Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-12

an impressive ceremony. the cure crowned
the girl with her wreath Of white roses
as old st. Medard had done 900 years be-
fore the discovery of America! We i'm
agined this to be. all. but as we stood on the
church steps, our curiosity was aroused by
the strange actions of a lot of women
These. for the most part well dressed and
obviously wives of solid citizens surround
ed an old decent servant woman in worn
clothes clog shoes and plain black cap
tied with a .shoestring underneath her wrin-
killed. chin. The curious patroniZing re-
spect that they showed her quite astonish-
ed us. AS friend. the stout matron,
tore herself away from them, l hurried
after her along the street.
rs she related to the roSiere?" / asked
"Why do the women all surround herr"
''Oh. my good monsieur. you're quite mis-
taken. And the messieurs of the council
are mistaken also, atheists If they imagine
old Bathilde-Agathe will sell her faith for
their gold The mayor freethinker."
is her name Bathilde-Agathe?"
Yes my good monsieur; and 1t is she
they are to crown this afternoon with
laurel and the CIunet prize of 1900 francs
when those messieurs arrive from Rouen."
"Who?"
The notary and the trustees. Bathilde-
Agathe must hurry home get dinner. feed
her master and her mistress. and be ready
when they come to fetch her in the big
barouche. She'll have to hurry At her
too! Be at the place at 3 O'Clock, my good
monsieur, and you will see it,:
Virtue Prizes.
At the luncheon table of the Ecu de
France Hotel we were told all about the
Clunet prize and how this year. 1T was to
honor Gisors. France is dotted with these
prizes. whose great pattern and original
is the Monthyon foundation Of the French
Academy. Here We are far from young
girls and white roses. Misunderstanding
intendant of Provence in 1853, councillor Of
state in 1775, and chancellor of the Cemte
d. Artois Cater Charles X in 1850. amassed
a great fortune in the publec service. en-
fgrated to England at the breaking out
of the revolution. returned to Paris in 1915,
and lived till 1870. always occupied in good
works. Even before the revolution he had
given great sums to hospitals, poor houses
and institutions of learning; but the fOun-
dations that have always borne his name
were the virtue prizes with which he en-
dowed the French Academy and the Acad
envy of Sciences. The revolution confis-
Gated them. On his return in 1915 he estab-
lished others. which exist to this day-nota-
bly, two virtue prizes of 10000 francs
year, awarded annually by the French
Academy to individuals who have lived
lives of virtue and peculiar sacrifice and
devotion. Last year, for example. the first
Of them was granted to poor old maid
who. years ago, renowned all hope of mar
brothers under circumstances of the most
discouraging description.
At Rouen-that Is to say in Normandy
the Clunet prize is similar.
What has BatLilde-Agathe done to
merit it?' asked.
Years of Devotion.
Thirty years ago. before the Franco
Prussian war, Bathilde-Agathe was the
confidential servant of a family that was
almost rich, riches go here answered
the hotel proprietor. "All three sons were
killed in the war and old Vauclin himself
was made an invalid by a wound in the
stomach"
But tell how he lost his money" inter-
rupted a pert pretty little girl who looked
uo from her slice of melon.
MY daughter. meSSieurS," said the hotel
proprietor. "Old Vauclin and his wife, be-
ing now without their sons. put their
money into a plum brandy distillery, on
the advice of a young man whose good
faith l shall
Henri, called a booming. red-faced
MY wife. messieurs!'
go on, monsieur the patron"
"Well. the Vauciins became poor more
rapidly than any one would think 1t could
be possible. The old lady has been para
lyZed for the past ten years and Vauclin
himself has been on the road to die from
his stomach wound these fifteen years.
Bathilde-Agathe supports them. That Is
ALL"
Without wages"
Worse than that. I tell you she has