuine effort of physioSnou,-
ical skill, for nothing in his garb would help
You to right guess at his character or Office
The cure or Bazeilles has, for the moment, put
off every sign of his sacred calling. His dress I
is that of the English layman OF the middle |
class 1t becomes him well, fog he is still on !
the right side of middle age, and the repose of |
his manner, not always found so perfect in as |
ISOLATION with the lay habit, gives him that |
look of gentleman" which can lie taken in |
at ii glance, but which no description can ade- |
quately define.
And from this qnict man, in this peaceful
London that prays regularly !
twice week to be delivered from battle or |
murder, and from sudden death, and that has |
its prayer heard; from this man, say, heard |
SOHO part of the story of Bazelles-a story
that Will take its place among the reddest of
the red deeds of history for all time-a story
that will be quoted in this world and in the
war till both shall cease to vex tho sonl of man
and to tempt the wrath of his Maker.
1t was on the morning of Wednesday,"
said the eurate, land 1 was celebrating mass
among my people in Bazeilles, i could almost
say that We knew nothing of the war beyond
the fact that it had been declared and that it |
was being waged in France. Our village
for though of its kind it was a somewhat con-
siderable place, containing a population of
1000 souls, it had known no other strife than
that friendly one engendered by the COMPETE
tion of an industry that held out the prospect
Of some reward for all. We were but a short
alf-hours Journey from Sedan-our hamlet
might almost be said, in fact, to be a distant
hustle reached us. The strife, indeed, had not
then reached the city itself. Mighty armies,
It seems, were all about preparing to enfold us
IN their black and hateful wings vet we had
40 notice of their presence beyond rumor
from some terrified villager, vague enough to
occasion no other feeling than one of thank full
hess for our own security. The alai mist him
'elt had no sooner breathed the air of our
peaceful dwelling than he began to ridicule
lis own fears, for it was impossible to look at
3azeilles aud believe that it could ever by any
become the bone of contention be-
,ween two great nations struggling for the
empire of the world. We were completely
Happy then because our minds were complete
y at rest. There were all the soothing indu-
'nces of religion to intensity this impression,
lpon my kneeling flock, thought had never
,eheld'a more beautiful exemphfcation of the
,eace of holiness. For the war must needs
% IN our minds at every hour and minute of
he day, and onr repose was intensified by this