Litchfield enquirer., 1876-08-17


 to remain. whatever chanced, by the side of his soyerign. Having dwelt thus for a year and half in England, and hearing but sorry tidings from France. the anguish of mind that we were in could no longer be supported, and leaving the children and our luggage with certain safe people, my sister Ernestine and myself did ad venture to pass again, under false names. into France. When we reached Paris, matters lacked but little of the worst. made myself known to some former ser wants. who now kept little wine shop and with whom lodged; but 1t was with the greatest difficulty and after long search that found my husband. The royal family were in prison, the Body Guards disbanded and most of them kill ed-thongh some had the good fortune to escape, and others to secrete them. seives, among these last being him we sought. Through the help of my host tho wine merchant, my husbands former iaekey. we found him, disguised and hid den. The sight of me did but cause him the most poignant distress. "I had thought you safe out of this whirlpool oi death, quoth he, ''and now know not how you may escape" '"Then will I share your fate.' .'' said I. But he charg. ed me on no account to be rash, but to strive to live for our children. ''If am arrested" quoth he. ''pake no attempt to see me; you would only seal the de struction of each of us." After gently upbraiding me in these words, he took leave of me in the most loving manner, saying that it did indeed greatly move him to see what risks and his sister had run for the sake of seeing him again, that he thanked God for this last opportunity to clasp us to his heart, that his trust was in Christ, and he was not afraid to die. He looked worn and tired, and he said by reason of great anxiety, he had not slept for the space of three nights. ''But l shall soon be at rest" quoth he; and with that he laid his head upon the table be- fore him, and repeated this verse, where with l had been won't to put our children to bed:
 "sIeep. downy sleep come close mine eyes, | Tired of beholding vanities."
 After the which he took leave of us, full loath to go, for we fain would have re- manned with hlm, but he constrained us: and when Ernestine, sobbing, would not say 0dieW, but only Gu reVoir, he consen- ted, pointing upward.
 Some days after, a woman of wild appearance thrust into my hand crum- pied paper, on which was written: "Pris- on of the Conciergerie, August 20. Ae, reUoir." Then we knew that the bolt had fallen, and that there was no hope. l was standing, when the message came, in the back part of the little wine shop. There was but one customer in the room, and he seemed to be reading; but when I I rightly understood the meaning of the words which I read, there was no longer any force Tn my knees. and l tainted and | fell. When l came out of my trance, I found the gentleman, whom at first did not recognize, talking earnestly with the keeper of the shop. Seeing that had somewhat recovered, he approached me, happen that meet you in this God-for- saken land?" Then told Colonel Froth- ingham-for it was indeed he-all my sad story, and besought his aid, for I knew not whether should find him friend or foe, ''Be not afraid" quoth he; s'I l out of this accursed country: and With that he hastily bade me adieu and de- parted. Two days thereafter he came again, and said that he had gotten me a passport as an English lady-whereto my blonde hair and knowledge of the Eng | ligh tongue comported-and one for Ern- estine as my maid. And when had ob- served the passport, 1 saw that the name of the English lady was Mistress Arthur Rockingham; for he being we'll known to the authorities, it was easier to procure permission of departure for his wife. Hay ing made all haste to throw few matters together into travelling sack, we com mitted ourselves to the guidence of the colonel; and as we rode together toward the place from which the diligence set forth, he said to me, in English: ''I have | long desired an occasion to make some | reparation for my villainous conduct while in America; and if through my hum l ble efforts you come off safe from this adventure, beg of you to forget my base | action in the past I have naught to say in defence of myself, except that was grievously tempted. being sore pressed by debt, and that my conscience has since caused me to suffer most intolerable pains. Lest I be again tempted in like manner, I carry continually with me this small iron"
 i Seeing that his contrition was unfeign- ed, bethought me of some word of com fort which might give him from the Scriptures; but 1t seemed to me that 1 heard the voice of one singing; the voice and the song were in like manner famll- far, and repeated the words to the re- pentant man at my side:
 1 "'Though ye have lain among the pots, l Like doves ye shall appear
 | Whose wings with silver and with gold, Whose feathers covered are.'
 I had no time to make 8 fitting explana- tion, but think he rightly understood it, for a pleasanter expression than I had ever seen upon it lighted his handsome face, and we bade each other farewell; nor from that time to this have l seen Arthur Frothingham more.
 v.-THE PUCE-coLoRED SATIN. -
 Many more dolorous and heavy days we spent in England, the fact of my wid- owhood coming to me with the certainty of the execution of Loris d d'Etoile, aristo- crat, at the prison of the Conciergerie on the ever.memorable 3d of September. I had had no hope, and so the news brought me no additional faiction; but not SO my er-in-law. who was of playful and merry disposition, and presently sank in. to so profound melancholy that it was impossible to rouse her therefrom, ill which state she shortly departed. this evil | Iilo, Wltu HI Joy HI Guo uOpo Ol Speouy reunion with her brother. My husband s commander and faithful friend, the Count d'Estaing, who had won honors for France against the English in India be. fore his exploits in America, was likewise guillotined on the 28th of April following, his laat words before the tribunal being, "When you have cut off my head, send it to the English; they will give you high price for it.' Lafayette, our hero, lan- guished in a foreign prison, and there be- ing now nothing to detain me in this land of strangers, I returned with my two sons, Louis Lafayette and John Hancock, to my fathers house. nevermore, as trust, to go out from it again until such time as I go to rejoin my father in the country without war to which he has gone. Here. indeed, have I found many and sad changes, my aunt having also died, with divers of my old friends and companions. but here likewise have I found much peace and happiness. My two sons have l attained honOurahle estates the one as q