Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-31

| Ten vegetables and old bones lay strewn nbou,
he floor, and in one corner, on a bundle oi
l. lamp straw lay an old woman, groaniny IN pain
lhe child went to her and spoke to her, where.
t. Upon the old hag started if she had ,et
bitten, but Immediately turned her face To tn
= wall again. The little girl, thinking she wus
very Ill, left the room, and went herself for a
docter; he came, and, Disguised with the az
| pearance OF the room and odors declared he
could do nothing until the patient was remov-
l ed to better place but the old woman swors
} she would die where she was, and all rn on-
strances were IN VAN The doctor, thcrt ore,
. prescribed as well as he could, but the next ua
the old woman died but before her death she
questioned the little grI about her former life.
and finally revealed to her that she was wutch-
ing over the death-bed Of her own mother. and
that she had sInassd sum Of money, winch
her daughter would find in the straw. After
! the old wonan's body was taken from the
house, accordingly the young girl searched,
and found an old pettlcoit, IN which was wrap.
ped no less sum than so francs in gold and
silver. All tins the old woman had got by beg
gng, and by picking and searchlng among the
rubbish in the streets
Her daughter, upon finding herself the pos
SCISSOR Of such a fortune, Llaccd the gre ter
portion OF 1t IN the savings bank, and then
placed herself in good boarding school,
where her Intelligence soon developed Itself,
and at seventeen years Of aye she was one of
the most accomplished, and by far the most
beautiful girl in school. 1t had Away. been
her intention, when she had finished her edu-
cation, to 20 on the stage. but at a solree given
by the mistress of the school, young v-ntle>
man, the son Of general Of the empire, who
had left hun the title Of baron and large for
tune, saw our heroine, fell in love with hsr,
and soon after married her. For the first two
or three years nothing occurred to disturb the
bis OF their happy union but suddenly the
young wife, who had hitherto shown herself
amlabIe tender and devoted, changed entirely.
fler spirits became unequal, and ,e NO lon
ger seemed satisfied with the quiet happiness
of her home. Arrived at that stage of her
YOUTH at the age when all the forces dcyeope
themselves, an unsettled an ardent nltnre
struggled greatly against her good instinct
She showed an inclination for coquetry, a,d
the passion for gambling seized upon her with
uncomfortable violence. Her husband suffered
and trembed IN silence. With thlt weakness
very common to tender hearts, he md beco ae
a secondary pers mage in his house, aud could
not regain the power ne had quietly g,Y.n
up. MADAME - had arctiy OFT art4
sums at cards, an had secretly sI.l he. l--
mond5 and replaced them by I-,5e s'ones.
The poor husband regretted not huv.n1 al
thority enough to bring about -et',rn mi
stop the desperate course Of his wife. lie
would have given great doal 10 lead peAc-
able existence in the country. but he knew
tn 1t at the first words any such proposition
would have been firmly objected to His per-
pc1ty WIS very great, when good idea came
into his head.
Among the saloons of the elegan, world
WHARF trntnhIu,, all
more dangerous than the others, because the
worst sort Of gambling wa, permitted and
very mixed society received. Mr. Y. con-
sented to allow himself and his wife to be pre-
sented to the gentleman Of this house, and he
ma ched rcsolutely into the abyss. Madame
soon placed herself at card table, and I'M
medlatey middle aged gentleman came and
placed himself opposite her. They PLAYED,
and at the first round the gentleman won
hundred louis, and soon the losses of the beau
utul ganestress amounted to twenty-five thou
sand francs.
"Shall we double'" asked her partner.
YES she answered, trying to preserve her
calmness.
She lost again and her adversary asked:
Shall we doube'"
This continued question, and the unlucky
issue Of the game WAS repeated several times.
~ lIsl hdudUlc ~. tllOur.U at IaSt
hat her partner was very gallant man. who
wanted to lead her on to acquit her debt ata
n!le blow by playing until the luck should
s'nge. But when the debt amounted to-.
lundred thousand crowns, the gentleman arose,
excused himself, and said:
"We will STOP now madame if YOU please;
'ow owe me three hundred thousand francs"
TINS announcement caused eat sensation
n the saloon, and Madame Y retired with de,.
ar in her heart. For the first lime she was
fraid Of her husband. However, The terrible
onfesson must be made to him she made il,
ale, and trembling, and on her knees.
'Rlse nv love- said her husband, in a sad
ut atfecionse lone. : 1t was a misfortune
which cannot be h,lped. We mu,, pay tho
ebt. w" shall be nearly ruined, but your hon.
r will be saved
The creditor arrived soon afterwards, and
ir. wen with him 10 MS notary. On his
sturn hr said to his wife;
'All that remains 10 Us now is nv ht,le do
,ain in Anyergns. | can very well content
1yset there but II will he . polny abode for
ou, and that il what -til trs me.
Touched by such exquisite kInlness, Mad
M y. set out for the Country. vi hou reg-,t.
ng Paris and hsr di-astrnus pleasure After
. much excitement, country lie seemed de-
ghriu to her.
Ten years passed away, and Madame Y. said
} her husband "ns day, That they had been the
. pplsst days of her life and that nothing
oud disturb her peace. If it WAS not for The
fought of tho large sum OF money she had
adr him pay.
Console yourself replied the husbsnd:-
our economlss have more than repaid vour
IS; but you lost nothing, and our fortune 10
Nv doubled
The gentleman who played with YOU was
le of my friend'. who played on nv account
The Joy Of he wife was extreme, and they
on at-r returned 10 Paris. But Mr.. y. was
dnced 10 endorse for several friends, and in
~ short yesr' he lost all he was worth. His
lie ia now going on The Stage to ,ry and -
ir the losses finer husband. l.sveur 10
u, reader, il her life has not been varied
ough.
Remarkable N c.nuly.