Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-08-11

pech deserved comneuuaIon, though 1t may
be that his conduct was governed by no higher
motive than q wholesome dread of the penalties
of the law-he refused, to the hcge chagrin of
many Of the neighbors, to add to his income
| by the traffic which had helped his widowed
mother, the late Madame Depech, to keep
house and land together her son at school,
and welfled purse of silver crowns always
at hand for an emergency. Madame Delpech
| Ia brief, ostensiby u herbalist, had for many
! years derived an income, though of no very
considerable amount probably, from the prac-
| tice of species of charlatanisIn, common in
| the French rural districts-that of selling to
| simple rustlcs, and not untrequently to as SIM
plc-minded townfok, certain, charms, love-
| powders, vegetable preserVatives of various
kinds from harm, spiritual or corporeal, and
magical compounds wherewith to compel the
favor, else despaired Of, OF some obdurate
| Jeanette or Jeannot, as the case might be.
One of those love-charms, called pcudre rose,
! had from some accidental coincidence attain
! ed so wide a celebrity as to engage the atteu-
| tion of the Correctional Police Court of Lyon,
q distinction which had the effect of compel
| ling the cheating old beldam to be more dis.
Greet and wary in the sale Of her magical wares
and more particularly of colorcd bean-mesl,
alas poudre rose at the rate OF five francs the
| halfOunce. This nefarious traffic was, asI
have intinated, all events oStensibly, publicly
repudiated by the retired officer OF customs,
albeit it was confidently hinted that upon more
than one occasion, when tempted by sufficient.
| ly considerable fee, he had violated that wise
| resolution, and dispensed his mothers uostrums
especially the poudre rose-wth the best
effect. This, | say, was the common scandal
or gossip OF a district on the left bank of the
Rhone, not far from the city of Lyon no longer
ago than the thirty year of this en-
llghteDed nineteenth century and | greatly
doubt whether q rural commune could be point
ed out i'll all the vast extent of France where
like credulity is not more or less prevalent at
at this very day. This is a sad. undeniable
truism but it is not from our English glass
house that we can contemptuousy cast stones,
in sCOrnfui reprobation of such hurtful follies,
at our neighbors for superstitiOns all as gross
are to be found in as vigorous vitality in many
of the rural districts of Great Britain. Impos-
ture and creduty are unfortunately indigenous
to all countries and climes, as well as marvel
lously selfadaptive to varying exigences and
conditions.
But in stopping to explain or moralize, the
story perforce halts also and dismsSng for
awhile Jules Delpcch, and his visions, schemes
nostrumS, | regain its current, at the moment
of drienne BeaudeSert'S arrival at the Chateau
d'Em, where she was received with every dem
onStration of regard and it really seemed that
Madame de Vautpre'S heart was touched by
the sorrow Of the interesting grandniece u
whose features she discerned, or fancied, strik-
ing resemblance TO General BeaudeSert, the
brother, whose memory spite of the Bresson
meSalhance she had always tenderly cherished.
The establishment Of the chateau was an ex-
tremely well.ordered one Its disciplinary march
perfect in a mechanical point of view but it
was uufOI tunatc for girl of Adrienne Beau
deserts temperament and tendencies that
Madame de Nautpre had already reached so
far into the vale of life, as not only to have
lost sight Of the busy. practical world in which
she had passed her youth and prime of days.
but that it no longer fingered in her memory
save as a far off dream of acted vanites illus
onS-eXcepting always the hallowing verify of
high ineage-hurtful if not sinful to voluntarily
dwell upon, because tending to lure her mind
Iom the contemplation, through the duSky
glass of pOlemical dogmatiSm Of the eternity
upon the brink of which she stood. Now, it
is quite clear to me, from what | have heard
read of Madame la Baronnc de Vautpre, that
her ascetic piety was of the sipcerest kind, as
aSsuredly her charity-thereby meaning aims
gving-was liberal and comprehensive but
the adoption of a profitable piety by depen-
penis not only frequently stops at, but eXag-
geraeS the eXternaS OF devotion and as might
be expected in such household, most of tho
persons in attendance upon the heiress, in their
anxious affections Of a religious fervor they did
not feel were enthusiastic about forms, attri.
buted supernatural eficacy.to beads, if not to
Il, Al ~
though careless or uuthoughtfnf ofthe proto-
type. 10 a mental atmosphere, so generated
and maintained, it is hardly to be wondered at
that the faith in charms, amulets, and the like
fautasie,, mbibed by Adrienne BeaWifsert in
her childhood, instead Of being rcbuked gather
ed force aud authority from the countenancc
afforded it hy apparently similar religious con-
victjonS Had the Able Moraix, now chap
lain to tie household, possessed her confidence
his wiser teaching might have dssipated such
noXious Illusions but since that as she deemed
it, heartess, cruel funeral Grafton. Mademoiselle
Beaudesert, des ite the aJbe's strenuous en-
deavorS 10 olciliate her goodwill ceased not
to regard him with mingled feelings of aver
son and mstrust Instead of complaining to
Madame de Vautpre that the sensitive girl re-
Solutely declined his sprital guidance, the abbe
left it to time to remove her uninst autipathy
but alas time frequently halts in the ac-
compishment OF his trrands, and arrives with
the healing remedy only TO witness the death
Of the patient.
Thus grew in years, in beauty, in gnileless
simplicity Of heart and mind Adrienne Beau
desert; Madame de VAMPIRE continuing the
while towards her the stately courtesy. the re-
Gulated ,unvarying kindness which she had from
the first imposed upon herself Madame la
Baronne never went into society, no encourag-
ed visitors at the rhataan Adrianne's ednca.