The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-04-23
selfef Stary
THE CAVERN.

serted quarry. ;. There they drew away
heaps of furze and brushwood, and
crept into a hole in the rock which led
to narrow passage, expanding at length
into lofty cavern, which communica-
ted with another, still larger. s
They deposited their loads and return
ed, closing the entrance carefully to the
chateau. Thus they labored most of
the nights in the darkest time of the
French Revolution, when no ones life
was safe from day to day, and when
bands of men roamed about the coun1
try, burning farms and the houses Of
the, gentry, dragging to prison all whom
they had any cause to hate. excepting
such as met with speedy death at their
hands. ,s 9 - ~ e
The servants had been dismissed from
the chateau except Marie and Andre,
the faithful gardener. Stores Of useful
ready for an evilday, had long been
collected there; and the count hoped to
conceal his pfamily in the cavern till bet
ter days should dawn on unhappy
France. >4shTod z ft.V A5fgisa Ha s,f
lose no timep' cried he, one night
to his wife. The farm on the hill is in
flames. Our turn will be next" /.
Rosanne and Claude, the two little
daughters OF tie St. Valerys, were rous.
ed from their beds, and Marie led them
through the dark night toward the wood.
"Come!" said the countess to her bus.
band.95 waF ieae iGiagi ,is gem B
81 will follow you in a few moments =
replied he. ~ must leave all as II the
chateau had been long deserted"
Z II will not leave you'll said she; 1--WE
must come together" u '3a !, 1t
Her husband insisted, and she hurried
after her children ~ Bite fa :
The count tried to give deserted air
to the one or two rooms lately occupied.
To his great horror a flash OF light
streamed in through the chinks of q
closed window shutter He extinguish-
ed his own light. Then through a mar
row passage window he discerned men
with torches climbing the lofty wall OF
the courtyard ~ @
He made his way to the postern-gate,
by which he should have departed 10
q few minutes. He heard voices of men
without. aa qi eai 3 sasl sa4sa -
All egress was thus cut OF. All he
could do was to get out of a window,
which was closed behind him, into q
bower-garden, and there to conceal him
self in q large clump of laurels ADD
Ehododendrons.
Il Sa"No one is in the castle!" shouted
voices, after while. "The rats have
escaped let US set fire to the rat hole =
So the wretches set fire to the hang.
ings In the different rooms and to the
stair.cases, and flames soon issued from
the window and lighted up the little
flower. garden. -
1--WE will see il the rats have really
escaped. Now 1 will. tell you why
brought this dog from Chateau Penthil
in Poitou St. Valery is on his collar
He belonged to the owner Of this house
who probably gave him to Citizen Pen
thil. He will find out any rats who may
be conceded near the chateau" said the
leader of the gang. W., ~ D
Little Charmettee, Rosanne's dog, who
had been brought to- bis. former home
was let loose. He soon found out his
old master, who was dragged from bis
hiding place and carried of to the pris
on at Nantes fQBo7D.3, 2 70 .iaalgsl
;aA4countrywoman with d basket ol
eggs and chickens often came to the
prison to sell such things to those of its
inmates who could afford to buy them
u She gave little presents oflfarm pro.
duce to the sentinels at the gate of tht
chief entrance dJB aGa .sliaa QitA 10
One day woman answering her de
scription was seen wandering about th,
corridors. She had lost her way in go
ing from the room Of some prisoners
who had money, to another; A turn
key recognized her as the usual visitan
to, the prison, permitted to sell things te
the scaptives within, and he unlocked q
postern and let her, out into the street
But woman in dress exactly liks
hers had long befure this gone down ths
great staircase, having sold her eggs
and chickens and received in return 3
fair sum Of money from her customers
in the prison. Z E ~, = y.
The first countrywoman was Madame
St, Valery. The second was not a wo
man at all, but the Count 81. Valery
who had been supplied with the femal,
dress by his wife, who had worn 1t owe
her. -. - -, -. : =
BY different routes they found thei
way to the cavern, where the two chill
dren received them with the widest de
light, and where they lived for q length
Of time in safety with the two faithful
servants. 1t was Andre, the old gar
dener, who had found out that his mas
ter was imprisoned at Nantes, and b
was thus the indirect means of his es
cape sa.'a 2iios ti'iS p5s.'5 $50 ,jEaia
In the meantime, little aCharmette
whose loving instinct had betrayed him
was quite a celebrated dog among th
sdns-culotes, and his pretty name wa
changed to that of the aKatcatcher."-
He was given to q revolutionary leader
who afterward became one Of the mos
eminent Girondists, a party who over
threw the most atrocfous Of the revolu
tionists, and who were more moderat
in their actions, so that many of tn
gentry who had emigrated returned 70
time tosFrance. q sE
This leader, whom we shall call lie
fevre, was very fond Of the Ratcatcher
Fan6 took him with him everywhere. s,
that when he went into Brittany to pu
stop to- the butcheries and crueltie
which had been perpetrated in that prov
ince, the little dog was in the carriag
with him. When they came to the black
ened ruins of tho Chateau St. Valery
| the excitement of the Ratcatcher knew
no bounds. It was remarked to Gtizel
Lefevre, and he at once remembered th,
history of the dog and Of the captur.
of the count Now he himself had beef
a noble, and a friend of the count
though he had feared to ackno wledg,
any of his old friendships. So he lef
his carriage at place near, and entereG
"a