Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-09
xVIII-ON TO BRITTANY.

AS we sped along from Tours, al
though the Loire valley still continued
fertile and beautiful, we missed the
white cows which had enhanced the
picturesqueness of the Bourbonna;s
region. However the chateaux which
we still continued to see, made us
watch for the next one to appear,
perched aloft on some height, or nest
led more timidly in some lowland for
est
LIN France we never knew when we
would be obliged to change cars
Whenever we reached a junction, | al
ways leaned out to ask some passing
guard if we must change, and so fire.
quently was the answer Yes" that we
became real expert in getting in and
out of those high compartments.
Sometimes the information was con-
Trajectory, and we We're never sure of
reaching our destination until the name
itself appeared. Often the guards did
not call out the names of the stations,
so that we were kept busy trying to
decipher the fleeting signs. We could
ride all day without ever being obliged
to show our ticket Only when we en-
tered station did the official look at
it, and in leaving one it would be taken
up. Only those can go inside of a
waitingroom who have shown their
tickets. AS rule all is very tranquil
at French railway station If a por-
ter comes along with a truck loaded
down with heavy baggage he doesn't
yell frantically for the travellers to
step aside, but in calm and convinc-
ing tone says the simple word "Atten-
t1on.' and a path is Immediately
cleared without any unnecessary ex-
citement. We always found the Off
cials most courteous They would
spend considerable time looking up
trains for us, and not satisfied with
simply telling us, would write down on
a piece of paper the time the train
arrived at the different stations, where
we had to change, how long we had to
wait. and when the next train left
They generally added that we had bet
ter ask to see if we would be obliged
to change oftener than they anticipat-
ed.
Sometime after leaving Tours we
came to Varennes, the scene of the
saddest incident in the lives of the
good King Louis XVI and his beautiful
but sadly inexperienced queen, Marie
Antoinette, that royal couple who must
bear all the punishment that should
have fallen upon that corrupt king.
Louis XIV, who went on in his evil
course saying After me, the deluge,"
little caring what happened to the next
generation.
So when Louis XVI and his queen
had been deprived of their power and
all vestiges Of royalty, they tried to
escape, knowing that their lives were
in danger. But the preparations were
clumsily made. They carried too much
luggage and had troops placed along
the way. The royal family, too, were
IN the same carriage, although the
passports had been made out for the
Baron korf, the king being disguised
as valet-de -chambre Such a reti-
nue. could not help but be recognized.
but all went well while they were
passing through the cities where the
people were royalists. Alas for the
poor king. At st. Menehould he was
recognized by an ardent revoutionist.
Dronet, son of the village postmaster.
Rapidly Dronet rode ahead of the
royal family, SO that when they
reached Varennes, Sausse, the public
of1cer of the commune responsible for
the passports urged the king to go into
his shop saying
There is rumor abroad that we
nave the good fortune to possess our
king within our walls; whilst the mu-
niclpal council are celebrating, your
majesty might be exposed to insults" y
| AS the king was entering. the grocery
shop of Sausse, he was spoken to rude
| ~ by the armed men, who told him
that they recognized him. Then. .
spoke Marie Antoinette sharply. iii
you recognize him. speak to him with
the respect that is his DUE
1t was impossible for the king to "a
farther than Varennes. That CITY was
inclosed on all sides by Reyolutionists