Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-07-30


mischievous creature sprang along the escarp
! ment from point to point, always seeming ready
10 be caught, and always contriving to escape
the instant his hand had touched her.
j While the children thus pursued her with
Thousand loud calls, and thousand shouts Of
laughter. Ropars and Dorot entered the dining
room where Genevieve had begun to lay the
cloth
1t was a room of moderate size, furnished by
the keeper himself at the time of his marriage
i and ornamented with few sea-engravlngs
amongst which was conspicuous a portrait OF
Jean Bart, the nautical Hercules to whom the ira
ditions of the forecastle have attributed, as we
know, every kind of superhuman exploit and i'm.
| possible adventure.
i After seeing his guest seated, Mathew went
for the bottle of Roussillon, which he brought
up all white with sand, and crowned with the
cap Of green wax that certified its noble birth
Dorot, in friendly way, exclaimed against such
| magnihcence and informed them that he could
not stay long, as the officer in command at the
| port in the Isle of Graves required the boat to
return before sunset Genevieve consequently
made hast to get the meal ready, and to call the
chlldiea in to supper.
/ The conversation between people whose
whole existence is limited by tho narrow bounds
OF two islets, could not have much Variety
Mathew talked of his headlines, set among the
creeks Of Treberon; and Dorot his wild cher
ry-trees.
| The latter might be looked upon as the pit
fall of pride, ut which the worthy and unpretend-
| ing sergeant, always stumbled. No other keep
er before him had succeeded in preserving his
shrubs from the effects of the sea-breeze; it was
| the only tree that had ever been seen in the two
islets. Lucullus himself could hardly have
been more proud of the first cherry tree ne
brought from Persia to grace his triumph
Dorot, though humble as to all else, drew
hImcnf itu FbaV, tha
cerned his poor stunted crab-tree. He only
showed it occasionally to friends and superiors,
| and even they had to ask it as favor. Things
are like men, and for the most part obtain the
Importance which is ascribed to them, instead of
| that which they actually possess. Thus overra-
ted and husbanded, the reputation of the wild
cherry tree of the Isle of Graves, spread from
| Plougastel to Camaraet; it was spoken of every
where as a wonder. Dorot's pride had increased
i'll proportion, and had just been carried to the
highest pitch by an event as extraordinary as it
was unforeseen. He brought the news to Treble
ron, but would not make it known at once. Ev.
cry possible conjecture, as in Madame de Sc
vigne's famous letter on the marriage of Mad
emoiselle, was first to be tried. At last, when
they had given it up, he consented to speak out
| and he declared-that the cherry tree had bios
somed
There was general cry of surprise and won
der. Ropars and Genevieve being always con-
fined to their little island had not seen tree in
many years and the two little girls never re-
collected any, they questioned Michael loudly,
| and both at once.
We're the flowers gold color, like broom, or
blood-red, like sea furze? How could the flow
ers turn into cherries Must they wait long for
| them Would the tree have red garden cher
res or black mountain cherries
| Dorot cut the question short, by saying that
he would come the next morning to fetch all the
f. " 70 1ar ri a.,
Isle of Graves The ecstacies of the sisters may
be guessed; their mother could not quiet their
/ laughter, and their clapping of hands. They
cried out Tomorrow, to morrow like the
watchmen of EneaS who cried Italy when
they deserted, through the purple mist, that final
object of so many efforts and SO much hope.
| When the sergeant saw their lmpatience, he
| proposed to take them with Michael that same
| evening. There would be sufficient daylight
on their arriva' for them to see the cherry tree,
! covered with its summer snow, and their parents
could come for them the next day. The children
supported them by their entreaties Ropart
smiled without answering, and looked as if in
clined to consent; but Genevieve exclaimed
against it. What would become OF her without
Francine and Jeanette Often, even now, il
| she awoke in the middle of the night she was
uneasy if she did not hear their gentle breathing
She would get up shivering and would grope
along in the dark to their bed, that she mi ght
/
would it be if they no longer there p?
Could she sleep in peace and not fancy some
danger near She should dream that the pow
der magazine had taken fire, or that the Isle of
Graves had gone down like wrecked vessel
All this was said between laughing and CRYING.
The two little girls who at first longed to go now
hung round their mothers neck, moved by SYM
pathy, and crying out that they would stay =
| The ordnance-ket per urged il no longer. and he
and Mathew again took the path which led to
the beach, followed by the mother and children,
who were once more silent.
| The sun was sinking below the horizon, leav-
| ing q track of purple and gold on the channel Of
the Outlet The breeze was beginning to move
over the bay, ruffiing it, and the linking of the
evening prayer-bell, and the lowing of cattle as
they came home. Everyone has felt the tenden-
! cy TO repose, and that inexpressible calm which
from outward objects reaches the senses, and en-
tiers into the depths of the soul. Heaven, earth
and water seemed with one consent to have
| lowered their voices, to mingle together in one
melodious murmur. The two keepers and their
families, without Analysing the soft, yet invigo-
rating tranquility that surrounded them, felt
its influence. They went down the path in 81
ence. and slackened their steps, as if to pro-
long pleasure which they wished to taste with
full relish. When they reached the boat, how
ever they were obliged to make up their minds
topart. Jeanette made the sergeant promise
TO come and fetch them the next day. They set
sail, and the boat darling over the plant waves,
took its course toward the powder magazine.
Just at the moment they reached the middle
channel between the two Isles ships barge,
which they had been so occupied in leave-taking
as not to have noticed sooner appeared to the
eeward of Treberon. Her bold make, her dark
color crossed by a single white strip at her water
line, and the perfect trim of her sails, would have
been enough to tell what she was, even if the
dress of the double row of sailors which lined
her side had not proclaimed her craft of war.
When she crossed the boat steered by the SER
geant she kept off abruptly, and by the last
( gimmer of daylight they distinguished the yell
/ tow flag of the health Office.
At this sight Geneveve and the children ut
tered a cry, they Il three knew that these were
guests coming to the laZaretto they would put
! the island in quarantine and forbid all communi-
cation with those outside it, The next day $
visit must be put off indefinitely, and the cherry
! blossoms would be over before they were again
! free.
| This death blow TO their hopes was something
so sudden and unexpected, that Francine and
Jeanette could not reconcile themselves to it..
| They looked at one another discOnsolately, and
! began TO sob: whilst their mother, taking a
| daughter in each hand mourniully returned up
the path
Geneveive herself felt weight at her heart
On reaching the battery, she Involuntary stop
ped. The boat with the rose colored sail, which
carried away all their visions of meeting and
holiday making, had disappeared; but the black
barge was there at their feet-she had just reach
ed the shore-imprisonment sorrow and sick
ness in her train. Genevieve kissed her two
children, with difficulty restraining tear which
rose to her eyes, and fastened in, without car
/ ing TO see more.
| Meantime Mathew had gone TO receive the
quarantiners, and to open the lazaretto the
( When he returned, he was rather pale, and his
face had an expression by which Genevieve was
struck but, the first question she put to him,
he hastily interrupted her to ask her what had
become OF Jeanette, and Francine.