The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-08
TIE LITTLE MAID OF DOMREMY,

1t is more than four hundred and fifty
years since in the village of Domremy
on the River Meuse, was born little girl
to whom they gave the name of Jeanne
lin English Joan or jane. 1t is probable
that her father, poor and respectable
peasant, was named Dare. Later, when
the little girl had grown famous, people
altered the name and called her Jeanne
dare (of Arc), which is as though one of
you should be called Kate of Rochester,
or Lucy OF Minneapolis. France was not
then the rich and powerful country which
it has since become. For a long time it
had been governed or misgoverned by a
King who was insane, and first one party
and then another, getting tired of his rule,
had thrown it off, so that the Nation was
in state of civil war.
1t was in the midst of these unhappy
times that Jeanne was born, and grew to
be, first hardy little girl, and then a Wig
orous maiden, with a noble, beautiful
face, though its expression was thought
full and sad. She had a rough, hard life,
working in the fields and caring for the
farm animals; and when feeding the oxen
or tending the sheep in the dim twilight
she had plenty of time to think of the
miseries amid which she lived. The
peasants in that part of the country used
to repeat an old prophecy that France, in
her time of deepest distress, would be
saved by maiden. Nobody knew who
made the prophecy, but every one be-
lieved it, tor those were supcrstitious
days, and people put greatfalth in legends
and old sayings. There were no books
and newspapers, as there are now, to
make persons wide awake and intelligent.
Jeanne believed with the rest. And when
she felt sad and hopeless at the sutferings
she saw and the worse sutferings she
heard about, she thought a great deal
about this prophecy, and wondered when
the wonderful maiden would come to aid
them.
She dwelt so much upon these things
that at last it seemed to her that a voice
spoke, whether from within or without
she could not be sure, and said that size
was the maiden appointed to save the
land from its troubles. Just then the
crazy King died, and his son, Charles VII,
young man oftwenty, succeeded to the
throne. 1t was a miserable inheritance
truly, for few acknowledged his authority,
and he was too poor to pay for soldiers,
who in those days were always to be had
Tor pay. He ana the little army which he
contrivcd to get together, fought two or
three times with the English and were
beaten, and at last the only important city
left him, the city of Orleans, was closely
he>legcd by the enemy. For months it
held out, but little by little the foe gained,
till il became evident that before long Or
leans would be forced to yield, aud with it
would 90 the last hope of the royal family
Of france.
Jeanne Dare was eighteen years old at
this time, and the "voices'' which had
been speaking to her for five years were
growing each day louder and calling her
10 90 Something, she knew not what, to
save the country. At last she became so
certain of her divine mission that she
could keep silent no longer, and she per-
suaded her uncle to take her to BauClri-
court, one of the Kings officers, who was
Governor Of the town of FancOuleurS. To
him she explained about the voices, and
begged him TO send her to the King,
promising that if he would 90 so she
would raise the siege of Orleans, and that
the King, in less than three months,
should be crowned in the city of Rheims,
which Was at that time fast held by the
English. The Governor did not believe
in her a bit at first, but matters had got so
desperate that he was willing to try any,
thing, so at last he sent Jeanne to ChinOn,
where the King was residing.
II must have been IA singular sight,
Jeanne in her simple peasants garb in
the midst or the gay court. But she was
too much in earnest to think about herself
or be fri shtened. The King stood among
the other gentlemen, dressed exactly like
them, but Jeanne went straight up and
knclt before him without moments hes.
italon, which surprised everybody very
much.
81 eloquent was she, so full of enthusi-
asm and confidence in her own powers,
that the King and his counselors believed
in her at once. They gave her a suit of
armor and horse, which she knew very
we'll how to manage, for she had often
ridden the horses to water in Domremy.
" hen they fetched the sword which be-
longcd to her armor, she rejected it, and
begged them to send to the Church of St.
Catherine of Fierbois, where, buried in
the ground, would be found consecrated
sword which it was meant she should
carry. They did so, and, sure enough,
the sword was discovered just as she had
said, which made people believe in her
more than ever. Thus equipped, with a
WHY l. ucI manu-, SQC COOk com.
mand Of ten thousand troops headed by
the brave Dunois, and marched straight to
Orleans. The news of this wonderful
event spread everywhere. The English,
who were as superstitious as the French,
took fright. Whole regiments deserted
for fear OF the Maybe" for there is moth
ing like superstition to make towards
even of brave men. Jeanne's own SOL
diers, fired by her noble courage, fought
as If inspired. In less than a week the
siege of Orleans was raised, and the enc.
my in full retreat. Other battles followed.
in all of which Jeanne was victorious.
Rheims was given up withouta blow, and
there, in three months from the time Of
Jeanne's first appearance at the court,
Charles was solemnly crowned King-the
Maid of Orleans" as she was now
called, standing beside him in full armor,
with her white banner in her hand! She
had kept her promise, and the work was
done.
When the coronation was over. she
knelt down before the throne and prayed
the King TO let her go back again to Dom
remy and tend her sheep. The svoices''
which had led her so far, promised moth
ing beyond this day. She desired to return
to her simple life. and be plain Jeanne
Dare again, as she was before these great