The Litchfield County post., 1828-09-18
From tie Literary SOuceuir.
a ROLAND FOR AN OLIVER.
A FRENCH STORY
CO1ciHdp9.

II venture to say, SAID the sergeant,
"that there is some girl of the village at
the bottom of your black looks. Never
mind her, if you take my advice. Pish
tall fellow, and pine after black eye,
when there are the lilies of France waving
in the neighborhood. Join us, man join
us, and warrant you will have many
score of black eyes at your service, in lieu
of the pair that are now causing you to
look like a winter midnight"
Louis was at first incl,ned to be angry
with his soldier-like ribaldry: but on
sudden the thought of enlisting seriously
entered his mind. 1t would lake him at
once away from scenes now grown pain
ful-it would at once remove him from all
chance of encountering any of his old
friends.
81 am not one of their accursed no.
blesse," said he, "and have therefore no
chance of rising farther than some paltry
rank; but then am cut off from all pos
sibil,y of seeing Jacqueine. If went
to Paris, as | once thought, and attempted
to gain a precarious livelihood by my pen,
[ might perhaps have to endure the pat
ronage of the Marquis-aye, of the Mar
chioness of Valriviere. 1t is better to be
a private soldier; and then if there be A
war, shall have an opportunity OF being
shot,"
Influenced by these considerations, he
joined The party, and was speedily enroll
led us a private soldier.
The regiment to which he was attach
ed, was, to his great delight, to march
northward in two days, during which he
kept himself completely housed. On the
night before his departure, he stole to the
chateau, where he found the nurse, to
whom he gave letter, charging her to-
deliver it TO her mistress in the morning.
1t was short, and ran thus -
"Your father is cruel-cruel to you as to
me. False opinions, dictated by pride,
leads him to tear asunder hearts made for
one another. May the blessing of heaven
light on the head of thee, my true love,
torn from me by parental cruelty and
may your father never have cause to re-
pent of his unkindness to the jewel of his
hear."
How this was read, and wept over, and
kissed, and treasured, i, is useless to say.
On that day Jacqueline did not leave her
chamber. She would not meet the testing
gallantry of the Marquis.
This was in 1885. In less than four
years, Louis good conduct had acquired
him serjean'cy, the highest step that
commoner could expect under the old re-
gime but in 1889 the days of that regime
we're numbered. In a couple of years
more, the privileges of the mobiles were
gone in four years the king had laid his
head in the basket of the gullotine. The
first Revolutionary campaign found Louis
Lieutenant. 1t may be easily conjec'ured
that he did not take the aristocratcal side.
He joined the army of Dumourier, and
fought at Genappe. Attached to the ar
mics of Hoche and Pchegru, he assisted
in the victories of the armies of the Re-
public. Tn 1898 he was with the army OF
Italy, and distinguished himself under the
command of him, whose fame was not yet
furnished by tyranny or oppression. AZ
forwards, he adhered to the Emperor, and
saw the fields of Austerlitz, Jena, Fried
land, and Wagram. With his services his
honors increased, and in 1911 he was aid
du-camp to the Emperor, member of the
Legion of Honor, Lieutenant General,
and the Connie de RegnauIt. His wealth
was great, and his standing in Partisan So
ciety permanent. No more the retired
student of Perpignan, he was now diplo-
matist and General.
He had married in 1894 the daughter of
a Revolutionary General, which had con-
ributed not little to his advancement.-
She died not long after their marriage land
left him an only daughter. The young la
dy, reared amid the hustle and excitement
of agitated times, was gay, volatile, lively,
and of course great favorite. Her father
used to fancy likeness between her and
! Mademoiselle de Valenquav, AT the same
age; but he would say to himself, my poor
Jacqueline was quiet and resigned-Pau-
line is gay and noisy. And in spite of the
sternness Of mind which scenes of battle
and debate had produced, he would some
times wish. in moment of romance, that
he knew where poor Jacquelne's rem,ins
we're laid. 81 Think" he would whisper
to himself, 81 should be fool enough to vi
sit them"
Alas he did not know how near an APP
Proclamation to the scenes of his youth in