Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-03-18
THE CHlLDREN'S CRUSADE.
stephen. the French Pen>ant Roy.
Ills Army aud Its Fate.

II thc year l2l2 thcr,. burst forth among
thc children of France the idea ii r,.-cuing
thu children Of .Icru sllcm The city where
thc saviour had died from the hands Of
the Turks
The lea'ler nf this youthful army was
ON" stephen. T. wear old hny # Cloycs.
France. the son of peasant shepherd
One day, as stephen tended his fathers
sheep ON lonely hillside he met Il Stran-
ger who represented himself rs pilgrim
returned from Palestine
He asked for food and then fingered tn
tell the hoy of thc wonders of the orient
and of the hcrocs who had fallen in hattie
while cndeaXoring IL capture the Holy
City.
Finally IN" stranger announced himself
Rs messenger from Jesus Christ and
commissioned stephen to prcs,rh "A crusade
among the children nf France. AT the sa me
tim" presenting letter Ia the king of
France commanding that sovereign to aid
the young crusaders in every po>~ihlc way
stephen at oncc went about calling upon
the children To- enlist He preached in the
churches to crowds who throng,sl to- hear
him; he rchcar>rd t.. stories told tn him
by his strange visitor; he Promised the
protection and care Of God to all who
would follow him
The idea spread like wildfr, Boys and
girls came from cottage and castle "a en-
list under the banner of ih, shepherd bov
and on July :, l2i2. thvr, was mustered
at Ncndomc AN army uf 31.uun children.
many of them under wears of age
At the sound of "a trumpet ranks were
formed and the marrh WAS bcaun Ban
ncrs Were raised. "a hymn Of victory was
sung and 10000 innncynt little ones were
led forth. most of them To meet death and
destruction
After days and days of weary marching
over hills and valleys. through parchcd
fields and by dry river beds, with hliStcrcd
feet and aching limbs. the youthful army
reached MarScillcs by the blue waters Of
the Mediterranean.
Here they found rich merchants who
offered vessels To carry them to CONSTANT
noplc
But the vast army that had started from
Ncndnmc had melted away like snow in
springtime Some had deserted thousands
had died of exposure. The 20. 400 had
dwindlcd To 1000
Seven ships wcr, made ready and on
Aht iti~t uslN h august lTt Ntt~~tl~ SsilItt
out Of the harbor with their ppcious bur
den of innocent victims. sailed not to the
re>cu" of the Holy City, not to glory and
victory, hut To- despair
On the third day out terrible storm
arose, and two of the vessels were dashed
To pieces Un the island of Falcons
The other five ships passed the danger
ouS rocks in safety and finally reached
shore, where the children discovered they
We're the victims of "a vile plot-they were
tn be- sold into slavery The two mcr-
chants of MarscllcS were slave traders.
the pilgrim who had appeared to Stephen
was man who had bccn instigated To act
the pnrt. and the children who had set
out with such high hopes We're to become
not champions Of the cross. but slaves to
the fierce Mo>lcmS
Upon landing IN the coast they were
taken tn slave markets and sold They
Were sent far and wide. 10 drag out weary
lives in harrm> ar among the gang of la
borcrs in the fields Not one ever saw tho
shores of France again
Such was the sud fate Of the innocent
children who left their homes to Join the
crusade To captur. the Holy City. HOUSE
hold