True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-09-29
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STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, September 49, 1868,

principle feature-ballets in which the
king and Madame enacted the leading
parts. Wearied at last of personating the
deities of Olympus, the king announced
his intention of taking the role of Endy-
mion in forthcoming ballet, founded on
the story Of Diana and the handsome
shepherd. Though nothing definite was
known of the other characters, i, was
generally supposed that Madame Hen
riette would assume the part of The divine
huntress. The rehearsal had not yet
commenced when, one morning. the
queen, Marie Therese, and Madam dor.
leans were seated, with the mother,
in The apartments of the latter. Behind
the fauteuil of the princess stood two Of
her files d'honneur; one the fair, timid,
and shrinking Louise de Ia ValIiere, as
yet undistinguished by The royal favor;
the other the beautiful, but bold and
naughty A,henais de Tonnay Charenle,
afterwards the Infamous Madame do Mon
tespan. Suddenly the doors were thrown
open, and the king was announced.
1t does not enter into either the plan
or the limits of this short tale to enter into
a description of the unrivalled personal
beauty of Louis XVI. Suffice il to say
that he was the handsomest man Of
court where was assembled the flower of
the French nobility, and more than one
heart throbbed as he entered. He bore
in his hand magnificent crescent formed
Of Two rows of large diamonds, and, ap-
preaching the queen, he requested her
opinion Of it.
every beautiful, sir" answered Marie
Therese, coldly, while tears sprang into
her eyes, for she loved Louise far too
well to see his attentions lavished on an
other without emotion.
The superb dark eyes of Madame Hen
riette shot forth CLEAN of triumph as the
king turned towards her. But his eye,in
travelling round that brilliant circle, fell
on Madame d Essars, and rested there.
Leonie was standing beside the chair
Of Anne of Austria, and replying smilingly
10 remark addressed to her by another
of The ladies of the queen. Her drees of
violet and silver brocade set off 10 advan-
tage the pure yet brilliant lints of her
complexion and the radiance of her dark
and sparkling eyes. Compared with her
youthful and piquant loveliness, even the
royal beauty Of Madame Henriette seemed
tame and pasSe, and so Louis evidently
thought, for. turning from the astonished
princess, he crossed the room and ap.
preached Madame d'Essars.
"Madame," said he, with all the grace
and suavity for which he was so preem-
inently distinguished, fthe role of Diana
is vacant. Will you not honor me by
accepting it, and with it this ornament p
Had thunderbolt fallen in the midst
of the royal circle, it could not have Gre
ated more astonshment and CONSERVATION.
, Madame Henriette sank back in her
? fauteuil, pale as though about to faint ;
f Anne Of Austria frowned and bit her lip ;
. and Marie Therese, whose predominant
y feeling was that Of triumph at the discom.
: future Of Madame, pressed the hand Of
the queen-mother, with significant
d glance.
8 Blushing and confused, Leonie in vain
, sought for words TO express her refusal
h for the royal request was of course to bt
8 considered as command. She looked
e so lovely in her naive and blushing EN-
!. barrassment, that Louis thought he hat
d never before beheld so fair face.
l. "Nay, madame" he said. sinking hi
1t voice almost to whisper, cit is not th'
}, king who commands, it is Louis whit
e entreats you."
is The blush fled from her cheek, and le(
her pale as death. Mechanically sh'
e bowed her head, and Louis, taking he
If silence for consent, placed the diamond
a crescent, with light and skilful touch
= amongst the dark braids that shaded he
y snowy forehead. 9
|e A little more than month had elapse
4. since the scene just described, and ono
ID more Leonie sat in the little turret roor
10 at the chateau d'Essars. Half buried i
d large fauleuil, her dark eyes encircle
n. with blush shade, her cheeks pale wit
or weeping, and an expression of passionat
,e resentment curving her small, resolut
y, looking mouth, she resembled as little tn
N fair and guileless girl who had ther
" pledged her word to trust her happines
8, to her husband, as she did the brilial
n, court beauty who had blushed beneat
If the smile of the King of France. Frol
II. the hour that Louis placed the crescer
ID. on her brow her life had been far frol
an happy. So signal mark Of favor frol
lie the monarch aroused all the dormaI
N. jealousy Of her husbands nature, an
er pretexting important business whic
d. called him 10 his estates, he left Fontail
ID, ebleau abruptly few days after, taklI
nd with him his wife. Once secluded
nd the solitude of the chateau, a series
lie scenes commenced in which oil the vi
be lence and jealousy Of his nature we
shown without reserve. Accusations
;ly once the vilest and the falsest imaginabl
ne intemingled with epithets which even
IN. hear is an insult to. a woman, were hur
or, at Leonie, and once he even raised /
led hand to strike her. The spirit OF I