Читать книгу Tales and Novels for Youth of Both Sexes - Anonymous - Страница 4
ОглавлениеAN HISTORICAL ANECDOTE.
Louis-Charles, the last Dauphin of France, joined to a beautiful face the most graceful and seducing softness of manners. The sound of his voice penetrated the soul, his enchanting look inspired a tender and respectful emotion.
When he looked on you with his fine blue eyes, which appeared to reflect the azure and the goodness of heaven, he irretrievably gained your affections. No one was ever weary of admiring, nor could any one help loving, this royal child, in whom it was said that nature had been pleased to unite all her gifts. The Queen, Marie-Antoinette, his mother, was constantly giving him lessons, still more valuable than all the gifts of nature; for grace, beauty, and illustrious birth, are nothing without a good heart. Louis-Charles, at the earliest age, was remarkable for his urbanity, and, above all, for his respect for women, young or old, ugly or handsome, noble or obscure; all were entitled to his salutation, and were treated by him with the greatest deference.
At the early age of four he was accustomed to bodily exercises, in order that his limbs might be strengthened, and his physical powers developed. In the first days of spring he passed a part of the morning on the terrace of the palace of Versailles, over against the apartment he inhabited, busying himself with loading and rolling, in a small wheelbarrow, a heap of sand, which he conveyed to a spot at about twenty-five paces distance; and, as soon as he had finished this healthy exercise, he received from his august mother the promised reward. Sometimes it was a precious and long-wished for plaything; sometimes a couple of small white rabbits, of which he was excessively fond; sometimes a few pieces of gold, which he took great pleasure in giving to old, disabled veterans, who often stopped to look at him, as they leaned on the iron-railing by which the terrace was surrounded.
Nothing could be more curious and interesting to the moralist, than to contemplate the heir to the throne, with his shovel in his hand, acting the part of a common labourer, learning, by that means, what fatigue and trouble the working classes have to go through, and how much they deserve the esteem and bounty of the rich. He resembled Henry the Fourth, when yet a child, busied in rustic labours, on the mountains of Bearn.
One day Louis-Charles had just finished the task which had been imposed upon him: he stopped to take breath under a small tent which had been erected in the midst of the terrace; and sitting down on a wheelbarrow, he wiped off, with a handkerchief, the perspiration which was trickling down his face. An elderly lady, whose decent exterior announced her to be of the middling class, was leaning on the iron-railing, and, like many others, admiring the august child, who was endeavouring to become a man. She drew from her pocket a small silver snuff-box, of an antique form, and, while taking some snuff, which she had long been in the habit of doing, she let fall, inside the railing, a small muff of crimson velvet, which was then called Petit-Gérard. It was old and threadbare; the prayer book, which the good old lady often put into it when she went to fulfil her religious duties, had worn out the yellow satin lining. Of course it would have been no great loss; but, as elderly people are generally much attached to their old garments, she immediately tried to take up the muff which had fallen down upon the gravel; but in vain did she lean over the railing, and stretch out her long fleshless arm; the muff was still a foot beyond her reach. The young Dauphin, perceiving her efforts and embarrassment, instantly left his playthings, pickaxe, shovel, and beloved wheelbarrow, ran to pick up the dirty old muff, which he shook with great care, in order to free it from the dust, and presented it to the old lady, saying:—«You should have called me, ma'am, and not given yourself so much trouble.» «How! my lord,» replied she, struck with surprise and admiration, and making him a low courtesy; «is it possible that you can be so kind?»—«Are you not a woman?» replied Louis-Charles. At these words he came still nearer, and returned her muff with such a charming simplicity, that the good old lady thought no more about her Petit-Gérard, she was so wholly taken up with the angelic countenance of the young prince, and his politeness, so astonishing at such a tender age. At last she took her old muff, which she determined to keep all her life. Oh! how happy would she have been if she could have kissed the pretty hand that restored it to her! her eyes, swimming in tears, were for a long time fixed on the Dauphin, and still followed him, with an expression of gratitude, when he re-entered his apartments. This interesting scene, which was described to me by a relation of mine, who was an eye-witness of it, appeared quite natural to Louis-Charles, and soon passed from his memory, as the perfume of a flower borne away on the wings of the zephyr. But this scene had not passed unnoticed by Marie-Antoinette, who watched her son from the balcony, to see that he did not take any exercise beyond his strength. She experienced that inexpressible delight which a mother must always feel, who perceives the germ of her own virtues in the heart of her children. She saw that Louis-Charles would prove himself worthy the race from which he sprung, that he would be kind, affable, courteous, and beneficent; that he would be a man, in short, who would compassionate the sorrows of his fellow-beings. Oh! what a delightful hope for a queen, a mother! and what a sweet reward for all her tender care! She would not at first say any thing to her son, concerning what he had done: the latter, who considered that he had merely fulfilled his duty, neglected mentioning it to the queen, and his modesty and discretion only rendered him more worthy the reward that awaited him.
The next morning Louis-Charles perceived, upon a chair in his apartment, a muff of crimson velvet, lined with yellow satin, exactly like that of the old lady. He got up hastily, and, putting his hands into the muff, found a small tortoise-shell box, mounted with gold, and filled with pastils of chocolate, of which he was very fond: besides that, a punchinello, opening its mouth and moving its eyes, and which, by means of a spring, made the most comical gestures and the most amusing gambols. The next day the young prince thought he perceived that the muff, which he had placed upon a table by the side of his bed, moved;—he put his hand into it, and immediately pulled out a little white rabbit, with rose-coloured eyes, having on a silver-collar, on which were written these words: «I belong to the Dauphin.» A few days after he found in the same little muff a tame squirrel, which climbed, with the quickness of lightning, on his arms, his shoulders, or head, and then all at once would come and thrust its head into his bosom. Some time after he received, through the same medium, a parrot, which would distinctly pronounce: «Louis-Charles respects the ladies—God will bless him.» Besides those, were two canary-birds, one of which would repeat, every moment: «Kiss me, pretty Dauphin!» and particularly a starling, that whistled the popular tune of Henry IV. It may easily be imagined how dear this fortunate talisman became to the young prince; how glad he was of having picked up the old woman's muff; for he had no doubt but that all he received was a homage paid him by gratitude. For several months, indeed, he could scarcely form a single desire that was not speedily satisfied; and when, one day, taking in his hand the miraculous muff, he said to it, laughing: «My dear muff, I should like to have some playthings and sweetmeats, to give to all the children I meet—my dear muff! I want a few pieces of money to offer to the poor people who accost me»—the next morning all his wishes were satisfied. He immediately ran to the arms of his worthy mother, to express to her his delight, and asked her to what beneficent genius he was indebted for his finding in the Petit-Gérard every thing he could desire. «Nothing can be more easy to explain,» replied the queen, kissing him; «the old lady has told every one of your respectful behaviour towards her, and the women of every rank and every age are vying with each other in giving you proofs of their gratitude and satisfaction. Remember, my son, it is urbanity of manners that renders us most engaging, and gains us most friends; and that every kind of happiness will attend a young prince, who makes it a point of duty to defend and respect all women—Never forget the old woman's muff!»
