Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-05-22
A French Will story.

"Is going to be opened here Immediately
by her solicitor"
"Shall we inherit anythng?'
1T must be supposed SO we have claims y
"Who is tnat miserably dressed parsonage
who intrudes herself here? 2
"Oh, she," said the little man sneering,
" she won't have much in the will she is
sister to tie deceased
"What that Anne who welded in 1912,
man of nothing-an officer"
"Precisely So"
"She must Lave no small amount of impu
dence to present herself here, before re-
spectacle family"
"The more SO as Sister Egerie of noble
birth, had never forgiven her that messaHi-
ance'
Anne moved at this time across the room
in which the family of the deceased were
assembled. She was pae her fine eyes were
filled with tears, and her face was furrowe
by care with precocious wrinkles.
"What do you come here for ?" said, with
great haughtiness, Madame Villeboys the
lady who, moment before, had been inter-
rogating the little man who inherited with
her.
Madam" the poor lady replied, with hu-
mility, 6" do Tot come here to claim part
of what does not belong to me; come
solely to see Mr.. Dubois, my poor sisters
solicitor, to inquire if she spoke of me at her
last hour"
"What do you think people busy them
selves about you?" observed Madame de
Villeboys; the disgrace of great house
you, who welded man of nothing, soldier
of Bonapartes
"Madam, my husband, although child
of the people. was brave soldier, and what
is better, an honest man." observed Anne.
At this moment valuable parsonage, the
notary Dubois, made his appearance.
"Cease,' he said, 'to reproach Anne with
union which her sister had forgiven her.
Anne loved generous, brave, and good man,
who had no other crime to reproach himself
with than his poverty and the obscurity of
his name. Never heless, had he lived, if his
family had known him as l knew him, l, his
old friend, Anne would be at this time happy
and respected"
"But why is this woman here?'
| "Because it is her place to be here," said
the notary, sravely; II myself requested
her to attend here"
Nj. Dubois then proceeded to open the
will:
81, being sound in mind and heart, Egerie
de Damfreming, retired as boarder in the
convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, dictate the following wishes as the
expression of my formal desire and principal
clause of my testament.
"After my dccease there will be found
two hundred thousand francs in money at my
notary's, besides jewelry, clothes and furni-
| ture, as also chateau, worth two hur dred
Thousand francs.
ain the convent where l have been resid-
ing there will only be found my book, Heu
res de la Vierge, holy volume, which remains
as it was when l took it with me at the time
of the emigration. l desire that these OBJ
jects be divided into three lots.
"The first lot, the two hundred thousand
francs in money.
"The second lot, the chateau, furniture and
Jewels.
"Thc third lot, my book, Is Heures de la
Verge"
| 81 have pardoned my sister Anne the grief
which she has caused to us, and 1 would
have com!orted her in her sorrows if had
known sooner of her return to France. /
comprise her in my will.
Madame de ViIlcboys, my much below I'd
cousin, shall have the first choice"
"M. Vatry shall have the second choice"
{. Anne will have the remaining lot.
"Ah ah p said Vatry, sister Egeric was
good one; that is rather clever on Ler
part %
Same will only have the prayer book ?"
exclaimed Madam de Villeboys, laughing
aloud. The notary interrupted her jocu-
larly.
MADAME" he said, (which lot do you
choose"
"The two hundred thousand francs in
money"
Have you quite made up your mind ?''
Perfectly So"
The man of law, addressing himself then to
the good feeling of the lady said, Madame,
you are rich and Ammo has nothing. Could
you not ave her this lot and take the book
of prayers, which the eccentricity of the de-
ceased had placed on par with the other
lots"
You must be Joking, M. Dubois ' ex-
claimed Madame de Vieboys; you must re-
ally be very dull not to see the intention of
Sister Eyerie in all this. Our hOnOred cousin
foresaw full we'll that her book of prayers
would fall to the lot of Anne, who had the
last ch ice"
Sand what do you conclude from that q
inquired the notary.
| I" | conclude that she meant to intimate to
her sister that repentance and prayer were
the only things that she had to expect in this
world.'
AS she finished these words, Madame de
Vlleboys made a definite selection of the
ready money for her share. Mons. Vatry, as
may be easily imagined, selected the chateau,
furniture and jewels, as his lot.
Monsieur Vatry," said NJ. Dubois to that
gentleman, ''even supposing that it had been
the intention of the deceased to punish her
sister, it would be noble on your part, mil
ton of your share to Anne, who wants it so
much.
"Thanks foryour kind advice, dear sir,
replied Vatry the mansion is situated on
the very confines Of my woods and suits me
admirably, all the more so that it IS furnish
ed. AS to the jewels of sister Egerie, they
are "reminiscences which one never ought to
part with"
"Since it is so,' said the notary, 'my poor
Madame Anne, here is the prayer book that
remains to YOU"
Anne, attended by her son, handsome
boy, with blue eyes, took her sisters old
prayer book, and making her son kiss it she
said
Hector, kiss this book which belonged
to poor aunt, who is dead, but who would
have loved you had she known you. When
you have learned to read you will pray to
heaven to make you wise and good as your
father was, and happier than your unfortunate
MOTHER
The eyes Of those who were present were
filled with tears, notwithstanding their efforts
to preserve an appearance of Indifference.
The child embraced the old book with boy
) ish fervor, and opening it afterward,
80! mamma" he said, "what pretty pic
, tures!'
; "Indeedr' - said the mother, happy in the
gladness of her boy.
eyes The good Virgin in red dress
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