Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-29
CHAPTER w.

The way to the Palace of Versailles
was long and dreary.
Hardly had the procession of deter
mined women got beyond the outskirts
of Paris with the cowl of night stretch
ing over the land, when. patter and
swish, there came through the cooling
air a downpour of rain.
But the fire in the passionate hearts
of the discontents blazed too fiercely to
be damped by the weather. Their
shoes slitherd over the greasy mud and
their legs dragged heavily where the
mire was thick.
The rain penetrated their thin
bodices and drenched the women to the
skin. Their hair became lank and
ragged, clinging clammily to their wet
and pinched cheeks. The dye from
many a red cap of Liberty trickled over
many brow, mah.ng the faces look as
though splashed with blood.
The women, impelleu by one siren
uous, irresistible desire, raced on with
all the enthusiasm of madness.
1t was a new thing for these market
women of Paris, uealers in vegetables,
to carry muskets and to shoulder
pixies. They realized with sharp dis
tinctiveness this as a new role in their
history. Their breath painted with JOY
at the part they were playing.
In no order, but striding forth in
punched masses. here and there groups
of a dozen. now and then odd twos
of clinging friends this rough and
surging procession of women of Paris
moved on.
A cruel wind moaned over the land.
The rain. as though shot by some evil
spirit. sought out women yindleuYely
and made their skirts limp and bedrag-
gled. and splashed them with mire.
Their sabots slumped through the lit
tie .Aes in the roadway.
"To Versailles! To Versailles" was
the cry often raised as though to rouse
into new energy these Menads Of
history
There was some singing snatches of
love ballads learnt in happier times,
and soothing lullables long since for
gotten but now breaking back into re-
membrane.
Juliette, warned by the knowledge
she was the chosen leader of this pro-
testing throng pressing through the
damp and darkness to the King and
Queen, there to demand bread at the
foot of the throne. trudged steadily
with long strides at the head of the
dishevelled mob.
With lips tight clenched and pale,
eyes blazing through even the wet
gloom, she FASTENED on. She was
ahead, by a dozen yards, of the serried,
ill-clad ranks that followed at a half
run in her wake.
Once the square-i awed, sullen woman
who had brought her the bowl of soup
earlier in the evening, edged to her
side and whispered: GO more gently,
The way is long and you will
be fatigued to death before morning"
Juliette turned her black eyes upon
her and answered. haughtily: There
will be plenty of rest tomorrow"
Swish. swish still pelted the rain.
whilst in the sky there rolled bodeful
black clouds smothering the CLEAN of
moon that once or twice made fitful
attempts to shine.
The trampine tired the women. The
shouting TO Versailles" came at
more distint intervals. At last it died
away.
The singing ceased. Though now
and then there were calls through the
darkness from friend to friend there
was little to be heard as the hours ad-
vanced save the uneven brushing Of
many feet over the sodden earth. But
occasionally against pike.
The village of Meudon was reached.