The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-05-23
.dSfllseellaueoI,llls, I,l
TEE LIFE OF a coouErTE.

The beautiful Baronne B was
. coquette and a widow, and too proud
of the precious freedom of widowhood to
wish to make it second time in the
silken bonds ofwedloek. So strength
ening her weak Woman's heart with the
shield of universal coquetry, she bade
defiance to the sighs and vows with
which she was attacked. She laughed
at the credulity of her victims, and de-
spised them that could sue so long and
SO vainly; but in their triumphs she
lost the better attributes of the woman's
gifts-her beauty, her youth and her
wit-she trampled them under foot as
worthy offerings to her own pride of
soul The only recollection our widow
kept of matrimony was that it had fur
nished her with tyrant and a fortune,
Her husband had been stern, cold, and
infexible, but the facts decreed that she
should soon be released from him, and
she was, blooming and beautiful the
cynocure of every gaze-among the men,
belt understood. Perhaps it was not
wholly her own fault that she was such
a despot. Her bright eyes gave laws
to her crowd of followers. She reward
ed with smile she could punish with
a single word, -exterminate with an epi-
gram, exile with a1ook She felt her
power and used it. Many feared her
wit, while they weie led captive by her
beauty Women hated her, but could
not detect a flaw. .inzthe-s snow of her
character-worse than that, she was
s-~Ald= heart conuette.- There was,
however, one among her train OF adorers
who had vowed to himself to win this
lady, and he threw himself, heart. and
soul, at the coquette's feet, sure that
the reality of his own foelingmust con
quer the frivolous caprice of her cha ae-
ter. He was all heart and feelings
" Loves greatest miracle is to slay CO.
quetry," said her unfortunate lover,
when he left the saloons where his mis-
tress reigncd supreme But to- Mad
anne B--a secret voice murmured in
tones of rejoicing" What happiness
to love no one and to see ones self be-
loved by all !'' siaes.i x
But what misery to the lover to see
his worshipped idol smiling upon all |
the Same beaming smile Hide jeal-
ousy from the .scornful eyes of this co.
luette sighed the beating heart. OF
all ills which love brings, jealousy is the
one for which woman has the least sym
pathy. And SO the Count Steyhano hid |
his MISERY in flight. Absence is the tomb
of slight passions; but it fans the spark
IF real affection into. fame As there
fore. as it was but natural that he should,
IS quickly returned and laid his affec.
lions once more at her feet. Count
5tephano was not now to be denied she
had listened too long-she had gone too
FAR to, recede-she should hear him.
He continued his preserving address
iii one morning she sent him this let
.er sr 81. u
+" Your love annoys me dear friend-1
ior SO, in spite of all, 1 must call you
md your jealousy frightens me. I have,
therefore, taken refuge in fight, and by
.he time you receive this, shall be far
IN way to land whistler you dare NOT
olloW me. My uncle commands an
Austrian garrison in Italy, and I mean
o join him at Milan. L hope, seue of
hese days, to meet you again in France,
Vhen you shall have learned to sink the
over in the friend and when I hope to
ind you reasonable and modest gen
lemaD, instead of wilful, passionate
italian lover, who cares not to under
tand the caprice of a woman's heart"
q She shall not escape me thus" he