The Washington herald., 1910-10-16
NAPOLEONS PTETY
IN HIS YOUTH

Has the reader ever heard of Auxonne?
No? Well. no wonder, And yet in that
Old-time border town Of burgundy. on
the eastern bank Of the Upper saone,
with It's centuries old walls. young Ma
poleOn Bonaparte passed his formative
years. from 17SS 10 1892. and here it was
that the 'sous-lieutenant" Of the ar
tillery regiment La Fere practically ma
tured his astonishing genius amidst rig
orous studies and worse privatons, which
In themselves are proof OF true herOism.
A slim bit Of statue stands on the
public square of the ancient burg IN
commemoration OF the time which the
future maker Of empires spent there. I
often wondered as / walked the lone
streets of the quiet town. which were trod
by the great cOnqueror day after day for
PEARS. whether his commanders. Baron
du Tell, later field marshal Of the ar
mics Of His most Christian Majesty"
Louis XVI, ever suspected what genius
there was developing rlght under his
nose. so TO say
The Bastile. IN those days. had not
yet been attacked: the assembly had not
met; Louis XVI still was king and Bona
parte was a royal artillery officer at
Auxonne. Matters rapidly though were
| shaping themselves. although the catas-
trophe was not yet at hand.
The young soldier was a model in his
profession. eager for Improvement, good
officer, a good comrade. a good friend,
l. A
cal families Of respectfully and posi-
ton, and genuinely pious a rare thing
indeed I'm those days among army Off
GERS. In later years. when. crowned With
laurels, the maker OF the Conc0rdat re-
stored public worship in France after the
atheism OF the revolution, he may have
remembered how at Auxonnc quite By
himself, he used 90 go every afternoon
70 say his prayers before the statue Of
Our Lady in the little chapel Of the Tr-
sulines. and when the good nuns. charm
ed al his deyout bearing. would send
bouquet OF ranunculus and anemoue
his fayorite flowers, 20 the boy leuten-
ant with the large eyes and the pale,
ascetic countenance.
He had good reason 10 look like an
ascetic He had nothing but his poor
pay. and 10 make this DO. somehow Bona
parte used only 10 eat once a day for he
had TO send once ia a while also an oc-
casional few liyres 70 the starving little
! brothers and sisters in the Corslcan
home.
! have read somewhere that il was
Napoleon's early piety which brought
upon him, as upon the founder OF the
reigning Austrian house. the blessing
which prospered his genius Count Ru-
dolf Of Hapsburg according 90 a legend.
gave his horse 20 poor priest fastening
/ through the Tyrolese mountains TO the
sick bed Of a dying believer, and who
was unable 10 swim the angry, swollen
Alpine stream. the count walking hum
bly, TO let the priest ride his charger.
Napoleon did more a time soon was
10 come when the little chapel OF the
Ursulines at Auxonns was 10 DE made a
drinking room, and the statue Of the Viz
gin, before which Napoleon had prayed,
was decked out as an IMAGE ~ the Cod
dess OF Reason. Even i'm those anti-Chris-
tan days the young artilleryman showed
his fidelity and his iron character and
temper. In his poor barrack chamber he
took from the Suppressed chaplain Of
the regiment the precious deposits of
the altar furnishings and hid them many
| months
He was not timid about It. either. for
when found out he replied: Yes. just
so. and II you want 10 hear mass I can
say Il for YOU by heart" How little
the gentlemen" sansculottes Of the bar
ricades at Paris suspected that away of
IN a frontier garrison that clever young
| Corsican already was nourishing senti-
ments that foreboded anything but per
manence for their vaunted END Of SUI
perstiton' period.
And how little the aristocrats at Yer
sailles and the Tunleries dreamed that
| they had among their soldiers a man,
rather a young god OF war. who only
lacked opportunity to finish the revolt
against church and king by the Whit Of
grapeshot that later finished the terror. %
/ Indeed, young Napoleon did GET one little
| chance TO show his short way with revo-
/ buttons. Sent In command of a detach-
ment 10 lie little town Of Scurre in MAY.
/ I7S9 TO put down revolutionary out
! break. he lined up his few men in the
/ roaring little square filled with q furious
/ populace but mainly with sansculottes,
commanded his men to take aim. and
! then shouted 10 the bawling mob: II
/ have orders 10 shoot all canaiuer l beg
honest people TO stand clear"
| The honest people stood clear There
was no shooting. And in a few minutes
the square was empty.
| Just OF the Champs EIysees In Paris
there is a small. exclusive looking shop,
with the modest sign over its door: pal
ace for cats and dogs" and in the win
/ dow Of the little shop there are exhibited
all sorts OF beautiful things for cats and
! dogs OF aristocratic birth. Occupying the
| place Of honor is a small cradle of silt
| wicker work This is bound with pink
satin ribbon and ornamented by q pink
rose in the center of the hood. so that
when the pussy OF puppy wakes the first
! thing he or she sees is this beautiful flow
er. It is TO be hoped that this may have
an elevating effect
| Inside the cradle she placed a feather
/ bed and pillow, with sheets and pillow
case OF fine lawn and a dainty eiderdown
! coveriet in blue and pink Is there also
to cover the much petted creature. Then
as 10 clothes. there are plain morning
coats lined with fur for the cold wealth
/ % ell