Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-29
From Julia RGednagh's neto norel, "AdeIe."
why Adele Wished She was Dead.

| uiIuu "Lde YOU
Jeanette burst into passion of tears, and
clasped her trembling hands.
''Oh, Madame!'' she cried, ''do, for Heavens
sake, Madame, do love your husband'
Adele bit her lips, REDEEMED, turned up her
eyes, and finally looked down, and laughed
| frankly.
Jeanette" she said, sinking back into
her reclining attitude, and stretching out her
little white hand towards the old woman, '.sit
down by me, and do not be foolish"
She spoke with all her old gaiety and light
ness. Jeanette looked bewildered at the sud
den change, but she obeyed. She sat down
on the edge of the couch. and looked doubt
fully at Adele, who only laughed again, and
| seemed very much amused.
| ''What have you been dreaming of" she
! asked. tibet you walk in, and tell me to love
Monsieur Osborne in that strange, Oracular
| way? Love him, why You know | adore him!
| And if it were not that you have been dream
ing. | should be quite angry with You"
Madame, | did not dream what you said
in the garden this day. Oh, you must love
! him more, or rather differently: and indeed,
Madame, you ought He is only very little
older than he might be: he is as good-loolIing
a gentleman as one need wish for husband"
II never heard anything like it," angrily
| interrupted Adele. "What do yOu mean?
Why, my husband is quite a young man!
Good-loOking, indeed! why he is remarkably
handsome!-twice as handsome as / am; twice
! good, and. twce everything! What
amaZes me is why and how he became fond of
me. | am pretty, to De sure: but there are
! so many pretty girls Why did he not fall
| in love with that beautiful Italian lady whose
sketch he showed me the other day? She was
rich, well born, his friend; and. oh. Jeanette,
"A daisy in the grass might as well vie with
! the lily on its stem. as | with her. Why did
| :. i c.lI
| poor, careless, little thing like me? That is
what ought to amaze youe as it amazes me, old
! Jeannctte.'
| She spoke softly now; and to atone for her
! previous sharpness. she gently strOked the old
woman's brown hand. But Jeannette's amaze
ment did not take the direction into which her
mistress seemed TO wish to lead it.
In Heavens name, Madame" she said
with some emotion; "why then did you wish
yourself dead this morning.
"BCcause | did then-becauSe | do nine
times day-because it makes me mad to be
married-bCcause | feel fettcred like one that
is bound hand and foot-stifled like one that
has not air to breathe; and when feel ii too
strongly, oh! then must wish for any release
even for that of death!;'
She spoke with such feverish passion. such
a captive-like longing for liberty passed over
her pale face, that Jeanette was startled and
FRIGHTENED at its intensity.
"Oh! Mademoiselle!" she cried, distressed,
''what have you dOne?"
"Yes," replied Adele, with sad carelessness:
Il have been foolish bird; | was as merry
as lark: | sang from morning until night,
and | was free. He had only to whistle for
me and | came at once, glad to be caught.
And because | liked him, | thought | should
not care to have my wings clipped, and that
should still sing i'll cage. And now, Icannot.
Oh! | cannot can only pine and moan for
l. 4 -T.I...
added, with a smile at her own waywardness,
Il do believe | would do it all again if il were
to he done. Oh, Jeanette, | do love him 20
much. he is so good, so admirable-so hand
some!' she added, giving her old friend "a mis-
chievcos look.
And so fond of Madame'' put in Jeanette,
with a nod.
..Ycs-ycs," impatiently sighed Adele;
'but do love him, only" she added, with "a
moan, "why did he marry me? friends love,
but do not marry
But. MademOisclle, why did you marry
him." not unreasonably asked Jeanette.
How tircsOme you are!' said Adele, look
ing provoked; ''what foolish questions You do
put old Jeanette! Ask the wind why it
blows; ask the bird why it sings; ask child
why it laughs and cries in a breath, and when
they have answered you fairly, ask nue. why |
do this or do that. | know nothing about it.
have always done what liked, laughed when
| was merry, cried when was sad, and never
given "a thought 10 the coming day, never ask
ed myself shall like tonight what like this
morning. Besides il seemed beautiful and
a noble thing to be the wifi. of WILTON Os-
borne. Say to a peasant girl will you be-
queen, wear "A crown, sit on throne, rule
land. aud never stir without n body-guard to
attend you? She will clasp her hands and
cry. yes. All! how she will repent it! how
she will wish her crown were on a bush, and
that her people had another ruler! How she
will long to run barefoot in the dew of the
moruing-how she will break her heart be-
causc She has lost liberty; liberty without
which there is no blessing! Like her. l have
been offered, and have accepted, Il ngdom
aud a crown; good, an accomplished gentle |
mans heart How happy | should he if !
could but lie there, content to love my life |
away Why am ! so restless and so wild?
Why is his fondncss SO delightful aud yet so
tormcntng 1t makes my heart beat and |
swell with tenderness aud pride To be so much |
loved by him-the peasant girl is glad to be |
queen, YOU see-and lwould give worlds that |
he would let me be quiet and forget me. 1 |
am too young am too young
The exclamation was uttered with a pathos |
which moved Jeannetts heart; but all she |
could say was;
"Ah! Madame, but why did YOU marry |
hm!'
How could l help it, when he asked
meyn
Indeed Madame, you found the means of |
saying TO your godmother nay"
Had she ever given kind look, smile, a |
pleasant word! And he, had he not from the |
first been rs pleasant as the pleasant wind !
that blows from the west. Have you been
fond of your young master aud do you not
know that one must ever pat oneself at the |
feet Of what one loves
Madame. Madame, what are You saving !
II | could have been my young masters wife !
it was impossibIe-but IL could have been
his wife. how ! would have sickencd AT the
thought OF dcathl'
II am not very sure that do really wish !
70 die, honestly said Adele.
"Ah! but how | would have prayed for |
longer days to spend with him, how | would
have wished that thu. years might no; have an |
ending. Oh! do my langh, Madame, do not. |
Think bow dreadful thing il is TO wish un-
done that which God himself has done: il is |
like flying in the face OF the Almighty
Adele became crimson, and her eyes spark |
led angrily. And who told you that wished |
il undones" She asked. Il may wish that il |
had not been done; that h liked some Que
else; bat what Is, i. ! am his wife. he il my |
husband. IL is done forever and forever. How /
could YOU construe 30 hsrshly n few hasty /
words. ara young, only sixteen. l have |
always had my own way; | have never sui |
TERI Il; and I! tliir new pain draws a CRY ifntE /!
me. do not mind Il. II viii pass away: there |
is a very sweet drop In all this bitterness; he |
Is fond OF me- do not deserve it'll am n |
perverse. naughty child, and aa migrate, too, /
but he i fond of me. / am a little wild still, /
bat be l. 80 gentle and 80 kind thai be will /
tame me and make me good like himself Ia |
time. Wish il undone. Ii would BE- sin |
II would be a folly-I do not--i do not"
She Mas obstinate and indignant now; but |
her eye was sad. her naughty smile made /