Arizona republican., 1910-10-27
NAPoLEoN'S PRAYERS.
His Experiences as a Young Officer
at Border Town of Burgundy.

Within the centuries old walls
young Napoleon Bonaparte passed
the formative years from 1888 to
1892, during which the sous Iieuten-
ant of the artillery regiment of La
Fere practically matured. his aston
fishing genius amid rigorous. studies
and more than rigorous privations
which in themselves were test of
rare heroism.
The slim, STRIPPING statue of the
future Hammer Of Empires stands in
commemoration on public place,
and felt strangely moved, writes a
correspondent of the Pail Mall Ga
Zette; almost frightened at fate as it
were as 1 walked. the quiet streets
through which thegs marvellous con-
Queror used to walk year after year,
only suspected of genius. or at least
cof remarkable talent, by his COM
mander. the Baron du Tell, "marechal
du camp dams les armees de Sa
Majestic Tres Christienne Louis XVI"
etc.
The Bastile had not been attacked
the general assembly not met
King Louis XVI wasH king, though
Young Napoleon Bonaparte was
Royal Artillery officer at Auxonne.
Michelet in the absence Of much
about young NapoIeon's doings at
Auxonne justly opined that he must
have been well conducted officer
who satisfied his superiors. Since
Michelet, we know. especially during
the last few months, good deal
more about this important period of
the conqueror's lifey- shqt1the surTEise
holds perfectly good that the young
soldier was a model in his profession,
Unsuitable for Improvement, a good
officer, a good comrade, a good
friend, charmingly modest in his re-
spectability and position. genuinely
and even demonstratively pious. with
piety which was perhaps even
then rare with very young officers of
artillery.
Half a generation later, when
crowned with laureIs the maker of
the Concordat restored public woc-
ship in France after the ostentatious
atheism of the Revolution, perhaps
he remembered-besid reasons Of
State-how he used to go at Aux
onne quite quietly by himself in the
afternoons of the restful border town
toward 2 O'Clock to say his pray
ers before the statue of Our Lady
in the little chapel of the Ursu
lines" :.a I'D
And the good nuns. charmed at
his devout bearing, would send a
bouquet of ranunculus and anem-
one, his favorite flowers to the boy
lieutenant with the large, eager eyes
and the pale ascetic countenance.
He had good reason to look an as
celtic. He had nothing but his own
poor pay, and to make it do some
how, perhaps also to send an occa-
sional livre to the. starving little
brothers and sisters in the Corsican
home, young Napoleon Beunaparte
used only to eat once a day about
3 o'clock-after coming back from
his prayers.
lady granddaughter of "a famous Ma
poleonic general, state with the ut
most conviction that it was the
great hero's early --piety which
brought upon him. as upon the
founder of the Austrian house, the
blessing which prospered his gen.
ius.
Count Rudolf of Habsburg was
said to have given his horse to a
poor priest hasting to a sick call
and to have humbly walked to let
the priest ride his charger. A time
was soon to come when the chapel
of the Ursulines was to be made a
drinking room and when the statue
Of the Virgin before which Napoleon
had prayed was decked out as an
Even in the storm of anti Chris
tianity the young artilleryman show
ed something of his fidelity and
of his iron temper
In his poor barrack chamber, mo.
10 above the clock face he took
from the suppressed chaplain of
the regiment the precious deposits
of the altar furniture and hid them
for many months. Nor timidly
either. The printer, NJ. Jolly, of Aux
onne saw the sacred objects in the
young officers bare room and ex-
pressing his wonderment was told
by Napoleon: Yes, just so; and if
you want to hear mass can say II
by heart from end to end" How lit
tie the Gentlemen of the Barbados