historic girls-第12章

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But　the　slow…moving　ox…wagon　by　no　means　suited　the　impatience　of

this　shrewd　young　princess。　She　knew　her　uncle；　the　king　of

Burgundy；　too　well。　When　once　he　was　roused　to　action；　he　was

fierce　and　furious。



〃Good　Aurelian；〃　she　said　at　length　to　the　king's　ambassador；　who

rode　by　her　side：　〃if　that　thou　wouldst　take　me　into　the　presence

of　thy　lord；　the　king　of　the　Franks；　let　me　descend　from　this

carriage；　mount　me　on　horseback；　and　let　us　speed　hence　as　fast

as　we　may；　for　never　in　this　carriage　shall　I　reach　the　presence

of　my　lord；　the　king。〃



And　none　too　soon　was　her　advice　acted；　upon　for；　the　counsellors

of　King　Gundebald；　noticing　Clotilda's　anxiety　to　be　gone；

concluded　that；　after　all；　they　had　made　a　mistake　in　betrothing

her　to　King　Clovis。



〃Thou　shouldst　have　remembered；　my　lord；〃　they　said；　〃that　thou

didst　slay　Clotilda's　father；　her　mother；　and　the　young　princes；

her　brothers。　If　Clotilda　become　powerful；　be　sure　she　will

avenge　the　wrong　thou　hast　wrought　her。〃



And　forthwith　the　king　sent　off　an　armed　band；　with　orders　to

bring　back　both　the　princess　and　the　treasure　he　had　sent　with

her　as　her　marriage　portion。　But　already　the　princess　and　her

escort　were　safely　across　the　Seine；　where；　in　the　Campania；　or

plain…country；later　known　as　the　province　of　Champagneshe　met

the　king　of　the　Franks。



I　am　sorry　to　be　obliged　to　confess　that　the　first　recorded

desire　of　this　beautiful；　brave；　and　devout　young　maiden；　when

she　found　herself　safely　among　the　fierce　followers　of　King

Clovis；　was　a　request　for　vengeance。　But　we　must　remember；　girls

and　boys；　that　this　is　a　story　of　half…savage　days　when；　as　I

have　already　said；　the　desire　for　revenge　on　one's　enemies　was

common　to　all。



From　the　midst　of　his　skin…clad　and　green…robed　guards　and

nobles；　young　Clovisin　a　dress　of　〃crimson　and　gold；　and

milk…white　silk；〃　and　with　his　yellow　hair　coiled　in　a　great

top…knot　on　his　uncovered　headadvanced　to　meet　his　bride。



〃My　lord　king；〃　said　Clotilda；　〃the　bands　of　the　king　of　Burgundy

follow　hard　upon　us　to　bear　me　off。　Command；　I　pray　thee；　that

these；　my　escort；　scatter　themselves　right　and　left　for　twoscore

miles；　and　plunder　and　burn　the　lands　of　the　king　of　Burgundy。〃



Probably　in　no　other　way　could　this　wise　young　girl　of　seventeen

have　so　thoroughly　pleased　the　fierce　and　warlike　young　king。　He

gladly　ordered　her　wishes　to　be　carried　out；　and　the　plunderers

forthwith　departed　to　carry　out　the　royal　command。



So　her　troubles　were　ended；　and　this　prince　and

princess；Hlodo…wig；　or　Clovis　（meaning　the　〃warrior　youth〃）；

and　Hlodo…hilde；　or　Clotilda　（meaning　the　〃brilliant　and　noble

maid〃）；in　spite　of　the　wicked　uncle　Gundebald；　were　married　at

Soissons；　in　the　year　493；　and；　as　the　fairy　stories　say；　〃lived

happily　together　ever　after。〃



The　record　of　their　later　years　has　no　place　in　this　sketch　of

the　girlhood　of　Clotilda；　but　it　is　one　of　the　most　interesting

and　dramatic　of　the　old…time　historic　stories。　The　dream　of　that

sad　little　princess　in　the　old　convent　at　Geneva；　〃to　make　her

boy…hero　a　Christian；　and　to　be　revenged　on　the　murderer　of　her

parents；〃　was　in　time　fulfilled。　For　on　Christmas…day；　in　the

year　493；　the　young　king　and　three　thousand　of　his　followers　were

baptized　amid　gorgeous　ceremonial　in　the　great　church　of　St。

Martin　at　Rheims。



The　story　of　the　young　queen's　revenge　is　not　to　be　told　in　these

pages。　But；　though　terrible；　it　is　only　one　among　the　many　tales

of　vengeance　that　show　us　what　fierce　and　cruel　folk　our

ancestors　were；　in　the　days　when　passion　instead　of　love　ruled

the　hearts　of　men　and　women；　and　of　boys　and　girls　as　well；　and

how　favored　are　we　of　this　nineteenth　century；　in　all　the　peace

and　prosperity　and　home　happiness　that　surround　us。



But　from　this　conversion；　as　also　from　this　revenge；　came　the

great　power　of　Clovis　and　Clotilda；　for；　ere　his　death；　in　the

year　511；　he　brought　all　the　land　under　his　sway　from　the　Rhine

to　the　Rhone；　the　ocean　and　the　Pyrenees；　he　was　hailed　by　his

people　with　the　old　Roman　titles　of　Consul　and　Augustus；　and

reigned　victorious　as　the　first　king　of　France。　Clotilda；　after

years　of　wise　counsel　and　charitable　works；　upon　which　her

determination　for　revenge　seems　to　be　the　only　stain；　died　long

after　her　husband；　in　the　year　545；　and　to…day；　in　the　city　of

Paris；　which　was　even　then　the　capital　of　new　France；　the　church

of　St。　Clotilda　stands　as　her　memorial；　while　her　marble　statue

may　be　seen　by　the　traveller　in　the　great　palace　of　the

Luxembourg。



A　typical　girl　of　those　harsh　old　days　of　the　long　ago；loving

and　generous　toward　her　friends；　unforgiving　and　revengeful　to

her　enemies；reared　in　the　midst　of　cruelty　and　of　charity；　she

did　her　duty　according　to　the　light　given　her；　made　France　a

Christian　nation；　and　so　helped　on　the　progress　of　civilization。

Certainly　a　place　among　the　world's　historic　girls　may　rightly　be

accorded　to　this　fair…haired　young　princess　of　the　summer…land　of

France；　the　beautiful　Clotilda　of　Burgundy。







WOO　OF　HWANG…HO。：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　YELLOW　RIVER。



＇Afterwards　the　Great　Empress　Woo　of　China。＇　A。D。　635。



Thomas　the　Nestorian　had　been　in　many　lands　and　in　the　midst　of

many　dangers；　but　he　had　never　before　found　himself　in　quite　so

unpleasant　a　position　as　now。　Six　ugly　Tartar　horsemen　with　very

uncomfortable…looking　spears　and　appalling　shouts；　and　mounted　on

their　swift　Kirghiz　ponies；　were　charging　down　upon　him；　while

neither　the　rushing　Yellow　River　on　the　right　hand；　nor　the　steep

dirt…cliffs　on　the　left；　could　offer　him　shelter　or　means　of

escape。　These　dirt…cliffs；　or　〃loess；〃　to　give　them　their

scientific　name；　are　remarkable　banks　of　brownish…yellow　loam；

found　largely　in　Northern　and　Western　China；　and　rising　sometimes

to　a　height　of　a　thousand　feet。　Their　peculiar　yellow　tinge　makes

every　thing　look　〃hwang〃　or　yellow；and　hence　yellow　is　a

favorite　color　among　the　Chinese。　So；　for　instance；　the　emperor

is　〃Hwang…ti〃the　〃Lord　of　the　Yellow　Land〃；　the　imperial　throne

is　the　〃Hwang…wei〃　or　〃yellow　throne〃　of　China；　the　great　river；

formerly　spelled　in　your　school　geographies　Hoang…ho；　is

〃Hwang…ho；〃　the　〃yellow　river；〃　etc。



These　〃hwang〃　cliffs；　or　dirt…cliffs；　are　full　of　caves　and

crevices；　but　the　good　priest　could　see　no　convenient　cave；　and

he　had　therefore　no　alternative　but　to　boldly　face　his　fate；　and

like　a　brave　man　calmly　meet　what　he　could　not　avoid。



But；　just　as　he　had　singled　out；　as　his　probable　captor；　one

peculiarly　unattractive…looking　horseman；　whose　crimson　sheepskin

coat　and　long　horsetail　plume　were　streaming　in　the　wind；　and

just　as　he　had　braced　himself　to　meet　the　onset　against　the　great

〃loess；〃　or　dirt…cliff；　he　felt　a　twitch　at　his　black　upper　robe；

and　a　low　voicea　girl's；　he　was　confidentsaid　quickly：



〃Look　not　before　nor　behind　thee；　good　O…lopun；　but　trust　to　my

word　and　give　a　backward　leap。〃



Thomas　the　Nestorian　had　learned　two　valuable　lessons　in　his　much

wandering　about　the　earth；never　to　appear　surprised；　and　always

to　be　ready　to　act　quickly。　So；　knowing　nothing　of　the　possible

results　of　his　action；　but　feeling　that　it　could　scarcely　be

worse　than　death　from　Tartar　spears；　he　leaped　back；　as　bidden。



The　next　instant；　he　found　himself　flat　upon　his　back　in　one　of

the　low…ceiled　cliff　caves　that　abound　in　Western　China；　while

the　screen　of　vines　that　had　concealed　its　entrance　still

quivered　from　his　fall。　Picking　himself　up　and　breathing　a　prayer

of　thanks　for　his　deliverance；　he　peered　through　the　leafy

doorway　and　beheld　in　surprise　six　much　astonished　Tartar　robbers

regarding　with　looks　of　puzzled　wonder　a　defiant　little　Chinese

girl；　who　had　evidently　darted　out　of　the　cave　as　he　had　tumbled

in。　She　was　facing　the　enemy　as　boldly　as　had　he；　and　her　little

almond　eyes　fairly　danced　with　mischievous　deli