The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-01 00:00:00

RATHER ROMANTIC!

The following strange tale is published in the Paris
papers, and is affirmed to be true. In England it would
hardly be credible, but in France it is not un-
likely :

The Countess de X—was reading alone in her boudoir
when she was surprised by the sudden apparition of a rave
chimney sweep, who had slipped down into the fireplace
and then stood up its the room, wonder-stricken at the
elegance he saw around him, and showing two rows of
pearly white teeth which contrasted strangely with a lace
as black as a negro'. He had evidently mistaken the
chininey pot by which he hat ascended to the roof. The
first moment of surprise being past, the lady was touched
with compassion for this unfortunate child, and questioned
hint in words of kindness. The patois of the little sweep,
who WWI only seven years old, was not easy to understand,
but the Countess nevertheless understood sufficient to learn
from him that he had come all the way from Chamonni on
foot, with a man who WU not his father ; his parents, he
said, were dead, and he had never seen them. lids was the
first winter that he had ever come to Paris; he hail learned
his trade on the way, and his master beat him when he did
not work well, but this was not often. The lady was moved
at the tale, and rang for her chamber-maid, telling her to
give the chill something le eat and a five-Italic piece.
" Hie dirty little wretch," said the maid with a grimace.
" You ale right," said the lady, "lie is dirty let us wash his
face." The mail saw that she must indulge this caprice of
her mistress, and at once volunteered to take him to her
room "besides," she added, "I am curious to sue what he
will look like with a clean face." When she returned the
child was completely transformed ; his mask of soot having
disappeared, disclosed handsome and delicate features and
a rosy countenance, while his cap no longer concealed his
fine open forehead 141111 1,..ir, which last hung iii chistering
curls. The lady stooped down to kiss the child, but she
instantaneously raised a loud scream and fainted away.
The Count., X—ha I perceived is tuft of hair, perfectly
white, shore the forehead, and which separated the child's
hair to the right and to the left like a natural parting. Her
husband had hail a lock of hair exactly similar, and if any
doubts remained, the resemblance to him would have been
sufficient to dispel them. Madame de X—was a widow
when she married her present husband. She hail had a
chill by her first marriage, horn while she was travelling in
Italy, and who was afterwards confided to a peasant's wife
In Savor to nurse. Iler husband shortly after died, and a
year later she became acquainted with the Count de X—,
who made her an offer of marriage, which she accepted.
She, however, learned by a conversation with M. de X—,
that he would object to marry a widow with children, and
resolved to keep secret the existence other sou, being sure
of her liusban.i's pardon when It should be known. A few
weeks later she received a letter from the nurse saying that
the child was dead. The poor mother for a long time pined
in secret, but at length Time, the great consoler, gradually
effaced tile reeollection of her grief. 'the sequel remains to
be told. The little sweep was really her son the nurse's
own child having died, the woman hail kept her foster child,
to ring up usher own, with the object of hiring the boy out
to s,V; ep when he was old enough. The Countess c Messed
cention she had practised to her husband and reed veil
th pardon she hail rightly counted on. As for the boy, he
haA now changed his dry bread and hard blows to a com-
fortable home and a fond mother's tenderness, and Is fast
forgetting his patois. The Countess is happy with her child,
who fell from the sky—or rather from the chimney.