The Worthington advance., 1876-07-06
woRrHNGroN MOBILES co. MINNESOTA 1876
that of Carlyle, tho most solid, tie, lie
best reasoned, andZmost terribly con.

that of Carlyle, xthl most solid. the E,
best reasoned, and.most terribly con.
elusive ever written Critics are un.
just when they accuse AIichelet of hay.
ing systematically ytorked Il political
and religious demolnl nlization. He was
impressionable, hi3hly s. imaginative,
and violent in his conclusions of the
moment. He had lked Charles y. ;: all
the royal family Wffe sympathetic to
him, and yet hS;turnediH.to each
ers believe, and trying to believe him.
self, that had never respected what
had gone before. Intl83O Michelet ap.
planded the revolutio on<Which resulted
in placing Louisi Philippe on, the throne
and in 1881 after a years reflection,
he approved accomplished fact in lis
''Introduction Historic Uniyer-
selle, - saying they were the "cournne-
ment natural de Phistorie de France. -
1t was during the time that Edgard
Quinet taught history and literature in
the French colleges, and Michelet NOR.
al sciences, that they united (abusing
every means in their power) to crush
the Jesuits and everything appertain-
ing to their religion and order. They
pushed this so far that both church
and state were obliged to intefere, not
in time, however, to prevent riot
and manifestation on the part of the
students, who made an ovation to their
dethroned professors and, being join.
ed by the idle, tuboulent, and facti0us
mob, ever ready for revolt, and self.
designated ''clerks of free-thinkers, -
''soldiers of free religion ''pries.
eaters,' &C., they organized an anti
religious party, which, guided by
Michelet and Quinet, became the first
cause of Louis Philippe's overthrow.
Michelet's second marriage was a
romantic and happy one. His wife,
much younger than himself, was an
excellent mother to his children,
showing impartial affection to them
and to their own. They were not
rich, and-certainly in the higher and
better feelings-they had both gore
sadly astray, but their domestic life
was rs calm and peaceful as his politi-
cal and literary life was agitated. He
was good friend and a bitter enemy.
Sometimes the two changed places in
an inexplicable manner, as suddenly,
indeed, as his political theories.
For instance, he disliked George
Sand she smoked, and he did not he
hated her novels, and criticised them
severely. After the war she wrote a
book which acted like magic on her
prosecutor. "Voila de Ia vrai his
torie - he exclaimed, and henceforth
they were good friends.
| But to return to Michelet's comedy
of impiety. When he assisted at a
funeral which attracted the attention
of the crowd he always drew aside on
approaching the church, showing by
his ostentatious irreverence that he,
at least, was true to his anti-religious
ideas. Out of Paris all this mummery
disappeared, as the following pretty
anecdote will abundantly prove.
1t was during his stay in i retired
watering-place on the Brittany coast
that Michelet one day met man who,
as he walked sadly along made the
sign Of the cross. Thinking he recog.
nized a guardian of the lighthouse,
Michelet stopped, and asked the cause
OF his sorrow. l have been unjustly
dismissed replied the man, ''and |
was praying God to send me help; for
my wife and children have no other
resource.
After some further conversation,
feeling convinced of the mans hon
esty, Michelet promised to use his in
f1uence in his favor, assuring him of
probable successes. "Oh, monsieus -
exclaimed the grateful man, "God has
indeed heard my prayers. Would
monsieur 90 with me into 'sthe church
and offer up one of gratitude g "Cer-
tainly,' replied Michelet,-and those
who know the story say that on that
day. and on many succeeding, the har.
dened froe.thinker offered up as earn.
est prayers as the simple and pious
lighthouse guardian for whom he had
done SO good an action. But this
could not last; he had thrown him.
self into the vortex of ideas without
souls, and he dared not listen to the
inner voice which told him he was
wrong.
By his second marriage Michelet
had but one child, boy, who was
taken from them at an early age, and
when his wife expressed wish to
have him baptized, it was he who
went in search of the priest. His
most precious souvenirs were bible
and a prayer.book, together with the
aforementioned "Invitation'' that
had once belonged to his mother.
| That mother had been buried by
her husband, on hired ground, and
when Michelet came to years of reason
he searched in vain for the spot where
he might know the mother who had
borne him lay. Throughout his life
he showed respect to the resting-place
of others, and yet he died refusing to
receive the last consultations of relig
ion, or to allow prayer to be sal
above his tomb!
| his last moments were occupied in
sad reflections upon the political state
of France, and his last words were a
strange contradiction to his latter life.
Those around him thought never more
to hear his voice, when suddenly he
opened his eyes and said distinctly
"They should have fed Henry V.
with lions marrow
Nine. Michelet, after a moment's 8
silence, asked him-why!
because he would have had a war.
rior's temperament"
Many different interpretations have
been given to these words, but we
must not overrate their value. Mich
elet was, above all, a historian, and,
independent of his personal sympa.
thies, it is natural that his mind, dwell.