The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1862-01-15
The Belle of the BeIfrv.

political compacls, you should understand the erspte
contederacy Of Rochepot They were working girls it
true-dress makers, millners shoe-bnders taoresses
fowermakcrs embroderesses-an they never expected
to be anything arstocratic And in that content
lay their power.
The grisettes of Rochepot good fourth of the
female population They had their iealouses and little
scandals and heartburnings, and ploungs and counter
pottngs for they were women among themselves But
they made common cause against the enemy. They
would bear no disparagemen They knew exactly what
was due to them, and what due to their superiors
and they paid and grave credit in the coin of good
manners as cannot be done in countries of iberty and
equality Still there were little shades of difference in
the attention shown them by their employers and they
worked twice much in day when sewing for Madame
Durozel, who took her dinner with them sans faeon in
the werk-room, for old Madame ChiQuette who dned
all alone in her grand saloon and left them to eat by
themselves among their shreds and scissors But these
lights which they seriously resented Woe only
to the ncautous dame who dared to scandaise one Of
their number dispute her dues or enroach upon her
privileges They would make Rochepot as uncomfortable
for her, parbleu as a kettle to "A sowboied lobster
But the pretest grisette Of Rochepot was not often
permitted tojon her companions in their sefchaperoned
excursions on the holidays Old Dame Pomponney was
the sections widow and she had the care Of the great
clock OF St. Koch, and Of only daughter; and excel
lent she took OF both her charges They lived all
three in beitry-dame, clock and daugher-andt it was
bright day for Tenas when she cot out of hearing of
tIdl tCht UChp tlEhr anu OF lNt humping OF Ief
mothers cane on the long staircase, which always kept
time with it.
Not that old dame Pomponney had any objection to
have her daughter convenablv married She had been
deceived in her youth Ter soft whispered by lover
above her condition. and she vowed by the cross on her
cane that her daughter should have no weethcar above
iourueyman mc2hanc. Nov the romance of the
griscttcS (pal0ns basil to have charming little
Irritation with gentleman before they married the eat
erapron-just to show that, had they by chance been
born ladies, they could have played their part the
taste of their lords But was at this game that dame
Pomponney had burnt her fingers and She had this one
subject the exercise OF hcrpower Of mortal aversion
When have added that, tour miles from ROchcpot
stood the chateau dc Brevaune, and that the old
de Breyanne proud arisocra of the ancienrGgm
with son, the Young count Felix whom he had cdu-
Gated at PIs think have prepared vou tolerably for
the little romance | have to tell YOU
It was a fine Sunday morning that mounted hussar
appeared in the street Of Rochepot The grsctes
all abroad in their holiday parure and the gay soldiers
soon made acquaintance with one of them the door
of the inn and informed her that he had been sent
prepare the old barracks for his troop The huesars
to be quartered a month at Rochepot Ali what ioy-
Gus bit Of news. And six officers besides the colonel
And the tumpeters were miracles at PLAYING quadrllles
and waltZes! And not plain man in the regiment
except always the speaker And nOne except the old
colonel had ever been in love in his life. But this
last fact required to be sworn Of course he ready
to ki-s the boo&-or in the absence of the book, the
next most sacred object Of his alteration
"FmisscZ done Monsieur exclaimed bis pretty list
ener andaway she spread the welcome intelligence
with its deIghttul particulars
~ - "'' o oP 80 ny n.y. ~ Potf""I - o' 'ie"
the rumpeters had played themselves red in the face the
hussars were opratcd to man-tor the grsees
knew enough OF marching regiment 10 lose no nme
',' =; " P''S 'oI .Le.'5' "o"
OI 80 - o" - '"o ''7I "i'"o"e " '''S
Isl ooN' ~ - '1 IIo"U "eig" '''o '5',
o1 ot'tg ," y '
~ ~ t I -
- ! 'N'' "
.1,, on;.ott,. r,,a,,,,, -,
~, ;ns ~ 80 ~ = - a. W '}I
~ - Gss tbtfIi l no i r @
49, @ ",' ~ ~ a., - = ~
tbsir soldiers ~ rosoDar and t,lo t ,tiiG
is short and il is better 10 atko tGe Goods th ,ad
proyde Rut "after evervbody was bGlnad as Iba,.
Saw at feast there appeared another short Jacket and
CoIauinp can very much to the rrIi.f of iadhc.dnd
Susctte the sboc-bnder who had ben Irr ont in tba
previous allotment And Susette mad. tba a,nihIa ~,
cordiney but to no purpose fortbe lad seemed nm io
with but one dca-Iookiug toreyeraSt Rochs clock 10
know the time of dyt- Tire 1risettrs Hlgbed and asked
their sweethearrs his name but they Iy noifred
to their orrheads and wbispered sometime aort moor
Roberns being Drivilered follower Of br rrpi,nent
and protcg6 Of the colonel
Well the grscttes fjrtcd and the OId clock of St
and the pretlfest git in e village seemed the only two
who were left out in this extra di-peusaoR Of lovers
And poor Robertin still persisted in occurring most of
his leisure with watching the time Of day.
Ii was on the Sunday morning after tie arrival of the
troop that old dame Pompouev went up as usual to do
her SUNDAYS duty in winning an the clock She had
previously locked the bcy door to be sure that no one
entered below while she was above butthe Virgin help
us!-on the top STAIR gazing into the machinery of the
clock with absorbed atenion sat one of those devils of
hussals! "Thiei," 'Yagahond,' and house-breaker,"
were the most moderate epthets with winch dame Pom
pOnney accompanied the enraged beating of her stick
the resounding platform She almost beside herself
with rage And Th6nais had been up the wheels
of the clock And how did she know that that sc66rat
OF trooper was not there all the time.
But the intruder whose face lad been concealed till
now turned suddenly round and began to gbber and
Grin like possessed monkey He pointed at the clock
inflated the stfrk tick tick" laughed till the bio bell
gave out an echo like groan andten suddenly Jumped
over the old danes stick and ran down stairs
"Eh, Sante Eierge!' exclaimed the old dame it's a
poor idiot after ALL And he he has stolen up to what
made the clock tick! Iia. ha, la. Nell.-wel! ! can
not come uD these weary stairs twice day and must
wind up the clock before | 90 down to let him out.
Tick tick, tck.-poor lad! poor lad. They must have
lresscd him up to make fun Of hnthosc vicious troop
ars! Well-welI!
md with pitV in her hp.rt lpuNp po-1r0nuat Oh-