Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-03-01
HIDING A MARCHIONESS.
A Tale of La Vendee in the French
Revolution.

clocks in the region about Nantes, but
had never seen one like this. 1t was in
closed in a case of walnut in which a
Cyclops might couch himself. Polyphe-
mus had an eye in the middle of his
forehead: the clock of Pero Franchcteau
had one in the middle of his stomach
an immense eye, round as the eye of an
on, in the depths of which could be seen
passing and repassing, like a gloomy
eyeball, the grecnish-gray disk of the
copper pendulum. The dial-plate was
enormous, and enwreathed with flaming
roses such as one sees upon old Stras-
burg pottery. The twelve Arabic fig
ures stood forth in blue upon white
enamel, and the monumental hands ter
minated in pierced ~trefoils resembling
the arrows of the wCather-cockS.
Weather-cocks they clearly were, also,
for they moved according to their humor,
sometimes slowly, sometimes at a gal
lop. Often they made a quarter of an
hour in five minutes, and then they
halted ten minutes to take breath.
When they had reached the top of the
dial there was an internal shaking, a
noise of unlocking chains followed by a
ding-dong enough to deafen ones ears.
$50 it," said Pere Francheteau, 'the
clock has again run off the track! 1t is
still the balls which it received into its
system during the war which turned its
head"
GLOW is that?" ask some ~gossipping
friends: lis your clock so old? Tell us
then the story here, Pere Francheteau."
The good man, who was as talkative
as a magpie of the Rue de Cordeliers. re-
quired no urging. And drawing from
his pocket an old blackencd pipe which
he slowly stuffed, he lighted it at the
flame of a bit of fagot and began thus:
! should say to you at first that Fran
coise this was the name which he gave
to his clock and | are of the same age.
My father made a present of it to my
mother the day of my baptism.
Then we were in '93. ] was eleven years
old. and | recollect it as if were yester-
day. People spoke only of Chouans and
sa~ns-culottes; the Chouans, above all,
were feared as the devil, with their
cries, their savage figures and their odd
accouterments. Almost all Ancenis had
removed to Nantes to avoid the Ven.
dean acquisitions. They had no more
bread nor meat: the mobiles monopolized
the grains and hid them in the forest o.
Maumesson; in short, the people would
die of hunger. My mother wished me tc
quit the city, but my father, who was q
patriot, would not.
One morning in December the arriva
of the Chouans was announced. has
tened to the door to see them come, and
saw them climbing the Pontereau, howl
ing like devils, men and women, pell
nell, all in rags, b~arefooted, with black
cned faces and hair floating upon thu
shoulders. True brigands. In my fea
! re-entered the house and bolted thu
door. My mother very much wished t.
open to them, for she took their part
but my father would not hear to it, an,
when he had said: Keep quiet abou
thy Chouans!' he had said all. NJ
mother lowered her head and said not
word. In the meantime the Chouan
might be heard detiling under our wiz
dows, crying in the patoiso of the Bocagt
''To the Loire Some carried plank'
ioists and casks, and others rolled boat
upon cannon carriages, This was t
pass over into Nendee.
All at once a young woman with tn
head of a Warehouses knocked at OF
door. Mamma, protiting by the distra'
ton Of my father, opened to her.
''Save my life, my good woman" sal
she to my mother; the blues are in III
CITY massacring the Vendeans.'
BY my faith it was true. The stree
were full of soldiers afoot and on hors
back. sabering and shooting all who fe
within reach.
''None of the brigands for me- sa
my father to the lady; Il have no wis
to have my jaw broken for you. Lea
here, quickly"
NV mother interfered, supplicate
wept, and ended by disarming my fathC
''Where shall we hide this unhapI
one? We have only one chamber belC
and an empty attic"
Whilemy father sought, the Marchio
ess-for she was that-said to him as S
extended a bundle of papers:
SIT is not my life which 1t Is so i
portant to save; it is these papers"
1t appears that she held them for
Rochejacquelein, who hadconfided thu
to her while passing the Loire.
My mother took them from her har
without saying any thing and hid thu
under the bolster of the bed. There v
only time for this. At the same momt
was heard the dull thud of a gun b
upon the slate-stone at the door.
'Open, citizens.' they cried.
1t was the blues, who searched
houses to make sure that no brigal
were hidden in them. My father, ft
ing the danger to the lady, as to us
well, on her account, opened the case
the clock and closed itquickly upon |
saying: 'Do not STIR" Then he RAJ
the door, but as 1t was not opened at
first summons, the soldiers burst it
at the same time discharging Il
guns. 1t seems strange to me still I
no one was struck, probably the bl
fred in the air, but it was the clock I
received all the discharge in the d
plate. Look; you may yet see the he
Think you what were the emotions
by the Marchioness! The clock stoT
short and has never gone properly 81
However, my father did not lose
presence Of mind. At the sight Of
soldiers who ran about the house
took down his hat, ornamented wi
tri-colored cockadc. and swinging 1t a
he cried, "yive la republique!n
TOO late, citizen" said an of
"why did you not open TO us? Wit
doubt thou hidest some brigand."
nv father looked him in the eyes
proudly crossing his armsrcplied; ~
tnsset ~ Tor anothcri"
xtis ~svsgRsylns hearing produce