Demoine courier., 1854-08-17

came not only marked favorife, but
smong her most constant and welcome
guests. The rich widow was surround.
ed by suitors for the honor of her hand.
who were dismissed. one by one; and it
was somehow so brought about, that, be.
fore the end Of short month, the young
lazy had an interview by her lady yship's
own OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES was propns-
ed by HER. and of course accepted by
HIM. in a delirium of love and as,onish-
ment.
The bewihered young gentleman
stood before the small looking glass IN
his modes,ly furnished attic, and survey
ed himself from head to foot. lie was
by- no means an ugly man, but he could
not consider himself particularly hand
some his dress was such as became a
clerk, with salary of as many hundred
francs per dnn um, as there are months IN
The year; and, having a praisewnrshy
aversion to running in deb', he could not
therefore, attribute his good fortune to
his tailor. He made up his mind tina; he
mus, be loved for himself alone, and his
early novel reading favored this roman
tic conclusion but. being naturally Of a
modest turn of mind, this solution, on
second thoughts, appeared improba BILE,
and he then determined that Lady Mel
vile mus, be lsooring under some suange
and unnatural delusion.
When the wedding day arrived, and
ell, IA, h,,S nd 81 a. tf,
or rather GOLDEN tones of the no,ary's
voice, his astonishment redoubled. He
would have $50 said the marriage con-
iract a country seat in Burgundy, DO
main in Normandy. house in the street
Saint Eonore, in Paris. and numerous
other goods aud chatlels. of which, until
,ha, day. he had never heard s, liable
Lady Melville had riches across the
channel. also coal mines in Wales, and
grazing lands in Devonshire. Ii was to
the young man a golden dream from
which he dreaded to awake. Tho May
or had sanctioned and the priest bad sol
emnly blessed their unior, yet, with The
rites of the Church aud The forms of law
10 aid his reason, the conviction that il
was all but splendid ard unsubs,an,ial
vision would not leave him, even at the
fee, Of his lawful wife in the bridal
chamber-he pressed her hand to has
lips, he grasped convulsively the EN-
broidered night dress, in his fear ,ha, she
might suddenly vanish into the air.
Rise, my dear Frederick. again said
his wife, "draw that easy chair close TO
mine, and let me talk to you"
The young man did so. but without
releasing the hand of his wife, and Mad
ame de la Tour began thus:-
There was. once uron a time
"Good Heavens - said Frederick. IL
am no, wrong, then; i, is--il is a fairy
tale!"
s.Lisien, my good sir-there lived
once young girl, whose family had
been rich. but, when their only daughter
was bu, fifteen, they had no other means
of subsistence than the daily earnings of
her father. They lived at Lyons, and |
know not what vain hope OF belterihg
their condition induced their removal To
Paris. But some men. when they have
once fallen, never rise again. and indeed
few things are found more difficult of al,
,ainmens than retrieving our fallen for
tunes, again filling our places in society,
and moving in the cherished circle we
have been obliged TO relinquish.
"The father Of this poor girl expert
enced this, to him, insurmountable diff
Guilty; for. after struggling during four
long years with poverty and neglect, he
died in hospital. Her mothers death
soon followed, and the young girl was
left alone IN cheerless garre,. long ar
rear of rent unpaid. with The chilling
presence of two miserable, untenanieG
beds to increase her feeling Of grief and
desola,ion. II there were TO be a fairy
in my story, she should. wi,hou, doubt,
now present herself; but there was moi q
sglimpse, no, a shadow Of ore. The
Dung girl was unknown in Paris, with.
out money, with neither friends nor pro-
,ec,or TO sustain and cherish her, aud
she asked in vain from strangers tina, EN-
ployment which makes the riches Of the
poor. Guilty pleasure, it is true. ex,
tended i,s arms to allure her; but there
are minGs so formed as insiinc.isely 20
love virtue and to abhor vice. aud hers
was happily Of this stamp-bu, she
mus, eat. and the hunger Of the tirs, day
was increased by slee 2less night. bring
ing second day wilhou, food.
"You. Frederick, have jus, risen from
table proiusely covered with the mos'
tempting luxuries, sparkling wines. the
rares, fruits, every thing to crafty the
fas,idious appetite. and, although until
yesterday, poor. you can have no con
ce p,ion Of the deep misery am descnb
ing. In the mids, Of the magnificence
around us. and seated as We now are, ir
these ample chairs, embroidered with
silk and gold. you may be as,ouishee
,ha,l can conjure up such scene bu,
listen still.
"Hunger compelled this poor girl IL
beg for crust Of bread. She shroudet
her head in veil. once her mothers. ant
her only inheritance she ben, her body
that she might appear old and inirm
and went down from her garret into th'
slreet-,here she extended her supplian
hand. Alas! the hand was white ant