Such a
scene! - ladies, gentlemen, and vagabonds went sprawling in the
mud, not shot but tripped up; and those that went down could not
rise, they were trampled over. . . . I ran a short time straight on
and did not fall, then turned down a side street, ran fifty yards
and felt tolerably safe; looked for papa, did not see him; so
walked on quickly, giving the news as I went.' [It appears, from
another letter, the boy was the first to carry word of the firing
to the Rue St. Honore; and that his news wherever he brought it was
received with hurrahs. It was an odd entrance upon life for a
little English lad, thus to play the part of rumour in such a
crisis of the history of France.]
'But now a new fear came over me. I had little doubt but my papa
was safe, but my fear was that he should arrive at home before me
and tell the story; in that case I knew my mamma would go half mad
with fright, so on I went as quick as possible. I heard no more
discharges. When I got half way home, I found my way blocked up by
troops.
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