The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-11-08
The Answered Prayer,
ny VI. CNDY.

A little old French woman told the
following story to the travellers who
had been investigating the ruins and
the chateau and "doing" the little
French town, as tourists always must,
who obey Murray.
"My son, Jean Baptiste never will
believe it, Ali, they are such skcptics,
these menl
"There in the churches we pray for
them There the sailors wife knccs
to ask for good wind for her hus-
bands ship. There the soldiers sweet
heart pours forth her PRAYER, and i'm
plores the saints to ward bullet and
sword point from her lovers heart.
There l used to go, hoping that Jesus
would not forget me and my Ansel;
and he died in his bed. and WAS not
smothered and crushed in the black
niue, as so many are--my man Ansel,
jean Baptiste's father.
"Jean was all | had, in that old time
long ago. He was young. strong.
beautiful, when the hour came and he
became conscript All, shall l ever
forget the day? We were all upon
the green, in the midst of the village
all who had sons and brothers and
husbands and lovers, and some who
L A.. ~
had, or for curiosity-how do / know
which? And the great gendarme
turned the Wheel and the blindfold
boy drew the names and numbers,
and my jean was one OF the unlucky
ones-he our only child. Had been
widow then, they could not have
taken him but 1 still had Ansel. And
we all three knew that no substitute
was to be had by us, for we had been
unlucky and had no savings, and t is
not to be expected thata man will risk
life and limb fora trhe.
''Only mother could have had
hope under such circumstances, but,
you see, could not give my Jean
Baptiste to the cruel war without II
struggle.
"'You should be glad that your
brave son has II chance to do what he
can for France and for his emperor,
said the officer with the fur cap and
epaulets, touching me on the shoulder,
rs l sat weeping and wringing my
hands But | pushed him away an
grily.
"'What is the emperor, whom /
have never seen, to me? And why
should 1 love France more than my
own child?' l cried.
''And then u neighbor added:
"'Bah He will return with epau-
let's and a sword perhaps, and you will
be very proud of him. Don't cry
"'They come back often without
epaulets, do they not?' / said, and my
heart was bitter "A gall. Generally
they do not come ut all. If they do,
it is oftenest on crutches, or blind like
poor Pierre Latour. They shall not
have my boy!
'And home / went like mad wo-
man. And would have sold all /
had to have raised the money, ii it
woul have brought it. But we are
only tenants, and our COW was poor
and old and had no fine clothes,
and only two golden earrings for Jew
elry. Poor Anscl just earnt enough
to live on. And what could we do?
81 went to my brother at walk
ing all the way there and back. He
could not help us. / went to my old
mistress q house, where had lived ms
dairy maid before / married Ansel.
Alas, she was dead
'In week the soldiers would march
away, my Jean Baptiste with them, and
i should see his sunny face no more,
unless / could in some way gain the
money with which to pay the substi-
,tute. / had wicked feelings enough,
madame, ! can tell you i did moi
feel that God was kind to me, as I hat
always felt before. cannot tell yo,
how felt, for il is wicked to say an,
such words, but in tho midst of M,
despair met Father Uric.
You were not ut church last Sur
day. dame, he said.