The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-03-23
UPONSKATES
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.
M GRACE GREENWOOD.

Somewhat moro than twenty years ago
IN line old mansion on the ST. Lawrence
Montreal, lived General Paul l.croax, for
,nerly Of the French army, and devoted
Bonapartist. On the final fall Of Napoleon,
he had cmigratcd 10 Canada with his iami.
ly and portion Of his priuccly fortune.
General Lcroux was n widowcr, with two
twin children, Henri aud Eugene, nj .our
service, my reader. These two, having
lost their mother in early childhood, bad
spent some years with relatives in Swilzer.
land. In that widest country, Ia the midst
Ut largo household, herself the especial
pet Of her grand uncle, veteran soldier,
Eugenlc LerouX was allowed all the wild
and hoalthful freedom of peasant girl.
Al the nge OF sixteen, when she acco..ipa.
MED her father md brother 10 tho New
World, she could beast bat few lady-l!kc
accomplishments and aristocra,ic Mrs; but
sho was lovely with the pro,nisc Of ex,raor-
binary beauty, bewi,chingly naive in man-
ncr, aud as brave AMI vigorous us u Young
Zingara. She was Passionate in spirit,
impctuous and why wnrtl; fiery and fearless
~ her Tescntmcnts, but q iick md generous
10 forgive: ardent aud devoted to the death
in her loves and friendships. Henri lie.
roux was possessed Of fine intellect, but
was Of a delicate physical organization
gentle in spirit, sensitive, s,udious md re-
liyioas, the fair beauty Of his flc,, the sub
ducd tone Of his voice and his qnic, manner
all went 10 render him mast remark able
contrast 10 his sister. Bat will not dwell
farther upon his character, rs his future life
is to form the subject oil subsequent
sketch.
On reaching his Canadian home, GcncT-
=! l.eroux procured a gnscrncss md mas
tiers for his daughter. Mndemoiselle Eu-
genie soon acquired good know! ledge q.
English, and made rapid progress in music,
for which she possessed remarkable talent !;
but she indignantly overturned her en-
broiIery franc, tossed her paint-hrushcs
into the river aud sen, her Latin grammar
after them. Her poor gevcrncss SION 70.
signed in despair oil hope Of making u fine
lady out Of tho wild girl u! the Alps, whom
an indulgent father, good easy man, per-
united to follow in oil things, her own IN.
irammcl!cd impulses.
Our heroinc's early residence in Swift
zerland had colorcd her entire nttcr-'ifc aud
character; and the daughter Of soldier, she
was perhaps not unnaturally so!dier-like
and somewhat masculine in her tastes. She
neither trcmblej, tainted, nor shr;eked with
exquisite sensibility and delicate nervous
ness 1t the roar of ordnance, tho peal Of
inusketry. or the sharp crack 81 tho rifle.
She loved them rather, md at the CLEAN oil
arins and the cxul.ing swell Of ,nnrtial mu-
sic, there ever flashed from her kind!ng
eyes the bold spirit ol jam dare. As n
horse woman, she was absolutely unrivaled
il all the Canadas-at least So said her RI
ding.mastcr. She could row like Grace
Darling, swim like mermaid, and then
her skating-'Iler skating! Good gra-
cious. cries my fair reader, in feminine
Consideration. Wait bit, honey, and con.
sidor. Skating is m amusement which has
been ton long mnnopolizcd by sour natural
cnsmy;' as some lady writcr-Miss MART.
neau, Miss Hannah More or Miss Robinson,
Crusoc--calls the sterncr sex. It is a
graceful. delightful, and most inyigora.
ting exercise. ] speak not unadyisedly,
for in my early girlhood too acquired this
singular accomplishment, and now only
blush for the false delicacy which hns since
prevented mo from keeping myself in prac.
sice.
But Eugenic, fearless Of the ccnsurcs oil
ihe ovcr-re6ned, aud scornins the iniperti-
nent observations Of tho canailIc. pursued
with enthusiasm the fayori.e pastime Of her
Swiss winter life, and no sooner did the ice
III tho ST. Lawrence become of reliable
thickness, than, accompanied By her twin
brother, she might bc seen perfor,ning hes
graceful evolutions thereon ios hours TO-
Ce,hes. Her skill aud swihncss became
proyerbia! aud many were tho delighted
witnesses Of her varied and extraordinary
feats. hut il 10 tims she WIS introduced
psGsooally 70 my readers.
On The sflesuoon of keen but sunny
day in January, Eugsnie and Henri Lc
rock iaughingly descended the bank Of the
ST. Lawrence, and mingled with small