Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-07-01
aflistelIal,eolls.
The Bride Of an Holar.
A SKETCH OF BAYOU BRIDGE.


led when | was mere boy, scarcely out Of
my teens, but have known the heroine,
and you, too, have knoTn her, but much
later. Where the unseeningry heap of
broken bricks and mortar have shown you
lay, arose once stately mansion, from
whose bright windows the sound Of music
and merriment nightly told Of the life Of
pleasure its happy inmates led. It was "a
bout the time that Spain retroceded this col
|ony louisiana to the French, who sold it
Ito the United States. Don Vincente de Al
medo was one of the richest gentlemen to
be found in the colony there was his villa,
and there he kept his most precious treas
ure, his daughter Maria, or Mariquita la
Linda, as she was commonly named by her
numerous admirers Maria was the life of
her cid father-his loae for her amounted
| TO- alteration /; the old hidalgo thought and
dreampt only of his daughter; to satisfy all
her wishes, all her whims, was his continu-
lal study. She was motherless, and she
was his only child Maria at sixteen was
justly termed a beauty. OF petite stature,
her hands and feet were those of child j;
her raven tresses would have touched her
feet if freed from the gold comb that kept
them twisted like crown over her we'll
shaped head. Her large black eyes, that
told Of her Castillian blood, shone With a
light divine, and while they revealed the
sweet gentleness of her soul, sparkling
glance would tell how deep was the passion
which slept in her quiet heart. Her face
was charming an arch smile played around
| her red lips and her voice bad q musical
sweetness that went to the heart. No won
der, then, that she was the admired Of all
admirers. Hundreds of young men sighed
for her. Several duels had been fought by
Idespairing lovers. Don Vincente had re-
|ceiyed overtures from many aristocratic and
wealthy families, but his invariable answer
was that Maria would not be controlled by
him, but make her own choice.
That choice was made at last. Charles
Du Mesnil, gay young Frenchman, was
the happy mortal. He was young, rich
and brave; he loved truly, and sued With
all the eloquence Of love. Maria's heart
was his. The old father felt at first kind
of Jealousy, when he saw that his daughter
shared with another that affection which had
been his alone; besides, there were many
gallant young Spaniards, in all the equals
of Du Mesnil. Why should his daughter
choose a foreigner. and that, too, when he
saw Louisiana returned to the French, and
he had resolved on returning to Spain. -
But when he saw how happy his child was
when he saw that radiant face more beau
tiful still by the light of loEe, when he
learned to appreciate fully the noble nature
of the young Frenchmen he would put no
obstacle to their happiness, and he fixed the
day for their nup tials. How quick the few
months delay passed for the old man, and
yet how slow time seemed to run for the
young lovers. The eve Of the great day at
last arrived numerous guests had been in
Yited to the rejoicings, after the return Of
the happy pair from the church Maria was
to be married in the old Cathedral, where
her mother had become the happy bride of
Don Vincente. On that eve Don Vineente
was seized with violent fever, and the
doctor pronounced his state dangerous .-
Maria wished to put off her nuptials, but
the old man would not consent to it; he
blessed his darling child, and an old friend
and cousin undertook to lead her to the al
tar.
The ceremony is over, the happy Du Mes
nil clasps his beautiful bride to his arms
they are in the family carriage, and the
proud coachman on the seat starts his hor
SEES to sharp trot, followed by numerous
equipages Of the invited guests. They will
soon arrive; but what lurid glare is that be-
yond the turn in the road? What noise I?
Onward, onward! Alas! the mansion is
on fire. Red flames thrust their curved
tongues through the windows Of the lower
floor, land Don Vinccnte's room is in the story
above. "Father! where IS my fatherP'
cries the young bride. springing out Of the
carriage. An ominous silence reigns a.
mong the terrified bystanders. as one Of
them points to the closed wipdow aboye,@
Charles? my husband! oh! save my
fatherw Du Mesnil has NOT besitated. -. !
With presence Of mind and GOODNESS Of ac-
ton. he runs to an on!thoyse yet untouched
by the flames, and re-appears with q ladder
and an axe. In an instant he is at the win !,
dow, and attacks it with repeated blows
It IS open, and dense smoke issuing fr9m
it tells the painful fact that the fire has
gained inydrd1y. Du Mesnil disappears in
the aperture, and Maria falls on her knees,
breathless, her eyes fixed on that window. :
her whole soul in the look with which She !
watches it looking, in her bridal dress,
with her snowy vail hanging around her
head like the ANGEL If Mcrcv nravino for