Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-08-21
The Blue Handkerchief.


had received my diploma authorizing M
TO practice medicine, and / still fingered
in the vicinity of Edinburg, partly be-
cause nv money was nearly exhausted.
and partly from the natural aversion !
felt from quitting a place where three
very happy and useful years had been
spent. Alter waiting many weeks--lor
the communication between the opposite
shores of the Atlantic were not then so
rapid as now--I received large pack ct
of letters from "home," all Of them filed
with congratulations on my success, and
among them were letters from my dear
father and beloved uncle, at whose in
stance (he was himself physician) my
father had sent me abroad to complete
my medical education. My fathers let
ter was even more atfectionate than usual,
for he was highly gralifed with my sue
cess, and be counseled me to take a1van-
tage Of the peace secured by the battle of
Waterloo to visit the continent, which for
many years (wiIa the exception of a brief
period) had been closed TO persons from
Great Britain he enclosed me draft
on a London banker for thousand lbs.
My uucles letter was scarcely less afi'rc-
lionate ny Latin thesis (I had sent my
father and him "A copy had especially
pleased him; and alter urging me to
take advantage OF my fathers kindness,
he added that he had placed thousand
pounds al my disposition, with the same
London banker on whom my draft was
drawn. A letter OF Introduction TO a
French family was enclosed in the letter,
and he engaged me to visit them, for
they had been his guests for a long time
when the first Revolution caused them to
fly to France, aud they were under other
obligations to him; which | alterward
learned from themselves was pecuniary
favor more than once renewed during
their residence with him. Ten thousand
dollars was a good deal Of money to be
placed at the disposition of a young man
as his pocket money for eighteen months,
even after a large deduction had been
made from it for library and professional
Instruments.
Before | Quilted Ednburg, / received
letter from the gentleman to whom my
uncle had given me an introduction he
acquainted me that my uncle had inform
ed him that was about visiting France,
and that he had taken the liberty of in
PRODUCING me 10 him. The Marquis
de -, (such was his ille-hs name !
omit for obvious reasons) expressed with
great warmth his delight al having it in
biz power to express the gratitude he
felt TO my uncle, and urged me with the
most pressing terms TO come at once to
bis home, and pass away there at least so
much time as might accustom me to the
spoken French language, q could easily
read ID that my visit to Paris might BE-
more profitable and agreeable-and it
should be both, he was so good as to say,
al least SO far as it depended on himself
and his friends. | wrote him by return
mail to thank him for bis kindness, and
to inform him that / should at once set
out for bis hospilable home l shall new
er forget the six months | passed in the
Chateau de Bardy; the happiness Of
those days was checkered only by my
departure and by the incident shall pre-
sently relate. And even after quilted
that noble mansion, the kindness OF its
inmates still watched over me, and open
ed homes to me in that great Maelstrom
Of lfe-Paris.
1t was toward the end of the month Of
October-tbe most delightful month Of
the seasons in Francois | was return
ing on foot from Orleans to the Chateau
de Bardy. from a rather prolonged pc
destrian exploration in that interesting
neighborhood, where | had accurately
examined all of the curiosites, thanks to
an ample memoir of my noble host, Cn
those days "Handbooks" were unknown,
and Murray was busy publishing Byron
and Moore) when | thought | caught a
glimpse of some soldiers. / was not
mistaken; on the road before me Prus-
sian regiment was marching. / Iquicken
ed my pace TO hear the military music.
for was extremely partialto it; but the
band ceased playing, and no sound was
heard except an occasional roll of the
kettle drum at long intervals 10 mark the
uniform step Of the soldiers. After fol.
lowing them for half hour, / saw the
regiment enter small plain, surrounded
by fir grove. ] asked a captain, whose
acquaintance had made, if his men
were about to be drilled. D..