Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-05-09
A BUNCH OF ROSES.

The last time was travelling I'm Tourains
chanced u have particularly strong let
4rs Of introduction from mutual friends to
Angelus Rueil, a jolly old property owner
II the Faubourg st. Pierre des Corps, on
he outskirts Of Tours.
Rueil lived in house that lad once been
sgrange upon an income which was mod
sst, yet sufficient to supply all his wsnta
With him lived an old woman, not Tar
rom the dark side of 80. who IL was some.
lines suggested was not In the full posses-
hon Of her reason.
This report had sprung into existence
after the Fete de la St. Jean, when the
woman had been suddenly seized with
lervous flt, caused In some inexplicable
way by the sight Of a nosegay Of red roses
Al the dress Of q young peasant girl who
had come co the festival from the country.
The day following my arrival at Tours
went to deliver my letters to NJ Rueil and
was received with the utmost eordiality.
~ have suffered horribly at the hands OF
the Germans" he said. Listen 70 my tale
Of woe; will tell IL to you with the great
est freedom and candor."
As he said these words M. Rueil rose
from his chair. and opening massive oak
cabinet took out from IL little box COW
cred with dust and having In its lock .
small rusty key.
With great gentleness and care he opened
II, and placing 1t 10 that could easily ses
Its contents said In voice that shook
with emotion awakened by past memories;
Here Is bunch of faded roses that once
were fresh and sweet, but are now dry and
almost odorless.
"They were worn by a young girl. ma
tive Of my own country (the Ardennes) on
the very day Of the burning of Bazeilles.
They are Louis Van Houlte roses-autumn
roses-the last flowers Of ones happy France.
Although they are dry and dusty. you
can sss with the help Of this glass that on
the petals of each rose there " blacktsh
colored capitalization.
WELL" he went on In Q low voice that
was almost whisper. "that n blood-0sr
man blood" ~ .r ..se
He took from my hands the magnifying
glass and examined with the greatest atten-
tion these peculiar relicA
Then he went on:
"You remember with what heroic OBJ
stinacy the inhabitants of Bazeilles. tracked
like wild beasts. defended step by step their
houses and property; how men. women
and children used their guns, and never
yielded an inch without leaving several
blank spaces in the German rankA
ION that day, terrible and never to be
forgotten, Rose Launois fought like man,
discharging one barrel of her gun after an
other with the coolness and determination
Of brave soldier. was by her side, and
from behind sort Of bank formed BY the
collapsed sides of q private library we Let
blaze at the slowly advancing Prussian sol
diers-
There were three others besides our
seIves-three men-and It was positively
devilish to see US, four men and young
girl. standing side by side fighting like de-
mons against preposterous odds, and yet
by some strange luck not even hit BY the
enemy's bullets.
II can see that lovely girl now. She
stands again before my eyes, her long hair
falling over her shoulders, with flushed
face, two rows Of cleaning teeth, and her
grand, flaming eyes fixed on the ever ap-
preaching mass of dark soldiers that At
any moment might pick us of with their
rifles or reduce us to little pile Of dead.
"More clearly still do ] again see that
bunch of red roses--autumn roses, fsu
blown and gorgeous, living In their frssh
splendor as II in protest against the bloody
horrors Of war and disaster.
1T was not long before our three COM
rades had fallen TO the ground. each with
German bullet in his heart, and we, In or
der to shoot better, had climbed callously
over their corpses, still warm and palpitat-
ing.
"We were actually standing In blood
this girl and myself. It covered our boots
and soaked our ankles with its warm mois-
ture.
Suddenly I fell backward. A blade Of
cold steel had entered my breasti
"The Germans had forced their way into
the house through the kitchen garden, and
one of them, q blond Hercules, had given
me a sudden thrust with his bayonet. Al
though this Teutonic giant had given me,
believed. my ticket for heaven, was able
strange as it may seem-to note exactly
all that was going on round me.
II seemed to have passed into the next
life and yet still to be living in this.
II can distinctly remember that this Ger
man Hercules was alone In the room His
companions had hurried on in their search
for blood and booty through the village.
His first act was to disarm Rose, tie her
arms and thrust his hideous, bloatsd face
close to the lovely cheeks Of the heroic girl
'The atrocious scene was rendered all the
clearer by the horrible glare Of the fire
which was leaping from one house to an
other till the whole village was snveloped
In mass Of flame.
"How It was that 1t this moment, In
spite of my gaping wound. found strength
to move and even to get up from the
ground is more than ! can explain Just
as the state has the power Of eonferring
special privileges when exceptional cir
cumstances seem to demand IL, 20 un-
doubtedly there are miracles that are e.
fected by the will Of heaven
II got up, terrible - . demon Of venge-
anoe. and quietly moved behind the cow
ardly German.
"Coldly, without trembling or hesitating,
murderer In the cause Of justice. sum
moned to my aid more strength than
thought possessed and plunged my long
hunting knife up to its hilt In the back OF
the unsuspecting monster. The blade was
keen a. razor and sharpened on both sides
like 2edged sword- II pierced the heart
from behind and remained stuck fast like q
cross.
"The next instant the heated blood
poured with great throbbing Jets out Of the
mans mouth, and . few drops I'LL upon the
petals Of the bunch Of roses In Roses
bosom"
Angelus Rueil stopped for . moment.
His memories seemed to choke him.
"War II horrible indeed, h Il notw he
went on after long pause
n ~ bnox, ns,k ~ hor mimi