Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-03-22
A VENDEAN HEROINE,

its big round tower capped ty a weather
vanc, it's lui = arms or blades which rat
tied in the west wind like the sails OF a
boat i'll stays, and its little round win
dows looking over the hills of Anjou
like the telescopes OF an astronomer
such was the Windmill of Bernardeau,
and when it was work .ng all the wind
mills around the neighborhood looked
like white sea gulls pursued by bird of
prey. 1t was situated on the slope of
the Guieno at the end Of little crooked
pathway hardly wido enough for the
mill donkey, and in which one might
search in vain for traces of human foot
prints, because it was so dark under It's
vault of shrubhory, 50 muddy and rug
ped that the woman of the mill always
took to the vines when OH her way to
Ancenis OH foot.
And handsome woman, too, was
this lady of the mill. She was 20 years
odd. with well rounded form, a little
hand, flashing dark eyes, lips as red as
wild cherries and well turned leg.
She was smart i'll her attire, and there
vas little in her appearance to reveal
the fact that she WIS y widow. When
she came into tho village mounted upon
tho donkey that carried her bags of
-four, all tie NCulu {, lows came out to
admire her fine figure and the beautiful
limbs which Gppoal,d below her short
skirts.
Even the donkey himself seemed
proud of his mistress. lie travelled along
at an easy gait, tossing his head and
cooking his ears, as il to say to every
body: Here she is. You have only to
look at her This is Ia Meuniere of Ber-
nardcau. There isn't another woman
Ike her in all the country" And that
was the truth. But she was the subject
c. great deal of ossip. How the
tongues did way on her account! 1t was
eaid that since the Ceath of her hus-
rand, poor goose of a fellow who had
taken her without a cont from farm
end left her all his property, she fire.
C-lcntly tossed her cap over the blades
CT her windmill. Whether this was true
CT not, the blades cert .inly never told,
hut ono thing is cCl tain, and that is
that she did hang up Ter cap there pub
licly on one occasion, and it cost her
Ter life Here is her story:
The first thing tie Vendeans did
when they rose in revolt against the re-
public was TO make Use of the wind
mills. Nothing could be better suited
for signaling or mere troublesome for
tie enemy. Where the Blues could only
see white wings turning round i'll q
melancholy fashion, the Chouans pos
s,sscd a perfect tclegraphic system,
which told them Of :he movements OF
tic republican army.
The windmill If =. ,nardeaI was one
q the principal VlCt;:as on the Loire.
Three days before ,.e attack upon
Nantes, CathelincGu came to the mil
q BernardCaG and asked for shelter II
vas the ED eff Juno, 1913. LonchamI
was at Apconis Since : g 18th awaiting
the main body of the a...y. The weather
was magnificent, and the Nendean'
C.mped iii the open aiY. When Cattle
lineau at the end Of 1, little road founC
himself face to face With the beautiful
woman Of the mill, It, asked her if shC
WAS rOyaiiSt.
Ono might easily become royals
to serve under so handsome an officer al
you, said she.
Coed enoushl Then let me hav'
shelter here tonight.
The meUnierc cheClfully welcomed
him, and Cathelineau slept that night il
the mil. The next l. orning when Ia
was leaving she scIt to him from tn
threshold of the mil "a perfect vOlley o
i.iSscs, after which she went up to tn
highest little window in the mill ant
waved her little white handkerchief.
Eight days afttr-yard Cathelineau
murtally wounded, WAS coming iron
Anconsis in q carriGgr, and as he passe
by the mill he cast Il long and sad loo
at it. According to IL" order, its blade
were arranged so rs to announce the az
proach OF the soldiers Of Canclaux.
FYom Inc nth OF October to the lit
III December, daring t-e GO days whic
separated the two retreats of the Ven
dean army on the Loiry, the mill of b.
Iardeau continued it, ignals of INTEL,
lenco with those OF La Nendee But tn
18th of December was it's last day.
Harasscd by the MayencAis, thu
Nandecns reached AnCcnis and endea'
ored to cross the Loire, but for want {
sufficient RATS IA com iderable numb'
of them were obliged to abandon IL
effort aud to advance rough the coui
try, in tho hope Of escaping the enem.
A sight Cf this old mill, which the
Immediately recognized as an all.
about 20 men took refuge i'll it just
the moment when Wostermann came
the heights If Bel Air
Suddenly = puff Of hue smoke rolf
from one IF the upper windows Of Il
min The I!eunicIc herself commenc'
the fight
Good soit!" she said. "There
one lesa now.
Wostermsnn ordered a company
hussals ga .uTuuud tie old mill.
WAS III too great hurry to finish wi
la RuchcJAcuuclIn t. bother hims'
with wndmlls The hussars had han
ly arrived at the mill before his flyi