Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-10
with a Hnman1ic LOYer.

A Sentimental Widows Experience
with n Romantic Lover.
Economically inclined ladies, who fall in love
with people about whom they know nothing, are
frequently called upon in this world Of deceit, to
bitterly repent their sensibility; and Fortunate in
deed, may they consider themselves if they get
off as cheaply as did a charming and wealthy
young widow, who had lost her husband before
the romance of her character had been satisfied
by married life, and retired last summer from
bustling, noisy Paris, to a pretty cottage at
Enghein, distant but few miles from the capital,
and one of the loveliest villages in all France.
Madame D., the heroine of this little sketch, had
rented the cottage ready furnished, and was the
successor to tenant of her sex, also a
young widow, who had left quiet Enghein for a
gayer residence in the metropolis. Evidently
Madame D., and the former mistress of the cot
tage, were of totally different tastes. The fond
ness of the melancholy lady for sentiment, as
well as the curiosity natural to the SEX were
doubly aroused on the very day after her install
lation. Upon accidentally opening drawer in a
small center table, part of the boudoir furniture
an open letter doubtless overlooked in the re-
moval of her predecessors effects,) was exposed
to view. Thoughtlessly, and without any indis-
Greet intention, she took the paper in her hand
and glanced mechanically at the first words writ
ten upon it. The effect of these first lines was SO
powerful, that she read the missive-four closely
written pages-to the end. 1t is so hard to con-
troll a curiosity upon which there is no restraint
but feminine will. The letter was a chronicle
ofreproaches, addressed to a coquette, who had
sported with the affections of the writer, and had
then coldy cast him off, 1t was signed only by
the baptsmal name of Edmund" The re-
proaches of the rejected Edmund were so full of
tenderness, he painted in such melancholy terms
the picture of his shattered destiny, and bid his
idol farewell in language so sSachngy sorrowful
IL -
of sympathy.
"'The man who wrote these lines said She
after requesting the letter several times, "has
noble soul and gentle heart. How much pas
sion he has depicted in this last appeal to hard
hearted creature, unworthy of a love like his.
Or course he was wrong to worship at the shrine of
one obviously incapable of appreciating his devo
ton, and who would, if he had succeeded in his
suit, have made his life wretched. He is doubt
less some very young man, inexperienced in the
ways of the world, and led away by mere beauty.
Some day he will regret this momentary forget
fulness of manly self respect, and thank Mad
anne s. for her benefcent cruelty. And should
he love second tiWe, the object of his choice
will be more worthy. wonder who he can be?
How provoking to have signed only his first
name-thOugh Edmund certainly is very pretty
Instead of destroying the letter, or sending it
to the lady whose address it bore, Madame ID.
kept it, and soon learned its contents by heart.
1t was, therefore. quite natural that she should
be constantly thinking of the unknown writer,
and longing to know more of him. By-and by,
her suspense became a species of torture, and she
determined, at all hazards, TO attempt obtaining
the envied information. The only person to
whom she could apply was Madame s. and she
concocted very ingenious plan to accomplish
her purpose, without at all initiating the ex-god-
dess of the susceptible lover into the real secret
Upon an old pocket book, which had once be-
longed to her deceased husband, (the man was
dead, what mattered it to himD the charming
widow caused to be engraved in gold letters, the
name of "Edmund; and, thus armed, she came
to Paris, and presented herself at the residence
OF Madame S.
To that coquettish lady, the widow, who fiat
tered herself that she compared fayorably il
point of beauty with the destroyer of the un
known's happiness, stated. by way ofintroductiOn
the circumstances of her residence of Enghen
in the cottage formerly employed by Madame 5
After this preamble she boldly produced the
pocket-book, unhesitatingly declared Ito NIB i:
human) that it had been accidentally found in a
corner, half thrust under a carpet, and, only
the baptism name of Edmund was engraved
upon it, she thought that her predecessor NIGH
supply the rest, and enable her to return the
poeket-book to its owner, particularly it con
tanned 500 francs in bank notes.
Five hundred francs in pocket book belong
ing to Edmund Farblay," exclaimed the tirt witt
laugh. "That is very extraordinary. Unless
indeed" and she paused.
He is poor" was the immediate thought o
| Madame ID. "His family name is Farblay
then?" said she aloud. "Can you tell me his nd
dres?"
81 really do not know" returned the other
"He changes his abode very frequently When
last saw him he resided in the Rue Louis !,
| Grand-no. He may be there still, and sin
cerely hope you may find him if you wish to dt
him service, and restore the sum of money yol
name. 1t is singular, certainly, that-bowever
although do not see Mr. Farblay, wish him NJ
harm. Our acquaintance ceased, because he wa
person could no longer receive"
Madame D. bowed stif1ly and departed. Tn,
next day she sent her business agent to the Rut
Louis lie Grand, where he learned that Mr.. Far
/ biay had moved away without leaving his new
address. But, in possession of his surname, th
object of Madames DIS search was easy to b,
| found if i'll Paris, with the assistance of the po
lice; and to the police the lady applied. In TWEEN
ty-four hours the business agent was on the righ
track, and the morning afterwards the anxiou
widow received notice that she might expect
visit at any moment from NJ. Farbay, who ha'
been informed that she desired to see him imme
diately.
The poor ladys heart beat violently when tn
gentleman was at last announced. She founl
the reality equal to the picture drawn in her i'm
l agnatOn. Edmund" was young man of no
more than twenty five, tall and thin, with an ex