Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-12-31
Story of Joan Of Arc.
Rev Thomas b, Gregory, in New York
American

American.
The story of the maid of Orleans" is
one Of the most wonderful in all history.
1t is more than romantic. II is amazing,
mysterious, and from the ordinary human
standpoint, quite miraculous.
A young peasant girl, without the slight
est knowledge Of books, being unable to
read or write, her whole time being passed
between household work in her fathers
humble cottage and the caring for her
fathers sheep; absolutely ignorant of the
great outside world, silent, shy, retired
Astounding in physical energy and SEEM
ingly absorbed in the discharge of her
| simple duties of home and field, is sud
denly transformed into a great national
deliverer and saviour, the Joy and inspira-
| ton of her countrymen, the dread and ter
ror of her countrys foes.
Joan of Arc, known to immortality as
THE Maid of Orleans" was born about
the year 14l1 in the small village of Dom
remy France. Her father was a small
peasant proprietor but few removes from
the condition of common serf, and the
mother was of corresponding station, men,
tally and socially.
But simple minded and rustic as the
| DOmremy VILLAGERS were, they were suf-
ficiently awake not to be insensible to the
wretched shape in which their country
found itself. That shape was indeed
forl0rn one. The English had extended
their conquest all over the north of France
| the English Henry vi had already been
proclaimed king of France.
II was at this juncture, when the ma
tional disgrace was at its low-water mark
that Joan began hearing voices" and
seeing visions" Possibly the voices and
visions were helped along somewhat by
the conviction prevalent in the locality.
that out of the forests of Domremy vir-
gin was to come who should prove to be
the peoples leader in their fight for the
restoration of the national prestige.
| In the meantime the English encroach-
ment kept on, and in 1923 Orleans was
invested by the foes from across the Chan
mel. In the Maids opinion the time had
come for her to act, Supernatural voices
| were calling to her, and she made an effort
| to convey to the French authorities what
the voices commanded. She had a hard
time in reaching the great ones, and a
still harder time after she had reached
them, in getting them to recognize the
soundness of her claims but finally, after
a committee of learned men had exam
ined her and found nothing against her
faith and purity, she was permitted to 90
ahead. At the head of an army of some
5000 men the Maid, clothed in coat Of
mail and armed with an ancient sword.
which she had found near an altar of one
of the saints, the white standard of her
own design embroidered with lilies float
ing over her head, marched for the relief
of Orleans. The result all the world knows,
and at that result the world has not yet
ceased to wonder.
The simple peasant girl proved to be
mightier than all the steel-coated knights
and warriors of the kingdom and before
the enthusiasm created by the young wO-
mans victory the enemy seemed to fly as
before the push of omnipotence Inspired
by her example the hitherto weak French
men became demigods in prowess, and
triumph after triumph crowned their arms
Jargean. Beaugency, capped by the great
victory of Patay, and the English found
themselves driven beyond the Loire In
the great cathedral at Rheims. with Joan
at his side, Charles receives his corona
was crowned, and a little more than
year later Joan, while leading sOrtie
| against the besiegers of Compiegne, was
wounded and taken prisoner.
The ungrateful man upon whose brow
she had placed the crown took no steps
toward her ransom. and she was sold to
the English who, in conjunction with the
University of Paris and the Inquisition.
had her condemned as a witch and exc
cuted She was burned at the stake on
the streets of Rouen, May 80, 1881
Thus persisted, in her twentieth year,
one of the most remarkable characters
known to history.