The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-11-11

1 i
her convictions in this respect, the conduct
of jacques was q sad puzzle to her.
ale is never 50 happy as when by my
SIDE" she would often say to her mother
'that any ono may see: but l do not
think he cares to gain me for wife,"
The mother would bid her be patient,
and all would turn out well; but Madeline
thought there should be, some short an
swers. Still, though she evidently succee-
dcd in giving him pain, he seemed as far
from declaring his sentiments as ever.
The crisis, however, came at last
Madeline had cousin Marie, who was
not only near ncighbor, but sort of ri
val hearty. There had been no slight
jealousy between the girls on the subjects
of love and marriage; but Marie had at
last tr:umphed, and, the day for her own
wedding being fixed she openly twittcd
Madeline about her laggard lover. This
was sad blow to the vanity Of the young
girl. Marie's .fance came from what was
in those days considered to be great
distance, and neither grudged spending
time nor money in visits to his betrothed !;
while Madeline, with her lover almost at
the door, seemed likely enough to remain
single. Oh, it was too much for any
maiden's patience.
The wodding-day came, and she, of
course, was one of the guests, together
with jacques; and tho girl, bent on pun
ishing her tardy admirer, coquetted with
others by his very side. But she did not
stop at coquetry only. The brother OF
the bridegroom, gay and handsome fell
low, now at Marseilles for the first time,
was smitten with her charms, ard after
the wedding, found, or made, many ex-
cuscs for visiting the town which contain
ed Madeline. Jacques, it seemed, would
not be piqucd into submission, and she
was not inclined either for spinster's life
or a longer silent wooing; SO, after some
hesitation on the part Of her parents, who
still leaned to their neighbor, partly from
old associations, and still more because Of
his reputed wealth, Madeline was betroth-
ed to the stranger.
Madame Guyot often sighed, and said
in her sons hearing that it was a pity two
ofthe pretticst maidens inMarseilles should
be carried off by strangers; for she had
long ago made up her mind that since
Jacques would needs marry soon or late,
it would be well to have a daughter-in-law
whom she had known from babyhood-
All her hints might have been unheard,
for any outward effect they produced on
her son; but when the marriage day csme
he remained shut up in his little cham
Der. Neithea food nor drink passed his
lips; but could he have been seen by any
one, mighty mental conflict would have
been revealed to the watcher-it was the
last great struggle with human passion
The last bar to Lis devoting himself to one
great object was removed.
The gossips who had aforetime inter
estcd themselves SO literally in the affairs
of Jacques and Madeline, once more twit-
ted Madame Guyot, saying: it plainly
was not love that made her son such a
miser in his habits; but she answered
them more proudly than ever that JAG
qucs would now look higher for a
wife.
So, first one great lady and then ano-
Their was said to be the fair object for
whom our hero cherished secret pass
ion, and whom he was trying to equal in
wealth. But though Madame Guyot fos-
tered the idea, she, poor soul, knew bet
ter; for only a for a few days after the
marriage of his one love, jacques had
begged her, in broken voice, to find out
whether the little vessel in which Made
line had bore the precious draught of
water to his bedside dozen long years
ago, were still in existence.
80, my son." said Madame Guyot
''since you did so love Madeline, why did
you let her gos She would not now be
the wife of stranger if you had asked
her for myself"
s'Bctter as it is, MOTHER" replied JAG
qucs, though his lip quivered while be
spoke, and again begged his mother to
procure what he had mentioned, at any
cost.
Madame Guyot's mission proved sue
cessful, though the mother of Madeline,
marvclled greatly at the request; and both
the worthy matrons agreed that Jacques
was problem beyond their power to
solve. Eagerly was the vessel seized by
him, and after bestowing many grateful
thanks on his mother, he conveyed it to
his own little room. Could the thing OF
clay have spoken, it might have told how,