The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1913-11-14


good and faithful Catholics, laborers
OF good repute and honest life. 2 They
we're fairly rich and prominent for their
community. Isabelle was deyout, ener-
getic, and had some taste for pious ad-
venture. OF such parents, and amid
such circumstances and surroundings,
Jeanne dare was born on the feast OF
the Epiphany, the 9th Of January, 1412.
Jeanne was modest, simple, devout, and
went gladly to church and to sacred
places; she worked, sewed, hoed in the
fields and did what was needful about
the house. Her early life was not char
acterized by any misanthropic tenden-
cies. Until her visions began she danced
aud sang with other boys and girls and
participated in the rural revels held
about a certain Fairies Tree" and
nearby fountain. The sports OF the
children we're associated with ideas OF
fairy folklore, and yet it is said that the
fairy tales, common talk, and local ira
ditions had no effect on. Jeanne. Very
strange, thsl A superstitious age, in
which even the old townspeople believed
in and told weird stories about fairies
and other unrealities, and yet the mind
OF this young, untutored girl was not
affected.
| When she was thirteen she began to
hear her voices and see her visions.
THE first time I heard this voice, !"
she said, Il was very much frightened;
/ it was midday in the summer In my
fathers garden ! heard this
voice to my right toward the church T;
rarely do l hear it without its being
accompanied by light 1t
] seemed to me to come from lips should
reverence. | believe it was sent me
from God When | heard it for the
third time, recognized that it was the
voice of an angel. This voice has al
ways guarded me well, and l have al
ways understood it; it instructed me to
be good and to 60 often to chuch; it
/ told me ii was necessary for me to come
.Einto France 1t said to me two
or three times week, Yon must 60 in
to France. My father knew nothing Of
my going Finally the voice said to
me, Go, raise the siege which is being
made before the city OF Orleans. I"
1t seems that the voice which first
spoke to her was that Of st. Michael,
who was surrounded by the angels Of
Heaven. Later the voices of St. Cath
crime and St. Margaret came to her and
continued speaking with her until her
death.
At first, Jeanne naturally resisted the
voices, even as Moses, conscious Of his
own unworthiness, resisted the voice of
God which summoned him to lead
Israel from the House OF Bondage. But
BY the spring Of 142S she could hesitate
no longer. The voices bade her go to
Robert de Baudricourt, the Captain Of
/ Vaucouleurs, who would furnish her
with an escort, that she might go into
France and announce her mission to the
Dauphin.
Within league Of Vaucouleurs was
the village OF Little Burey, where lived
one Durand Lassois, cousin OF Jeanne
by marriage. Thither the Maid went
I in May, 1923. Lassois had heard Of the
prophecy of Marie d'Avignon that
France would be made desolate by a
woman (the mother OF Charles VIZ and
restored by Maid" who, according to
another prophecy, was to come from the
marshes Of Lorraine. Being naturally
Of superstitious turn Of mind, he was
was easily induced by Jeanne to intro
duce her to Baudricourt
This Baudricourt was blunt, prac-
tical man OF the sword who had married
two rich widows in succession, and who
had been fighting in the reckless wars
OF Lorraine ever since he could bear
arms. The old Captain had some sense
Of humor, and il is not surprising that he
indulged in hearty laughter when six
-year-old peasant girl Of Domremy
appeared before him and solemnly pro-
claimed that she had divine mission
to save France. We cannot censure
him Tor refusing 70 grant as this time
the petitions Of the Maid-we have
nothing but contempt for him il he
really did, as some authorities assert,
think Of keeping her As 'leaguer-lass"
for the recreation Of bis soldiers. At
any rate this first yisitwas unsuccessful,
and Jeanne went home, attended by
Lassois.
| Little is known Of the events Of the