Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-01-30
Eseape Of Fontane.

During the siege of Lyons, France, IN
he first revolution, the poet Fontane
had been shut up with his family in the
midst of the city in ruins. Full of alarm
for the safety Of his young wife and in
fant, he resolved, at all risk, to escape il
he could.
Having obtained passport, a difficult
ty arose as to how he could carry away
some plate and other valuable articles.
then considered quito anti-republican
Among these was a chalice, a. present
from a sovereign, on which an able 4, tist
had engraved the arms of the King of
Sardinia. Fontane greatly dreaded lest
the chalice should be discovered as be-
ing a vessel used in the service of the
church, and bearing the arms of a king.
it would be as q threefold proof of ariS-
tocracy. However, he decided on taking
it, and fastened to the house of a friend
Vho had been a nursery gardener.
The poet then laid aside all his feudal
ornaments, and set about exchanging
his clothes to give him another appear
ance.
Having dressed himself in wide PAN
falcons, and shoes that stuck full of hard
nails, his hair cropped, and every grain
Ol pOMu6E IGLuObCuJ 4O GAllGIECQ lIOllA
the gardeners house in the character OF
d laundress porter, with heavy basket
of clothes on his shoulder-the plate
and chalice. caaffully packed under the
linen. His young family followed a few
PAGES behind him with the passport. but
they had to pass close to the terrible in
strument of death; for there it stood,
always ready for use. Fontane shud-
dered. His wife turned pale. To them
their situation was awful! But reason
and necessity urged them on. Fontane
resolved to act a decided part. He
walked up in front of the guillotine,
grasping The basket firmly with his
hand, and, loosening the leather straps
as if to ease himself he looked steadily
at the scaaold.
A man of rufRanly appearance, who
attended as if he were guard of the
guillotine, came up to him.
"Are you afraid ?" said he to Fontane,
"that you look in this way at the nation
al razor%
Afraid p said Fontane; what do you
take me for Federalist' that I should
be frightened at the sight of guillotinei
Look at me; DO you see anything like
an aristocrat in my faceT
"What are you p cried a second inter-
rogator, addressing Fontane.
IS am q bleacher and scourer."
eAnd this good womanG'
what question: p said FOntane.
Look at the little one-don't you see
the likeness? Long live the republicp p
".Ah that's right p said the mIscreant;
ssyou're. q good onel Down with the
Huscadins and aristocrats Long live
the RepqbIicl and the guillOtine for
eYerP,, I '''
Fontane could not join in this san,
culinary cry. He saw his wife tremDIe,
and shook her hand,
"Gome, wife" said, he '1ets have
"Ay, and dance, too" said the bar
harlan who had first spoken: so down
with your basket my iovial felloWP
'But IL"
''Nonsensel nobody will run away
with your basket; down with it, l say
Why, what is the matterP Is it glued
to your neckP
Fontane objected, and resisted for a
while, but was soon obliged to submit
and, wiping the cold perspiration from
his forehead, in a state more dead than
alive, was relieved from the burden of
his basket. He saw it placed on q heap
of stones, and feared everything would
be turned topsy-thtvyt Oh! the fatal
cF1alicep Ali hope of safety was gone;
he was ON the point of delivering him
self up, and claiming compassion for his
wife and child, in the hope that they
would be allowed to pass, when, happily,
he reused himself, elapped his hands,
and assumed q ioyfll attitude.
Halo my friend" cried one of the
fellows, you're wonderfully merry all
at oncei"
"a thought has struck me-" said Fon
tans; "a bold idea. You see my pouI
wife? Iknow the Carmagnole always
raises her. Come, my good fellows, let
US dance it."
His wife gazed at him with look of
despair, rs he snatched the child from
her arms. --.- -'.''
What howl Don't make wry lace,
vile p said he, Excuse her; she's
young and timid. Come, let us put the
little one on the basket-there he lies,
on the top of the linen, and sleeps
soundly. Wife, your hand. Now the
ring-the RI Cfublican ring. Come,
friends, join hands for the ring-the pat
riotic dancer
Madame FonJane now oomprenended
what her husband meant. She tripped
lightly around the ring, and joined in
the chorus of the Carmagnole. When
the dance was over, she took Vp her
child; Fontaae was assisted IN replacing
bis basket on his shoulder. He made his
wife lead the way. and walked off after
her, whispering the Chant du Depart
And so they escaped.