Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-09-08
CHAPTER /.
THE LOVERS.

CHAPTER /.
| LOVERS.
There is little sun-lit island in lake Caddo
that has long been known as Don Pedro's.' Years
ago It was charming spot, but of late years the
corrodng tooth of time has touched it with its mill.
dew. 1t was sweet place, around which every
thing beautiful seemed to have birth, and nothing
That was not lovely ever appeared there to have a
being. The island was quite small one, not
more than mile long, nd in width about its length
Within these small dimensions, however, every
| thing which nature could bestow given with a
lavish hand and art had come forward to embel.
lish where nature had not bestowed, and prune
where she had been too profuse. In shape the is
land was crescent, or half-moon, and in that
slope the blue waters of the lake, in all their re-
nected beauty of sun and stars, and of trees and
briars, and of velvet banks, lay, with the brgh:
sky above, paradise below. Ensconced in the
middle of the lake and in the widest the shores
OF mainland being five miles on either side, the
blue borders of the green trees tipping with their
fringe the far off horizon, presented the vision
us IL gazed on these dark outlines, features alto
! gether novel in their arrangement. In the day s
of which speak, the busy hand of care had piled
its skill on every part, and what nature had left
unfinished, the most assduous attention had been
bestowed to supply the defect.
| Don Pedro, an old Spanish grandee, of some
wealth and much intellectual culture, lived on the
island. He was widower, his wife having died
many years before the opening of this tale, in
giving birth to a daughter, who was, at the time
of which speak, of the most lovely women
that has ever graced the world with her presence
The daughter and father, and some half dozen
servants, were the only inmates on that cha rming
spot. They lived quite retired, having but few
neghbors and they on the main land. Their time
was spent in identifying their place and in read.
Inp or old M n n md
| assorted collection of books. In such things as
these, their time was pleasantly passed, much -
,iro Or ,i.o mind uIid tlIO VI uurucnt
and establishment Of the island.
| Neacena, the daughter of Don Pedro, n
most charming woman. Her every feature was
moulded exqusi,ely, blending in their outline the
soft graces Of Hebe, with much of the voluptu.
GUS animation Of Venus. Her form was neither
| large nor SMALL bu, with enough of the enbonpoini
TO give q voIuptuous roundness to the limbs, and
strong vitality to the physical and mental tenn
peraments. Her mother being an American
| woman, the contour of her features partook in
small degree of the AngIo-Saxon race, while The
more leading portion of them claimed an inher-
,ance from that of the father. With eyes da rk
as the sloe and hair jetty black, the rich blood of
! her veins animated with its freshness the cheeks
of blonde. The graces of her mind were in
good keeping with the symmetry of her person.
Nature, in forming her, seemed TO have exerted
her utmost skill, as a beautiful sample of what
she could do in one of her happy moods. At the
time of which | speak, such was Neacera, the
daughter of Don Pedro, and the affianced bride of
Antoine Dubosque, you'll, of one of The neigh;
boring islands.
The island on which Antoine Dubosque lived
was distant some twenty miles at least from the
beautiful one which Neacena resided. AL.
though so far apart, Antoine was in the habit oil
visiting her regularly once week, and staying
with her one day. He had eauliful little boat
and when the breeze In the right direction
with sails outspread his fairy-like barque walked
upon the waters with all the grace of swan, a nd
generally made the passage between the two pa.
ces in about two hours. The day on which An.
tome was expected, was always happy with
| Neacena-and in little balcony which overlook
ed the broad expan>e of waters ,hat lay embosom.
ed beneath her gaze, she would sit for hours
watching in the far distance for the first glimpse
of her lovers sail and when it appeared on the
lake, she would leave Ter seat with her heart full
of gIadness, and run down 10 that shore 10 wei.
come him to her home.
! The island on which Antoine lived was
much larger one than the one on which Neacena
resided, but not half beautiful. Anoine's
father was in every respect a different individual
from Don Pedro, with the exception that they
were both widowers, and both having an only
child. They were alike in this, but in their dis.
positions they had TO particle of resemblance.
Don Pedro had all the generosity Of heaven mix.
ed with his nature, and all the amenity of man.
ners Of the webred gentleman ; while the other
was in every thing the opposite of this. One was
educated at the best OF schools, and had improve
his mind by the severest discipline: while the
other without any advantages Of education, had
bent the entire energies of his soul TO the accumu-
latien of wealth. With naturally strong instincts,
the old man Dubosque had so concentrated every
latent energy of his soul TO single point, thai
every thing else completely swallowed up in
one leading passion-cupidty. After the death
of Antoine's mother, who died in his childhood, o
maiden aunt, residing in France, sent for him, ant
raised him in the gay city of Paris. Through
her influence the old man advanced some money
towards Antoine's education, and when the sum.
sent proved inadequate to the expenses, she from
her own limited means extracted portion t.
make up the deficit. The maiden aunt having
died just rs Antoine had completed his education
and his father having opportuney arrived at tha
moment in Paris on business, he returned hons