San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-13
SINGLE SATURDAYS.
Written for the LIGHT.

"ifuUcu lOi tuc
BY REBA GREGORY PRELATE.
"Tell me something about the dynasty
of Capet, which is not in this poky his
tory" cries a sweet little girl with tired
face.
She has red text book in her hand and
looks down with disapproval at its cor
rect rehearsal OF dry facts.
'"There are many interesting things in
French history" we respond and send
back our mind into the Gallo volumes
which have left deep impression.
Then under the lamp light with only a
child's great eyes for audience, and the
clock softly ticking on the mantle for &C.
compartment, the Great CapetS once
more play their roles for us.
The dynasty of Cbarlemagne, like
that of Clovis trailed off into un.
wOrthiness and obscurity.
The Office OF "Msyor of the Palace"
was, In certain degree reproduced
in the Importance held by the Dukes
of France. Hugh Capet, the greatest
of these, finally grasped the crown
and founded what is known in his.
tory as the Capetian family.
Louis the Fat Is the next celebrated
name upOu the list, and the record of
his youth and childhood form
q most pathetic picture. His
father was the vlllainOus Philip l.,
who condemned his queen and her
little ones to perpetual exile in q
gloomy castle. The young Louis as /.
ISOLATED with the surrounding peas.
antry aud learned to know the life of
tho nnnraP n1o af Erafh bad
This has been the case with almost
all popular leaders; theory alone has
never sufficed to govern the tur.
oulent masses of men. He
often sat at the board of the
peasants and trained the village
boys to act as soldiers with
sticks, cut from forest trees, fol
swords. At q neigh boring monastery
he received instruction. Here he met
and grew fond of another little boy
who was being educated for o monk
and whose name was Suger.
Thus in wholesome deprivation, In
outside exercises, and in simple pleas
ure, was passed the youth of two M on
to whom providence committed the
destinies of Europe. The excuses o.
Philips 80 Disguised all France tina
by a common vote he was deposed
and his son Louis, then barely of age
was placed upon the throne.
This advance nent came too late Il
comfort the poor Queen, tor the mes
senger who arrived to announce his
elevatism to the crown found her SOL
weeping beside her coffin in the
chapel.
Louis the Fat invited to the court
his former schoolmate and companion
the Able Suger, and in few years
they had brought order out of chaos
The idea of the militia, as under
stood in modern times, was the in
vention of this monarch. He remem
bored the village boys who had made
such valiant mock soldiers, and re-
solved to raise temporary army ou
OF them when it became necessary tC
subdue any sudden outbreak of the
mobiles.
This was q new and formidable fac
tor In the French government since il
appeared almost like magic to see q
military force muster in dav from
the fields, and when it's labor was
done melt back into agricultural work
in less than forty. eight hours.
Having lived so long with the poor
their burdens were known to him
and he reduced the taXations to 3
wonderful degree. In all of these
reforms sugar was his right hand
ard the polite priest tried to modify
in many instances the blunt direct
ness of his master.
Louis, the Fat had one son, whom
a grateful people called Louis the
Young" He was crowned during
the lifetime of his father, and though
a prince of honor and honesty he by
no means inherited the paternal
ability. After the death Of Louis VI