American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-06-06
,TFrom the French of Eugene Gninot.l
q CROWN OF A HUNDRED SOU


CROWN OF A HUNDRED SOUS
vast past midnight, and the bride had al
been some time in therauptial chamber,
the young spouse succeeded at last in es-
from his friends and leaving the ball
when he assembled the stairs, upon one of
9 nding places of which a waiting maid
linn and modestly told him to enter.
e new husband raped lightly upon TIE
and threw himself at the feet ola woman
was waiting for him, seated near the fire
elegant night dress.
s Use, nay friend" said she to her spouse,
g him her hand.
70, no, madam" replied the young man,
fg upon white hand which he clasped
cen his own, and carried to his lips. "No,
me at your feet, and do not withdraw
hand, for fear lest you might escape me;
that all this is only an illusion; it seems
p that am the hero of one of those fairy
which used to hear when a child, and
at the very moment of being happy, the
cious fairy is going to fly away, to laugh
her companions over my sorrow and my
air.
Be assured, my friend, that yesterday was
Melvils widow, now am Madame de
Tour, your wife. Dlspel from your imagi-
pm your chisdhood's fairy, The tale is but
ble."
r. Frederic de la Tour had some reason to
let that superior genius interfered with
fairs, for, within the last month, either
ice or inexPlicable good fortune had rem
d him rich and happy beyond his desires
age was twenty-five, he was an orphan,
barely lived upon an employment in
ch he was engaged, when, passing one day
street Saint Honore, splendid coach stop.
near him, and an elegantly dressed lady
ed over the carriage door and called out
i'm, though not by name,
he driver descended, let down the foot
4 d, and, hat in hand, respectfully invited
Frederic to be seated by the side of this
man, glittering with jewels. The coach
b then drove off.
3Sir," said the lady who had thus taken
up, with sweet voice, ~ have received
letter, but, Notwithstanding your refusal,
he yet hope to see you Tomorrow at my
|ning party"
&Me, Madam" replied Frederic
les, sir, you q. . All! beg your par
don, sir; but you SO much resemble per
of my acquaintance, that | took you fol
All, sir, excuse me What mus
think Indeed, indeed, the resemblance i:
striking that any one liz the world would b'
eived as have BEEN"
Before this explanation was ended, The
CHI stopped in the court Of superb mansion
E M. Frederic could not but offer bis haHC
Lady Melvil. Frederic, da2zled by so mucl
Ice, was easily subjugated. He congratula
himself upon the happy chance which gSvt
E to his acquaintance with the Lady Mervil
accepted her invitations, and in few day
came one Of her most frequent visitors. Thu
h widow was surrounded by adorers; bu
by dropped off one by one, and things wer'
arranged before week rolled by, that tn
lie clerk made the widows house his home
|hrrage was agreed upon, but it was she WIKI
st proposed it.
Frederic would sometimes place himself il
Ie morning before his little looking-glass AM
|nsider himself with attention. He was no
tly, neither was he handsome. His dress
|oderate, as must be that of clerk with a sa
nv of eighteen hundred francs, did not permi
|m to attribute his good fortune to his tailor
)e was forced to the conclusion that he wa
we'd for himself, or else that Lady MelVe
bis fascinated. When the marriage was set
BID, when the future spouse was before tn
btary, his establishment redoubled. They de
|ared his property to be over million. ii
Ened property according TO the contract,
I'm in Normandy, house in Paris, in tn
rect SAINT Honore, and other real estat
hitch he had never before heard mentioned
The widow was rich in foreign wealth. Sh
bid farms in Wales and pastures in Devon
hire. All was for Frederic golden dream
nd he longed TO awake from it. The mayo
bid curate came to sanction this union; bu
either the marriage solemnity nor the Law
las able to dispel all his doubts, and he did no
eave his wife's feet, but grasped in his hau
he embroidered muslin of her night dress
trough fear that the dream would vanish.
"Rise, Frederic, !" said his wife again, "com
o this arm chair of mine, and let us converse.
The young man at last obeyed, though We
unwilling to release his hold of his wife
and, and Madame de la Tour commenced a
blows:
''There was once on time :"
"There," cried Frederick, $50 was not dc
,eived. 1t is in truth a fairy tale"
sLsten to me, my friend. There was one
IN time young girl, born Of parents VIII
lad formerly been wealthy, but who, when Il
cen years of age, had to subsst upon the IL
1ustry of her father. They resided at Lyon
but some hope of better fortune brought thel
% Paris. Nothing is so difficult as to recovt
J lost fortune, or TO regain lost rank. TIL
young girls father found it so; four years /
with misery, without being able
it, and at last died in an hospital
The mother soon followed the husband, al
lie young girl was left alone in an attic, {
which the rent was unpaid. Its only furnitu
vas two beds. If there were a fairy in Il
tale which am relating, this is certainly Il
moment when she would appear; but there
none in it. The young girl remained at Par
without parents, without friends, without pr