The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-06
MARGARET OF ANJOU.
BY MES LYDIA SIRAWN.

ing parties. W CARED 10 Inc neSTJ WIN the
cesseless strife that had So cmbit.sred her life
and distracted the nation, shrinking from q
dreary future sweet as the touch of an angels
hand came the thought To her soul that these
dlscordant elements might be harDnonized,
these wounds healed With a woman's ready
wit she began to plan Tor that object; with
womans treless energy TO work forts accom-
plishment In part she was successful. The
great leaders assembled in London, each at the
head of his band Of retalners, each like lsh-
mael with his hand against every mans, and
every man 3 hand against him They spent
two entire months in hot debate and almost
endless wrangings, and the end Of 1t all was
an agreement This article was buried he.
meath legal forms and bristlea with penalties
destined to fall upon the head of the unfortu
nate who should violate It's terms, but in plain
English it meant that the contracting parties
soIemnly bound themselves to keep the public
peace, which they did for little less than
year. To seal the compact and celebrate the
suspicious event, both parties joined IN rejoic-
ing festivities. Never did the venerable streets
of London echo to tie tread Of a more strange
and mournfully memorable procession. The
king walked alone at lts head, behind him fol.
lowed the queen and the Duke of York, her
proud head bent in grave Difference as she gent
ly listened to the words he addressed to her ;
after these two, in pairs hand in hand, those
who had been the most deadly foes And so,
TO the sound Of thrilling music, and under the
banners that had waved over 80 many fields of
conilict--the white rose OF ork blending IN
exquisite contrast with the crimson rose OF
Lancaster-the actors In this drama OF real
| life swept by.
Scarcely more than a year had fed from the
memorable day IN which Margaret and Rich
| TIL nIo bupHo nd o. lin fappc N "A
ed down the streets of London, the central fig.
ures III the great procession of reconciliation,
! before the treachcrOus calm al the -bOrtlived
peace WAS again broken by the Ominous
sounds OF hattlc.
| On the field of Blore Heath the armies Of
! York and Lancaster once more struggled des-
perateIy for The English crown
Parted from the husband over whose couch
| of dams erOus illness the eXlgencies of the bat.
| tie hour would not permit the warrior-wiie to
watch, Margaret sought the tower OF the church
at Maccleson, and from the stiffness OF that
sacred spot followed with fearful anxiety the
| fortunes Of the banner OF Lancaster as IT rose
| or fell in the conflict.
Who shall tell what years ol agony pressed
their overlooking measure into those hours
when the fate OF Kingdom hung in the bal
ances
|
banner fall, saw her ranks waver, then break
IN dismay, and she felt that all was lost.
| Too kecnly did she realize that the lips
which had SO sterny commanded the general
of her forces, Lord Audley, u bring the York
ist general Lord Salisbury to her dead or alive
could never ask for the mercy which they had
ldenied to linger one moment even IN the sane
fury of sacred walls.
With her husband and child she fled TO the
safe refuge of Il friendly stronghold, not how
ever, to sink into detection but to teach the
world what will and love together can do.
She gathered new army, subjected ii TO Il
most thorough drill, infused 1t from the high
est officer to the lowest private with her own
uncomfortable spirit.
The result was, that before the dew and rain
had laid the first soft touches of their etfacing
fingers upon the tramped field Of Blore-H Heath,
the feminine generalissimo of the Lancasterian
forces had sent the Duke of York flying in
headlong haste over the Eaglish border into
he Emerald Isle, and had presented cogent
reasons to the Earl of Warwick tor q hurried
voyage across the straits OF Dover into the
Stronghold OF Calais.
Nevertheless, Margaret's star OF success
flashed but flfIlly in the zenith She had
scarcely seated herself upon her uneasy throne
before the Earl of Warwick returned with fly.
ing banners at the head of great army. Every.
where the lnconstant populace,-
Fixed to no principle
Fast 10 no friend
opened their cat $ 10 welcome his coming
with rejoicing.
Mar sarct advanced TO meet HIN, but rashly
entrusted the command of her army 10 other
hands, She was signallv defeated, and In her
disastrous and hurried flight suffered as only
such IL heart as hers could suffer from the par.
alizing thought that her unfortunate husband
had a second time fallen into the hands of the
enemy. Had Margaret trusted in anything
save Heaven and the Justice of her cause, even
her courageous heart must have sunk before
the dreary prospect, for her husband had been
!recaptured, the army which had followed her
Triumphant progress toward the capital had
melted away like the morning mist and her
craven lords forgetting their solemn oath had
fed, leaving their licge lady to her fate. OF
all the moths which had tluttered around the
dazzling light of the throne, only eight faith.
| full friends followed the hunted fugitive IN her
hurried solitary flight from the disa trous
field of Northampton.
| Margarets sky was shrouded IN deepest
night not a single star cleaned from the
gloom. When the mighty angel of love touch.
es with transforming fingers the shrinking
heart and quiverlng nerves of woman, they
grow strong 10 meet all forms Of disaster, 10
suffer deadiy agoay and conquer. The strength.
ening bencdiction ofthis angels presence came
to Margaret every time that she looked into
the depths of her darlings eyes, every time
that fancy waited TO her Heniy's feeble tones
family imploring her To come 10 lis rescue. 1t
walked with her over the rugged mountain
paths and through the intricate winnings OF
the valley; it enabled her to bear with calm
composure the indignity Offered to her person
when the rude hands of outlaws tore her gems
from her. for It whispered that her heart jewels
still remained to her.
Richard had secured the person of his SOW.
ereign. Moreover he was fully conscious OF
the fact that, having separated Henry from
his abest counselor, his finer, firmerbrain, his
grand, more heroic self in Margarei's person,
the King was rs potter's clay in his hands. lie
WAS content that the deluded monarch should
! wear the sembancc of n crown while his hand