Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-11-29

'tuiillLinS tuo )itltllcES 3 arD IN having so
caught the expression you
wonder what grief could have saddencd
so fair and young a creature, seemingly
possessed Of all that beauty and wealth
could give her. Until l heard the story,
| used to amuse myself by inventing all
manner of probable and improbable thco-
ries to account for the cause which has so
perceptibly saddened the sweet face. And
as heard the story from my grandmoth-
er, the Louise of the narrative, so 1 tell
it hero to you.
In May, 1890, the year whose days arc
numbered in blood on the calendar of
France, there was born in Paris, to Rene
Leon, Count dc Sevignac, and to Melanie
his wife, ono of the ladies attached to the
household of the unfortunate Austrian
princess, their third daughter. Scarcely
were the haptismal ceremonies over when
the little Marie Irma Antoinettc was con-
vcyed, by her foster-motler, Jeanne Lab
ord, to her cottage, some distance from
Paris, to be nourished and tended until
she should have reached Il suitable age to
be placed in the the convent at Pans,
where her elder sisters then were. AS
the mother pressed her lovely babe for
the last time IN her arms, what wonder
that Il presentiinent of coming SORROWS
filed her heart, and she bade Mere jean
nc again and again to devote herself sole
~ to the little Irlna.
The remainder of the memorable year
f,, bn Of
arcly that daily transpired throughout
the city Of Paris. At length the fatal 9th
Of October arrived; the preceding day at
Versailles had been ones of sickening an
ticipatation and terror. Madame dc Sc
vignac, separated from her children and
Kings body-guard, could not leave his
post to sympathize with and allay the
fears of his terrified wife), felt thankful
that one at least of her little family WAS
safe from the dangers that Threatened
Paris and Versailles, her little Irnla, who
with her nurse was still in the country,
the safest place, her parents thought.
Finally seeing that the inevitable end
had come, NJ. de Sevignac made haste and
secret preparations to embark his family
for some safe ASYLUM. Under the cprotcc-
| ton of lis wife's brother, they were to
! proceed to tho nearest seaport, and from
thence, if vessel could be found, sail
for :. West Indian estate which belonged
| to Madame.
| Preparatory to the departure, the chill
,lren were to be summoned from theil
| scver.,! !lomes-the elder ones from the
convent, and the babe from her foster
moth rs care. AmessenScr was dispatch
ed to Jeanne Labords 1or the infant, but
soon returned without the child, and with
the dircful intelligence that the village III
| which Jeanne lived was 4 theater OF tur-
muii and tur5uIancc. Already was seen
arising the cloud that was to darhen the
whole land Of France. Aud that Jeanne
and her charge had disappeared two day
before, and her whereabouts could not be
traced. Tie despair of the poor mother
can be imagined. They dared not wait
for the missing babe, and speedily pro
curing lisguiscs tor her elder daughters
the Countess sent to the convent for them
|
tunes, the trembling children, under tho
Guidance of !, faithful domestic, set on
for their uncle's home, where in fear ant
anxiety their mother awaited them. POOR
innocent children! they We're pot to ac
complish the short journey without ell
countering u scene of horror, which 1o'eN
cr was engraved indclbly upon thcl
memories.
As IS we'll known, the poisSdrdes an'
rabble Of Paris made an assault upon til
palace of Versailles. N. de ScvlSnac
who, by the Kings permission, had con
vcyed his wife to Paris was returning t
his post at Versailles, when he was me
ny o part of the mob, on their way hnc
to the city. His uniform betrayed him
with cries Of A baS FariStocral! they sclZ
ed the unfortunate officer, ere he coni'
defend himself, stripped HIM of his uni
form, and sl:,shad him with swords an'
axes What need to rrolong the horri
hle recital a? In few minutes, he, VIII
a short time before had been so full G
gallant life and hope, was a disiignre
mass Of bloody flesh. One of the mo
hacking off tho head, elevated it on
nike, aud with brutal gihes, ans! blasphc
nous oaths and songs the riotous proceS
sion proceeded on its way.
1t was at this time that the poor llttl
girls were fcarluIly seeking tn cir mo tn G
As they tn: ned to enter one of the larS
thorough-tares, their steps were arrestc'
by the song Of
"Ah! ca ira. ca ira, ca ira
Les a1istograts IL Ii lantcrne"
shouted in steutorian tones by the mo
With childlikc curiosity they turned t
gaze upon the procession. what wa
| 4ln;r l,n,rn,. to 500 thcir fathcrfS hcNu o,