River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-01
A WOMAN'S LOVE.


dying man had been carried into the
camp of Ecouen. The surgeon had al
once carefully examined the fatal wound
had fastened bandage upon it, and had
then passed on to the next bed of anguish
where another moaning and grooming
patient awaited him. | followed the
doctor, and was about to go farther with
him, when the glance of a wounded Off
Ger arrested me- The man had not q
drop of blood left in his face, and his
pale forehead was already beaded with
the cold perspiration of death. The
wide-open, glowing dark eyes were i'm
movably fixed upon me, imploring the
fulfllment of his payer. 1 approached
and sat down beside him. He followed
my every movement with painfulhttention
Nearer, please" he said in low voice
cannot speak loud"
| drew close to him.
"You speak Frenchl'
| answered affirmatively.
"My name is Jacques Fromentin," he
continued. "My faHcee is called Jeanne
de Yillers."
He gave me ler address.
Please write this name for me-
| drew out pocket-book, and made a
note of his directions.
4" Let me see.n
| held the book before his eyes and he
read attentively what had written.
"That is right" said he.
Then he was silent, as if he were trying
to collect his thoughts. He averted his
glance from me, and turned it toward the
window; his glowing eyes became moist,
he closed them for several seconds, then
looked once more toward me, and spoke
with feverish haste, as though he feared
that he would not have time to finish
what he still wanted to say:
Hearken to the prayer of a dying
man. Go see my .faRc6e as soon as cir
cumstances permit; tell her l have died
in the performance of my duty; tell her
that my last thought was for her, and only
for her; bless the hour when saw her;
l bless the hour when she promised me
her love; | bless the hour i'll which first
loved her, and LOVING her die. Take her
this ring, and this key of casket which
she knows we'll. 1t contains in sealed
package, directed to her, her letters to
me; then bring her to the place where l
shall be buried And now, thanks; you
promise that you will grant my prayerl''
/ promised sOlemnly, and withdrew
with heavy heart. At the door l turn
ed once more, and met the last glance of
the dying man. / nodded assent, and the
large eyes closed in eternal rest.
The next day the body of Jacques
Fromentin was laid in the venerable shad-
owy park of the Constable Anne de Mont
morency, in Ecouen. On the spot where
he was buried | had a wooden cross cree
ted, inscribed with his name.
Paris would not surrender, and the
work of the bombardment and storming
of the city slowly progressed. Days
weeks, months flew by, went frequently
to Ecouen, and visited regularly Jacques
Fromentin's grave. Ihad had it surround
ed with low, simple paling, and some
soul, probably one of the compassionate
sisters who had undertaken the care OF
the sick in Ecouen, had wreathed the cross
with flowers.
/ thought often ofthe dead soldier, and
I thought of him as of some one had been
near TO me. l saw him before me, his
beautiful pale face TRANSPORTED by death
and love, and l pictured to myself the
grief of the bride he had left behind.
She must have long since received the
news of his death, and consequently was
spared the most difficult part of my mis-
sion. | saw her in my minds eye in deep
afiliction. She must be very beautiful to
have inspired such a love as Jacques
Fromentin experienced for he. He had
said nothing to me about her family, but
Jeanne de Villers was a distinguished
name, and her residence was in an aristo-
cratic quarter of Paris. My fancy work
ed diligently, and l even surprised my
self once in the thought that | might fall
in love with Jeanne myself,
The capitulation of Paris was at last
decreed, but peace was still to be signed,
and the CITY remained closed to strangers
| was obliged TO 20 to Germany. When
| returned to France, Paris was in the
hands of the commune and was invested
and besieged by the Versailles govern
ment. On the heights of Montmorency,
from which / had an opportunity of OBJ
serving the destruction of the capital OF
civilization by the advocates of liberty,
".
ponents, the advocates of justice, order,
and law, / could overlook that part of the
town in which Jeanne de Villers lived. i
was glad to see that it remained unhurt
by the fire-balls, the petroleum bombs,
the incendiarism, and similar material
manifestations ofthe genius of the Grdndt
Nation. And now the conflict was over
Justice and order-thanks 10 the Chas-
sepot and the mitrailleuse-had re-
deemed from the reign OF terror and
equality the city burned to ashes by
liberty and fraternity.
Liberty and fraternity had made ter
rible atonement. Justice and order had
done merciless work. The most beautiful
monuments of the Mecca of civilization
were burned down by the men of prog.
ress. For this the advocates of the law
had summarily shot down everything that
stood in their path, everything that might
stand in their path, or that could in any
way afford ground for mistrust and sus-
picion. The streets were covered with
mangled bodies of men, women and chill
dren, and the spokesman of public opinion
in France, after having lamented and be-
moaned themselves in the first issue OF
their journals, had not failed in the sec
Ond issue to call the worlds attention to
the fact that the French army, in conse-
quence of the victory it had achieved, had
once more .einstated France in her propei
seat of power in the van of civilization
Everything was again in exemplary order
/ ayailed myself of this favorable moment
of rare tranquility to execute at last the
commission entrusted to me so many
months before / had no difficulty in
finding the house that had been indicated
1t was a beautiful spacious cdifice. The
porter who stuck his head from the con-
cierge box, had dignifed, sedate APP
pearance.
Does Mademoiselle deVillers live hereg
/ asked.
aMademoiselles answered he,