New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-07-20
DAILY CRESCENT.
THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF A
WOMAN'S LIFE.
TALE OF THE MERMENTAU

a ioIB, Iohg perlOu OF pam, SICKNESS, anu
| prostration elapsed before Leon awoke to q
thorough consciousness of his situation The
past seemed horrible dream in which event
after event had chased each other with such
celerity, as to leave little impression upon his
memory, save a confused succession Of fearful
and grotesque images. But now weak and Ian
guid, but with the happy consciousness Of re-
turning health, he sat by low window in
Il Estrange's cottage, feeling that he owed his
life to the sleepless vigils Of the same affection
which had before rescued him from fate he
shuddered to contemplate. And during his i'll
ness the relations between Nina and himself had
changed. One day when life and death battled
strongly in his feeble frame for mastery, he had
called herto his bedside and mplored her to give
him the last melancholy satisfaction Of calling
her his wife before he died.
Nay" said he in answer to Nina's startled
look, g am not raving as | see you think am.
For many reasons it will give me satisfaction
to have you bear my name. 1t will give
title to my fathers regard and proteHion.
AS my widow, too, Nna,'' he added, with q faint
smile "you will have the liberty of mourning
as long and earnestly as you can desire"
1t needed no persuasion to induce l. 'Estrange
to lend his sanction to what he considered the
whim Of the sick man. Rather an agreeable
whim to him. for to his sagacity there was
wide differ, nee between the humble sailor whom
he had driven with contumely from his dwelling
and the wealthy gentleman to whom the doors
of that same dwelling flew open as if by magic
But wherein did this old man differ from his
species Who in this age of the almighty dol
lar has the presumption TO deny that wealth is
the open sesame to human consideration, ny,
to human affection too Not indeed the atfec-
! tion which passed like double refined gold
through the furnace Of adversely, only gather
ing value and lustre from the soaring process
but its counterfeit which shows as fairly, gilt
. | broy op1 in fact 1oas az xpoll
for the purpose to which it is applied Philoso-
pliers may rail- preachers declaim poets senti-
, mentalize, against the worship Of Mammon, but
no shrine numbers as many votares, no idol as
many victims 1t is the fabled cestus of beauty,
the diamond of wit, the beginning and end Of
r human toll, the ultimatum Of human wisdom
and humble merit in thread bare garments, and
antiquated notions of right and wrong--runs
great risk of being kicked out Of the "goodly
company" with the pithy exclamation why,
how the deuce came you here: p"
cannot say that Nina reasoned with her
4. fathers wisdom upon the subject. 1t was to her
simple mind no cause Of qualification to discover
that her lovers rank was 50 infinitely above
her own. She consented without demur tc
Icons wishes, for they were to her law, and
the priest who had been her tutor and grown
: old in the discharge of his pastoral duties on the
shores Of the Mermentau, was called upon tC
bless her hasty nuptials. But even as she knelt
at Leon's bedside and breathed her marriage
i VOWS, she would have given the world to have
: seen him once more, the humble sailor, whost
highest ambition was to gain her smiles
whose richest treasure was found in her affec
ton. But the presence of the beloved is not thu
atmosphere in which distrust can long flourish
On this day Nina Fate at her husbands feet
and listened with entranced attention to all hi
plans for the future. They were. of course
very bright; for even his father, softened by the
intelligence of his sons danger, had reentet
go far as TO write, for him an affectonate letter.
forgving Leon for what he styled his ill-adviset
marriage, and according him a gracious per
mission to return TO the paternal mansion
whenever his convalescence would permit. 1t i
true there was no mention made of Nina, bu
that must have been an oversight Leon sait
so, and Nina believed him, and just now the,
were so much occupied in themselves that ther
was no room for other thoughts
But. in spite Of her brilliant hopes for tn
future, Nina wept very heartily when she tool
= leave Of her father, and her old companions, an,
the pleasant haunts Of her childhood; but thos
tears were sweet in comparison to the bite
drops which fell upon arriving at her futur
home, when she met the freezing welcome of he
fatherin-law.
: Was this the reception she had pictured +
herself; this cold, unapproving glance, whic
seemed to pass her over as unworthy of notice
She, who intended to be so dutiful and affection
: ate, SO solicitous of his comfort, that she woul
have won her way at once to his heart, an
nestled there securely as part and portion c
his being.
Why, the very mcnials who waited upon hir
received more condeseending netice than hi
sons wife This night, even Leon failed to re
assure her, and the next day, and the next
wore away in fruitless attempts to please, me
by the same hauteur, until heart-sick and dis
.v pirted, Nina ceased all her little arts to gain
is look Of appreciation, and took refuge in timi
silence To the splendor which surrounded her
she soon became accustomed with the facility
the natural instinct which enables woma
the most inexperenced) to assume with facilit
the tone of surrounding objects; but the i'll
yeiled scorn, the repelling tone, require from it
endurers degree OF moral courage, or stolidity
- in which Nina was deficient
1t was not only, however, De Soils alone VIII
resented the intrusion of a plebeian bride int
his honorable house. From the beautiful Gle
tide B, the renowned belle Of brillian
circle, who fully purposed securing the wealth
ny heir by her irresistible charms and distinguishe
- attention; to the fashionable milliner who an
"; ticipated furnishing queen-Gkc trOussedu
the future bride of the wealthy Leon de Soils
each and all were indignant, each and all in thci
i, several ways determined to mark their displea
sure at this infringement of their rights m
privileges
1t was impossible to deny Ninas extrem
an beauty, but her native grace was stigmatize
lite as gduchcrie. She neither walked, talked, 0
looked according to set rules, and the we'll -borr
well-bred bellies pronounced her "savage,
!. and twisted and tortured her artless remark
into thousand ridiculous meanings.
There was line of demarcation c0rdO
sanifaWe evidently drawn between Nina an
= the circle in which she moved. But this lint
visible as it was to a casual observer, by Ih
ll-suppressed anger with which these butterhi,
l.. OF fashion regarded an intrusion upon their So
- cred precints; it was yet more visible to NinS
ed from her utter want OF congeniality in thought
and pursuits with her associates
She, alas! could not exhaust every superli
T. tive in her language at some welltancied heat
dress, or charming mantelet. She did not eve
know the difference between Brussels and Hon
| ton lace, and in fact, had never heard OF eithe
a,. Her pitying heart and generous nature neyC
withheld liberal aims to the most worthle
s. beggar whose necessities met her eye; but, the
t. her mind was too narrow to comprehend the G.
pansive far-r reaching charity which moved Il
l. tiiS of her world to employ their eloquence an
liberality, for the instruction and relief of Il
" oppressed Algerines, or ignorant Quaiiah Ba
fOOanS.
The magnifying- glass of these philanthropis
only saw at a distance-the farther the bette
1t is noble feeling which works for the reli
of distant suffering, and the paupers Of our ov
:. land, no doubt, think so--at any rate, they a,