The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-02-05
MADAME MACMAHON.
The wife of the President of
France.

a portly-looking lady, with Il kindly el
preston of countenance, with ] rye blu
eyes, and hair slightly tinged With gray
may be seen to leave the Executive mar
sion, at Versailles, leading little girl b
the hand, and devoting her attention i'm
mediately to a number of poor peopl
who seem to have waited for her, anC
among whom she and her pretty littl
companion then distribute aims, address
ing few benevolent words to each of til,
recipients of their charities
When the two, whom the most casua
beholder will at once recognize to b.
mother and daughter, appear, the TIVE
sentinels respectfully present arms
They leisurely walk down the superb
avenue, and move among the other prom
enaders in the most unostentatious man
ner, standing still every now and then,
and exchanging a few pleasant word:
with acquaintance But for the glances
which most of the passers-by send after
the lady, you would believe she was the
wife OF some government employee
perhaps of a deputy in the National As
sembly; for she wears simple black
dress, and her bonnet, although of fault
less shape, cannot have cost many doll irs.
And yet she is at the present time the fore
most lady in France, the consort of Mar
shall MacMahon, President of the French
Republic.
The career of this eminent lady, al
though the papers have had very little to
say about her, has nevertheless. been an
eventful one; and, in her present exalted
position, Notwithstanding her quiet I'M
obstrusive demeanor, she is known to eX-
ert a momentous influence upon the de-
cision of her husband. The latter ad-
mires pluck, and it may be truly said that
he has a most plucky wife. Indeed, it
was an act of heroism on her part that
first attracted his attention toward her.
1t was on the first 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 inmates
could be rescued only with the utmost
difficulty. At last when all IF them were
believed to be assembled, shivering in
their thin night-dresses, ia front of the
burning edifice, the cry resounded sudden
ly, Louise de Baily is still in the build
ing?"
The lockers on as if petrified, and the
firemen did not venture to enter the
house which now looked like a fiery fur
mace Poor Mademoselle de Bailly was
already given up as hopelessly lost, when
all of sudden a tall, young girl, with
her blonde hair hanging loose over her
shoulders, and her deep blue eyes flashing
out the heavenly fire of inspiration and
indomitable courage, rushed from among
her terrified young sisters, eXclaiming 81
will try to find herl" ran toward the burn
ing building. A thousand voices shouted,
''Do not risk your life thus foolishly!"
Others prayed for ''dear Heloise, who
thus recklessly risked her own life in Or
der to save that of one Of her young class
mates. But none of the warning excla-
nations deferred the heroic girl from her
purpose In few seconds she had enter
ed the front door, undaunted by the
binding smoke and the flames that were
momentaIily gaining ground.
For spectators Of this thrilling scene
this was moment of supreme suspense
The strongest hearts quailed when the
heroic girl did not Immediately return.
A minutes, nay, two elapsed. and min
utes under such circumstances are eter-
mites. But all at once her white night
gown appeared in the door Yes, it was
she; and by the hand she led the terrified
Louise de Bailly. Such a shout as went
up from the relieved crowd. Such praises
as were sh0wered upon the brave young
girl
But she herself was half ashamed of
being thus feted ''Mon Dieu| she ex-
claimed, lit was easy enough to ascend
~, -
Only the smoke troubled me a little
Had l waited minute longer, poor little
Louise would have been lost"
At the reopening OF the seminary, a few
months later, NJ. Sarreguin asked Made
moiselle Heloise to step forward, and pre-
sented her, in the name Of King Louis
Philippe, handsome gold medal for
saving human life, and praised her
courage and devotion in eloquent terms of
enthusiasm.
The girl thus honored blushed deeply,
and when the hall in which the opening GER
emonies were held resounded with heart
felt applause, Mademoiselle Heloise was
more confused than at that memorable
moment when she had rushed into the
flames
Among the spectators on this occasion
was a young officer of the garrison of
Limoges, who seemed to be deeply inter-
ested in the heroine of the day, and
asked what her full name was, and was
told that she was the daughter Of NJ. An
tome Gilbert de NORM, Seigneur de Val
leau.
This information made the inquirer
somewhat thoughtful. Perhaps the fact
that NJ. De Norm was one of the wealth.
est and proudest noblemen of the sur
rounding country, had something to do
with this.
Capt. MacMahon, Chat 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 excel
ent prospects of once becoming rich his
family was as old, if not older. than that
of Heloise's father and French soldier
always has marshaPs baton in bis KNAPP
sack.
How he managed to get acquainted
with Mademoiselle De NORM We can not
tell, butcertain it is, when the young lady,
sometime afterward, was told by her
father that he had selected a husband for
her, she startled him by the announce
ment that he might save himself tina,
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 but Captain MacMahon, of the
Fourth Regiment of the Line.
And now began a curious struggle be-
tween the exasperated father and the de- /
termined daughter. Notwithstanding the