Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-09-04
A Couple of
Wine Casks
They Contained Something
Better Than Wine
BY F. A. mitchell

Not all the aristocracy of France
We're, previous to the revolution, OPP
pressors OF the poor. True, the power
they possessed rendered many or them
tyrannical, especially those about the
court, but through the country there
were instances OF mobiles who were
much beloved by their interiors in
rank.
Among these was the young Count
de Lisle, who on his twenty birth
day came into fine property in the
province Of Maine, not far from Paris.
He had tender heart, and the condi-
ton of the peasantry panied him ex-
ceedingly. When he fell heir to his
estate there were 100000 francs for
him In currency in Paris bank Half
of this he distributed among the poor
on or about his domain.
He furthermore resolved that he
would devote his life to the cause Of
the betterment OF the condition Of the
oppressed lower classes. Had he been
older he would have realized that the
many years of wars and extravaganza
on the part Of royalty and the mobiles
had so impoverished France that those
who had wasted the wealth of the ma
ton must be put out of the way be-
fore France could begin a necessary
retrenchment
When the revolution came on the
count threw himself heart and soul
into the cause Of reform. He went to
Paris, where he attended meeting In
the Palais Royal composed largely of
the best men of the middle class In
France, and there raised his voice in
behalf Of the overtaxed people.
But in the rising cloud Of revolution
was thunderbolt, unseen by the IN
telligent middle classes, who were I'M
consciously fostering 1t. Nine. Roland,
the leader Of the Girondists, feared
that the excitement would die away
before the constitutional rights requir-
ed by tho people from the sovereign
had been granted. 1t was not long be-
fore the storm broke, sweeping away
her and her associates In the work.
They all persisted on the guillotine,
singing the "Marseillaise," the volume
Of sound lessening as each head fell,
till the last died singing alone
One day news came to the tenants
Of the Count do Isles estate that cast
n gloom upon them. The count had
been arrested in Paris. A few there
were who, having become rabid by the
flow OF blood, reJoiced that another
noble head would soon fall and there
would be one less Of that class who
had impoverished France. The young
Countess Julie de Lisle had sent mes
senger after messenger to her husband,
begging him to come home and leave
the revolutionsts to work out their
own salvation. But he had entered
upon the work Of amellorating the con
ditiOn Of the oppressed people and
would not turn back.
He had been warming a serpent In
his bosom. At the height OF the tenn
pest, when the leadership fell into the
hands OF representatives of tho lowest
classes and the cry was raised to ex-
terminate all royal blood and all no
bles, De Isle was denounced as an
enemy of France and thrown into pris-
on. A few days later he was taken
before one of those tribunals, consist
ing only of so called Judge-a man
without any knowledge Of law and
usually even without education-whose
business It was to condemn those
whom the people wished to get rid Of
In order that they might be executed
with the semblance OF Justice. What
was tho counts astonishTnent TO 800
sitting in the judicial chair behind
n pine table Henri Denier, ono of
his own tenants, who had received a
portion OF the 10000 francs that tho
count had distributed on his coming Of
age.
The two mems eyes met for an in
slant. Then those Of the judge fell
before the steady gaze of the one who
had befriended him and whom no was
now called upon to order TO execution.
Nor was II in Denier's power to re-
frain from this course. Behind him
were the people, who had put him
there, not to Judge of guilt or limo
cence, but to pronounce sentence. He
was compelled either TO send his bene-
factor to the guillOtine or go there him
self And by refusing to pronounce
sentence OF death no would not save
the count, who would be condemned
by Denier's successor.
eve have met before" said the
count
YES" replied tho judge mechanical
ly, 1--WE have met before"
(which one OF us has contributed
more TO the cause OF the French people,
you or II"
The room was filed with revolution.
fists. Denier was aware that every
eye was upon him. Should no finch
in his duty to the cause Of exterminn-
ton he would Mt once DO reported aa
an enemy OF France.
THAT is not the question before US,
citizen" he said you have boen dc
nOunced. and II IL my duty TO pro
nOunce sentence upon you" Then 20
the guards. Take him 10 tho concier-
gerie."
Until this moment Henri Denier had
been rcvOlutionist OF the extreme
type. He had inherited a little patch
OF ground and some money from hi
father, but the taxes he had beer