Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-02-12
A DREADFUL SITUATION.

/ DREADFUL SITUATION.
What dreadful situation for a young girl
TO md herself In Perfectly willing to be mar.
ned, and with dear, kind father equally as
anxious for her to enter the glorious state OF
matrimony, which would crown her with a
halo OF felicity-and not a lover to be met
with!'
thus soliloquised a young girl of fifteen, as
she sat looking over the wide domains of her
father 9 chateau, apart from the world of Paris,
and oh most strange to add, in part of the
country as yet virgin Of anything like a rail.
road. All this sort of reverie il delicious-aIl
those dreams Of the halo of felicity crowning
marriage are beautiful at fifteen, but q few
years later, and how very like q crown of
thorns the halo looks
Jenny Herbecourt was very much to be
pitled There was no inexorable father, no
cIuel guardian, nothing was wanting to COM
plete her felicity but mere trifeNthe man,
and the man sorely puzzled the young lady 8
brains. Where was be to be found in that iso-
lated spot, only visited by a numbering dill
| geHce1
The good father was going to be married
| again TO a cousin of her own, one Aglae-a
nice good creature-and she too was anxious
Ior Jenny to marry. Was ever anything so
provoking as all these consents, without the
assent OF some dear unknown Aglae was
staying at the chateau, and hard indeed must
\ De the heart which would not feel for Jenny
1 when she beheld the charming tTousssaM of
| her future step-mOther arrive
| Some one shall appear" sighed Jenny, af-
| ter a conversation with her cousin Aglse the
| sort OF one to infiame a girls head, If NOT her
neart-all about laces and cashmeres orange
| mowers, DC. Most unfortunately there was not
| young man in the ghborhood s'free and
able, (Jenny reserved to herself to make him
| willing, until-oh blessings on minds given
10 speculate "a company sent down a young
an the lan Al =:
commencing railway. Gostaye Delvat was
the son oil an old friend of her father, who had
met the young engineer in the country sur
veying the land, and discovering who he was,
| insisted upon his leaving his hotel, and taking
| up his lodgings at the chateau.
month had he been domiciled there, and
assuredIy II he was a frst-class engineer he
was thlrd-class gallant. He didn't secm to
know that there was young girl within miles
Oh nlm-biS heart was as hard as the rails he
was about to lay down, and all this GOODNESS
made the iron enter into Jenny's soul! All day
long he was making his calculations, while she
was spcculsting about him.
One day she pretended to faint. Gustave
tew to the rescue; he was forced to look into
her lace and discovered that she was charm
ing, fresh, and bright as the land before his
horrid railroad cut it up.
Stili he went on with his parchment So
Jenny went into his Office and carried of all
n.
vain he implored.
- You are looking very ill.," she said, "and
l snall lIslst on your only working SO many
Again he looked in the face of one so anxious
about him, and yielded. She kept the key of
his Office.
This left him several hoursa a day undisposed
of. What could he do with them Jenny
solved the difficulty, land together they survey
ed the surrounding country and its beautiful
walks, as yet not cut up
One day the engineer forgot all the plans he
mad laid down on his own road of action-not
to fall in love with Jenny, not to be led into a
pam which ne imagined would be perhaps
narder TO cut through than q rock. Ifit were
put that Half our lines run through the like,
but be felt that her heart would be harder than
any granite, and Jenny did not like in maiden
modesty, 10 tell him she knew better. So off to
her step mother she sped.
"Gustave loves me- she cried, "but would
you believe it Of a Partisan he is timid''
Something must be done to overcome that.
30 agreed her step mother, but girl like her
self.
Il have thought of something, AgIae," said
Jenny at last. Stay in the next room, and
call papa there on some excuse Gustaye ia
certain to follow me hither; leave the rest to
M"
- But twill be snare, exclaimed the other.
"One with which he will gladly be taken, be-
lleye me, answered the wide-awake young
lady: And if tbs for bis happiness ?''
True, overlooked that.
30 Jenny remained alone, and soon, as she
had foreseen, the wandering engineer, without
the aid Of his compass, discovered the cIod of
earth, called Jenny d d'Herbecourt
Z" want the key of my office, mademoiselle," ;"
he said, g must work.
l want you to Obligc me first, Monsieur
Gustave."
Willingly, mademoiselle Z"
" You see, f" continued Jenny, " I am to play
a part next week in charade. Will you re-
hearse it with me ?''
- don't know it; but command me, 1 will
do my part"
s. A young man is to make me declaration
Of love. You must play that part"
" Too willingly would 1, but how in the
"Go down on your knees" He does itl
Now grasp my hand" (Fondly pressed
Excellent. Now attempt to kiss il. But
l must draw it away" accomplished to the
letter.
oh. charming" cried the young lady,
clapping her hands, and at that signal in rus
Aglae, followed by the unconscious father. Gus
tave sprang to his feet, and in the utmost con-
fusion assured the indignant parent that it
was only an innocent joke.
Aglse and Jenny mad fed, but they were
| listening.
At the word " joke" Monsieur d d'Herbscourt
new into violent passion, and to prove how
little our theory and practice ever agree, he,
VINO had written pamphlet against duelling,
challenged Gustave. %
AT the idea Of fighting, the ladies thought it
time TO interpose. Aglae followed Monsieur
her6ecourt, who had quilted the room TO pre-
pare his arms, and Jenny rushing in, loudly
unbraidsd GustaVe with wishing to kiln her
papa. ..
"Do not alarm yourself, mademoiselle - be
said, "I will not raise an arm against your
father; be may kill me-"
As il that was her purpose in this little
s,heme, or what earthly use would dead lover
be, She who had so much dificuity in discoy
ering this living one.
| "a pretty expedient," she cried Gas If there
were not another way of arranging the affair ~
| II see but one," responded the engineer,
tone that would Gil my heart with joy, but
dare scarcely name II for fear Of displeasing