Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-12-24
TALES AND SKETCHES.
IMAGINATION.
FROM THE FRENCH


Mr.. Meicourt to his daughter, "really there
is no pleasing you, though every one in the
house, including myself, is trying to do it."
IL can't help it papa, am weary of life"
"Weary of life at eighteen2 Oh don't
say that, Child. 1fyou only knew what it
is to get old, and to fird tire life fading
| away from you, you would not speak thus.
Weary of life Is there anything that could
| reconcile you to it have fifty thousand a
year, entirely at your disposal, besides the
affections of father that has only you to
love in the whole world"
dearest father wish you had been my
mother"
"Your mother what strange idea"
"Not at ALL tor have secret 20 contidc
that mother can only understand, at least
so l have found in all the books have ever
read no one ever confides in their father"
Except when that father has been both
father and mother as have been"
"Yes, but then you have promised my
hand to the son of your old friend, NJ. Del
mar, of Bordeaux-Jules Demar-whom
can never love, and you will insist, no
doubt, on my marrying him."
! III certainly shall, unless you can give me
good reason why you should not"
THAT is precisely my secret l can give
| you good reason why should not marry
/ this man--becausc, l love another"
! Love another, good gracious Why,
who the devil can that other be : You have
never been out of my sight, and am at a
loss to see who there is around us likely to
strike young girls imagination !"
"1ou don't look far enough back. Do
you remember my cousin Charles ~
'Nly nephew, who was sent from Martin
ibue to my care Yes, to be sure | do
what of himl He has been away back to
his father over six now, and take six from
eighteen there remains twelve. You couldn't
be in love with anybody at twelve years
old 2"
80 but | was, and great deal sooner
You know my Aunt Judith taught us to
read out ofthe books she was so fond her
self. Well, among them was Paul ard Nir'
gnia. Now Paul remembered all about
Martinique and tKis book made strange
impression on us, children as we were, till
at last we called each other Paul and Vir-
5inia, and when we were cruelty separa
ted"
"Cruelly separated why the boy wen,
back to his father and his home"
YES, but that's just the way they sen
away Virginia, you know, and Paul thought
it cruel--so did Charles"
"Well, what happened then ~
"Why, before he went we swore ctcrna
love and fidelity for each other. Gabrielle,
said he, 4 am going far away; sent to Mar
Unique just as they sent Virginia to France
In all probability, when you grow up to b,
Il woman, your father, with the tyranny anC
injustice of all fathers"
"AIl tuthcrs-am l unjust and tyranni
CAL"
NO, but all the fathers in the book W,
had read of were, and Charles thought al
time that printed books could not be wrong
so Gabrielle said he, when your tathe
tries to give you another, remembering ou
solemn VOWS, and have the courage'to rcsis
him.' / swore | would be faithful and S
we parted"
"SiX years ago. he was then fourteen, AM
you, as l said before just twelve years ole
Well, you have never met since thcn-"
"Never, of course, since; | have neve
left Paris, nor he Martinique"
Nor have You corresponded with him
"1es, | have corresponded with him"
'Good Heavens l thought.I saw all til
letters that came into this house."
"Letters you don't think we correspon
by letter s-oh 70, indeed no, it is throug
the medium Of the moon that we CORE:
pond"
! THE moon 9-oh don't mind that kin
4 of correspondence, though l should muc
like to know how it was managed I"
"Why at certain hour, when there WI
Il moon, we agreed both to look at it, an
we should know that at that moment cac
was thinking Of the other"
,, "That shows that you and your preciol
cousin knew mighty little of geography AN
astronomy, or you would know that whe
the moon is shining in Paris the sun is ju
IT rising in Martinique. However, you in
n agined that it was all right, and did it qui
es we'll"
Z "Now you have my secret"
10 "And is this moonlight cousin of you
J. the only obsticle between Jules and you
y self?n
4; "The only one but an insuperable one"
" " "Nonsense; so far from being an insupe
ID able one, am going to fix your weddir
day, and to tell Jules that you are predart
st to receive him as a suitor."
III II am yolr child dare not resist yol
but remember, l warn you, my obedien
= will cost me my life"
"Your life! Why, Gabrielle, what
M you mean?"
II feel that this marriage will break n
heart and drive me into consumption; al
y then, when you have lost me, when "
y; shall stand weeping over my grave, "
~ will remember the words of your poor, dei
fond, devoted darling Gabrielle"
Monsieur Melcourt, with all his primne
- could not stand his daughters tears. If
\ had only given his word, he would la
I' found means of being released from
promise, but he was under the deepest oh
nv cations to NJ. Delmar-owed him his II
tune and even his life, for Delmar had say
him from suicide and to break promise
him, to dissolve a marriage on which
rs friend had set his heart, seemed like ingra
tude. Bat he had never been accustom
OIL TO refuse his daughter anything, and he I
ilk that after all he would have to yield; s.
md he endeavored to temporise, and turning
ND Gabrielle-"Child," said he, "the object
my life is your happiness; rely on it, / v
do all can not to compromise 1t, only all
ps' me to do it nay own way"
- "Of course, darling"
en-, en- "Well, then, tomorrow, Jules will
here. Promise me that you will rece
. him. civilly."
II promise anything"
. "And you will be in good humor
not go into consumption
mis- MIS- "Not as long as you let me have my
no. way"
sd. The next day Gabrielle, to please
cdi. father, made herself as pretty as posi-
sent and received her fathers guest in the II
-. amiable manner. 1t was sacrifice
e.