The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-04-06

guard, under pretence of giving them
protection, but in reality to keep them
prisoners. 1t was in vain that the queen
urged her husband to use active meas
urcs for quelling the insurrection; in
vain she urged him to use his authority,
or else flee to the frontiers.
He could bravely endure, but he
seemed incapable of prompt action.
Besides, he believed that he could satisfy
the people by repeatedly yielding to
tried to extinguish raging flames by
pouring on them oil. Finding that she
could not induce her husband to use act
i've measures, Marie Antoinette bore her
trials with calm fortitude and unwaver-
ing cheerfulness, teaching her children,
or employing herself with embroidery.
Plans were formed by their friends for
their escape, but they were discovered
and the originators put to death, or the
slow king suffered them to 60 by unim-
proved, as if his mind was too obtusc to
enable him to quickly comprehend them.
1t is certainly not easy to understand
the passivene-s of his nature. But even
he, when the National Assembly de-
nOunced their sOvereigns as traitors to
their country, falsely accusing them of
melting rally of the allied powers to
put down the rebellion, was at last
moved to flight.
They disguised themselves and escaped
from their rooms June Goth, 1871, at II
o'clock in the evening. They were driv-
en- the remainder of that night and the
next day in carriages with relays of
horses. They arrived in the evening at
Varennes, one hundred and eighty miles
from Paris. They had been discovered
before reaching that place, and intelli-
gence of their approach sent in advance.
In vain the king appealed to the people;
the royal family were arrested, and were
obliged to return the next day.
The queen spent that night preceding
their return in the Mayors house. 1t
was night of intense anguish. She
had so lately dreamed of freedom, and
now to go back to captivity more hope
less than ever! Terrible and startingly
distinct were the fearful apprehensions
that came before her; not for herself, but
for those who were dearer to her than life
her husband and children. What
long night of unutterable agony it was
|
aud the moments seemed to stand still.
A preternatural wakefulness strained
wide open her eyes, her brain was dizzy
with pain, her heart throbbed loud and
irregularly. She dreaded the gloomy
horrors that her vivid imagination fash
Toned with such alarming distinctness.
Slowly crept away that eternity of woe.
The daylight fell TREMENDOUSLY on her
haggard features, on her dishevelled hair.
Mechanically she raised the heavy mass
from her shoulders, mechanically looked
at it. Pale, phantom fingers had been at
work with the abundant tresses that were
yesterday beautiful brown, and had
hanched them to snowy whiteness.
The return to Paris, followed by the
mob, was like their former journey to
Versailles, only the distance was so much
farther, their hOpelessness so much
greater, and their consequent exhaustion
and WEAKNESS so much more felt.
Again they were prisoners in the pal
ace. The king for days was mute with
despair. The queen knelt before him
and begged that they might at least per-
ish like sovereigns, and not be put to death
INCREASINGLY; but it was not until the
next year, when the mob broke into the
palace, irritated at his refusal to author
ize prosecution of the priests, that he
aroused himself and bravely faced the
brutal ruffians. After the royal family
had endured countless insults, the mob,
in August, 1892. demanded the dethrone-
ment of the king.
Mob violence was now law. The king
was dethroned, and imprisoned with his
family in the monastery of the Feuil-
lants. Afterwards they were put in
dark fortress called the Temple. France
blood flowed freely in the streets, and
only dungeon walls kept the Infatuated
mob from numbering the royal family |
outright. In their gloomy prison, one
by one, their comforts we're taken from
them. Finally the king was executed
Then they removed her son from the |
queen. She resisted this cruelty with |
the fury of wounded lioness. After
wards, when they took away her daugh-
ter, she displayed the calmness Of
despair.
She herself was at last sentenced to be |
guilotined ON the 14th of October, 1893 |
She bore her fate like the brave, proud,
noble queen that she was. She stood |
calmly, with lofty and digniied mien,
before the tribunal, amid noisy and jubi-
liant crowds, heard the false charges |
against Der without deigning to answer
word in her defence, and received her
sentence with the same cold and august
indifference. She slept soundly before
her execution. After she was awakened