historic girls-第11节

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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　delight　at　their

perplexity。



At　once　he　recognized　the　child。　She　was　Woo　（the　〃high…spirited〃

or　〃dauntless　one〃；　the　bright　young　girl　whom　he　had　often

noticed　in　the　throng　at　his　mission…house　in　Tung…Chow；the

little　city　by　the　Yellow　River；　where　her　father；　the　bannerman；

held　guard　at　the　Dragon　Gate。



He　was　about　to　call　out　to　the　girl　to　save　herself；　when；　with

a　sudden　swoop；　the　Tartar　whom　he　had　braced　himself　to　resist；

bent　in　his　saddle　and　made　a　dash　for　the　child。　But　agile

little；　Woo　was　quicker　than　the　Tartar　horseman。　With　a　nimble

turn　and　a　sudden　spring；　she　dodged　the　Tartar's　hand；　darted

under　his　pony's　legs；　and　with　a　shrill　laugh　of　derision；

sprang　up　the　sharp　incline；　and　disappeared　in　one　of　the　many

cliff　caves　before　the　now　doubly　baffled　horsemen　could　see　what

had　become　of　her。



With　a　grunt　of　discomfiture　and　disgust；　the　Tartar　riders

turned　their　ponies'　heads　and　galloped　off　along　the　road　that

skirted　the　yellow　waters　of　the　swift…flowing　Hwang…ho。　Then　a

little　yellow　face　peeped　out　of　a　cave　farther　up　the　cliff；　a

black…haired；　tightly　braided　head　bobbed　and　twitched　with

delight；　and　the　next　moment　the　good　priest　was　heartily

thanking　his　small　ally　for　so　skilfully　saving　him　from

threatened　capture。



It　was　a　cool　September　morning　in　the　days　of　the　great　Emperor

Tai；　twelve　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago。　And　a　great　emperor　was

Tai…tsung；　though　few；　if　any；　of　my　young　readers　ever　heard　his

name。　His　splendid　palace　stood　in　the　midst　of　lovely　gardens　in

the　great　city　of　Chang…an；that　old；　old　city　that　for　over　two

thousand　years　was　the　capital　of　China；　and　which　you　can　now

find　in　your　geographies　under　its　modern　name　of　Singan…foo。　And

in　the　year　635；　when　our　story　opens；　the　name　of　Tai…tsung　was

great　and　powerful　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　Chung

Kwohthe　〃Middle　Kingdom；〃　as　the　Chinese　for　nearly　thirty

centuries　have　called　their　vast　countrywhile　the　stories　of

his　fame　and　power　had　reached　to　the　western　courts　of　India　and

of　Persia；　of　Constantinople；　and　even　of　distant　Rome。



It　was　a　time　of　darkness　and　strife　in　Europe。　Already　what

historians　have　called　the　Dark　Ages　had　settled　upon　the

Christian　world。　And　among　all　the　races　of　men　the　only　nation

that　was　civilized；　and　learned；　and　cultivated；　and　refined　in

this　seventh　century　of　the　Christian　era；　was　this　far　eastern

Empire　of　China；　where　schools　and　learning　flourished；　and　arts

and　manufactures　abounded；　when　America　was　as　yet　undiscovered

and　Europe　was　sunk　in　degradation。



And　here；　since　the　year　505；　the　Nestorians；　a　branch　of　the

Christian　Church；　originating　in　Asia　Minor　in　the　fifth　century；

and　often　called　〃the　Protestants　of　the　East；〃　had　been

spreading　the　story　of　the　life　and　love　of　Christ。　And　here；　in

this　year　of　grace　635；　in　the　city　of　Chang…an；　a