Year: 1870

no doubt under q vague idea that the


supernatural would there be more ike


ly to come near her. Afterwards, how


ever, on her trial, her visits to this tree


were brought up against the poor girl


to prove that she was a witch. Joan


was still the darling of the village


She was, as formerly hopeful in hel


home. She was sympathetic to hel


young companions. She was the gen


tlest and most skiIful sick nurse in the


parish. Yet even while they loved hel


these simple people felt that she was


changed. Without knowing why they


now treated her with a sort of Tever-


ence. Yet, still she was the same Joan


they had dandled in their arms. How


could this be? That question the good


folks of DOmremy could not answer.


When Joan was sixteen, the tide O1


war reached DOmremy. The family


of Arc for safety left their home, and


lived for q time in the neighbOTing


town of Vaucouleurs with a relation


who kept an inn. There, from the


passers by, Joan heard things which


inf1amed her wrath yet more against


the English. When they went back


again to DOmremy, she talked openly


st. Catherine and st. MargaFeo, to de-


liver France from her enemies. Her


mother said the child was crazy. Her


father, thinking that this showed a


wild ligntness in his daughter, which


would lead to something worse, declar-


ed that he would rather see her dead


than following the army. There was


an honest young man who loved her.


They pressed her to marry him, but


Joan steadily refused. She loved and


hOnOred her parents, but she loved and
hOnOred& &Od more, and she believed
that He had given her a great work to
do. So He had. The voices of St.
Catharine and st. Margaret were in re-
ality merely the voices of her own
genius.


At length, when she was seventeen,
Joan could rest no longer. She went
10 BaudricOurt, the governor of Vau-
cOulers, and telling him her mission,
begged him to send her to the king.
BaudricOurt was a stern old soldier,
whose thoughts had seldom travelled
further than his stable or his armory,
and whose idea Ofa woman was a good
cook. No wonder, then, that he could
not find out that there was in this peas
ant girl the soul of patriot and the in
tellect Of a general. He thought her a
gOOd-lOOking lass, whose head was
turned with too much thinking and
about things she had no bu-
siness with. He therefore sent her
back to her father, with message, that
if he were in his place he would box
her ears, and get her husband. Joan
stayed quiet at home for little while
But she was depressed and restless, and
spent much of her time fasting and
One day, urged by her vol
ces, she ran away to an uncle who lived
near NeucOuleurs. He seems to have
been a shrewd, kindly man, who
thought there was more in the girl than
her parents did. He took her once
more to BaudricOurt, who this time
looked on her more favOrably. The
kings cause was, he knew, almost des-
perate, and so there could be no harm
in Joan trying to mend it. He gave
her knight to protect her, q horse, and
a suit of armour, for her voices had bid
den her put on mans attire. Then,
with q farewell, half of encouragement,
half of mOckery, he sent her to the
court. Charles the Seventh was at
spending three-quarters of his
time in induStriOusly making love by
turns to his pretty Queen Marie and
his various mistTeSses, and the other
portion in playing at state craft with
his ministers. The real handspring of
the government was the premier, De
La TremOuilIe, an artful, time-servin9
man, who always, Ys,managed to keep one
foot on the step NCharleS' throne, and
the other on those of the throne of the
English king. Thus, whatever turn
things might take, his game was a safe
one. Joan knew the king at once from
all those around him, though to try
her he purpOsely stood among the
crowd of ofcourtiers. This was consider
Il al lint ho Ia Cl0 u of
ten had Charles described to her.
Charles had some doubts of his own
legitimacy. He limited these to Joan
IN private interview he had with her,
and she without really understanding
what he meant, told him he was GER
-ainIy the rightful heir to the crown.
Charles, with all the ready superstition
Of his time, looked upon this as a SUI
OernaturaI sign of the truth of her mis-
sion. No doubt Joan was very much
surprised when she understood the real
drift of the kings words, but she had
wit enough to keep his counsel and her
own. A rumOr, however, of her hav-
ing given the king some such sign got
and worked her much mischief
OH her trial. De La Tremouille did not
like Joan. Her ways were far too bold
and straightforward for him. He,
-uSIClOIGJ constantly WLlSBS uOuOJS
Of her into the kings ear. Yet even
while he half mistrusted her in his
heart, Charles, by his handsome face
and gracious manners, cOntrived to
knit the simple peasant girl to his SER
vice. From that time she was faithful
to him even unto death. Her loyalty,
indeed, seems almost to have amount
ed to passionate alteration. The feel
ing was noble, though the idol was un-
worthy.


Before Joan was allowed to go to the
relief of Orleans, the siege of which she
promised to raise, she was examined
first by jury of churchmen, to decide
whether she was a good Christian, and
then by jury of ladies, to decide
she was a good WOmdn Both
gave answer in her favor. Quesp Yo-
land, Charles mother-in-laW, Who was
at the head of the ladies' committee,
was especially delighted with her. The
hearts of this good princess and of the
village girl seem always to have beat
in WOndrOuS unison.


At last she went away with the ar
my. Charles gave her fine horse and
splendid suit of mail for a parting gift.
She must have been a gOodly sight as
she rode away that spring morning.
Her white charger curvetted lightly;
her gay arms flashed in the sunshine
her fair young face beamed beneath
her plumed helmet; from under its
brim peeped out here and there locks
of shortcut, but still thick and WaYy
dark hair; before her fluttered her gOr-
geOus standard, on one side of which
was represented the Savior, and on the
other the Virgin. We have no space
to trace minutely Joan of Arcs career
in war. From the day when she en-
tered Orleans till Charles was crowned
at Rheims it was one unbroken course
Of victory and triumph. Her success
was no doubt partly caused by the pam
ic she spread among the English sol
diers, who always believed her to be
witch; but it was also in q great meas
ure due to her skill as a commander.
al,