of St.
Louis, and the commandant with his three-cornered hat under his arm,
his great peruke frosted with powder, and his uniform glittering in the
sunshine, and behind them the town council, and the innumerable
torches, which they lighted for each other as the wind blew them out;
the Swiss, Jean-Peter Siroti, with his blue beard closely shaven and
his splendid hat pointing across his shoulders, his broad white silk
shoulder-belt sprinkled with fleur-de-lis across his breast, his
halberd erect, glistening like a plate of silver; the young girls,
ladies, and thousands of country people in their Sunday clothes,
praying in concert with the old people at their head, from each
village, who kept repeating incessantly, "pray for us, pray for us."
With the streets full of leaves and garlands and the white flags in the
windows, the Jews and the Lutherans looking out from their closed
blinds and the sun lighting up the grand sight below. This continued
from 1814 to 1830, except during the hundred days, not to speak of the
missions, the bishop's visits, and other extraordinary ceremonies. I
like best to tell you all this at once, for if I should undertake to
describe one procession after another the story would be too long.

Well! this commenced the 19th of May, and the same day that Harmentier
announced the grand atonement, there arrived five preachers from Nancy,
young men, who preached during the whole week, from morning until
midnight. This was to prepare for the atonement; nothing else was
talked about in the town, the people were converted, and all the women
and girls went to confession. It was rumored also that the national
property was to be restored, and that the poor men would be separated
from the respectable people by the procession, because the beggars
would not dare to show themselves. You may imagine my chagrin at being
obliged, in spite of myself, to remain among the poor people; but,
thank God! I had nothing to reproach myself with in regard to the
death of Louis XVI., and I had none of the national property, and all I
wanted was permission to marry Catherine. I thought with Aunt Gredel
that Father Goulden was very obstinate, but I never dared to say a word
to him about that. I was very unhappy, the more so, because the people
who came to us to have their watches repaired, respectable citizens,
mayors, foresters, etc., approved of all these sermons, and said that
the like had never been heard. Mr. Goulde