A Foreigner’s Tribute to Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc, worn out by the suffering that was thrust upon her, nevertheless appeared with a brave mien before the Bishop of Beauvais.  She knew, had always known that she must die when her mission was fulfilled and death held no terrors for her.  To all the bishop’s questions she answered firmly and without hesitation.  The bishop failed to confuse her and at last condemned her to death for heresy, bidding her recant if she would live.  She refused and was lead to prison, from there to death.

While the flames were writhing around her she bade the old bishop who stood by her to move away or he would be injured.  Her last thought was of others and De Quincy says, that recant was no more in her mind than on her lips.  She died as she lived, with a prayer on her lips and listening to the voices that had whispered to her so often.

The heroism of Joan of Arc was wonderful.  We do not know what form her great patriotism took or how far it really led her.  She spoke of hearing voices and of seeing visions.  We only know that she resolved to save her country, knowing though she did so, it would cost her her life.  Yet she never hesitated.  She was uneducated save for the lessons taught her by nature.  Yet she led armies and crowned the dauphin, king of France.  She was only a girl, yet she could silence a great bishop by words that came from her heart and from her faith.  She was only a woman, yet she could die as bravely as any martyr who had gone before.

The following compositions have been evaluated by Professor Thorndike, and may be used to supplement the scale given above.

     VALUE 13

Last Monday the house on the corner of Jay street was burned down to the ground and right down by Mrs. brons house there is a little child all alone and there is a bad man sleeping in the seller, but we have a wise old monkey in the coal ben so the parents are thankful that they don’t have to pay any reward.

     VALUE 20

Some of the house burned and the children were in bed and there were four children and the lady next store broke the door in and went up stars and woke the peple up and whent out of the house when they moved and and the girl was skard to look out of the window and all the time thouhth that she saw a flame.

     And the wise monkey reward from going to the firehouse and
     jumping all round and was thankful from his reward and was
     thankful for what he got. $15. was his reward.

     VALUE 30

A long time ago, I do not know, how long but a man and a woman and a little boy lived together also a monkey a pet for the little boy it happened that the man and the woman were out, and the monkey and little boy, and the house started to burn, and the monkey took the little boys hand, and, went out.

     The father had come home and was glad that the monkey had
     saved his little boy.