The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-05
The Bouquet,

The Bouquet.
On the morning of the first of Nav, 1850,
gentleman, who had just arrived from South G;
rolina, entered the bar-room of the st. Charle
hotel, in the good city of New Orleans, an
fastened to consult the directory, which Wa
suspended to one of the pillars The strange
turned over the leaves of the volume with "a
pidity and eagerness evincing intense anxiet
to find some particular name; but his scare
seemed unsuccessful, for he heaved painful
heavy sigh, nearly resembling sob Of despair
ing anguish, and actually grew pale with disap
polntment He did not, however, immediatel
abandon the fruitless investigation, but recur
red to the pages again and again, with the ap
parent hope that he might possibly have mis-
taken the address which he so ardent]y sought
At length the last CLEAN of expectation vanish
ed, as he murmured to himself, with bitter EN-
phasis- -"Vain delusion, to imagine that out
casts, and perhaps beggars, could have home
to be noted in directories; and very likely the,
have long since been lost in the great wilder
ness Of the west, or have entered the deep val
ley of darker shadows where living eve shal
never wander?'' 81
The stranger then walked, with stately, so.
lemn steps, up to the office, and wrote his own
name on the book Of arrivals, s.Colonel John
Moulton, Charleston, S. C' He afterwards
went back to the saloon, and endeavored to busy
himself in the columns Of newspaper but his
glance continually strayed from the sheet, to
scrutinise the different persons that sauntered
about the hall.
Any well travelled observer who saw colonel
Moulton for the first time, would have recog-
nised him as a son Of that southern chiyalryo
class the most deeply refined by specific cha
racterlstlcs, which the word has vet witnessed.
He was large, handsomely shaped man, some
sixty years Of age, with a proud, but pleasing
visage, large brown eyes-fashing the bravest
fres-and that indescribable air, blending
hsugbtiness with affability, which betokens an
Individual accurtomed to command with digni-
ty, and to seek obedience more through the me-
dunn Of moral suasion than the manifestations
of blind physical force. He was dressed in a
costly suit of sable mourning, and the new Grape
on his fashionable hat as well as the traces of
profound grief on all his features, showed that
his bereavement was of recent date.
Presently he bounded from his seat at the dis
covery Of an old acquaintance, exclaiming-
"How are you, judge Dickson? You are the
very peson that | wished especially to see'
81 rejoice myself, very much, to have this
unexpected pleasure" replied the other, shak-
ing the proffered hand with afectonate warmth,
'we have not met since three winters ago, at
Washington
"Great changes have happened to me in that
brief space said the Caroliaian in hollow
voice.
elias anything gone wrong in your family?"
inquired the judge, kindly.
81 have no family now," answered the col
onel, in accents of funutterable sorrow. His iron
lips trembled, and his proud eyes could not re-
strain the involuntary rush Of tears.
"What terrible misfortune' cried his friend,
IN tones of unaffected sympathy.
"Yes!' sobbed the solitary mourner, as if
speaking to himself, 'sthey are all gone. First,
my beloved life partner, the sweet sunlight of
my soul during more than thirty summers
then my eldest boy, cut Off the brilliant bloom
Of his promise by the demon pestilence of vel
low fever; and lastly, my beautiful William,
my bosom's idol, shot down on the bloody field
Of honor! Like tree blasted by the lightning,
must now stand alone in the wintry desert Of
my joyless old age, without drop of kindred
blood in the veins of any human being near me,
without companion, and without even so much
as the possibility of hopep'
The former acquaintance did not attempt to
solace the disconsolate husband and father, for
ne well knew that every word, implying only
he supposition of comfort or happiness, in such
state of feeling, would be Ike the touch of
'ude finger upon fresh woupd-for the deep
'st agony of woe spurns the very idea of peace
md pleasure as an insult to the dear ones dead, |
md loves only the blackest folds of the mantle
If thought, woven by the imagination of a mea-
ureless despair.
After some minutes the colonel became more
ranquil, and remarked with a look tinged with
| blush of Judge, you remember my
laughter, Marie?'
*'Certainly,' returned his friend, with coun-
enance expressing both pain and astonishment;
sand | also recollect that you took a solemn
'ath never to breathe her name again, or even
o suffer it to be mentioned in your presence!"
"Alas! yes-wretch that I was and ami" ex-
laimed the Carolinian, quivering in every limb
IS if under the influence of epilepsy. Il was
grong,' he continued, with terrible energy;
'and she was innocent of all offence, save the
ct of choosing for her husband youth with
ut fame or foHune. learned buta few days
go, from the dying lips of the minister who
erformed the sacred ceremony, that they had
een welded a year when I discovered the in
lmacy between her and young Simons, my
verseer. Oh! why did he not tell me of it
ooner? Yet my pride was so stubborn, that
could not have forgiven the degradation Of
uch misalliance, even had known the truth"
"What tale of troubles!' calculated the
ldge, with an aspect of sadness and commits
ration.
u have been informed that they removed to
Jew Orleans, and your residence has been in
be city ever since the date of their disappear
nee. Have you never seen them?" gasped the
olonel
Il saw them both early in the winter subse-
uent to their arrival" faltered the other.
.sWhere? How? For the love of God let me
now the worst!' cried the excited father, Selling
lie arm his friend with the grip fan iron vice.
''They are both gone, murmured the judge,
18th moist eye-lids.
At this awful announcement, instead of stag
erlng or storming with grief, colonel Moulton
lddenly grew very calm; but his visage, even
tl,,&.,