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

striking contrast Of what we saw to that
which we thanked heaven we had only hear,
! The service went on, it was drawing near il
close, when Oh sudden the low gentle SCUM
ton was overpowered aud lost to the ear b
the lond report of q single gun. The great ba
tie of Sedan had commenced
1t was impossible for the worslipers t
repress a movement of anguish and of terro
This was but momentary, however. and on
supreme obligation to give the first thought
of our hearts at all times to tire solemn observ
ances of our religion was rendered to the full
The service over, 1 did not even pause to ad
dress my parishioners-as l should most as
sHredly have done had known the extent q
our danger-but 1 hurried to my dwellin,
which commanded n good view of the sui
rounding country, in order to ascertain tn
exact condition of affairs.
81 left my aged father and mother in tn
basement, and mounted to the roof of TIN
house alone. A spectacle met my eye whicl
will never be effaced from my memory to IN,
dying day. Not alone had the great battle O
Sedan commenced, bnt we Were in the yer,
around us, and tho very horizon seemed t,
flash with fire on whichever side turned my
gaze. The air trembled with the reports o.
the guns, and soon the great masses of smok,
began to converge towards us till they reste(
above onr heads like some great clond-omen O.
doom. Then from out of the cloud, as 1t seem
ed, came down an iron hail that crashed
men Wherever IL fan ;rha t;n., ~ "on+, W
plation had passed. the hour for action had
come. left my post of observation and des-
steps wSrc attracted ~ . oowf,.aa sn,!!,I ~,
mingled weeping and praying which told me
that the terrified women and children had
lied for support and consolation TO the shelter
'.For q moment hesit, ted ne to what +o do
1t was evident that in their present mortal
danger my first DUTY was to administer 70
them the last consultations of religion and ye+
such was their intense anonish Of terror that T
shrank from increasing Il by any act which
would serve to remind them of their periI
could not, ont of regard for truth, tell them
they had nothing to fear while all around the
very place in which we were assembled couId
be heard very distinctly the rattle of the
enemy's shot. 1 was about to saw some few
words to put them in n more Christian because
in Il more composed frame of mind when /
was at once relieved of AN further d fliculfv Iv
I he spontaucots reouest of one woman which
was speedily echoed by the rest that | should
administer final absolltion 10 them at once
- / was engaged in the ne, forrn,nce of This
solemr rite when u dreadful upronr was heard
at the end of the street and soon a crowd of
our disbanded soldiers rushed INST the dnor
calling on ITS to shut ourselves up in the eel
lars at once if we valued our lives. | hurried
the terrified crowd out OF sight OF the coming
tumult rs quickly as l could. remaining nv
self to watch what was nassinr in thc Street
in post which ndreI to he to7erabl, srcnrc,
Soon on the heels of the fugitive FrcnchrIen
a troop ofBavarians tore along the narrow wnv
but tley had scarcely passeti ,y-,et ti,ev ,ue
pouring back again ut even greater speeL and
frantic with rage aud disappointment. The
French had found time to throw up
! barricade and 1t was ordained that the
stand of the day should be made in the village
If Bnzeilles.
90 Meantime the Prussian shells had set some
If our houses on fire. and by the linht of the
for it was now growing dark. the most
fearful conflict think it could ever have been
sion of the barricades / cannot trust myself
20 trace correctly tho episodes of that inhtimau
Desperate and muddeued creatures
II the uniform of either army by turns passed
and rcpassed my house at one moment as nuI-
,uers at another rs pursued. In the moncn
AIRY intervals of the deadly fusilIade and the
ieatllier bayonet charges. we darted from orr