Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-01-23
cried he; truly, you have led Inc into fnescrape,

PSS'AoAS
know that have brother, one of the princi-
Epal bankers of Ma,seilles every body speaks
well Of him but myself; and say he is crack
Drained enthusiast Why, sir, you have only to
relate to him trait Of courage or generosity, and
he is ready to worship the hero of / told
him the othernight of the mad trick you had
played, and he few into rage with me because
did not seize and drag you to his house ~ ct
armis. should not have cared so for him had
not my good sister-in-law and pretty nice Joined
his party. In short, they turned me out, in or
ders not to come again without bringing you in
tmy hand. have hunted for you ever since in
vain; but now have luckily found you, you will
not refuse to return with me to dinner
George wouldhave excused himself
He had only come he said, for short time,
on business, which was nearly finished; he was
about to depart, and he had not moment for
any thing but business
Even if you 60 tomorrow, YOU must dine
| somewhere to-day-and why not as well at my
brothers as at the innr
with these words he put his hand under the
young mans arm, and drew him along, needless
of all excuses.
1t has been said that good face is the best
letter of recommendation; and no one ever had
better than George. The banker and his fam
lily were charmed with, each praised him in their
way. Mr.. Stenahal admired his open counten-
ance; his wife the modest propriety Of his man.
ners; her mother, who was very old and rather
deaf the good natured and respectful way in
which he answered several questions which she
put to him. The daughter, a blooming girl of
sixteen said nothing but perhaps the look of
/ pleasure with which she listened to the praises
bestowed by the rest of the family, was not the
least eloquent part of the panegyric.
In the course of the evening, Mr. Stendhal
learned that his guests name was George, that
he was an orphan, and that he would leave Mar
seilles in five or six days. He mentioned also
the names of some of the merchants with whom
he had done business; and one Of them happen
I ing to be particular friend of Stendhal's the
good banker went to him the next day, to make
inquiries respecting his new acquaintance.
!All know of him. said the merchant, is that
he comes from an old correspondent of mine, who
has recommended him very strongly to me. He
has transacted business for the gentleman with
several others besides myself and he is generally
regarded as a clever and intelligent young man.
My friend lamented in his letter, that he had not
the power to offer him a permanent situation,
and he has asked me to look out for one for him
but l have not met with any thing Ekely'to
siIit.'
This was enough for Stcndhal, who was sort
of benevolent Quixotte in his way. He wished
to serve George but with the delicacy of true
generosity, he desired that the young man should
feel himself the obGger, rather than the obliged.
He told him that he wanted clerk; George fell
into the innocent snare laid for him; he offered
I him elf, and was directly accepted.
Mr. Stendhal WAS we'll satisfied with the abili-
ties of his new clerk, and not less so with his
conduct: the only thing that he wished was to
see in the young man more OF the gaity natural
to his tuIe of life, but he was constantly serious,
and even sad, Notwithstanding that his temper
was so sweet, and his manners so mild and anna
lble, that he was a feTorte with the whole fami-
|y.
Two years passed away and at the end of that
time, George had become, what Mr.. Stendhal
emphatcally called his right hand he relieved
the good banker from great part of the fatigue
which he had till then taken upon himself; and
while he had never relaxed, in the slightest de-
gree, his attention to business, he found time to
render himself as agreeable and useful to the fe-
male part of the family as to the master of it.
He was Leocadie's language master to the great
satisfaction of Mrs. Stendhal, who had no longer
any reason to reproach the dear girl with that
disinclination to study, which had been her only
fault. But what perhaps drew the hearts of both
mother and daughter still more strongly towards
him was, his unwearied attention to the good
grandmother, who was alike beloved and vener-
ated by the family.
All at once Stendhal preccived that his wife
appeared unusually serious and distracted. 1t
was evident that she had something on her mind;
but what could that something be, which she
concealed from her husband, with whom, till
then she had no reserve. After puzzling his
brains for little time with conjectures, the ban
ker took what he considered to be the only
right way in these cases-he determined to
come to the point at once.
Till now,' said he, we have been happy: it is
evident that you have ceased to be so: tell me
the cause of your uneasiness-and if it is my
power to Danish it, regard the thing as done
Then it is DONE cried Mrs. Stendhal embra-
cling him. My uneasiness arose from discover
ing Leocadie in love-
In love and with whom?
with George
so much the better-if he loves her.
If, Mr.. Stcndhal|Y
If, Madame Stendhal-I say, if
And say there is no if in the case the poor