Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-01-18
4 SOLDIER or FRANCO.


In "a Boy of the First Empire" FL
bridge s. Brooks story of Napoleon in
St. Nicholas, is told how the youthful
hero was made into "a soldier of
France"
So it was soon over, for all The world
like some wonderful fairy tale, and
Philip Desnouettes, son of the emig re-,
bound boy of the washerwomen's
1uarter, protege of the emperor,
turned his back upon the mar
row and dirty street he had once
called his home, and, riding away
from the past, was entered as a
} pupil in the military school of st. Cyr.
From the day when, as new boy, he
was introduced into the new school Of
st. Cyr, and was gradually transformed
from an uncouth street-boy to little
machine, to the day when, four years
later, he left it for other scenes,
Philip Desnoucttes' life was ore Of con-
tinuous training. He get up by the
drum, he ate his meals 81 the drum, he
went to bed by the drum. He learned
to drill, to ride, and to build fortifca-
tions; he received instruction In Ian
guages, literature, history and mathe-
mates; he toughened without fires,
developed by austere discipline, lived
by rule, played pranks and took his
punishment as he did his medicine
without grumbling, grew. strength
ened, broadened in mind and body,
learned to be French schoolboy, a
French soldier, French gentleman.
Then came 1870 Great things had
been happening while Philip was a
schoolboy at st. Cyr. The map of
Europe had been changed again and
again, and Napoleon was the map
maker There had been Ears and
rumors of war; there had been mighty
marches, bloody battles and terrible
triumphs; and with march and battle
and triumph the fame of Napoleon, en-
peror of the French, had grown to
mighty proportions In 1910 France
and Napoleon were the greatest names
in all the world. And Philip had met
Corporal Peyrollcs
Peyrolles, the wooden-legged, had |
left his good leg of flesh on the bloody
field of Austerlitz, and pensioned by
the emperor, had been made one Of the
drill sergeants in St. Cyr school.
To Peyrollcs the emperor was not
man, he was 1.-The emperor" and Pey-
roll es worshiped him even as did the
Romans of old worship their highest
and bravest--as something more than
mortal And yet the boys at st. Cyr
declared that but for Peyrollcs the
emperor would never have been; for it
was Peyrolles' delight to recount foy
the boys of st. Cyr how II and the
emperor conquered the world1 !
But it was largely by Peyrolles'
friendly promptings, plus the instruc-
ton of the ST. Cyr school, that Philip
became proficient in drill and ambi-
tious of glory And when, even before /,
the allotted term of training the sum
mons came to 1.-The cadet Desnouattes"
to- attend upon the emperor, the boy
felt that both fame and glory lay well
within his grasp
But PeyTolles said. See what it il to
have Corporal PeyroIles for your friend
cadet. Do you think 1T is because your
sharp ears served the emperor, WHEN
you were but a BOY of the streets, that
he now calls you to his side even be-
fore your military schooling is doneS
Not SO. 1t is, because of me. 1t is be-
cause PeyrolEes has had you in hand.
The emperor has heard of it. He bids
you come to him that you may show
others in his service what 1t is to be
.utored in arms by the nran who helped.
5he emperor to win the day at Arcola
and Lodi. at Castiglione and the Pyra-
nids, at AlGreEgo and q Inn and Austen |
itz. Long live the emperor, and long I,
i've Peyrolles, his right hand. Do not
disgrace my teaching. You are but an e
infant yet, cades. But so were we all II
once, and even Il child can be brave u
Listen, you cadet: rush not raShly in
to danger, but, once in, do not back out.
Strike not until you can strike swift
and sure. Obey, and you shall be
oheyeil; follow, and you shah be fol-
lowed; seek glory, and glory shall seek
you. BE a soldier of France, and {
France shall be proud of her soldier,
and shall say to the world: Behold, !
this cadet was pupil of Peyrolles OF |
st. Cyr, grenadier and helper of the
emperor"
a Feminine Invention
u 2 u p