Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-05-05
CLUB
STUDIES LIFE OF
JOAN OF ARC

afternoon. A pretty little muSicalprO-
gram was given by Gordon and Gene
GAfiRr d which was very much enjoy
ed by all. The paper for the after
}atenoR was written by Mrs. G.. w. Hill
FEaUf and read by Mrs. James Fay,
E3gr subject was Joan of Arc. She
said in part: of Arc was born
GG p0Or parents in Domremy on the
Borders of Lorraine in 1412. She grew
1g n pious, happy, Industrious child.
~At this time France was at it's
G2west ebb in civil matters. What is
&8zz0@n as the Hundred Years war was
SteEng waged between France and
ENGLAND, bringing untold misery and
z3aS0Iat ton to the glorious nation of
ST Louis, Charlemange and Clovis.
At Aquincourt in 1415 Henry v
conquered France, and French king
9th HIS queen dieinherited their
@s04s the Dauphin and proclaimed the
English monarch king of France.
fsrzsnce was soon after divided into
&oa0 parties, the Burgundians and the
1azCFyalists. The rightful heir. the
Gsaaphin, Chas VII was an uncrowned
Rggutiye king, holding a foolish court
at his castle Of Chinon on the Loire.
S4ss rad no army in the field. The
8aTgundians were allies of the Eng
SIss> Paris and the chief towns of
the north were English in sympathy
ETance south of the Loire was loyal
Ut Ehe Dauphin. In May 1923 an Eng
&TSh army of 10000 men laid seige to
Orleans the key to the south. It
ngaS but question of a few months
azasA that key city must fall The
SIas of the Loire would be broken, the
GNvaders would overrun the south,
4nii all France broken, dispirited, dis
Ss&egrated, would be absorbed under
tine sway of England
Kt was in this hour of black despair
Sna& Joan of Arc became one of the
strongest and purest threads of gold
81 bind that broken race into one
f8uS tor her France would have ceas-
sEed TO reckon amongst the nations. The
WAYS of God are unsearchable. He
TsEpoos@ IS the foolish things of the
weak things to confound the strong
For this gigantic undertaking which
c8&d beaten the wisest heads and the
Srgzpst swords of the best patriots of
France. God selected this simple peas
s3nt girl. What she called "her vol
ces" in reality, celestial visitors told
ne that she alone was selected by
Coo to drive the English out Of
E1ra1ace and place the Dauphin on
&h& throne. The voices became insis-
ten%> fs1o into France; it is necessary
Rt1ey commanded For the last seven
years of her life she lived in constant
communion with them. There is
nothing in secular history comparable
70 the episode of the Maid of France.
This is what she did in IL months In
Its darkest hour she rolled back the
aide of conquest sweeping over
France. She affected the destiny Of
eE~o great nations for all time, she
displayed a marvellous military gen
h8s. Despite the timidity of her sex
she was ever in the thick of the
Eight, her white-mailed figure a Wis
kaFe symbol of undying loyalty to
France and her clear voice ever cry
T@g encouragement, Son, on they are
Cysggars2 God condemns the English In
eexght days she beat the English at
Orleans and ended a seige of eight
2En0nthS. In a Whirlwind campaign of
Tsx weeks she smashed their armies
s1hong the Loire she captured the town
Gf Rheims and on July II, 1929 she
assisted at the browning of Chas.
VII as the rightful king of France. 1t
KS q law of the spiritual life that those
WIN are to be conformed to the image
%2sE 1he Savior must bear a part of
EF4Es cross. 1t is a test, a condition of
ettxSclplehood, and the cup of His Pas
&s18H is the nectar of the saints. st.
s.SG&u Of Arc, too, was to share that
SsS&ter draught. The English hated
8aEr and heaped every vile insult on
NasT. Even Shakespeare voices their
GaSG, when he calls her, witch" ZEN
1Sskantress" "strumpet" In the annals
0I English injustice and it is a long
STORY, there is no fouler transaction
@.nan the trial and burning of st. Joan
%oT Arc. Thrown into prison she was
1emanacled, Knocked, insulted, threaten
esz@ and assaulted, and after the most
~zGnfair trial was condemned to be burn
s1d at the stake. A guard of 500 Eng
&lsh soldiers, mob of over ten thous-
&1zad people all hostile and in their
sTsidst, tied to an elevated stake en-
vs1Gped in surging flames, poor
trembling girl 10 years of age grip
ping to her bosom a rude wooden
V2ESss and from out of the fire and
'esEzAOKe came the brave words, Eyes,
Say voices were from God; they have
mot deceived me-" Finally uttering
sGhe holy name of Jesus, she dropped
tasr head and died. The English threw
SaRT ashes into tha Seine river and