The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26

everything should be done just as the
saint wished
Under her direction. the town was speed
lily placed in a state of defense. When
Attila arrived. therefore. he Just gave il
a glance and passed on, for he saw il
could not be taken by assault. and he had
no time for a siege. Then the enthusiasm
of the pOpulace knew no bounds. They
hailed Genevieve as their liberator ana
savior declared that for the future they
would have no guide but her and in
stalled her as their ruler. At this time
she was about 30 years of age
We have no further record Of St. Gene
vieve's doings until ChiIderic. King of the
Franks, laid siege to Paris. Then the peo-
pie showed their confidence in her judg-
ment by leaving the management of af-
| fairs entirely in her hands. She superin-
tended the Notifications of the city and
directed the defense, And skllfully she
must have done her work, for she held at
During the siege she took part in a. war
like expedition, which was fraught alike
with hardship and danger When the
Franks reduced the Parisians TO starva-
ton by cutting off their food supply she
sailed down the Seine to Troyes in search
of corn And she found it. too and fight
ing her way through the enemy, brought
ii back in triumph to her people.
/" 1t was at this time that st. Genevieve
gave proof Of her statesmanlike qualities,
for, when she found that the forces
against her were overwhelming, she wise
~ came to terms with her opponents She
went boldly into Childeric's camp to plead
.
his mobiles were much impressed with the
saints department; brave deeds and wise
words appealed to them with special force.
IheY held many conferences with her,
with the best results for all parties When
Childeric entered Paris he was greeted
as a friend, for st. Genevieve rode by his
side, and 1T was known that he denied her
nothing.
When the Franks settled in Paris ST.
Genevieve at once assumed the role of me
diator between them and the citizens and
was soon as much venerated by the form
err as by the latter. Her influence over
Shilderlc was supreme, and in all that he
did he was guided by her advice An odd
little story is told, which shows the terms
upon which she lived with the king One
day he ordered some rebels to be put to
ueath, ana, knowing that if the saint in
terceded for them, he would not be able
20 resist her entreaties, he resolved to
keep out OF her way until the men should
be dead. He therefore left the city and
ordered the guard to lock the gate and al
low no one-especialy not GeneVieye-to
pass until his return. Just as he was
chucklng, perhaps, at the success of his
Stratagem, the city gate flew open--all of
It's own free will, as the guards swore-
ana the saint sailed forth, bent on OBJ
tanning the rebels pardon. And obtain il
she did of course.
To the day of his death Childeric re-
NAMED M 1 her most devoted friend, and did
All that she told him-excepting become a
christian. Nor was her Influence less great
over his successor, Clovis in whose wife
queen Caotilde she found warm support
er. Between them, the two women induced
the king and ali the court to embrace
Christianity. st. GenevieVe was practic-
ally Cloviss prime minister, and directed
his policy in all things; still, she never for
got that her mission in life was to help
the poor. Sometimes when there was moth
ing to be done in Paris she went to other
cities-to Rheims Lyons, Tours-to give
them helping hand, but she was never
long absent from her own city.
She died in January, 5l2, and was buried
with royal honors in the great abbey
church Clovis had built at her request
During the twelve centuries that followed
her death, her coffin was carried eighty
times through the city in solemn process
sion, as means of warding off some dis
aster or other. Then-it was in the Reign
of Terror-her bones were burned in the
Place de GreVe.
Ellie await tant fait pour propager la
fol" was the reason given