The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-04-25

w. 3ls
THE LAST HOURS OF MAR1D Al.
T0lSETTE.
But the end Of oil vas st hand |
-her trial and death. No one could be |
found bold enough to defend her, and
tho tribunal vss obliged itself to sp.
poiot counsel. Il wss on . dull o.
tober morning that she wss conducted
from the Conciergerie through the dark
winding passages Of the ancient mon,s-
terry IN which tho trials were held. The
Hall Of Convention is . large, gloomy
apartment, With sparse and narrow w,n.
dows, through the dusty psaes Of which
the dull yellow light without creeps
sluggistly. A few dimly-it lanterns
are scattered here and there, but the At
mosrhcre is heavy and foggy, and half
the hall is ind,stinct and full of shad-
owe. On the lower benches sit the
butchers with their blood. stained
aprons, and long, sharp knives glesm-
ing in their BELTS Above them sit the
tricotexses-terrible as the Psrca-
weaving the wcft Of fate; some have
cards in their hands, upon which, by
the prick Of a pin, they count tho votes
for and against as they are declared
from the Tri5sue. Everywhere are
scattered scovliug fsces eager for the
blood Of the unhappy woman. From
without come the murmurs OF the savage
crowd, threatening death to those depu-
tics who dare to vote against the oon-
deunatiou Of ~ Autrichicnne :" and
IS tho doors open and shut, their stir
aud fierce cries surge heavily into the
Court. Tie trial lasts three days. On
the last day the proceedings begin At
noon and lest until 4 the next morning.
All these hours the Queen Of France
stands in the bot, polluted atmosphere,
without .aght passing her lips. Burn
ing with thirst, che bees for drink Of
water no one cares to stir, lest he
should be marked Is . suspect. Faint
aud exhausted, she asks 4 second time,
and then an officer Of gendaymes, in
whose heart spark Of humanity yet
fingers, puts cup Of water iu her e.
ger, trembling hands. A howl Of dis
| appr sbat,on follows the act. He will
be dismissed, but history will immortal
ize him. The indictments against her
are numerous, some absurd for in.
stance, one charge is the number of
shoes she has worn out :! The money
she has distributed in charity Is charged
against her q bribes to buy over the
people. To oil her answers are calm,
simple, and concise. At length Hebert
accuses her Of having corrupted her
own child. At that horrible charge a
shudder runs through tho Court. She
is silent, but the muscles Of her face
quiver. The question is pressed, aud
then, With heaving breast, she turns
opon her sesuser With sublime indigua-
tion, crying, "If I Lave not answer.
ed, it is because na,.re itself re-
volts against such an accusation
brought against . mother. I appeal
to oil mothers Who here-is it
possible !? A murmur runs through
the Court-even the furies OF tho
guillotioe are softened BY that pathetic
appeal. Calmly she listens to the
sentence Of death, AID leaves the Court
without = murmur. It strikes 4 As
she is conducted back to her cell. A
few hours more, and tho tumbril takes
her to the Place de Ia Revolution.
There, facing the gardens of the
Tuileries, the guillotine raises its grisly
head and there facing that palace,
whittier she had been conducted by a
King amid the acclamstion Of Z na.
ton, surrounded by adoring mobiles
who would have risked their lives q
thousand times to win q smile from
her lips, consort to the heir Of tue
most splendid throne in Christendom,
young, dazsling beautiful, splendid in
jewels, buoyant With happiness, know
ing sorrow only - name, = prema-
surely..eed woman with white hair, a
pallid, worn fscs, farroved by tears, at.
tired in filthy tatters, l.ys her weary
head beneath the knife, amid the Oh.
scene songs, the exeerstions of the VII
est Of the hu.aan race and the body
Of her Who for thirty five years had re-.
posed upon velvet aud satia is thrown