The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-06-10

OAy OCAOScp ~ wv BsOD9oCO ~ ~ -
tire French aF1y-ths awful spectacle
of . single divisios ef ssven thousand
men suddenly ssvsloDed and crushed
by seventy thousaAd Germans.
The rain fell steadily but less hsavf
ly. changed ny civilian clothes foe
. hsssar uniform. sent . trooper -
md mo horse. and sat down by ~
window TO stare at the downpour and
think how best might carry out my
instructions to . successful anish.
The colony at La Trappe vas. a. fas
~ l could Judge. . product Of eondt
tions which had. . hundred years -
fore. eliminated in the French Revols-
ton. Now. In 1870. but under different
circumstances. all France vas once
more disintegrating socially. Opposi
tion to the Empire. to the dynasty. 70
the government. had been seething for
years: now the separate crystals which
formed on the edges Of the boiling un-
dercurrents began to grow into masses
which. adhering to other masses. In
terfered with the healthy functions of
national life. First among these cane
the International Society Of Working
men. with all it, afaliadons-the In
ternationale." ~ II was called. In it,
wake trailsd minor societies. some
mild and harmless. some dangerous
and secret. some violent, advocating
openly the destruction Of all existing
conditions.
With one exception, all those whom
the police and tho government regard.
cd ~ inclined to violence left the
group. There remained. with this one
exception. q nucleus Of earnest,
thoughtful people whose creed was in
part the creed Of the Internationals.
the creed Of universal brotherhood.
equality before the law. purity Of In
dividual living - IN example and an
incentive to . national purity.
To this inofensivs group came one
day . young widow. the Countess d
Vassart. placing at their disposal her
great wealth. asking only to be ~
ceived among them ~ comrade.
Her history. as known to the police.
was peculiar and rather sad: at six
teen she had been betrothed to An 81.
derly. bull-necked colonel Of cavalry.
the notorious Count de Vassart, who
needed what money she might bring
him to maintain his reputation - the
most brilliantly dissolute old rake in
Paris.
Her dossier-for. alas! the young
girl already had dossier-was inter
esting. particularly in its summing up
Of her personal character:
ITO the naive ignorance Of . con
vent pensionnaire, she adds an inno-
cence Of mind. purity of conduct, and
= credulity which render her an easy
prey to the adroit, who play upon her
sympathies. She 10 dangerous only ~
a source of revenue for dangerous
men"
1t was from her salon that young
Victor Noir went to his death at
Auteuil on the 10th Of January; and
possibly the shock Of the murder and
the almost universal conviction that
justice under the Empire was hope.
less drove the young Countess to seek
refuge in the country where at her
house Of La Trappe. she could quietly
devote her life to helping the desper.
ately wretched, and where she could
in security. hold counsel with those
who had chosen to give their lives to
the noblest Of all works-charity and
the propaganda Of universal brother
hood.
And here, at La Trappe. the youns
aristocrat first donned the robe ol
democracy. dedicated her life and for
tune to the cause. and worked viii
her own delicate hands. for ever,
morsel Of bread that passed her lips
But the simple life at La Trappe
the negative protest against the EN-
pire and all existing social conditions
the purity of motive, the serene ant
inspired self-abnegation. could mo-
save the colony at La Trappe nor tn,
young chatelaine from the claws o
those who prey upon the innocenc,
OF the generous.
And 30 came to this ideal communi
ty one John Buckhurst. stranger
quiet, suave, deadly pale, nnel!
nodded man, with delicately fashione,
hands and feet, and two eyes so color
less that in some lights they appeare,
to be almost sightless
In month from that time he wa
the power that moved that communit,
even in Its most Insignificant machiu
cry. With marvellous skill he cor
structed out Of that simple republi
Of protestants an absolute despotisu
And he was the despot.
An intimation from the Tuileries II
terrupted a meeting Of the council a
the house in Paradise: an arrest wa
threatened-that of Professor Reclu
and the indignant young Counties
was requested to retire to her chatea
Of La Trappe. She obeyed, but invite
her guests to accompany her Anon
tho6e who accented vaa RNckhurat