Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
prit Of Joan Of Arc Inspires World on 5OOh Annversar

Society folk prepared a great banquet
in her honor But Joan, remembering
the starving within the gates, supped
only little wine and ate few crumbs
of bread before she retired to commune
with her voices.
May 4th came. The rest Of the
Maids soldiers. who had taken another
| route, arrived. the English doing moth
ing to prevent them. That afternoon
while their leader was resting some of
these men decided to take the fort of
ST. Loup. thinking no doubt If they
were successful the honor would be
theirs instead of Joans. They had
made another mistake. For they were
speedily repulsed by the English.
( Conscious that French blood was
! flowing. the Maid suddenly rose from
/ her bed, mounted her horse and called
back the defeated men, Under her
leadership the fort was taken.
| THREE days later Joan sent on ulti-
matum to the English. She asked
| for their surrender Their reply was
insulting. 1t inspired her to take The
Towers
"On, soldiers, on, in the name of God
the victory is ours" she shouted as
she mounted a ladder placed against
one of the steep walls. Stones were
hurled at her. But she went on, until
an English arrow sent her to the
ground.
Certain of victory at that moment,
the enemy rushed forth to capture "ths
witch that had caused them so much
trouble One of her loyal bodyguards
was too quick for them and CALAMITY
beat them back until his comrades ar
rived and carried her from the field.
Although Joan was so seriously
wounded that she cried with pain, she
would not be subdued. and almost as
soon as the arrow was removed un-
furled her banner and returned to
battle
The English supposed that they had
killed her. On seeing the invulnerable
one appear their courage fed. Before
nightfall they ran from the fort to
bridge. spanning the Loire. where
that she might save their lives. This
they stubbornly refused to do. The
bridge broke and those angry men went
down with it.
Sunday, May 8, the remaining Eng
lish troops lined up before the French.
determined evidently to fight until the
end. But the battle did not begin. Re-
ligious services were held on the field
at the Maids direction. While she knelt
in prayer the enemy quietly departed.
On being informed that they were
retreating. La Pucelle replied, In Gods
name, let them go. 1t is not my Lords
will that We should fight them on the
Lords day"
In eight days the victory was won
which turned the tide of events in the
direction of French unity.
At the coronation of Charles VII. two
months later, Joan stood on the top
rung of the ladder, the goal from which
she saw that her work was at last COM
pleted. Gentle king, now is accom-
plished the will of God, who decreed
that I should raise the siege of Or
leans and bring you to the city OF
Rheims for your holy sscring." she said,
quickly and run OF to her beloved
fields in Domremy.
No such happiness awaited the Maid.
The king selfishly retained her, because
he saw that she had . good influence
on his army. His counselors were jeal-
Gus of Joans achievements and waited
! for her defeat The English still hoped
to capture "the witch" that had frus-
trated their greedy ambitions. The
church was eager to lay its hands on
the girl who had obeyed her voices.
The fact that she had worn male
attire were the chief charges brought
against her at that tedious trial which
| followed AFTER the Bur2unolanS cap
tured and sold her to the English, who
on delivering Joan to the inquisition
realized their own evil desires and made
it possible for ecclesiastical foes to real
ize theirs as we'll.
Forsaken by the king and former
friends, who put forth no effort to res
cue her, the unfortunate girl was finally
incarcerated in an iron cage. to which
she was at times even chained by her
hands and feet, and so she was tor
tured by enemies determined to force
her to repudiate her voices
But the story of the Maids painful
descent is too long to be related here.
1t belongs to the last chapter. which
perhaps should be told two years hence
on the anniversary of her burning at
the stake, when the brave child for
feited her life to find that which comes
to those who have fought a good fight
and kept the faith.