The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-08-03
A Strange Retribution.

Henri Du Barre, young French artist,
became enamored of the only daughter of
well'to'do aubergiste, in the town of Cir.
cassone, in the South Of France. Lucille
Montague had beauty and money, and Henri
Du Barre had wit and talent; but these lat
ter were no fair equivalent for the former in
the eyes of the purse. proud father, who de.
clared that no daughter Of his should marry
a poor man, though he were blessed with the
wisdom Of Solomon.
Now Lucille loved Henri-at least she
told him so-but she was too prudent to
elope with him and risk disinheritance; for,
after all, what was love without money q
poverty coming in at the door would send it
flying through the window.
Poor Henri was in despair. He really
did love Lucille, whether she did him or not,
loved her madly; and his was one of those
dark, fiery natures which makes love wild,
terrible passion.
How much money was necessary to make
him her equal in the eyes of her worldly fa'
ther The aubergiste named the sum. 1t
was large, and Henri sighed, and felt more
despair at his heart than ever. Suddenly he
frightened up with the recollection that he
had both youth and genius, and that in some
large city, Paris, perhaps, where the latter
would be appreciated, he might acquire both
fortune and fame.
But would Lucille wait well, Lucille
was willing to wait awhile-for just then, as
she admitted to herself, she could think oil
no one she liked better than the poor artist;
but every thing earthly must have limit,
and the fair coquette thought her patience
ought not to exceed beyond year.
A year is a very short time for q man to
acquire fame and fortune, with the latter
depending on the former; but Henri was
young, and youth is sanguine, and at all
events he would make a trial, hoping great
things, and knowing he could do no worse
than fail.
So he finished his engagements hurriedly
declined any new ones, sold few pictures
on hand for u moderate sum, gathered toge.
ther his scanty effects, bade his friends and
Lucille adieu, and, with hopeful but heavy
heart, set eff for the great metrop oils oil
France.
1t was long, long journey from Circus.
some to Paris, in the slow conveyance of the
period when Henri Du Barre made it; and it
was nearly two weeks before be reoch ed the
gay capital. And then began his struggles
with poverty; which chung to him, in spite
of his hopes, his eXertUns and his prayers,
for six weary months, when he gave up in
despair, and secretly left the city, to beg his
way back to Circassone, see his Lucille once
more, bid her an eterna! adieu, and end life
no longer of any value to its possesSor.
Henri Du Barre set out from Paris afoot
Ond lone, depending solely upon the charity
of the French peasants for food and lodging.
He had six sous in his pocket when he start.
ed, and these he invested in deadly poison,
| which he carried as dernier resort, deter.
mined not to suffer beyond what nature
might reasonably bear, but which it was his
hope to retain till he had again seen Lucille.
In this manner he reached and passed
through Lyons, foot sure, ragged and dis
hea,tened-an object indeed for rcommissera.
ton. Twenty leagues beyond Lyons, in
passing through a long, dark, lonely wood,
he met Jew carrying heavy pack on his
back. The poor artisan asked the Israelite
for charity; his appeal was answered with a
few coins, for which he thanked the gver.
and then offered to carry his pack.
"Oh, not is nothing-it is nothing--a
few old clothes only !" returned the Jew,
hurriedly-so hurriedly, and with such evi,
dent uneasiness, in fact, as to awaken suspi-
cion in the mind of the young artist that it
contained something of great value.
Then it was that wild. vague, underlined
desire to possess it first took possession oi
the young man who was now going home to
die wretchedlY, but whom two thousand
francs might yet bless with life and happi.
ness. When the mind of man takes a
highly criminal bent, it seems as if some
evil demon whispers in bis ear the most
plausible reason for a wicked course to hap.
pincss.
Henri Du Barre, who had never before
thought Of harming human being, now
glanced furtively and almost shudderingly
around him, with the dark and wicked
thought in his brain, that if this old man
were dead, and he the possessor Of his pack
he might yet have bright and glorious fu.
ture. 1t was dreury, dismal spot in the
thick wood where they both stood, and no
hum an eye save theirs was looking upon the
scene. Why should this old man be cum
bered with wealth, which coHld not bring
him one 1.-THE Of the joy that it might him
who coveted it's possession! He could moi
live many years, that old man, at the most
and he might die any minute, and his valua'
| BILE effects become the inheritance Of stran-
gers! Whit mattered few years, more or
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