Lafayette

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little daughter Anastasie, whom he now ar

nastasie? You will find them in your own heart, and in mine, which is equal

band's long epistles never reached her. Therefore Adrienne felt his absence the more keenly, while rumors and exaggerated reports f

his native land under a cloud, because it was understood that he did so against th

a letter that, so far as he was concerned, the recreant might be freely forgiven. Adrienne was only too willing to receive the one who had left her to go on a mission to the other side of t

sonment for the space of one week-his prison to be the grand residence of his father-in-law, the H?tel de Noailles! After that his pardon was to be freely granted by hi

ls he held-ideals that were becoming more and more captivating to the fancy and to the reason of the French nation-contributed to make him the favorite of the hour. A passage from a certain play never failed to receive enthusiastic applause from the audiences bec

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oung ladies of the court, and it met the fate of being burned on the very day Marie Antoinet

important regiment in the army of France, the king's own Dragoons. He was stationed at Saintes and afterwards at St. Jean-d'Angely, near Rochefort, where the regiment was conveniently quartered to be ready in case a project for the invas

s Lafayette gladly applied himself; for while loyal always to his own nation, and standing ready at any point to leave all to serve France, he had not for a moment forgotten the needs of his adopted country across the Atlantic. In fact, when he reached home, he had not waited for his one week's

rstand the fact that Lafayette wished to move heaven and earth to secure help for the Continental army in its struggle for freedom. He fou

er capacity, I can employ my exertions to the advantage of the United States, I hope it is unnecessary to say that I shall seize

n his part, wrote to

and gratitude, as neither time nor absence can impair. This will warrant my assuring you that whether in the character of an officer at the head of a corps of gallant Frenchmen if circumstances should require this, whether as major-general commanding a division of the American army, or whether, after our swords and spears have given place to the plowshare and pruning-hook, I see you as a private gentleman, a friend and companion, I shall welcome you with all the warmth of friendship to Columbia's shores; and in the latter case, to m

es. But though she was now only nineteen years old, she was proving herself the high-minded woman who could sympathize entirely with her husband's ideals, and who could consider him dedicated to a great cause; therefore she could cheerfully lay as

olid gold, sent to him by the American Congress. To Franklin was intrusted the pleasant task of providing this rich gift. It was made in Paris and was engraved with representations of the actions in which Lafayette had taken

y wrote Franklin in an accompanying letter, "I find it easy

red, "In some of the devices I cannot help finding too honorable a reward for those slight services which, in co

rds Lafayette's son, George Washington Lafayette, grown to young manhood, unearthed the treasure and found that the blade was totally rusted away. Lafayette then had the happy thought of adjusting to this ha

came known to those worthy to be in the secret that France would send to America a reinforcement of six ships and six thousand men of the regular infantry. To this was added a loan of three million livres, and later still, through the appeals of Franklin, another loan of the

riend of America. This was the beginning of civic processions in Lafayette's honor. They cheered him from the ship's side to the residence of Governor Hancock where addresses were listened to and congratulations exchanged. He called upon the Legislature then in session, and in the evening viewed the illuminations in his honor. Lafayette gave a dinner on board the ship to which he inv

unication from the French government. He bore also a letter from Washington, in which the commander in chief introduced Lafayette as one who had "signally distinguished himself in the service of this country," and wh

army together at all. Half of his six thousand men were unfit for duty. They had sometimes had no bread for six days; sometimes for two or three days they would have neither meat nor brea

ening, and they carefully blockaded the second division of the squadron in the harbor of Brest; and when the first division reached Newport, the English cleverly surrounded the har

h generals, and later he was present at a joint meeting of the great French and American generals which was held at Hartford, Connecticut. Lafayette rode from one army to the other, hol

their caps, and tried to make them present as good an appearance as possible. The Marquis de Chastellux, who visited his camp on the Ramapo River, has left a delightful description of this visit in which he spoke of the fine appearance of the troops as their young commander had draw

afayette was with Washington when the plot was discovered. He was also a member of the board to try the British spy, André. His attitude toward André was very different f

s to be followed by a happier season, one in which Lafayette was a