Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-11-26

had been brought for the occasion. They dranl
to glory and to love, henccforth inseparable
At Vienna! the soldiers once more shouted
and then separated.
Two months after this scene the grand army
Austria; but the seventy y-sixth had paid will
blood its prodigies of valor. The young quar-
ter-master, one of the ten lovers of Constance
had both legs carried away; but, in falling be
meath the eyes, and almost in the arms of The
beautiful vivandiere, he had cried: 'Of the
nine lovers who remain for thee, eight will be
more to be pitted than l, for they will live
These simple words, comprising a whole dra
ma of love, did not escape the young girl. She
4 saw him safeiy on che saeld3s.ssswa.a.to to ~
hospital.
few DAYS after that table for eleven per.
sons was spread in little restaurant of the
faubourgs of Vienna. Faithful to her engage.
ments. Constance more beautiful than ever
from a secret sadness, which veied her regard
had invited her lovers to meet her there. She
was the first to arrive and to salute, with te
and regret, the unoccupied place Of the brother
in arms who had fallen in the battle. When
the rest were assembled, they went over,
together the episodes of the campaign-so short
yet so glorious-and then they discussed their
hopes and the rights to each one for favors
and rewards, for each thus hoped to raise him.
self in the eyes of the young girl.
But spirit was wanting to the scene Con-
stance had lost her gaiety; her repartees, gene
rally so lively, so jovial and SO quick languish-
ed, and were given slowly and with difficulty
At last came the dessert. Without waiting for
the others to speak, Constance, after having
filed her glass, arose. Brothers. said She
you are all young and brilliant officers of the
future! Listen for the last time, and without
interruption, to the vivandiere of the 10Th. Let
us speak with open hearts; what would be for
you, with the title of wife, the poor uneducated
young girl: An obstacle to your fortune more
than this, Il humiliation, and remorse. ! have
Zen my mother weep, and remember it, This
hand, which you have done 'me the honor to
to sustain him. snd perhaps to earn his bread!
The choice of Constan, &c is yet an homage tothe
fraternity of arms, for it nxes itseA upon the
most unfortunate among you; let US drink then
to the poor mutiated comrade, extended on his
bead of pain, at the hospital of Vienna, wh.re
l am going to shut myself up, to die Sister
of Charity, or to leave it the wife of wound.
ed soldier
She put her glass to her lips, but bending
beneath the weight of her emotions-for in this
sublime degree she was pronouncing an etern-
al separation from the regiment she loved so
well-she fell fainting in the chair. Not a
single voice protested against her noble devo
tion-sobs alone replied to her. When she re-
covered her conciousncss. she found her nine
lovers, their bayonets on their shoulders, ready
to conduct her to the hospital. Arrived there
she placed herself by the side of the invalid
soldier. and renewed the VOW she had made at
the restaurant. Ten days afterwards q letter
with the imperial seal was placed in the hands
of the ex-vivandiere of the 10Th. He Of the
eagle-eye, who knew how to find out and re.
ward every virtue, endowed the young girl
with annuity of 500 francs, reversible to her
children; for, said the letter. you deserve to be
a mother
Five months later Constance left the hospi-
tai the wife of the mntiated quarter master;
and during the eleven years they lived togeth
er she never had cause to regret the choice she
had made. Her ancient lovers often came to
see her, and though they had become officers,
ard had nearly all marri rich wives and liv-
cd in luxury they spent many pleasant hour
! in the viyandieres cottage. The nine became
each in turn, godfather TO the nine children of
whom Constance became the happy mother
AT last her husband died, blessing her with
his last breath; then, one after the other, her
children passed away also. Two died fighting
for their country. Three, two daughters and a
son, were killed by dreadful railroad accident
which occurred some Twelve years ago, and
within two years afterwards the unfortunate
mother buried her other four, and was thus
| left alone upon the earth. But her noble cour.
age did not forsake her. She turned her thoughts
to God, and gave her occupations to the poor
and sick. And it was principally among the
soldiers that she exercised the most good, and
within the last few years her little house in the
faubourg Montmartre had become veritable
military hospital. Here many poor soldier,
without parents, friends, or money, came to re-
ceive the mothery cares and counsel of widow
Constance. She preserved all her faculties to
the last, and died as beautifully as she had
lived leaving her little annuity to her children,
the sick soldiers of the French army.
WHAT HE GETS WHO QUARRELs WITH A LADY
Those who have tried it need not be told
that it is the very poorest speculation in which
man can engage. to quarrel with lady BY
hook or crook. they will worst any in a keen
encounter of the wits, as we doubt not Mr.
Fairman editor of the Elmira Republican, could
convince any one who would ask him in five
minutes. Fairman, lately had the bad taste to
make an attack upon Mrs c. NJ Burr in the
columns of his paper. Mrs. Burr replied not
but sent the next day sweet lite poem over
fegned signature to the Republican, entitled
Death of Summer Fairman snapped at and
published ii, when 10 (! it was discovered to be