Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-06-07
EVENING STAR.
PARADISE LOST.


Armand, a young artist, when a little com.
psny of US were sitting together the other
| evening.
My knapsack was on my shoulder, my ash.
en- stick in hand three leagues of dusty road
had whltened me like miller Whence !
came, whittier L was going-what matters it ?
L was not twenty years of age. My starting
place, therefore, was home; my goal was Par
adise-any earthly Paradise could find. The
country was not particularly picturesque, and
the weather was very hot Great undulations
of harvest laden fields rolled irregularly on
all sides. Here was a hamlet; there was a
solitary farm house yonder a wood on each
eminence windmill Some peasants that
were In the field sang, and the birds chirped
at them as in mockery One or two wagons
dragged by oxen and horses, slowly moved
along the tree bordered road I sat down on
| a heap OF stones. WAGNER grufiy asked
me If was tired, and offered me "a lift +"
| L accepted and soon l was stretched where
dung had been-jolted into an uneasy half.
slumber, not without its charms, with the
bells of the lazy team softly jingling in my
| calling me away to a home that must be
bright, and a land that must be beautiful
L awoke in mood sufficiently benign to re-
ceive an apology, the man had forgotten me
when he turned off the high road, and had
taken me half league into the country
| Where was the harm, honest wagner? L
am not going anywhere; al am only going
| 10 PARADISE" There was no village of that
name in the neig ghborhood, he said; but he
| had no doubt would be pleased to see the
grounds of the chateau. OF course L had
| come on purpose for that. / handed him his
pOa' bore. Drink my health, good man,
| and InJure your own. Let US see these
grounds The man showed me through a
meadow near the farm Ito which he belonged)
and left me, tossing the silver piece L had
given him in his hand. I soon observed
that the place was worth seeing.
A hasty glance showed it to be fragment
OF wild nature, occupied in its original state,
and barricaded against civilization. There
were woods, and solitary trees, and lakes,
and streams of sufficient dimensions for gran
deur; and, when once tho wall disappeared
amid the heavy foliage, l could at FIRST dis.
Germ no traces whatever of the presence of
man However, On closer examination, L
discovered that nature had been improved
upon; that all objects which might ungra-
clsusly intercept the view, or deform a land
scape had been removed. There were no
sham ruins nor artificial cascades but the
strangers steps were led, by some ingenious
process OF plantation, insensibly to the best
points Of view. l felt, and was thankful for
the presence of the art which so industriously
endeavored to conceal itself; but, being at
that time, as most young men are, inclined
to compare great things with small-thinking
to be epigrammatic and knowing-I exclsim-
ed aloud 1.-The toilet of this park has been
admirably performed"
GA vulgar idea vulgarly expressed said
clear, firm voice above me.
looked up, thinking that somebody was
hidden in tree, and, to my surprise, saw
young woman upon fine large horse, holding
riding whip playfully over my head She
had approached across the turf unheard, and
heard my exclamation which, L assure you,
was meant for no ears but my own.
Madame" replied 1, when had recov-
cred from my confusion, % think you misun-
derstand nee. There is no vulgarity in COM
pairing prospect in which every superfuity
Is thus tastefully pruned away, to a woman,
who, instead Of loading herself with orna-
ments, uses the arts of the toilet to display all
her beauties TO the best advantage
The explanation will not do" she replied,
1T wants frankness. Your phrase simply
meant that you were ashamed of the admira-
tion this view had at first excited; and that
you thought 1t necessary to exert the manly
privilege of contempt. If I had not seen Won
yonder using your sketch book, / should take
You for travelling hairdrcsser
The tone and manner of my acquaintance
puzzled me exceedingly; and 1 was at first
rather irritated by the hostile attitude she as
sumed on such slight grounds. 1t was evi-
dent she wished to provoke an intellectual
contest for, at the moment, i did not under
stand that her real desire was TO suppress the
formalities of an introduction. 1 returned to
the charge; she replied. A broadside of re-
partees was fired off on either side but in
sensibly we met upon common ground, affec.
tation was discarded; and, as we streamed
irregularly along the swardy avenues, or
stopped at the entrance of a long vista-she
gently walking her docile jennet, L with my
hand upon its mane-we made more advances
towards familiarity and friendship in an hour
than woald have been possible under any
other circumstances in a season.
Let me describe my impressions as 1 re-
ceived them otherwise, how will the narra-
tive illustrate the theory? 1 am endeavoring
to show by example what an immense struc-
ture of happiness may be built upon very
fimsy ground; that the material equences Of
this life's events need have no correspondence
with the sequence of our sentiments; that
but must not anticipate.
The lady, dressed in q green riding habit,
was remarkably handsome, as this miniature
will show
And Armand drew small case from his
breast.
"It is made from memory; but will an
swer for its exactitude.
owe all know the face we'll enough, my
friend, quoth Provost; it reappears in nearly
all your pictures, like Raphaers FOrnarina
this year, modified to suit the occasion, it will
appear in the saloon as Charlotte Corday.
Why have you so carefully avoided that type
in your Juliet and your Heloise? One would
imagine that, instead Of being associated with
pleasant recollections, it suggested nothing
but strife, violence and despair
"Were that the case, you know" quoth
Armand, with feigned sprightliness, "my the
ory falls to the ground and in telling you my
story, am only impertinently taking advan-
tage of your good nature to make confession,
aud thus ease troubled mind. Listen to the
end 1t is not far off,"
We reached grotto on the borders Of a
little lake where, to my surprise, an elegant
breakfast was laid out. There were two seats
placed ready and Fifne, the maid, was there
to serve We partook of the meal together
talking of everything except ourselves, but
thinking of nothing else. Once or twice re
Election on the oddity of this reception fitted
across my mind; but thought had fallen
in with some eccentric mistress Of the castle
such as one reads of in middle aged romances,