The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-06-30
An Old Chronicle of the City.


The Able Leseur lived in the same century
with the sad-fated Maria Henrletta--the extolled
of Bossuet-the beautiful sister OF LOUIS Nil lie
curate of the Church of St Mederic, or as 1t is
now called, St Merry, which stands upon tLle cor
ner where the dirty Rue des Lombards crosses the
Rue st. Martina corner around which more biood
was spilled in the days of the last Revolution than
III almost any other quarter of Paris. 1t queer
old Gothic building, with rich tracery about Its
windows; but the walls stained with the damPs
OF three or four centuries, and the outside is heavily
SCARED by the bullets that flew around it in 1882
The people who say mass at ST. Merry to-day are
OF the vilest population of the city the beggars
who loler at It's steps are the most wretched OF
beggars; and the priests who assist at the wor
ship at st. Merry are, if one may Judge from their
looks, the worst of priests.
1t was different in the time of the good Able
Ieseur; for then there were rich houses even along
the Rue St. Antoine and noble lords and ladies'
came to say their prayers at the shrine OF st.
Nederic.
The Able was doing one evening, for he had
STAYED later than was his wont in his confessional
box when he was aroused by the rusting OF a dress
just beside him. Turning his eyes to the grating
through which he had listened to the confessions
of his backslidden people, he saw the delicate, lew
elled hand of lady clinging to the bars Inc
Able put his head nearer to the grating, to see who
was the owner of the fair hand. He saw light
graceful form, and presently met the eyes, bending
earnestly on his own, of the lovely Mademolseile
d'Estra, daughter of the powerful Baron d Estrai-
she who had been long the sweetest lamb OF his
flock.
Now it had been some time rumored III the city,
and the rumor had come 10 the Abbes ears--i0r
there We're gossips then, there are gossips now
that the beautiful Isabel Estral was bound by her
fathers oath to marry Chevalier Verhais.
Z" Methinks it is somewhat late for Madem0l-
selle,' said the Able What can she wish at such
an hour -
''Your blessing, Father said the girl, firmly.
cit is always yours, child; but tell me first why
at this hour -
why dare not tell,
Then, child, | dare not bless you"
"And you will not"
60 l cannot and the Able heard the step Of
Mademoisele moving from the confessional. lie
opened his box, and, overtaking her before she had
| reached the door, drew her into one OF the side
chapels which may yet be seen each side the great
aisle of st, Merry
" Nademoiseile,' - said the Able, solemnly, "you
have some strange purpose in your thought Is IT
right that it stay unreveaed I"
The form of the daughter OF dsEstrai tremhlel
under the touch of the Able.
g Is it strange want your blessing, good fathers
when tonight is my last on earth :, 40
The Able trembled in his turn, " cannot be.
g Unjust be-, said the d Estral, "You know the
Baron--that he does not yield"
"And you will not obey, child 7"
4NcNCl yoh hilot tS SitCS HtfSf YPfisRt'' ''.5
do you ask !"
And the nuptals'"
''Are fixed for tomorrow night"
Child, can serve YOU"
with your blessing, Father"
'Nay-not yet; will conceal you whore not
even the powerful Baron can find you"
NIademoiselle hesitated moment=-then lifted the
hand of the Able to her lips.
The Able threw his cloak over her, and they
passed out
Along the dim streets - there. weEe no lamps
then---they passed, keeping close in tho shadow Of
the houses Many people met themi one only had
knownpr saluted the Able. None knew, or seemed
to know, Mademoselle.
Turning into dark by.waY, out Of what Is now
the Rue ST, Antoine, they stole cautiously in the
direction Of the frowning towers Of the Bastile At
| length the Able stopped at low door in an abut.
| ment of the outer walls and leading his charge
through low, dark passage, left her in little room
at the end, in the guardianship Of an old woman,
| his foster-mother.
| Two days thereafter it was noised through the
city that Isabel d'Estral, the beautiful daughter of
| the Baron of the name, had suddenly disappeared
the night before the set for her marriage with
| the Chevalier Verhais. The Baron had made for
| many days unsuccessful search and vain inquiries
in every directon--he had offered rewards for the
smallest tidings, and had given descriptions of the
| person of his daughter. At length there appeared
| one who had seen female figure, of the form des
| hour on the same day upon which Mademoseile
Esra disappeared; and he further testified that
she was in company with man in the dress of a
| priest! Another gave testimony to having seen the
curate of the Church of ST. Mederic on the even
ing in question, and in company with q female;
and, what was doubly suspicious the CITRATE himself
had been recognized in the Rue St. Antoine.
None had ever before suspected the Able Leseur OF
wrong doing. The Archbishop summoned him to
appear at Notre Dame.
Two persons appeared, who swore to the fact OF
seeing the Able Ieseur walking with lady IN the
Rue St Antoine, upon the evening of the disap-
pearance of the daughter of the Baron. There
was however no evidence to identify this lady
with Mademoisee Estral. Still, to the surprise of
ALL the Able frankly avowed that the person with
whom he had been seen was none other than the
missing daughter of the Baron, He would tell no.
thing more.
The Baron was powerful both at court and in the
old palace of Nptre Dame. The next day, the
Able Leseur was shown his dungeon in the Bas-
tile. At intervals, for month, he was urged to re-
veal the hiding place of Mademoselle, but he sea-
Oily refused every solicitation
year passed away, and the Able was still III
his dungeon new curae sat IN the confessional
stall of st. Mederic. Meantime the ChevalIer Yer
hais had gone out of the kingdom-stlll, nothing
| was heard of the lost Isabel.
Three wears after and there had been great
changes at the court; the Baron was no longer
powerful a new governor was set over the bastile,
and it was crowded with prisoners OF state Both
the lost daughter of d'Estral and the Able, were
| nearly forgotten.
lad came one evening, and demanded to see the
| old Able Ieseur and when the turnkey came to
close the cells for the night, he asked TO stop with
the Able There was little care Of such prisoner,
| and the lad stayed in the cell. Z
An hour after, when it had grown dark, the turn
KEYS in the great hall of the castle startled by
piercing shrek. They searched the cells and the
dungeon of the Able was found empty; but out Of
the window was hanging broken ladder of ropes,
and below there appeared something moving upon
the edge of the fosse.
They ran down with torches; they found the
poor Able crushed to death by the fall. The lad
had just strength enough to say the curate was in
nocent and tainted. They tore open his doublet, to
give him air, and found to their establishment that
it was woman. They put the torches close to her
face, and of the by-standers cried out that it
was Mademoiselle d'Estral. The poor girl opened
her eyes at the sound, seemed recalling her senses.
uttered faint shrek, and fell dead upon the body