New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-19
From the Courier des Etats
A Romance Of Real Life.

On the 18th of April, 1s18 MERGERS shop of a
very modest appearance was opened in the Rue St:
Denis, near the Market Of the lnnocents- About half
an hour after, young workwoman entered the shep,
and bought skein of black thread for ten centimes
"Will you have the kindness to tell me your name,"
the mercer asked in the most polite manner of the
young girl. q should be glad to know the pane of
my first customer
''Ny name is Victorine D.. replied she, smiling at
his fancy g Blessed be the hand which gave me my
first SALE responded the mercer, as he wrote her
name upon his register.
The workwoman-wi however, attaching the
least Importance to this benediction, which street
beggars bestow on us at every turn, and which the
Dispenser OF all Good grants so seldom-the work
woman, as We, were saying bowed to the shopkeeper
and took her leave.
Two years since, a poor woman of sixty, having on
her shoulders bundle of coarse bags which she was
carrying home to make up, walking along the
street. when an old gentleman passing in cabriolet,
after having looked at her attentyely stopped his
horse, descended from his carriage and approached
her. Pardon me- Madame, said he to the stranger,
who looked at him with air of extreme astonish-
ment :" I have not, I confess, the honor of being
recognized by you, but for my part, remember you.
Are you not Mile Victorine D. p g Formerly, sir,
that was my name, but it was long time ago. Now,
am the Widow d. "Will you be so kind as to tell
ME where you live, that I may make you visit, and
that may talk together for have much to say to
your
Very much mystfed by this singular rencontre, the
widow G.. gave her address, and the old took his
leave, promising to call and see her. Many changes
had taken place in the position of the former Miss
Victorine D. since the year 1885, for then she was
rich, in youth and Illusions at least, and years
had come to destroy and dscolor all this-after an
extremely laborious life the poor woman, whose eyes
sight had become weakened, had been forced to quit
the profession of vest maker which she carried on and
to employ herself in sewing up coarse bags precari
GUS business which barely served to maintain her in
fact her gains were so scanty, that her landlord
on the point of ejectiug the unfortunate widow, be-
she could not pay herre Things were in this
state when she met the gentleman in the cabrioet.
Time passed, and the promised visit did not take
place, when day the widow received letter con-
tanning bill forve hundred francs, and conceived in
this manner 90 A thousand pardons, my dear lady,
for my not having kept my appointment; until that
takes place, be kind as to accept the enclosed
small token Of my gratitude. Charles W.
The surprise and Joy of the bagmaker may be i'm
agined. The poor woman thought she was dreaming.
Six months AFTER the famous visit had not taken place.
but uew letter. expressed in almost the terms,
and containing a similar sum, reached the widow G.,
who six months after received another mssve OF the
same kind, still with the exact five hundred francs.
She did not know what to think of these periodical
messages, when few days since, at evening she
arrive the mysterious stranger who had sauted her in
the street. g All, sir, said she, i'll receiving him,
" what have done for you what service have rem
dered you for which you recompense me in this man
| ner ~ "What have you done for me You bought
skcin of thread from the 1ath of April, ISIS,
and you brought me good fortune. Blessed be the
! hand which received my first sale
Fortunately for the seanlsress, the merchant took
upon himself the office of fulfilling the wish that he
| had formed for his first customer
|