The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-05-23


She 1cdS sitting dst'ide OF u cannon.
crying at the gates of the Bastilc, the
people were gone mad with excitement,
and there was no quiet or rest with
them either night or day so l was not
surprised to see bit of fever and mid
night orgy. l had not gone far when
l saw plain enough that some DEVILS
work was brewing more than common,
for the streets were Just surging with
mob oc the widest creatures, men
and women, mostly from the st. An
toinc quarter.
Il think you would have thougb't,
Gillicuddy, if YOU had seen them, that
the devil had loosed his imps to ca
rouse In the streets. The whole city
was alive with them, and from the
f0rthest corners you could hear the
cries Of them, and the roar Of tie city
was like the sound of AN ocean surg
ing in the distance.
Il could sec that serious mischief
was brewing, for there came pouring
from every turning the widest com
pany eye had ever rested on. Ragged
and wretchcd the most of them were,
ana gaunt and famiShcd they were,
some carrying stavCs and SumlC torch
es, so that they were like creatures of
the lower regions moro tl,an l.2ingS OF
earth. AS they went htrrrynw along
the outcry and voice of them was
dreadful to hear. and the one word
that rose above the din was Bread,
Bread. BrCAd. and indeed could not
wonder at it, for they locked sorcly in
need of it, and not only for bread did
they cry. but indeed it was the baker
they cried for rs well, and well | knew
who the baker was. for they meant
no other than Louis, the king, who. l
think, the most Of them thought was
up to his armpits in dough and just
baking long French loaves by the cart
load at the palace OF Versailles.
'When l had got in the ncighbor-
hood of the gardens of the Tuilcries
being carried on by the mob, there, in
the wide space they name the Champs
ElysccS, ! think there were gathered
tens of thousands. and the terror of
the scene was past description, for
every soul Of them seemed Possessed,
and, what with singing and dancing
and shouting themselves hoarsc, bed
lam was let loose and all mon had lost
their reason.
81 was not long in getting to the bot
tom of this awful stir, for indeed there
were public speakers enough harang-
uing the mob and telling the matter to
the people in way like to stir them
to desperation. Some OF these speak
ing We're women and some were men,
No oip1x IL
frcnZicd with enthusiasm. Just shout
ing and gcsticulating, and wild with Il
mad zeal, being like to drop with the
energy and force Of their feelings
You see, Gillicuddy, there were Il
whecn men in Paris that had of late
come to the surface of the scum of the
city, and among them there was q
horse lccch, rotten of body and blood
thirsty of appetite, named Marat. 1t
was mainly through him and another
clever rascal, named Camille Desmou-
lins, that the people were set mad to
do deeds of violence. These two had
got such n hold on the poor. ignorant
raft of mortalS that they had but to
name thing and all men wore ready
to take it up and carry it forward.
"As Paris had an empty stomach,
and us old FoulOn, living high on the
state revenue, had once suggested that
the people, being cattle, might eat
grass, it was not to be wondog ed at
that these same cattle should be iseady
to listen when men of the Marat and
Dcsmoulins stamp whispered that the
king at Versailles was tho baker and
that by going to him he would msl yhap
share his lOavcs with them. SO it was
that Paris was up that night m;ilung
preparations to march on 10 the lhakcr
at Versailles, and now the cry went
forth, 'Allons! Allons" and every where
that was the word. and Parifi was
about to pay its respects to the assem-
bly sitting ut Versailles and to suppli-
cate the king for bread at the G Dors of
his palace
sitting here, Gillicuddy, in Il lis quiet
hole OF Glcnhaugh, you can get no
1dea OF the excitement of II mt time,
nor can you realize here the poturc of
these Frenchmen, for they were like
powder, ready TO explode at INV min
u'c "na SET blaze a-going that would
rage hot and terrible.
tell you these things, Giuicuddy,
because they belong TO III v story. and
you picture not Paris as I saw il
that night you will not ~ able so well
10 comprehend the mJt frrs tbot came
! about later, for it was tlrro,rch tbis
wlla t,me ana mad rage uf the people
that the strange things / have to tel
were wrought out, and, GIllc,nsly. ,yo,
may believe me l will tell YOU nc
more or this interesting bit of Erencl
history than my story gives warran