Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-10-19
SPIRIT OF III AGE
Aping Foreigners.

such persons, when visiting Ia belle France,
md other countries where the hdute nOblesse
exist. A Paris Correspondent, tells of a re-
cent occurrence, by which a young American :
was relieved of his desir 5rulant and q large
sum Of money at the same time thus yeri-
flying the old adage, that "a fool and his II
money are soon parted" 1t seems that he 4;
was q gay, ardent southerner, and left his ma "
tive city a few months since, having arrived b
at the age of twenty-one, and the full enjoy O
ment Of a large fortune. He went to Paris !,
with the intention of getting into the best y
society. Once in the gay capital, he sat about ,
accomplishing his purpose with energy. At t
last he made the acquaintance of a young /
man, a fellow pupil at the dancing academy,
to whom he impaired his desir 6rulant-
This new acquaintance praised the idea, in
formed the young American that he was en-
chanted to hear of his resolve, and ended by
promising his aid, which was no small gain,
as he was a bona tide Count, not one of the
mushroom nobility, but a person rhe
cestors had had the inestimable privilege Vi
following the crazy monk to Palestine anu
x.o.Lao. ~ mo neads OF sundry infdels. De-
lcidedly he was of the ancien no6lesse, and
he felt aattered that a republican should
evince such a praiseworthy desire to enter
the circle of society to which the Count be-
long nay more, he would assist the young
stranger, and at once proposed to introduce
him to his aunt, the Marquise. Delighted
beyond measure at this stroke of good fortune,
the American seized his new acquaintance by
the hand, and in the most grateful manner
returned his thanks, and asked the noble
Count to take a drink. The acquaintance
ripened into the warmest friendship; so much
SO, that the Count persuaded the American
to take a large suit of rooms, to get q finer
carriage and more servants, and proposed
that they should live together. They did SO
!, for several months, during which time the
: young stranger paid all the bills, it being
. agreed that he should do so for the first year
the Count the next. The southerner was
:, duly presented to the Marquise, whom HI
= found to be a most charming woman, livin|
in the Quarter st. German, and having
= about her the evidences of wealth and state
She was very agreeable and kind to the youn
" stranger, and took him with her to the opera
: and to call upon many of her titled friends
She was a handsome woman, and quite young
: and, as a natural consequence, the gentlema
! was soon epris with the Marquise, He eve
went so far one night as to propose marriagC
She gravely told him that she was partial
him, but that her family would never col
: sent to her marrying a man without a It'll,
He was in despair, and fastened to tell tn
: Count, his confdant, Of his love. The Cour
y 80 80 raarIy ddn not knew VIII.
make the Marquise relent- The next u
W the Countcame in, radiant and with a smilir
,ss air. He had ound out an expedient by viii
lat the American might overcome the difficult
me- lie knew a man, an agent of the Duke of Tt
fa cany, who had a title for sale it was de-
he but then the harquise was enormously rio
an! and loved the young man so sincerely IL
once he possessed this title she would mar
10. the American, even if it cost him all his f
:; tune. Fired with the idea of being a mob
,be and espOusing a Marquise, the young sou
o4v erner rushed to the person indicated, a
asked the price of the wished-for-title. AL
,;r- it was dear almost all the money he p
10 sessed was necessary to buy it. He hest
~ ted but having again seen the Marquise Il
ev. nightata SOiree givenb by him, he signeda che
and handed it to the seller of the title (wl
by a wonderful coincidence happened to
II at the party,) for the amount asked for
parchment that was to make him the har
:. possessor of a woman who, although m 1
older than himself, was a Marquise of
~ hGute a0blesSe. He returned to his roo
ust. that night full of hope and champagne, q
cy; sank to slumber, murmuring the name of
OF future spouse. He awoke late the next
to find the Count gone, having just recei
v to a letter calling him to one of his estates
cur Italy. The young man cared but little
nse- the absence Of the Count; he flew to m
his promised wife. Arrived at the house
was informed that Madame no longer Ii
there; she had left in the morning cal
cry without saying where she was going. Ii
ally dawned upon the Southerner, he rushed to
ord bankers; the check had been presented ca
lied in the morning, and paid, but a few thous
francs remained to his credit. He soon
no" certained that he had been duped-his pal
ome ment was all that remained; and upon OF
tely ing the rOuleau he found that it was a
has photograph of the Pont Neuf. This W
Her the young gentleman goes back to the
ted States, cured Of his desire to assoc
with the ~m0bLsse, and a poor man.
mpt
tion sueIe Is anyLL