Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-05-26
VOL. XV.-NO. so.

spouse, which the priest gave her in my name
As to the widow Lahedoyere, have no desire
! 10 see her she is yery respectable woman,
| VINO will, have no doubt, sut Richard admi.
raoly, and wlah min, with her all manner of
Happiness"
| Having said tbs, the old nan drew in h;s
head. Richard then made a laat desperate ef
fort "Therese," he cried cut, my Thcrsse-
Thereae Paccard"
1t was NJ. Dulac who replied this time, in a
tone little more elevated Young man Dhs
said is this a suitable hour to coret nv wife ?
| De you wish to take her from ne the very hour
Of our wedding? You have started quickly.
Messieura, on your gallant expedition Even
IN France such conduct as yours is never heard
of. Even there there they lea7e the husband
few hours repose. And yop. II. Alvares, as
understand you call yourself, I am surprised
that gray haired old man ike you, should
countenance Richard in this wicked business.
You wish to give me, you say, Madame Labe-
doyere in exchange for my WIFE You will
please excuse me. am quite content with M
lot you should be satisfied with the woman
who has fallen to you Good night, Messieurs
wish you safe return" With these words
the WOODEN cap disappeared, the window came
down the shutters creaked upon their hinges.
| and at the same moment the old negro closed
and bolted the door
The father and son stood fixed in rage and
astonishment. The old man advised that the
door should be burst open Richard wished TO
forget the migrate and the two--one swesr-
ing, the other weeping proceeded to the house
OF the unhappy Balthazar. The good priest
| received them with unusual kindness he Is
tened attentively to their complaints, "MY
friends" he said, Il am sorry, very sorry, for
the great error have committed in which
nevertheless, / see clearly, the finger of God.
What Heaven has done, am not able to IN
DO Madame Labcdoyere is your wife before
God and man. Therese Paccard is the lawful
wife of NJ. Dulac. Come to see me tomorrow,
Richard, with your wife. | will send for NJ.
aud Madame Dulac, and endeavor to arrange
matters between you as well as can"
The next day the two couples were brought
together again at the priests house Madame
Dulac cast down her eyes in shame, aud seem
ed heartily to despise her withered old hus
band. Madame Richard on the contrary
marched with head erect cnging to the side
Of her spouse as if afraid that the mistake
might he repeated AS for Richard, he ap-
peared calm and resigned to the DEGREES Of Pro
vidence, while NJ. Dulac smiled with the assu,
rance Of man whose happiness nothing can
disturb
The good priest, when he saw the TWO pairs
so badly mated, understood the whole extent
of his blunder, and he thus addressed them =
We have committed a great mistake, nv
friends. aud am much to blame thus to have
compromised lny sacred Office. You" said he,
addressing the two old lovers "you are much
the gamers by this sport Of fortune, which has
CO bo,r Wi, ,l,-
You must make them compensation, and the
one | propose is very small one The law
gives to these young folks nothing more than
to be, Therese your wife, and Richard your
husband. Make amends for the defects of the
law, and repair my fault, poor old blind man
that am Let NJ Dulac give one half of
his fortune to his young wife-and you, Ma
dame, half Of yours to Richard and then
let Heaven and my young friends grant me
pardon, and yoar marriages remain as they
ere"
At first this arrangement seemed very dis
agreeable one to the rich parties, bat the COZ.
mand OF the priest was peremptory NJ Da-
lac could not think of giving up Thereae and
Madame Labedoyere when she saw the cone
y Richard at the side Of his old and ugly rival
did not hesitate to compare his youth and VI
in her heart she congratulated herself on the
exchange. The notary was accordingly called
in the deeds were drawn up in due form
and the parties Withdrew-Therese with d.
Dalac, and Richard with Madame Labedoy.
ere, ct whose house, now his OVID, lie went 70
live
The next night tie newly married couplee
saw their grief renewed after singular fash
= L
ed to be religiously observed in America. It
is the most boisterous, and therefore the most
appropriate mode Of celebrating unequal an6
ill-assorted marriages. At the approach Of
night the charivari reached the house of NJ
dame Richard. The procession marched ncrosa
the yard, to the light Of pine torches, and the
music of tin pans, horns, kettle-drum5 and
horse-fddles. II was headed by two horrible
figures, one representing an old wonal with &
naughty and confident look, the other young
rustic with the air of a sim 7leton. These en-,
braced and kissed each other with the most
comical ardo~ Aft,r them came a wag sing.
ing at the top of his voice ballad adapted to
the oCc lsion
All the troupe Joined in the chorus, in which
the names of Richard and his wife figured con-
spicuously. Madame Richard prepared to eire
the enemy warm reception. After the ba.i
had arrived in front Of the mansion q peasant.
in the costume aud with the attitudes Of cir
Gus clown, advanced and knocked loudly with
a stick be held in his hand This was the sig.
nal for the heseiged to make use of their de-
fensive arms. At the first blow of the stick.
the clown and his companions were overwhelm-
ed with greasy water spoiled potatoes, rotten
eggs, and such other proiectiles as were near at
hand. The jewellers received perfume in ex-
change for their music on the one side, their
ears were stunned On the other. their clothes
| were ruined. The contest was altogether une-
aual, and the music had to retreat Thus tho
iovous charivari, which had entered in snch