The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-13
mo Fatal vow.
From sh.p.'. Lmiou u.nnp.

My next door nelghbor was a Young arti
, Of prep0ssessingiappea and Of oOnside
able talent at least hO IL was said | myae
never bad an opportunity Of judging Of N
merit ei his performances. lie ltd q ycr
retired lie with his wife who, from the ltll
! saw of her, appeared 10 be of an nfeno
rank In society % the ono 20 which her hu,
band evidently belonged
One morning, an unusual cOmmotinn 7
the quicthtreu where ! resided attracted M
attention On looking out al the window,
saw crowd collected IN front Of the painter
door, the cause of which soon became appa
rent, ns, ere few minutes had elapsed, M
maid entered with terror-HtrIcken face 4
announce that Madame Laroche, the artist
wife, had just been found dead on tho pave
iurut outside their door She had eyidrntl,
thrown herself from her bedroom window
which wa Gf great height, md death mus
have been instantaneous. Various were ia,
surmises and conjeclurcS formed as % the
probable motive Sbioh led Al1dume l1rocht
10 commit self destruction but they did NOT
tend tu throw ay light on the mattcri for
the young couple had always appeared 10 be-
on the most friendly terms thry bore an r.
rrproachable chgpclei in the ncighborhood
aud thus the busy gos.ips Of the luubourg ~.
H., failed IN obtaining the fligAlcst holution
ot the mystery, The idle lumou which
found ~ wide circulation wcrc however,
soon hushed by the sudden disappearance Of
the hcrca,ed husband.
This tragicul event had long passed away
nom nay recollection, when my iairfsst ia g.
was renewed 10y the arrival Of ouc Of ms
friends ifom Afhcriou who related 60 me the
following singular narrative the hero Of
which found 10 hc none other than my late
mysterious neighbor. Monsieur Dclarochc.
lt,appcarcd that, earlier IN life, this artist
had been plss.ouatcly attached % the Young
aud beautiful daughter of the naughty Mar,
quis de Gnsihautcl, who returned his love
with an equal degree of warmth. Her faith
er however Who mpirrd TO higher alliance
Tor hi" only child, refused To sanction her un-
ion with Monsieur Dclmuchc, and Acfnly
forbade him his door.
The lovely Clarcc, finding her tears and
entrcalics alike of no avail, in an hour of ut
ter despair fed from her fathers roof and
sought refuge IN a convent The year Of her
noAlcmte having cxpiIrd- the -4.t-.! ,..tr,t
when She was to pronounce her irrcyocahlc
VOWS.
Monsieur Dclurochc resolved on being
witness uf the painful ceremony, which would.
~ II were ailiN the seal on hs doom. Much
~ hc dreaded the fearful ordeal he could [.
iut deny himself the melancholy gratifeation 1
IF seeing once more the beloved nf his soul. !
Accordingly, at AN early hour on the morn. |
ng hAed Tor the ceremony, the artist bent /
ils steps towards the convent chapel, which
vas :. -. S'.eaay hiled &ilh y ,g9Nda oGosamr
cart" and that Mas 10y the side Of her hc .
low fully realized was about TO be lost 10 .
i'm forever. Partially hidden from sight be. ,
lind one Of the massive pillars OF The chapel,
eugene Dearoche watched, a. under the in /
ia
for the scliuicted sacrifice,
, hich in his eyes bore such sublime aspect, !
suddenly the tinkling OF q, small bell VAS
taaII, "a Aaiai ui thTiiiiHF muiodsr VSiuyt &
ouh from the dccp.toncd organ, aud n sub /
lued murmur Of admiration, not unmiNcd .
with compassion, ran through the assembly, /
rs the beautiful novice appeared between two +
aiicu sisters ut the open grating which sep. T.
,raied the choir of the ItSas from the body |
If the church. At the same instant the F.
bishop who was to receive her vowA issued .
rom the yestry, apd the ceremony began.
IL is customary, when the dress OF the one
,hout 10 profess las been blessed by the one
that curtain is drawn over the
grating Of which mention has already been
made; on its removal, the spectators only |
perceive a black p,cll-that which is used for
on the ground in the mid
lie of the choiri on this the novice pros
rates hersclti and the sides being thrown
over her, she is hidden from the view Of all
aFeseHt,-Ihe sisters then commence chant.
ng, in mourniul tones, the l3Oth Psalm,
which forms part Of the burial service in the
ltomish Church. Ii is needless to add that
his part Of the representation il iatoHdgd to
impress on the minds OF the cougregatcd rel
atives and friends that henceforN ard their
sister, or daughter, or tondy oherised coin
paniun, is as entirely cut off from all inter
course with them as il she had really depart
ed this life. With n fixed and agonjzed look,
Monsieur Dear6che gozed on the pail which
shrouded from his sight his only earthly
aud as he thought or the long fare
well that this idol of his heart had bid to all
that she held near and dear on earth, he felt
as he imagined, inspired from on high to
perform on his side some great sacrifice
which would tend to assimilate his lot with
that of the selfdevotod being who would ever
be dearcr to him than life itself The cere
mony was concluded. His resolution was
taken. He had formed the extraordinary
vow TO make an offer Of marriage 10 the first
W oman who would cross his path MS he went
out of the chapel! The crowd was slowly
dispensing, The artist rose from his knees,
and, with u robbiug heart and a faltering
step, he had Just reached the door, when his
eyes fell on a young girl engaged in fcrvent
prayer by the side of woman who appeared
to he her mother. They were both simply
clad, and evidently belonged to that class Of
society which in France is designated as the
Bourgeoisie.-
Eugene Delaroche felt that theorists of his
fate was at hand, and needless Of consequent
ces, he thus abruptly addressed the elder Of
the two women:
"NIadame," suid he, al am gentleman
will you consent to your daughters becom-
ing my wife P-I give you.my word of honor
that | will do every thing that lies in my
power to insure her happiness"
The two women, amazed at this unexpect-
ell and scarcely warranted address, seemed
for an instant inclined to doubt of the sanity
of the speaker but they were speedily rcaS-
sured when, in few words, he acquainted
them with tha xaw he had just made, and Ell
treated them to PVT implicit faith in ,hr in.
tegGty of his intentions. Then, percciving
for the first time, that his destined wife was
afflicted with lameness, he added, with a mel