Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-02-12


al for bravery during the war He staid
a full hour with U.S. talked cheerfully, gave
Mere Ste. Felicite news of an old gener-
al whom she had known in the Crimea
and found out that Mere Ste. Ursule was
sister to ore of his comrades at st. Cyr.
He was charming and petted Lii till he
quite won her heart. The next day he
sent us fresh meat and vegetables-we had
/ nothing left but dried provisions. He
came to see us every day, often bringing
bonbons and dalnties to the little ones, al
ways giving Iili the lions share.
On Easter day our good chaplain, Able
Jussclin, whom we saw now and then,
/ told us that he would hear our confessions
as usual.
Captain d Orsannc had told us that very
morning that n sortie of the communists
was expected and that his company would
/ probably fight that day. He added that
we had nothing to fear, but you may i'm
agine our feelings.
Able Jussein heard our confessions in
a corner of the coal cellar The big girls
especially Bertha Malvan, who always
+ wore her handsome cousins picture in
! lockct; you remember her-sobbed bitter
| ly and thought their last hour had come.
Lii, who is &, made her first confession
: that day. l can't imagine what she told
Able Jusselin, but she would do what big
, sister did.
Confession over, Able .Jussclin gave us
a very solemn general absolution, as in
time of great danger, and exhOrted us to
make the sacrifice of our lives to God.
BAH" l heard Mere Ste. Fclicite NUT
ter he should not talk so to children"
Then he administered communion, still in
She cellar where the Holy sacrament had
been brought several days lcf1rc II was
very impressive, l can tell you, and we
felt like til. carly Christians in the cata-
combs
That evening Captain d'Ors8nnc came
back with his company. They were vic
torious, of course IL will confess to You that
1 had made special prayers for the cap
tain, but they brought back several
wounded.
/ One of the cellars was cleared ont for
their reception, and the nuns took care of
them. l wanted to help nurse them, but
the superior would not let mo. l COM
planned to the captain, and he told me
smilngly that my duty was to stay with
my little sister. But we could not stay in
the cellar forever. The captain said that
the war would certainly last month lon
ger so we must decide what to do. The
Sth of May the superior told us that we
were going to Anglers, where her brother
in-law. wealthy manufacturer, had offer
ed us his protection and shelter We each
| took a little bundle of clothes, and in or
der to carry as much as possible wore
4 two pairs of stockings, two chemises and
: two or three petticOats. The nuns, by way
| of precautiOn put on ordinary dresses and
hats, instead of their habits and wells
+ Such dresses, my dear and such hats 1!
| Mere Ste. Fclicite had unearthed them
I from heaven knows where, and the poor
mothers looked like frights excepting poor
little Mere Ste. Agatha who is so pretty
that she looked quite fine lady.
We left the convent at nightfall by the
+ little gate at the end of the park, and Cap
/ tain d Orsanne accompanied us to the last
/ outpost. On the bridge over the Seine a
puff of wind carried away Mere Ste Ur-
sule's bonnet and we all laughed little,
I but just as the captain was about to leave
| us a shell Kissed over our heads and made
us serious enough again. The captain
! babe us farewell, and Mere Ste Ursule
I thanked him warmly for his kindness to
us. He asked leave to shake hands with
her, then with ne and with Mere Ste.
Felicite and he kissed Lii several times.
My heart was full at the thought that 1
should probably never again see this poor
captain, who had been 50 good to us
/ We soon reached Courbcvoic, where two
carts We're waiting for us, and at 10 o'clock
4 we reached Versailles, where we took the
/ train for Anger And, now, that is all
We should he very confronted here at any
! other TIME, but everything that happens is
so sad Write To me soon, dearest l en-
brace you fondly. Yours, RENEE.
/ Fragment of a letter from Captain Or
same to Jean l.:
4 NEUILLY, VISITATION CONVENT, May Is,
ISL
just fancy. my dear fellow, l have been
here a fortnight with my company in a
] convent full of nuns. We found here. be-
/ sides the sisters, half Il dozen boardcrs hid
den in the cellars. for shells were falling
about like hail. These sisters were regu-
lar trumps, not much scared. and | lived
on the best OF terms with them for about
/ ten days. One old sister knew our former
chief in the Crimca.
But the pluckicst of all, the prettiest
the merriest, was little boarder about is
or Il, l suppose, named Renee. She had
a little sister, or 6, to whom she made an
adorable little mother.
l escorted the party to Courbcvoie the
other day, for they could not stay any
, longer in the cellars. AS l left them a
/ shell whistled past our ears. Mile. Renee
! lifted her little sister and put her in my
arms without n word, but with such con-
filling air and such pretty, appealing eyes
that | was quite overcome. ! shall prob
ably never see the little girl again and on
ly mention the pretty apparition en- pas
SAINT Yours JACQUES
! Fragment of letter from Renee l.
! TO Blanche s.:
PARIS, Sept a1, 1874
! Last Sunday my guardian and went
to dine with Nine de Lys, an old friend of
poor mammals. Nine. de Lys said to me-
] "You are going TO meet charming man,
, Commandant Orsanne," and just then
in he came not changed i'm the least, not
a bit older. l knew him at once. He
looked rather embarrassed, as if he thought
he knew me, but was not quite sure. Then
began to laugh like little goose, and
he said without preamble, well, Mile
Renee, how is little Lii and Mere Ste
UrsIfle and Mere Ste. Feliciteg"