Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1862-05-21
A TRuE sToRY.

Tor EWo*And-EWenty years 1 hau oMeit
with my poor, wsstefal, uneaicaiating
father. MY father was scholar of most
stnpandons atsainments, particularly in
Oriental literature, bat perfect child in
all that related 10 ths ordinary affairs Of
life. Absorbed In his studies, be Ies his
pscuniary matters take cara Of them mselvas.
Consequently, whsa death suddenly Iaid
him low, and deprived me of my only
friend and protector, his affairs waEe
found TO be in state 0f iaextricable eoa-
fnsion. His effects, including the noble
library Of Eastern lore, which it had been
the labor of his life to collect, wera seix-
ed and sold to pay hia dabts, and we're
found insufficient. ea @
Ny mother had died when was
child, and my father had educated me
himsaRs pouring into my yoang and eager
mind tbs treasures OF knulWlsdge he pos
ssssed. 1 was-I SAP Ii without boast-
iag--a prodigy of Learning; bat In all
thai relates to domestic seonomy, as well
as to sAs ordinary attainments Of wo-
men, vas as ignorant as my father
| himself. AZ ss-4-ss-
fingered in the house until the sale
was over and the last carl-load of goods
had been removed. Then repaired 20 q
wrstehed garnet in the Rus de Temple,
where had found . refuge, and where |
designed to remain until such time rs
could, By the exercise of nay talents re-
plenish nay purse and procure better
lodging. Here / sat down, took a calm
survey OF my position, and questioned
myseif as TO what employment | was dt
| for. .-..
OF the usaal feminine accomplishments
possessed none. could naifheg draw
nar paint could not play q note of
music on any instrument; / could sing,
it Is trues bus knew nothing of tbs science
of VOCAL mnsic; did not know Q word Of
spanish, or Italian, Or German of Englih;
eyen wit the literature af France vas
bus little acquainted; but | could read the
sanei, from characters of Babylon AID
Persepols as readily ~ you read this
page, while Sansorit, Hebrew, Arabic,
| SyTiae aud Cbald&ie flowed from nav
tongue ~ frealy As 3 nursery rhyme. As
an instsaetEess Of young ladies, therefore,
| could not hope TO 6Rd = livelihood, bat
~ an assistant to some learned man or
body Of men, knew that NY sttainments
would ba Invaluable.
Full Of hope, therefore, and with
! cheerful heart, set about obtaining q
| situation.
Hearing thai the Oriental department
Of the Biblioshegue de Roi Was about to
undergo some alterations, and that au
assistant librarian was wanted to rear
range and re-eatalogus Eao books, Ap-
piled as once for the situation. Twas
closely examined as to my qualifications,
and mach surprise Was manifested at the
proficiency dad attained ia these un-
wonted studies; bat my application vas
| refused, because was o woman.
next answered By letter the adveY-
sisemenG of distinguished savaHt who
w&s about to undertake she translation Of
the Sacred FedaS, and Was in want of an
| amaaaensis. To this reeeiyed the fol-
| lowing reply:
"AADEHoIsRLLE If your attainments
in Sansorit are such as you present them,
/ am convinced that you would exactly
suit fae, were y6u d young man. But
am bachelor; there Is not single fe-
male in my establishment your sex,
therefore, renders it impossible for me 10
employ you as ny amanuensis."
My ser againI Discouraged, but not
daunted, Iapplied successfully TO the
Societe Asiatique, to tbs Librarian OF the
Institute, and to three or four private
| individuals Of N 1re or less note. From
all of them received the same answer
the situation was not opsn to women
Meantime, the few francs had at
my fathers death vanished, one by one.
| The woman from whom hired nv room
became clamorous for the rent. had a
few saparRa0us articles of clothing. |
disposed of them at the Mont. de- piete,
and thus kept the wolf from the door 4
little longer. When they we're all gone,
what should do? ..,....
perseEeTed in nv quest for employ
ment. 1t was all in vain. Many people
| added Insult to their harsh refusal of my
application accusing me of being an i'm
poster for who eVeT heard, said they, of
young girl like me being acquainted
with these abstFuse studies Day after
day, week after week, plodded on
through the mire and dirt, for il was win
| ter, the weeping winter of Paris, and the
obatrusive and narrow streets, (travarsed
by q filthy kennel In the center, and des-
tituts Of sidewalks1 shEoagh which my
reserehes led me, we're Ia q dreadful
condition. And egaEemoze sb4 gusstlon
reeurred to me, What shall | do? Day
| after day passed and still no opening
appeared, thought OF the river, rolling
darkly through the heart Of the city, in
whose silent tide 80 many poor unfor-
tuuate hes soHghs q refags from present
misery. One day, as iG the course Of my
peragrlnatious passed ths AoFgue, saw
the dead body of yonug woman which
7 had been taken thAs morning freaa ne
river, and laid out for recognition hy her
lfrienda. As looked on her liVid, bIoat-
| ed face, her drenehed and tAltered gar
ments, her long dark hair hanging in dark
matted tresses, and streaming over tbs
edge Of the table On which she lay, ny
heart was moved With pity. Yet ! halt
enyied har positfon, and might haYa fQl
Ilowed her example, bus for my belief 10
q future state Her body was fFea from
| every mortal i'll, but her poor SOUL whars
was il ~ . 4 Ri.
/ But besides, looking at ii from q nerely
human point OF We've there Is In my rs.
II ture certain stern and ragged resolution,
a sort OF ''never- give apo feeling, which
induces me to struggle on, and leads ms
10 think, with the great Napoleon, thai
tsuicida Ii the act Of d seward, siEes Ii IL
i an attempt TO fy from thosa evils which
/ God has laid upon rs, rather than to beal
them with brave, enduring trust II
Providence. -....
Still, as 1 passed by the river, spannes
/. by It's noble bridges, and covered witt
Fthosa fnnumerabie bargea ia which th
fwasherwunen Of Paris ply their unoeas
: ing trade, eating, sleeping and living con
ssantEy ID their floating dwellings,, | rouf
! think, with q shuddI, that unless ralia