Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-05-02
THE C0FTENTED MAR,
BY WASHINGTON JRy1Na

= ~ - " " ~ q ~ "a " Id a
BY WARRINGTON IRVING.
In the garden of the Tuilleries there is
/ q sunny corner under the wall of ter
race which fronts the South. Along the
wall is a row Of benches commanding the
view OF the walks and avenues of the gar
den. The genial nook is q place of great
esort in the latter part Of autumn, and
IN tine days in winter, as it seems to. re-
tain the flavor of departed summer. On
calm, bright morning, it is quite alive
with nursery maids and their playful liz
tie charges. Hither also resort a num-
bsf Of ancient ladies and gentlemen, who.
with laudable thrift in small pleasures
and small expenses, for which the French
are to be noted, come here to cnioy sun.
shine and save firewood. Here NAV
often be seen some cavalier Of the oldea
school, when the sunbeams have warmed
his blood into something like a glow,
Ifiuttering about like frostbitten moth
thawed~ before the fire, putting forth
feeble show Of gallantry among anti
quated danes, and now and then eyeing
the buxom nursery-maids with what
might almost be mistaken for an air of
Ilibertinism.
Among the habitual frequenters of this
place, had often remarked an old gen.
tleman. whose dress was decidedly anti
revOlutional. He wore the three-cor
nered cooked hat of the ancient regime :;
his hair was frizsled over each ear into
o1tes de pigeon, a style strongly savoring
OF BourbOnls, and queue stuck out
behind, the loyalty of which was not to
be disputed. His dress, though ancient,
had an air Of decayed gentility, and |
observed that he took his snuff out of an
elegant though old-fashioned gold box.
He appeared to be the most popular man
on the walk. He had compliment for
every old lady, he kissed every child,
and ne patted every dog on the head for
children and little dogs are very impor-
tant members of society in France. |
must observe, however, that he seldom
kissed child without, at the same time.
lpinching the nursery-maid's cheek; q
Frenchman Of the cid school never forgets
his dssoirs to the sex.
had taken a liking to this old gentle
man. There was An habitual expression
of benevolence in his face, which have
very frequently remarked in these relics
of the politer days of France. The con.
stant interchange Of these thousand little
courtesies which imperceptibly sweetsn
life, have happy effect on the features,
and spread q mellow evening charm over
the wrinkles of old age.
When there is favorable predisposi.
ton one soon ferns kind of tacit inti-
macy by often meeting on the same
walks. Once or twice | accommodated
him with bench, after which we touched
hats on passing each other: at length
We got so far as to take q pinch Of snuff
together out of his box, which is equiva.
lent to eating salt together in the East
from that time our acquaintance was es-
tahlished.
Inow became his frequent companion
in his morning promenades, and derived
much amusement from his good hu-
mored remarks on men and things. One
morning, as we were strolling through
the alley of the Tuilleries, with the au-
tumnal breeze whirling the yellow leaves
about our path, my companion fell into
peculiarly communicative vein, and
gave me several particulars of his his.
tory. He had once been wealthy, and
possessed of fine estate in the country,
and noble hotel in Paris but the rev.
olution, which effected so many disas-
trous changes, stripped him of every
thing. de was secretly denounced by
his own steward during a sanguinary
period OF the revolution, and a number
of the bloodhOunds of the convention was
sent to arrest him. lie received private
intelligence of their approach in time to
effect his escape. He landed in England
without money or friends, but considered
himself singularly fortunate in having
his head upon his shoulders several of
his neighbors having been guillotined as
a punishment for being rich.
When he reached London he had but q
totns in his pocket, and no prospect of
getting another. He ate solitary din
ner on beef steak, and was almost poi.
soned by port wine, which, from its color
he had mistaken for claret. The dingy
look OF the chop house, and of the little
mahOgany-oolored box in which he ate