The state herald., 1919-01-31

Ignorant of the high part her agony was TO pay In
the upward struggle OF Europe, Marie Antoinette
did not Gle In vain. What the French revolution
began the world war has finished.
There is corridor In Versailles mt which the
Hun ENJOYS can look with bitterness only
n corridor and n gorgeous chamber. The chamber
is TINT In which bismarck explained to the French
plenIpotentInrics. Jules Favrc and Louis Theirs.
the crushing and hnmilatng terms imposed by
Germany nfter the defeat OF France a years ngo.
Roles are somewhat resersed In this year Of grace
1919. Near the chamt,..- is that sumptuOus corri-
dor known the Hall of Mirrors. where once the
French monarchs strolled md chatted with their
claimed the German empire, and 1t is the spot
where the pence treaty that skaters his empire
will doubtless be signed.
Strange. musty memories haunt every corner OF
this gorgeous palace outside the Paris walls.
thrown open now 10 the clenn sweet winds OF free
dom. Ds Pompndour. Du Barry and the train OF
lesser lovely harpies-their intrigues and their
wicked benuiy stlll lend dark CLEAN OF romance
TO the exquisite tapestries against which in the
yesterday OF history their brocades stood out In
gistcning relief. Here Is the mirror that reflected
the cynlc. apprnislng smile Of Louis XIV. There Is
the marble balustradc so lately touched by the
jeweled fingers Of the Duchess d'Orlcans. In that
corner filmed the scarlet robe OF the Cardinal de
Bohan.
fnte. II Is Marie AntoiDette OF al whose pres.
ence per,ades the wide painted rooms. Over these
CLASSY hoors her irresponsible feet danced In the
Petit Trinnon across the way she played mt milk
maid. And the gardens stli hold a faint sigh of
her lnugh. ringing out careiree as peasant girls
when the whole court joined In blind mans bun
Such blind king and court. eyes closed ngainst
the dreadful game impending. They were children.
the two soyereigns-children In yenrs and In out.
look during those first holiday seasons when the
court played and Paris starved and the first re-
mote STRINGS cnmc which led by long and bloody
roads TO the Versailles pcate conference Of the
year 1919
Marie Antoinctte was only fourteen years old
when they arranged her bctrothal to the fifteen
yenrold dnuphn. She wns married nt the nge OF
sixteen At the ngc Of twenty she was queen Of
France. Just before her for,icth birthday she wss
guilotncd.
For three years the king and queen had been
virtually prisoners In the Tucrics palace whittier
they were returned after one vain attempt at
flight At last the revolutionary fury broke. On
the tenth OF August. In 1892 III" steps Of the
Tuilsries crimson with the blood Of the faith.
full Swiss guard. Escaping TO the national nssein.
bly,. the king and queen. with their two children.
were lodged In the Temple prison fortress.
Blow after blow fell thereafter on the defense
less hcnds of the roynl family, The king wns
tnkcn nwny. tried md sent bnck for nm ngonlzinr
scene OF farewell Standing rigid ns sinius IN
her cell. Marie Antolncttc heard the guns boom
forth the tdlngs Of his execution.
A little later she wns separated from her chill.
drcn. subjected to revolving indIgnItics during a
farcicni trim. md ten months after the execution
Of her husband wns herself condemned to die. The
fortitude which Marin Thcrcsn bcquenthcd TO her
daughter hnd been shining with n pure aud steady,
light these innny months. Mnrlc Antolncttc hcnrt
her denth sentence with n smile.
Mad. s.lU. Ia.
summoned forth this daughter of mn empress on
whom Nil SHINE hnd been bcnpej. Her brown
hnlr had turned silver her body was bent her
voice hnd grown low md trcmulous. Not for ycnrs
hnd nny innn henrd the gny lnDgb that once cbni.
ienged court etiquette NJ Versailles weary won.