Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-12

| Our tickets read one way from Mou-
Inns to Orleans and we went another
way. but nobody said anything, SO we
didn't object as we reached Orleans
quicker. AT first we We're riding
| through the Bourhormais region,
through scenes similar to Millet's land
| ScapeS. There were quiet fertile val
| leys, green and cool with shade trees,
| rows upon rows of untrim1ned populars
and still the innumerable white cows
and calves, with now and then cha
| teau in the distance. Then all that
changed as we passed into the Orlean-
nails district, fewer chateauX, while the
pine trees gave signs that the soil was
becoming more sandy and then the
city of Orleans itself appeared.
The life of all Orleans centers about a.
square which is adorned by a large
equestrian statue of Joan of Arc. All
points of interest radiate from this
spot. In life like attitude mounted on
| her prancing courser, Joan still watch
| es over the city which she once so tri-
umphantly entered. BaS-reliefS on the
base of the statue tell to the children OF
France her daring exploits, successful
| because she did it from a sense of du-
| ty to her country and her king, not
from any love of fame or delight in
bold achievements.
AS we were intently reading what the
| bronze told to us, a soldier off duty
came up. and courteously offered to
| explain those pictures to us. Although
| from childhood I had idolized Joan Of
Arc as a heroine among .heroines,
i NO at In6 iernn
| wishing to hear from the lips of a
| Frenchman the deeds of this Darling"
of the people. Let us pause before some
| of the pictures and listen to the COM
| ments of our French guide.
First we are taken to the little town
| of Domremy and wandering through
the village pass on until we are under
an inviting tree listening to the bah
bling of clear cold spring, which
some sheep are approaching in order to
/ refresh themselves on this sunny sum-
mer day. Cottages in the background
| tell us of the neighborhood of human
| beings, although all we see is slen-
| der young girl in shepherd costume
seated near the spring A very human
little person, though there is earnest
ness and wonder in her countenance, as
she half turns her head to see saint Mi
| chael with saint Catherine and saint
| Marguerite who are urging her on to
save her king and her country. The
poor maiden shrinking from such re-
sponsibility puts up her hand as if to
ward off such a task.
Up to this time she had lived the life
of her merry companions, delighting to
go with them to the Tree of the Fairies
which guarded spring of miraculous
repute. on this tree they used to hang
wreaths of flowers, merrily dancing I'M
der it's shade, and sometimes they
| would have those same chapelets sus-
| pended on the boughs when they went
away. So she lived the healthy out of
door life. sometimes tending her faith
ers flock, sometimes helping her moth
er to spin, until those angel voices said
so persistently,
Joan, arise; 60 to the aid of the
Dauphin. give MIN back his kingdom
of FTance."
Then let US pass to where Joan is
before King Charles VII. Think of
the state of France at that time There
were two Frances. two kings, two re-
gencies, two armies, two governments,
two nations, two nobilities, two courts
of justice opposed to one another,
father, son, mother, uncles, nephews,
citizens, strangers were disputing
with one another over the soil, the
throne. the cities, the body, the very
blood of the nation. Into this chaos
of wrangling came Joan, the inspired
from above. They must needs have
been in sore distress, these idle luxurj-
Gus knights to have been willing for a
peasant girl to lead them See her In
THAT splendid assembly hall, graceful