New Orleans daily crescent., 1854-12-25
Gbs yanptrs ano qesr aasss.

"You have heard of Hester Amaury'" he
said
ssNeyer,' answered Lowell. g.
What! Not of Hester Amaury, the belle of
Paris the toast of Paris?''
''Upon my honor, never" said Lowell. !
'sOf Maud Loyett, then, the beauty Of Lon
don?'
sNor of her either,n said Lowell
ssHush!'' said Arthur, impressively. ssLis-
ten, Lowell They were one and the same She
had other names in other places [ shall tell
you about her as Hester Amaury. She was o
lovely girl; wondrously lovely all day. The
most beautiful woman that ever trod this earth
could not have eclipsed her beauty; not Helen,
nor Psyche, nor. Dido. nor Cleopatra. Her face
was like the angels faces which look down upon
a painter in his dreams All day, said But
at night-ah!' !'' he pursued, lowering his voice
mysteriously. "At night she was the most hid
eous hag conceivable by human Imagination" ("
ssGreat heavens!" said Lowell in q low tone,
and moving nearer to the speaker as we'll as he
could.
T" Her beauty attracted every one who gazed
on it." Arthur pursued : ssand from the day
she entered Paris till--from the first day,
say, no other beauty could contest the field with
her All competition was absolutely useless
She had the field to herself. Her wit was equal
to her charms; she soon became as celebrated
for talents as for her exceeding beauty. Hun
dreds of young men were ready to die for her
Alas! many Of them had to die for her!
s'Butit was noticed that she would never stay
in any company, or see the most favored of her
admirers, after nightfal She used to say that
she wished to keep the roses in her cheeks; that,
as they were natural, and therefore unlike those
of minor beauties, she would initiate nature,
and live like those roses which fold their leaves
together when the sun goes down, to reopen
them when he rises. But, as / said, the real
reason was, that at nightfall her beauties all
faded away and vanished, and she became a
loathly hag. Are you Hstening'"
aYes--yes," said Lowell, almost in q whis-
per; the tones of his voice in full sympathy
with those in which Arthur told his tale. ssGo
| on; go on.'
sit was not noticed, however-at least, in
connection with her--that one of the very flower
of her admirers was found, almost periodically,
| in some lone place murdered So it was, how
ever. Every six months one Of the young men
who thronged after her was taken; but, where
Death made one vacancy Love brought twenty
| recruits. The fact was, that this was one Of
| the terms of her existence, all of which were
| sufficiently revolving. She was obliged to have
| two victims every year. For--she was yam-
pirei'' .z,,z..@i
| "Ah!" said Lowell, almost below his breath.
| "She was only able to angle for her victims
| by daylight" pursued Arthur for at night
1all, as nave SAID, she assumed the most repul-
sive shape that humanity can wear. But her
| very existence depended upon this that once in
| every six months she sacrificed q young man
who loved her; upon sucking whose life blood
she was kept In being. Hitherto she had never
failed in her frightful penalty. Youth after
youth had perished, and she had lived on. But
at the time of my tale term had nearly ex-
pired, and she had no victim.
The reason was that she had herself fallen
l l.
amiable and accomplished young man. He had
been drawn into her magic circle, and loved her
| ardently; loved what he could see of her mind,
as well as her person; had won her love, teo
She could not sacrifice him! His brother Ed
ward was among the herd of her followers, and,
at last, finding that he, too, loved her well, she
hit upon scheme for satisfying the necessities
Of her being without sacrificing the msu che