Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-11-20
A Brave School Girl.
How Gen. M'Mahon OF France found
his Wife.

A Brave School Girl.
How Gen. MMahon OF France found
his Wife.
It was on the LIST of December, 1888,
at an advanced hour Of the night, that
fire broke out in the female seminary
of Limoges. The flames spread with
such rapidity that the fair young in
mates could be rescued only with the
utmost difficulty. At last, when all Of
them were believed to be assembled,
shivering in their thin night dresses, in
front of the burning edifice, the cry
sounded suddenly, "Louise de Bailly
is still in the buildingl
The lookers-on stood as If petrifed,
and the fremen did not venture to en-
ter the house, which now looked like. q
fiery furnace. Poor Mademoiselle de
Baflly was already given up as hope.
.lessly lost, when all Of a sudden tall
young girl, with her blonde hair hang
ing loose over her shoulders, and her
deep blue eyes flashing out the heaven
ly fire of inspiration and indomitable
courage, rushed from among her terri
fed sisters, and exclaiming, II will try
to find her |" ran toward the burning
building.
A thousand voices shouted, "Do not
risk your life thus foolishly VI"
Others prayed for "dear Heloise," "
who thus recklessly risked her own life
in order to save that of one OF her young
classmates. But none of the warning
exclamations deferred the heroic girl
from her purpose. In few seconds
she had entered the front-door, un-
daunted by the binding smoke and the
flames that were momentarily gaining
ground.
For the spectators of this thrilling
scene this was moment of supreme
suspense. The strongest hearts quail
ed when the heroic girl did not imme.
diately return. "A minute, nay, two,
elapsed, and minutes under such cir
cumstances are eternities. . . But all at
once her white night gown appeared in
the door. Yes, it was she and by
the hand she led the missing, terrified
Louise de Bailly....
Such a shout as went up from the
hearts of the relieved crowd Such
praises as were showered upon the brave
young girl
But she herself was half ashamed of
being thus .feted. Mon Dieu!" che
exclaimed, "it'was easy enough for me
to ascend that stairway; it was not yet
on fire. Only the smoke troubled me a
little. Had waited a minute longer,
poor little Louise would have been
lost"
At the reopening OF the seminary, a
few months later, M. Sarreguin asked
Mademoiselle Heloise to step forward,
and presented her, in the name of King
Louis Philippe, a handsome gold medal
for saving a human life, and praised
her courage and devotion in eloquent
terms of enthusiasm.
The girl thus honored blushed deep
ly, and when the hall in which the open
ing ceremonies were held resounded
with heartfelt applause, Mademoiselle
Heloise was more confused than at that
memorable memont when she had rush.
ed into the flames.
Among the spectators on this occa-
sion WAS yonng officer OF the garrison
of Limoges, who seemed to be deeply
interested in the heroine Of the day.
He asked what her full name was, and
was told that she was the daughter of
NJ. Antoine Gilbert de Norm, Seigneur
de Valleau.
This information made the inquirer
somewhat thoughtful. Perhaps the
fact that NJ. De NORM was one OF the
wealthieit and proudest noblemen Of the
surrounding country had something to
do with this.
Captain M'Mahon (that was the name
of the young officer, however, was not
much disturbed by this information.
True, he was then but captain in the
French army, and had nothing but his
pay to depend on, but then he had ex-
ceilent prospects of once becoming rich;
his family was as old, if not older, than
that of Heloise's father, and French
soldier always has marshals baton in
his knapsack.
How he managed to get acquainted
with Mademoiselle De NORM we can
not tell, but certain it is, when the
young lady, some time afterward, was
told by her father that he had selected
husband for her, she startled him by
the announcement that he might save
himself that trouble, and that she had
already made her own choice.
The old gentleman was at first aston.
ished, and then became furious. But
his daughter briefly told him that she
wanted no one bnt Captain M'Mahon,
of the Fourth Regiment of the Line.
And now began a curious struggle be-
tween the exasperated father and the
determined daughter. Notwithstandi
ing the efforts of II. De NORM to inter-
cept Heloise's correspondence with her
lover, frequent letters were exchanged
between the two; and when Captain
M'Mahon was sent to Algeria, they
pledged themselves to remain true to
one another. This separation lasted
three years, until 1912, when M'Mahon,
who had greatly distinguished himself
in Africa, suddenly fell heir to consid-
erable property. This softened the OBJ
durate heart of NJ. De NORM, and in
1874 Heloise became the wife Of Lieu
tenant Colonel M'Mahon, now the lead
ing man OF France.