Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-11-09
Miscellany.
The Brides Death.

wild, or with little care. in the gardens of
southern France, which the country folks
call by name which is best interpreted,
The Brides Death"
1t is little, blue, frail, innocent thing.
Yet, if you ask the reason of its name,
any peasant girl in Languedoc will tell the
same story.
There lived, within sight of the Rhone,
years ago, an old chemist and his daugh-
ter. He was German by birth, but had
married a French woman, and since that
day dwelt in her native land. His name
was Werner. His daugbtcr's Antoinette.
She was very handsome girl, and
since her mothers early death had been
the minstering spirit of her fathers hum
bic dwelling, and was loved by him very
fondly.
She had singular disposition, gener-
ally merry aud good humored, but when
aroused to anger utterly unappeasable,
until she had in some way punished the
offender, and with her quarrel was never
made up with tears and kisses, as with
other girls. 1t was lucky thing that she
querreled very rarely.
Being beautiful, and, in the peasants
eyes, an heiress of some Importance, even
the dread which was generally entertained
of old Werner, on account of his myste-
rious chemist lore, did not keep suitors
from the door.
But Antoineite looked coldly on the
sterner sex, until one autumn morning the
young Marquis of Grenoble was brought
by fate to break his arm at Chemist Wer-
ner's door, and TO be nurstd back to health
and strength by the old man, who was as
cunning leech as any in all Langueduc
1t had been a dangerous illness, ow-
ing partly to the heat of the weather and
the fact that the young marquis had been
drinking much more wine than was good
for him, and the recovery was quite mir
acle.
The youth was properly graceful, AID
would have rewarded the old man with
money and with gifts.
These being declined, he bestowed upon
the chemist and his daughter his friend
! ship, and became a regular visitor at their
| little nome.
| Soon he DECLARED to Antoinette that he
was miserable save in her presence, and
that she possessed not only his friendship
but his heart.
She WAS a warm hearted passionate
creature, and after his avowal of love,
every day found the handsome marquis
dearer to her.
For his sake she decked herself in hol-
iday attire; for his sake braided the splen-
did black hair that glittered like jet in the
sunshine.
No hing she did but was done with
thought of him, and in view of her high
position as his wife, she forsook her old
companions, and took TO studying the
speech and manners of those above Ter,
until the little peasant vulgarities into
which she had fallen were quite unlea nt
Ire girls of her village were soreiy
vexed by this, and many slanderous
word was spoken-many taunting glance
given towards the chemists beautiful
daughter, as she passed the cottage doors.
Antoinette knew of them all, but she
thought of her triumph when she should
be at last Madame la Marquse, and held
her peace.
1t was enough for her that young Gre
noble held her brown hand 81 tenderly in
their secret rambles by moonlight, and
said such fattering things of her beauty
and her goodness.
She trusted him as she would have
trusted an angel, but, alas young Greno-
noble was only very faulty mortal.
At last bis visits to the cottage became
rarer finally they ceased; and Antoin-
ette, horror-stricken, heard rumor that
he was about to marry beautiful young
lady of his own rank within the next
month.
She wept and trembled but refused to
believe, ard finally sought an interview
with the young marquis.
Sine met him on the road near his chat
eau, and he paused, confused but defiant,
TO confront her.
"This is not true they tell me ]? pant
ed Antoinette. "You are not betrothed
to that Llue-eyed lady? You love no one
but me, as you have so often told me
They are slandering you-are they not,
Grenoble
And she looked up into his eyes loving