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wretched man, who, only partly dressed, was standing speechless before them, when his old father, who had heard this conversation, rushed out of bed, and interposed between them. He, too, was unable at first to speak through terror, when he perceived in the moonlight the soldiers, and among them Gündling, who burst into a loud laugh on seeing the father's agony. This insult restored the old man to consciousness, and crying, "You villanous Judas!" he rushed with elenched fists at the baron. Carl, however, interposed; but as the old man could not be calmed, and the confusion and cries had become general, for the mother and sisters had joined them, the young man repeatedly begged to be allowed to speak; and when he gained permission, he addressed the following question to his father:

"Do you believe that our Heavenly Father is aware of my fate, or not?"

At this all were silent; but when the question was repeated, the old man replied :

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Why do you ask such a question? How should He, who knows everything, not be aware of your fate?"

"Well, then," the son calmly replied, "if you believe that, you must not forget that all things work together for good to those who love God.' I love Him, and willingly yield to my fate; and will only dress myself, and then be ready to follow the captain."

"No!" the latter replied," you must come directly. Allons march!"

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All ran after the unfortunate man, crying to him, and striving to retain him, but in vain. Father, mother, and sisters were driven back by the butt-ends of the muskets.

"He will not be frozen," the captain cried, before getting out of the village, and then. he 'll put on his accoutrements."

We will not attempt to give any description of the condition of the sorrowing family, as a soldier's life in that day was not merely the most disgraceful, but also the most wretched on earth; and many a father, had the choice been left him, would sooner have seen his son in his coffin than in the colored coat.

themselves, knew where he was; and he must be getting on well, or else he would have written to them.

Two years thus elapsed, without the disconsolate father, who had long before received a young curate to assist him, hearing the least news about his son, and therefore supposed that he had died through the cold on that frightful evening, or at the halberts.

At length, when the second year had just ended, he received a message from the neighboring town to say that his son was in good health, and intended to visit him that same evening in company with the lady of the Dean of P

When their joy at this unexpected news, which appeared to the old man almost fabulous, was moderated, and a thousand questions asked of the messenger, no one could certainly furnish any explanation as to his strange companion; but this was their least anxiety. The dean's lady," the old mother gave it as her opinion, "will soon be tired of us." And long before evening the whole family set out to welcome their Joseph as the old man called him. They had just arrived at the cross-road we have already visited, when a carriage drove up, out of the window of which a charming little white hand was stretched, and a silvery voice uttered the words, "Yes, yes, dear Carl, here it was that you saved me from the wolf." At the moment he looked out he recognized his parents. A cry of joy burst from him, which was echoed by the whole family. The coachman was bidden to stop, the lady and gentleman sprang out, and it was some time before the old father could say, "Now, then, tell us all, you wicked boy; you caused us mach grief by not writing a single word."

"I could, I dare not," Carl replied. "The captain made me pledge my honor that I would not send you any news of my place of abode. If I kept my word, he promised to give me my liberty at the end of three years."

"And the worthy captain set you free at the expiration of two," his father remarked.

"Not he!" Carl replied. "Death alone could have saved me from his clutches. I owe my liberty to our glorious king." Tell us

-

- tell us how," all cried; "let. the carriage drive home."

"Yes," the patron cried, who had come to share in the general joy," send the carriage away. I must know all about it. We will take our seats on this bank.”

The unhappy father waited in vain for a letter from his son from one week from one month to another. The captain had taken all necessary precautions to cut off every opportunity for communication. No one knew what had become of him, and although it was so very difficult, on this very account, to claim him, still both pastor and patron attempted it, though, as may be easily imagined, in vain. After repeated petitions to his royal majesty, they at length received a very harsh reply from the minister of war himself; that they made a most insane request in asking them to look for a recruit in the ranks of the How badly I fared, and how grieved I was whole Prussian army, when no one, not even at not being able to send any news to my dear

All-among them the dean's lady, to whom no one had yet paid any attention seated themselves on the grassy couch, and kept their eyes fixed on the young man, who wiped away his tears, and then commenced thus:

parents and sisters, I need not tell you. My only trust was in God; for, had I not had Him to support me, I should have acted like a hundred others - either deserted, or put an end to my life. But my faith, which daily found nourishment in the beautiful text with which I quitted you on that night of terror, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God," supported me in all my necessities.

Thus it happened that, just fourteen days ago, I stood as sentinel in the grand corridor of the royal palace at Berlin. I was thinking, as usual, of home, and as I felt very lowspirited, and, besides, fancied the neighboring apartments unoccupied, I commenced singing that sweet song of Freylinghausen, "My heart should feel contented;" when I was singing the third verse, a door opened to my great embarrassment, and I saw this lady's

head.

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But as all began crying, "Proceed, proceed with your story," he continued it in the following fashion:

As soon as I saw the head I was in great fear, and ceased singing. The lady, however, came very kindly towards me, measured me from head to foot, and at length said:

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duty you must go through that door, and sent yourself to her majesty the queen." I need not say with what anxiety I waited for the hour.

At length I was relieved, and, trembling, I entered the queen's apartments. She asked my history very graciously, and when I had finished it, she added:

"I can do nothing for you, my son, but I will beg the general to see that you are on duty here to-morrow morning between eleven and twelve, the hour at which the king pays me a visit. Then sing, with your clear voice that pleased me so much, any verse you like of his majesty's favorite hymn - Who puts his trust in God alone.' I will then see what more I can do for you.'

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With these words her majesty dismissed me, and without the door I met this lady, who whispered to me," Courage, courage; I trust all will be well."

As I expected, I was placed on duty before the queen's apartments the next morning at eleven o'clock. As soon as I heard voices within I commenced singing a verse of the hymn that had been commanded. However, I expected in vain to be summoned again. The hour passed, and I fancied that no attention had been paid to me; and I despaired, for I did not dare sing another verse.

"And yet," the young lady here interrupted the narrator, "all proper attention had been paid to your hymn, and I may be permitted to give an account of it, as Čarl has already become my dear husband.”

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The voice delighted both their majesties "I could scarce believe my ears when I greatly, and as soon as I perceived this I began heard that voice, but my eyes cannot deceive saying everything I could in favor of the me. Surely you are the son of the clergy- young man without, till the king laughed and man of H who saved me from the said: "

wolf two years ago?"

"I am that unhappy man," I said to her; and then proceeded to tell her what a frightful revenge Gündling had taken. Her eyes filled with tears, and she seemed to me like an angel sent from on high to comfort me.

"You saved me from a wolf," she exclaimed, "and I will now do as much for you;" and then hurried back into the room. I stood there with a beating heart, till a page approached me with the words:

"Sentinel, as soon as you are released from

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low."

Why, she must be in love with the fel

I felt that I blushed at this remark, but still answered boldly:

"Yes, your majesty, for he saved me, two years ago, from a frightful wolf." "Diable!" the king added.

"You are of a very old family, and might get a lieutenant, as far as I know."

Here the queen interposed, and begged his majesty, who was in very good-humor that day, not to torment me further. I had opened

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my soul to God, when the king, before whom the chest had been deposited, cried out to me, "Now, look in, and see how that suits you.'

my whole heart to her, and was determined on having this grenadier, or no one else, for my husband. "I must beg your majesty to remember," the queen continued," how care- As soon as I raised the lid, I saw, not a fully this good girl attended to our child in its sword or any instrument of torture, but a last illness.' black clerical dress, and the bands laid on the "Well!" the king remarked, "we 'll see. top of it. This change in my feelings almost The captain praises the fellow; but still she took my senses away, but the king's voice cannot by any possibility marry a simple cu- again aroused me. "Now, dress yourself imrate. Well, as I said, we 'll see. I'll exam-mediately, and listen to what I say. Bring ine the fellow myself; but apropos suppose he four drums here, and lay a dozen side-arins will not have you?" across them, so that he cannot tumble through. The grenadier shall preach us a sermon, for I must first examine him, and see if he has learned anything. If he sits firm in the saddle, as the saying is, he can keep the black stuff, and all it contains; but if he's a stupid ass, I'll make him put the coatee on again. Now, then, up on the drums; you need not give it us long, but it must be good.'

I did not know what answer to make to this inquiry, save by letting my eyes sink on the ground; but the queen came to my assistance, by saying, "Your majesty will be best fitted to arrange that matter.'

"Well, that's very true," the king replied. "We'll see, then; the fellow will not be such a fool as to refuse." And with these words his majesty left the room, apparently in deep thought.

"That is the end of my story," the young lady said, "and my husband must proceed with his now.

Carl, therefore, continued:

I naturally believed that I had been quite unnoticed, especially as nothing of the slightest importance occurred during the remainder of the day that might nourish my hopes.

The next morning, however, at parade, the king cried out, after he had finished all other affairs,

"Where is the fellow who stood as sentry yesterday morning between eleven and twelve at the queen's door? — let him step out the ranks."

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With a beating heart I obeyed this order, on which his majesty, without moving a feature, first measured me from head to foot, and then said, 66 Two under-officers here- take the fellow's coat off!" I could fancy nothing else than that I was going to be tied up to the halberts for my unseasonable singing, and therefore began tremulously, "I implore your majesty, with all submission - "but the king interrupted me: "Don't argue - take his waistcoat off!" The under-officers did what they were commanded, and the king in the same tone, and without moving a feature, said "Now his gaiters!"

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I now fancied I was going to be impaled at the least, and entreated, in my fear, I beg your majesty, on my knees, to be merciful to a poor fellow" but the same answer was given me-"Don't argue."

As I stood there in my shirt sleeves, the king ordered-"Now, bring that black chest hither to the front."

I was now certain of death when I saw this chest brought up, in which I fancied an executioner's sword, at the very least, was contained. I clasped my hands, and commended

Assuredly (the young man continued) I should have talked nothing but nonsense, through the agitated nature of my feelings, and the fact that such a terrible alternative was offered me; but to my great good fortune. during the whole duration of my wretched servitude, I had daily thought of my favorite text, and determined I would preach on it the very first Sunday after my release. In fact, from continually thinking on the subject, I had the whole discourse long before ready in my mind. I, therefore, boldly mounted the drums, and began immediately with the words- -"St. Paul says, in Rom. viii, 28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God;'" after which I gave a detailed account of my own misfortunes, which had worked together for good by the confirmation of my faith, and then made an universal and particular application of it.

I had noticed that the king, who stood close before me, and never once took his eyes off me, could not keep the tears from pouring down his cheeks; and I had scarce uttered the word " Amen," when he said to me, "Now, come down from your pulpit; you can keep the black coat, and all it contains. You had better inspect the pockets, and see what you have got in them."

I

During my discourse, I had noticed that one of them seemed heavier than the other. I therefore put my hand into that one first, and who could picture my astonishment, when drew out a gold tabatiere filled with ducats. I was silently regarding it, when the king said, "That is a present from my wife; but now look, and see whether there is anything in the other pocket;" and, not yet able to utter a word through surprise, I drew out my appointment as dean, signed by the king's own hand.

"How is that possible? such a thing was never heard of!" the old pastor exclaimed, as

he raised his hands to heaven.
"My son a
dean? A candidate and private in the Grena-
diers a dean? Yes! now I understand why
you sent to tell us you would visit us in com-
pany with the dean's lady. But not to ask
your poor old father to the wedding — as if
you were ashamed of him — that is unpardon-
able."

"Did I know anything about my marriage?" the son continued; "but listen further."

I naturally tried, after all these fabulous events, to murmur out my thanks, but was interrupted by the king, who said, "Now come up to the palace; you can eat your soup with us, and the regimental chaplain must accompany you."

Giddy with the thought of all that had happened, I followed with the chaplain, who was hardly less astonished than I was, the king and his suite to the palace; and as soon as we had entered the audience-room, where all the court was assembled together with her majesty and this young lady, the king advanced, and asked me,

"Whom does he think he has to thank for all this?"

"Regimental chaplain, come hither and marry them. Afterwards we 'll have our dinner; but I must get them off my hands today."

The chaplain, with a deep bow, remarked, "It is impossible, your majesty; the young couple have not been asked in church.' "Nonsense!" the king objected; "I asked them myself long ago. Come, and marry them as quickly as you can, for I am hungry. Next Sunday you can ask them in church as many times as you like."

Although the chaplain urged various reasons, all was of no avail. The marriage took place that very hour, and my parents can now see why it was impossible for me to invite them.

"I really must be dreaming," the old pastor now said; "why, it's stranger than any story in the Arabian Nights.' A grenadier made a dean! But what did the members of the consistory say to it? I cannot imagine."

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They kept me so long," the young man replied, "or I should have come to share my joy with you eight days ago. I had scarcely announced myself, and handed in my diploma

I answered, with a low bow, "Besides God, my most gracious king and with a request to be ordained, when the his most illustrious consort."

To which his majesty remarked, "There he's right; but look ye here, this young and charming woman did the most for him. Has he nothing to say to her? She is not proud, and I know not married. What does he think of it? he's now a dean, and has his pocket full of ducats. Will he try his luck, and fancy he is all alone with her?"

Half mad with joy and hope, I raised my eyes, and looked at the poor girl, who was blushing and trembling before me, and who could not raise her eyes from the ground.

All were silent, though at intervals a slight sound of laughter could he heard in the room, In spite of all my good fortune, I was even more embarrassed than I had been an hour before when forced to mount the drums; but I collected myself, and in a few moments

gentlemen, as may be easily conceived, declared the whole affair impossible, and sought to demonstrate this to his majesty in a long petition. The king returned it with these words, written with his own hand, on the margin:

"I have examined him myself. If he does not understand Latin he can afford to keep some one who does. I do not understand Latin myself.

'FREDERICK WILLIAM.'

"As they did not dare to trouble the king again in the matter, they proceeded to ordain me, after an examination, to which I voluntarily submitted."

The young man thus ended his story, and our kind readers can easily imagine the rest. We need only remark that our hero made an excellent dean, and for many years held the

said, "His majesty the king, to whom I owe all my good fortune, has inspired me with cour-living of Page to ask you before this great assembly, In conclusion, we are bound to state that whether you will accompany me in my wanderings on the troubled path of life, like the angel Raphael formerly guided the youthful Tobias?"

She immediately gave me her hand, silent and trembling, which I pressed with ardor to my lips, and her majesty had scarcely bidden God to bless us, when the king added,

the above anecdote is historically true, and that we have merely repeated the family tradition. Still we thought it better to refrain from giving the real names, as the descendants of our illustrious grenadier might not desire the story to be publicly known in connection with themselves.

From the Ladie's Companion.

MADAME SCARRON, HER FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

FROM THE FRENCH.

THE age of Louis the Fourteenth forms one of the most striking periods in French history. Voltaire would have said this to-day as he did a hundred years ago; for a great age is not composed solely of splendid actions or heroic conquests. It is one which gives birth to great generals and distinguished philosophers, and to celebrated pocts and artists. We say, The age of Pericles, of Augustus, of Leo the Tenth, and of Louis Quatorze. We never say, The age of Napoleon, because in Napoleon's time there was scarcely one man worthy of a niche in the temple of history besides the hero himself. Around Louis Quatorze we behold a radiant galaxy of distinguished men: Turenne and Condé, Malebranche and Pascal, Corneille and Molière, Poussin and Lesueur, Perrault, Fontaine, and Sully.

There are likewise some feminine stars in this shining cluster, who have transmitted the remembrance of their charms and graces for the admiration of remote generations. Such are the Farnarina, Madame de la Vallière, and the Marquise de Pompadour. Madame de Maintenon does not rank with these. Her box-wood rosaries have repelled many admirers. One does not exactly know in whose company to place her. Was she a heroine of romance, or a saintly personage? a monarch's favorite, or the Queen of France and Na

varre?

She had a few partisans; we attempt not to count her enemies. Since beholding her portrait, engraved by Mercuri after Petitot, we avow ourselves a partisan. This picture represents a proud and majestic woman, of a beauty at the same time robust and delicate; with the head of the Psyche of Praxiteles, and the neck and shoulders of St. Theresa. The voluptuousness that reigns in the figure is corrected by the pride that prevails in the countenance. The heart and passions are evidently held in subjection to the intellect. Such was the woman beloved of a prince who scarcely believed himself mortal.

Let us go back to this talented woman's origin. It is said of her grandfather, Agrippa d'Aubigné, that "at six years of age he could read in four languages; and at seven and a half translated Plato." At ten, his father, the old Huguenot soldier, in passing Amboise, where the heads of the conspirators were yet suspended to the battlements, said to the boy, "These butchers have decapitated France!" Then, laying his hand upon the child's brow, he added, "My son, spare not thine own life to avenge these honorable chiefs. If thou spare thyself, thou hast my curse." Such was the vigorous school of the era.

This child, grown to maturity, was named "The man of rude probity." Thus he wrote to Henri Quatre: Sire, your memory will reproach you with twelve years of my services, and twelve wounds upon my person; it will put you in mind of your prison, and of the hand that drew the bolts; and which has still remained pure in serving you, empty of your benefits, exempt from corruption, either from one side or the other. Such were then the servants of royalty. At the hour of death, when solicited to take nourishment, D'Aubigné said to his wife Ma mie, suffer me to depart in peace, and go where I shall eat celestial bread."

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In all this seventeenth century we respire something reviving to the heart and feelings, We were in a forest of hoary and vigorous oaks, crooking their gnarled stems beneath an azure sky Now the Gaulic forest is much decayed, being represented by a few stunted trees, thinly sown, standing amid a confused growth of underwood, with a dark and tempestuous heavens above them. In the seventeenth century, the sap rose more vigorously. Where should we now find in our French statesmen a probity equal to that of Agrippa D'Aubigné, "rude" though it were! But if virtue assumed a grand aspect in this picturesque age, vice was no less open and audacious. Witness the life of Constant D'Aubigné, son to the "man of probity." This man, the father of Madame de Maintenon, was a thorough-paced rascal. Molière and Rembrandt alone could have painted his characteristic villany. Thus his father speaks of him: "My son Constant in nothing resembles his father, though I have educated him with as much care as though he had been born a prince. Inclined from the first to play and drunkenness, he ended by giving himself to all manner of dissipation; after which he married a wretched woman, whom he has since killed. Seeking to withdraw him from court, where he was fast hastening to perdition, I procured him a regiment. But nothing could restrain him, and he soon returned, and speedily lost at play twenty times his estate." He pledged his honor-which proved a phantom. His religion alone remained to him; this he did not hesitate to sell likewise. Utterly ruined in purse and reputation, he returned to his father, who, still cherishing some hope of his amendment, gave him the command of Maillezais, believing that, though a reprobate, he was still a stanch Protestant. Constant, however, had already secretly abjured his faith and Maillezais soon became, under his command, “ public gaming-place, crowded with people of evil reputation and coiners of false money,' At length Agrippa disinherited and cursed him. The wretch now entered into treasonable communication with the English govern

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