Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-05-20
A RUNAWAY MARRIAGE.
From the French /

I'D the SCUM oil L france. III fdineo III Tor
rents, so that | was forced TO find amuse-
ment within doors. In this was partic-
ularly unsuccessful. sat couple of
hours at nay solitary table to while away
the time, yet the evening was hardly be-
gun. What to do next to kill the time
walked up and down the room till was
tired, and then in despair began counting
the drops as they trickled down the win
dow. My kind landlady saw how slowly
the time passed with me, and tried by all
the scanty means in her power 10 divert
my listlessness. She brought me flute,
which seized gladly, but it was cracked
in three places and the only violin the
house possessed wanted two strings. -
No: possessing the gifts Of Paganini, |
could draw no music from what renamed,
and threw it-aside in despair. Had she
auy books? She did not know, but would
try to find some and came back after
some time with an odd volume Of a stupid
novel. This read through, and tried to
read again but nature was unequal TO
such an effort, and the volume was flung
into the same corner with the violin.
Casting my eyes round in the hopeless
search Of some employment, CHANGED to
see on one of the window panes the names
of Casmir and Julia written on the glass
with diamond, within heart. This
little incident was prize for an ldler, and
drew near the window to examine the
names with feeling something like salts.
faction. My hostess, who was beginning
to despair, was delighted at finding some.
thing to amuse me, and began at once
9" see Monsieur is looking at those two
names on the glass. All, those two young
people did not find the time so heavy here
as Monsieur does"
"You know, then, who the names be-
long to? Do tell me the story"
With great pleasure. Last spring,
young gentleman and lady stopped here
one evening, and stayed with me some
weeks. They were both handsome, and
i, was hard to say which seemed TO love
the other best. They lived in the little
room to the south, which looks out on my
daughters flower garden, and never went
out all day long. AT evening, they used
to take walk by the river, and often
noticed, when they came home, that the
lady's eyes were red, us though she had
been weeping, and the young man looked
as if he wanted TO cry too. They were
kind and gentle to every one, and all the
people about the house loved them. Who
they were, or what brought them to such
an out-of.the.w place as this, could
not tell, and they never said single word
about their affairs. They paid me regu.
larly out OF purse which saw was get
ting empty every week. So things went
on, and we had got SO used to our strange
visitors, that we did not trouble our heads
much about them, when early one morn
ing was aroused by the smell of smoke,
and jumped up, thinking the house must
be on fire. A thick, choking smoke that
came from the south end Of the house, al.
most stifled me. ran as fast as could
to the room where they slept, and when
opened the door, what do you think !
saw, sir p? Why, there lay t,e poor young
gentleman and lady on the floor, and the
room was filled with the charcoal they
had lighted over night. Only think of
two such sweet creatures killing them.
selves. Iopened the window and the
fresh air seemed to revive them little.
While ] was trying to help them, | heard
carriage stop at the door, and In min.
ute stranger rushed into the room,
tall, fine looking old man with military
air. He knew the young man at once,
for he cried, ooh Casimir, my son, my
son, my SOM and came near falling
senseless at his side. However, with the
help of my women, we soon brought them
all to life; and then you should have
seen the Joy Of them all, and how they
laughed and cried and |, too, as hard as
any Of them. The old gentleman was
General de Beausencourt, found, and
the young man his son who had married
a beautiful young girl, far below him in
rank and fortune, and fled with her to es-
cape his fathers anger. The general
had been hunting for them ever since they
left Paris, firmly determined, if he found
them, to force his son to 60 home with
him, and have the marriage dissolved by
the courts. But when he found his dar.
ling son lying there so pale and speech
less, his love got the better of his anger,
and he not only forgave him, but, for his
sake, his young wife; and all their trou-
bles were over al once, and all were as
happy as could be, and all went away in
the generals carriage"
My andady's story interested me deep
Iy, and hardly knew which to admire
most, the affection Of the young couple, or
the generous forgiveness OF the father.
Two years had elapsed, and had TO.
tally forgotten the lovers and their adj
ventures, when | was invited to pass an
evening at the house Of one of our most
distinguished painters. When entered
the room, found our entertainer engaged
in conversation with man of grave and
pensive demeanor. They were talking
Of marriage, and the painter maintained
with warmth that there was no possibility
of happy union withou, ardent mutual
affection. His adversary insisted that
such marriages were always unhappy.
After dilating on this view, he added, |
pity from the bottom Of my heart, those
:houghtless beings who hope to realize
their fantastic dreams Of love and happi.
ness in such an union. Yes, pity them
from the very bottom of my heart, for