Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-08-08
THE DAUPHIN'S DEATH.
A Prose Poem From the French of
Alphonse Daudet.
Death Enters the Palace in the Same
GuiSe He Wears When He Visits
the HOvel-What Did Earthly
Hon0rs Count When Guards
Could not Keep Away the
Grim Conqueror.
The little dauphin is i'll; the little dauph-

The little dauphin is i'll; the little dauph
in is dying.
In all the churches in the kingdom tn,
holy sacrament remains exposed night anC
dav. and great tapers burn for the recOv
cry OF the royal child. The streets of tht
old capital are sad and silent. the bells
ring no more, the carriages slacken theil
pace and creep silently along as they neal
the house where the little dauphiR. be-
loved of all, lies dying.
In the neighbGrhood of the palace the
curious townspeople gaze through the
railing upon the bedside with gIideC
paunches, who walk up and down as they
converse in the courts and put on import,
| ant airs.
All the castle is in iutter.
Chamberlains and major-domos run w
and down the marble stairways. The gal
leries are full of pages and of courtiers IL
| Silken apparel, who hurry from one group
to another, begging in low tones for news
| Upon the wide parrons the maids of honor
in tears, exchange low courteSies and wipe
their ey5s with daintily-embroide hand
| kerchiefs.
A large assemblage OF robed physicians
Las gathered in the orangory They can
be seen through the panes. waving thei1
long black sleeves and including their
periwigs with professional gesture
The governor and the equerry of the
little daupkin walk up and down before
the door awaiting anxiously the decision
of the learned faculty.
Solutions pass by without sautling them,
seeming unaware of their presence. The
equerry swears like a pagan; the governor
| quotes verses from Horace.
And mean while over there, in the direc-
tion of the stables, is heard long and
plaintive neighing; it is the little dau-
phin's sorrel, forgotten by the hostlers,
and calling sadly before his empty man
| ger.
And the king? Where is his highness,
the king?.
The king has locked himself up in a
room at the other emf of the castle, that
he may mourn alone. Majesties, you
| know, do not like to be seen weeping
| For the queen it is different Sitting
by the bedside of the little dauphin, she
! bowed her face, bathed in tears and sobS
very loudly before everybody.
For seven nights she has sat at the sick
bed of the little dauphin. With her own
hands she has held the spoon of medi-
cine to his lips and given him the little
food-a 81 p of wine, and light cake or
a taste of fruit-all he could take. The
queen, stern and naughty, has become
| gentle and kind; the shadow of coming
death had transformed the stately queen
into the loving mother-the mother who
counts nothing in life great but the treas
urel she is to lose.
On the bed embroidered with lace, the
little dauphin, winter than the pillow on
| which he is extended, lies with closed eyes,
his face thin and worn
Thev Thin. that he is asleep but no
the little dauphln Is not asleep, he hears
all
He turns toward his mother, and seeing
her tears, put his hand carelessly in hers,
draws the jeweled hand of the queen to
his lips and kisses it reverenUly.
Madame la Refine why do you weep ?
Do you really believe that / am going to
die ~
The queen tries to answer.
Sobs prevent her from speaking.
DO not weep, Madame la Refine. You
forget that | am the dauphin, and that
dauphins cannot die thus Do not weep
So"
The queen sobs more violently, and
now the little dauphin begins to feel
frightened.
"Holloal'' says he, II do not want death
to come and take me away, and | know
how to prevent him from coming here.
Order up on the spot forty of the strongest
lansquenets to keep guard around our bed !
Have hundred big cannon watch day
and night, with lighted fuses, under our
windows! And woe to death if he dare
| come near u.s.!
In order to humor the royal child, the
| queen gives the required command. In
an instant the great cannon are heard
rolling in the courts. and forty tall lans-
quenets, with halberds in their fists, file
in through the open doorway, with all the
| pomp and dignity of royal review, and
draw up around the room.
They are all veterans, with grizzly mus
| taches.
The little dauphin claps his hands on
seeing them.
| He recognizes one and calls:
"Lorrain! Lorrain!"
The old veteran makes step toward the
| bed
Il love you well, my old Lorrain. Let
me see your big sword. If death wants tC
| fetch me. you will kill him before he car
! touch me, won't you?"
Lorrain answers: "Yes, monseigneur
And two great tears roll down his tan.
ned cheeks
There is restless little stir in the ranks
| of the tall lansquenets. as if they, harden
ed and roughened as they are. feel sadden
ed at the strange stiffness and sense of loss
| at the death-bed of the little dauphin.
At that moment the chaplain approaches
! the little dauphin, and pointing to the
crucifx at the side of the bed, talks to hin
in low tones.
The little dauphin listens with an astonish
ed air; then suddenly interupting him:
81 understand well what you are saying
Monsieur lAbbe; but still. couldn't my
little friend Beppo die In my place if CAV,
him plenty of money!
The chaplain continues to talk to him IL
low tones. and the little dauphin look
more and more surprised.
When the chaplain had finished, tn,
| little dauphin resumes. with a heavy sigh
What you have said is all very sad
Monsieur Able: but one thing console:
me, and that is up there, in the Paradls,
of the stars. shall still be the dauphin
! know that the good God is my cousin,
and cannot fail to treat me according t
my rank.
Then ne adds turning towards hi
! mother:
| 0"Bring me my faire.t clothes, my doub
let of white ermine and NV pumps of vel
vet | wish to look brave to the angel
and to enter paradise in glory and splen
dor. in the dress of a dauphiu' -
A third time the chaplain bends ovel
the little dauphin and talks to him in low
tones.
In the midst of his discourse the roya
child tosses restlessly. interrupts hin
angrily.
why. then. he cries. what is the US,
to me-to be dauphin Is nothing at alll''
And refusing to listen any more. tn,
little dauphin turns toward the wall anC
weeps bitterly.
DANCING FOR BRIGANDs.