Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-31
A SENTIMENTAL WIDOWS EXPERI-
ENCE WITH A ROMANTIC LOVER
A PRACTICAL AND PRCUNIARY
CURE OF HER PASSION.

Romantically-in 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 seu-
sibility; and fortunate, indeed, may many
consider themselves, if they get off as cheaply
as did charming and wealthy young widow,
who had lost her husband before the romance
of her character had been stihed by married
life, and retired last Summer from bustling,
noisy Paris to pretty cottage at Enghein,
distant but a 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 a tenant of her own
sex-also young widow-who had recently
left quiet EnPhein for gayer residence in
the metropolis. Evidently Madame d. and
the former mistress of the cottage were of
totally different tastes.
The fondness of the melancholy lady for
sentiment, as well as the curiosity natural to
the sex, were doubly aroused on the very
day after her installation. Upon accidentally
opening q drawer in a small center-table,
part of the bOudoir furniture, an open letter
(doubtless overlooked in the removal of her
predecessors effects) was exposed to view.
Thoughtlessly, and without any indiscreet
intention, she took the paper in her hand,
and glanced mechanically at the first words
written upon il. The effect of these first
lines was so powerful that she read the whole
missive-four closely-written psges---to the
end. 1t is so hard to control a curiosity upon
which there is no restraint but feminine
will The letter was chronicle of re-
Q proaehes, addressed to a coquette, who had
sported with the affections of the writer, and
had then coldly cast him off. 1t was signed
only by the haptismal name Of Edmund"
The reprosches of the rejected Edmond were
go full of tenderness, he pointed in such mel
ancholy terms the picture of his shattered
destiny, and bid bis idol farewell in language
SO touchingly sorrowful, that the romantic
Madame ID. actually shed tears of sympathy.
1.-THE man who wrote these lines, said she,
after re-perusing the letter several times,
'has noble soul and a gentle heart. How
much passion ho has depicted in this last
appeal to a hard-hesrted creature, unworthy
o love like hisl OF course he was wrong to
worship at the shrine Of one obviously in
capable of appreciating his devotion, and
who would, if he had succeeded in his suit,
have made bis 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 forgefulness Of manly self re-
spect, and thank this Madame S. for her
benefcent cTueltyl And should he love a
second time, the object of his choice will be
more worthy. l wonder who he can be ?
first name-though Edmund certainly is very
pretty"
Instead of destroying the letter or sending
it TO the lady whose address it bore, Madame
D kept it, and soon learned its contents by
heart, It was, therefore, quite natural that
she should be constantly thinking Of the un-
known 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 in
formation. The only person to whom she |
could apply was Madame S, and she con-
Cocted a very ingenious plan to accomplish |
her purpose. without at all initiating the ex- |
goddess of the susceptible lover into the real |
secret. Upon an old pocket book, which |
had once belonged to her deceased husband, |
(the man wss dead, what mattered it to |
him2) the charming widow caused to be en- |
gTayed, in gold letters, the name of Ed |
mud !" and, thus armed, she came to Paris, |
and presented heTselfat the residence of Nine. |
S
To that coquettish lady, the widow, who |
fiattered herself that she compared favorably |
in point of beauty with the destroyer of the |
unknown's happiness, stated by way of in
PRODUCTION, the circumstance of her residence |
a. EngheiD, in the cottage formerly occupied |
by Madame S. After this preamble, she
boldly produced the poket book, unhestat-
ingly declared TO flo is human) that it had |
been accidentally found in a corner, half |
thrust under carpet, and, as ouly the |
tapUsmal name Of "Edmund' was engraved |
upon il, she thought her predecessor might |
supply the rest and enable her to return the |
pocket book TO its owner-"particularly |
as il contained 500 francs in bank notes.
"Five hundred francs in a pocket book be- |
longing to Edmund Farblayp' exclaimed the |
hirt, with laugh. THAT is very extraor- |
dinaryl Unless-indeed3 and she paused. |
He is poorl" was the immediate thought |
OF Madame ID. "Elis family name is FarDlay, |
then2" said she aloud. Can you tell me his
81 really do not know" returned the 9TH
er, HE cha1ges his abode very frequently.
When ] last saw him, he resided in the rue
Louis lie grand, No. -. He may be there
still, and sincerely hope you may fiud him,
if you wish to do him service, and restore
the sum Of money you name. 1t is singular,
certainly, that. However, although | do
not see Mr. Fsrblay, | wish him no harm,
Our acquaintance ceased, because he was a
peIson could not longer receive!'
Madsme ID. bowed stiffly, and departed
The next day she sent her business agent TO |
tie rue Louis le- Grand; where he learned
that NJ. Farblay bad moved away, without
leaving his new address. But, in possession
of his surname, the object Of Madame DIS
search was easily 10 be found, if in
Paris, with the assistance of the police,
and TO the police the lady applied.
In twenty four hours the business agent was
on the right track, and, the morning after
ward, the anxious widow received notice
that she might expect a visit, at any mo-
nent, from NJ. Farblay, who had been in
formed that she desired to see him immedi-
stely.
The poor ladys heart beat violently when
the gentleman was at last announced. She
found the reality fully equal TO the picture
drawn in her imagination. Edmund" was
a young man Of not more than twenty-five,
tali and thin, with an expressive counte-
nance, upon which suffering had stamped
itsEeAl, long black hair, and large melancholy
eyes. He had evidently experienced many
haIdships, or had largely indulged ia dissi-
patton. The sentimental widow Of course
adop'ed the former theory, confirmed by the
Air. Of timidity with which the young man
entered her presence. At the first glance
she rsnouneed the plan of offering the 500
flames, fearing TO wound proud and suscep-
tible nature. She exhibited to him the
empty pocket book, which he opened and
declared not bis property. Madame d..
apologized for the trouble she had given so