Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-12-07
THREE NIGHTCAPS.

of Normandy. The house was built COM
paratively low, with noble porch supper
ted on massive granite pillars before the
front, ana elegant figures round the para
pet on the roof. Had it not been for the
thick walls and slightly contracted win
dows casual observer might suppose it
had been but lately erected whereas it
had existed for several centuries, having
mutelv witnessed from afar the cruel fate
of the Maid of Orleans and the triumph of
Henri quatre, and given kindly shelter to
tie iInperious Margaret of Anjou with her
noble boy
Tradition also relates that Francis l.
was graciously pleased to select the
grounds of the chateau for an open-air
/ festivityi hut, as the historians of the
! time have omitted to mention the fact, it
/ Is doubtful it is quite certain, however,
! that a more appropriate place it would be
difficult to find. The chateau itself is
/ bui on an eminence commanding a 10 eIv
view from all sides. and is surrounded bv
a tasty garden di ided into lawns, flower
| beds, terraces and intricate winding paths
/ which at last lose themselves in n wood
/ through which flows a stream generally
shall ow enough to be crossed by means of
large stepping stones placed in it for the
/ purpose, In times of heavy rain the
stream becomes swo len, and dashes over
! the gray mossy stones with a stormy vio-
! lence that seems to threaten destruction
to the~drooping ferns growing on either
| bank
/ Ny uncle, Monsieur Francois de B,
was the owner of the caste at the time of
which | am writing-the earlier part of
| the present century. He had inherited it
| from his mothers brother, but had until
| his unc eS death lived in Eng and with
/ his parents, his father being an English
man. With the estate he also inherited
considerable sum of money, which was
more than sufficient to keep up such an
establishment as the size Of the house re
/ quired My uncle determined, therefore
| to reside at the chateau des Fees, declaring
! that the bright sunshine of France suited
/ him better than the cold atmosphere of
/ England.
/ 1t was secretly whispered that his sem
/ timent implied more than it pressed
and it was even asserted that 4 Young
| English lady of gra1tde famiNe had
/ Tilted him in earlier days, and that he had
never recovered the shock. How far this
assertion was true have neoer been ab
! TO ascertain; but it was quite evident that
4 anv Gfaire du c0e,tr had not had i'll effect
on his kindly nature and disposition for
| he was gentle and considerate to every
/ one, and beloved by all who knew him
/ lie was n bachelor, and for this reason
( had generally one of his nieces from Eng
I land staying at the chateau to keep house
I for him, and prevent his growing "a
grabbed old man, as he laughingly ex-
pressed it.
1t IS proverbial that all bachelors have
peculiarities and | must own that, in one
instance, my uncle was not exempt from
this sweeping rule. His popularity was
certain rather 4 curious one 1t was
this-that he never went to bed without
wearing three nightcaps.
Ny uncle suffered from occasional at
tacks of neuralgia in the head, and for
/ this reason was obliged to be rather care
/ full; but rheumatism WAS essentially Il
: fami complaint, and my uncle held 1t
theory that this was caused hy persons
$ eeping with their heads exposed to night
L.
blankets all over the body and leave the
head uncovered? One breathes through
the nose and not through the back # one :
head therefore,, said he, 1T is only
necessary to !eave the former member ex
posed
Nv uncles nightcaps were not all alike.
/ The FIRST was made of scarlet iannel, (be
ing warm COLOR and had laPpets at
tached to the END which covered the ears,
and were tied with a string under the chin.
The next was Il thin elastic cotton cap,
more, it would appear, for the purpose of
F keeping the otner in its place than that of
warmth The third and uppermost was
/ in every sense the most important; 10 gI'e
i an exact description of it would be diff
Guilty, as it appeared on different nights
At one time it would be of black c vet,
At another of scarlet cloth braided tasti' Y
with gold braid or embroidered with
flowers of many hues.
My uncle's partiality for handsome
nightcaps was so we'll known that many
Of his lady friends and nieces would make
them for him; and have heard my uncle
seriously declare that on his fiftieth birth
dav he received no less than nineteen dlt-
ferent nishtcaps
During the month Of November, 1880,
was visiting my une at the chateau des
Fees; it was very disagrceable weather,
but we managed to be very happy Many
of my uncle's friends were in the habit of
spending few hours with him IN the eve
Ming, which made the time pass pleasantly
One evening the care of the parish and