Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-11-22
MistelIaneons.
THE MERCHANT OF ST. MALO.

THE MERCHANT OF ST. MALO.
The great Catholic Feast of the Assumption
on the 18th of August happening to fall on
Sunday, and the weather being superb, the usu-
ally dull and dirty town of St. Malo assumed
an aspect of unusual joyance and brilliancy.
the clear Ginning of the cathedral and church
bells, the animated strains of several military
bands, the chanting Of priests and acolytes at
the head of numerous professions of young
girls, dressed in white, garlanded with flowers,
and bearing lighted tapers in their hands, pas
sing slowly along, to make their first commu-
nion. through buzziDg crowd Of admiring
spectators, a large number Of whom shone in
the glory of regimentals, either of the Line or
National Guard-produced a singularly gay
and imposing effect; and one would have sup
posed that some sparks of pleasurable emotiea
must have been excited in the saddest minds
within reach of the exultant carlton of the
streets Not 90, however. The fierce disquiet-
uds of M Paul Foutanes, the prosperous and
rising if not yet decidedly eminent merchant Of
the Rue Dupstit-T -Thouars, was exasperated there
by, not soothed, as he nerveusly tore open and
glanced through heap of correspondence
brought him that morning by the American
mail. Curse the distracting din he savage
ly exclaimed, as a more than usually joyous
burst of military music mingled with and seem.
ed to sharpen the scrpent-accents of letter he
had just opened. 1t is impossible to compre.
hend what one reads An exaggeration, at the
very least, M. Paul Fontanes Say the undu'
lations of the music do assist in zigza gging tht
lines before you, their purport is plain enough
even to your throbbing eye-balls-plain ant
ffightful--as ruin bankruptcy--:fraudulen
bankruptcy, which, according to definition o
! the Code Napoleon, consists in reckless trading
: beyond your means; and the punishment which
, may be awarded for that offsnse--oh, it is cas-,
to see you hear that also through she din ant
hustle Of the strest-is-the galleys!
: The history Of M. Paul Fontanes up to thi
+ period Of his lfe-he was in his thirty-secon
8 year-may be very briefly sketchsd. He wa
tho only much-indulged son of q cautious pain,
Q taking father, to whose property and bushes
Q he had few years previously succeeded. Th
property consisted Of about $4,000 francs, i
q cash and rentes, and the business was profts
bic connection with the Mauritius, in consigr
r ments Of colonial products, for sale in France
Fonta mes fills had not, unfortunately, been Ion
his own master, when his sanguine temperament
and desire to become speedily rich, induced hin
/, not only the sphere Of commercial action, bu
0 to change entirely its character, by shippin
large quantities of French goods to the Amer
0 can markets, for speculative sale, at his ow
risk. He had been for some time tolerably SUI
Q cessful; but fortune had of late proved advers
J. and in the letters now before him he read Il
disastrous results of which his last and bolde
10 speculation in silks and brandies, upon which
n immense loss had been sustained ; and he kne
N himself to bc irrctrievably insolvent, to the e
is tent of at least, 100000 francs In about 9
10 weeks, he muttered, after feverish glance
t bis bill-book, and tearing open another lett,
h. the mass Of my acceptances for those gooe
, which the remittances will scarcely more tn
> half cover, fall due, and shall Ha wh
is this! The blood rushed swiftly back to
n Paul Fontane's paid features as he ran over,
,u hurried trembling sort of confidential whisl
r, to himself, the lines which had suddenly caue
il his attention - With reference to your inq
on ries concerning M. jerome Bougainville, of La
I isiana, we have to inform you that that gent
10. man died suddenly on the 18th ult, at New
to leans, of fever, after having taken his pass
u. for Europe on board the Columbia pack
.f- ship, bound for Havre do Grace By the n,
ID mail we shall be able TO forward an attested co
70, of the deceased's will, by which the bulk Of
he property-over twenty-seven thousand poul
en- realized, and temporarily lodged by deceased
| s the St. Louis Bank, where it of course still
ON mains is bequsathed to his niece, Eugs