Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-10-12
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
TRR uI,SIyG LETTER.

the Broadway House at N; the surf
rolling mp to our very feet, the moon
making bright pathway across the wa
tiers, and the cool evening breeze play
ing upOn our brOws; so delicious after
the intense heat of the August day.
Phil had lust arrived that afternoon,
and nv heart had warmed afresh to the
companion of old days Phil had been
a great traveller since those days-had
seen all that was worth seeing in the
old world and the new: had been the
foreign correspondent some of our
leading journals, and had sketched his
experience in a style peculiarly his
own, borrowing neither from the flip
pant wltticism of one class of writer's,
nor the solemn owl-like wisdom of 9th
ers. Weary and worn, he had thrown
away the pilgrims staff for a brief
season, and had accepted an office in
the pOstOffice department in Washing
tOn--in fact, his business lay in the
dead letter office.
His quick and active mind caught, at
once, the Deficiencies of the system,
and he labOred for a whole year 20 for
ward plan to remedy them. In this
time, very serious incidents came TO his
knowledge, In which individuals had
And on this night he found a ready lis
tener to a story which had excited his
sympathy, and which he had traced,
step by step, until iffinale. AS near
as / can recOllect them, / shall give
them in his own words; although my
readers may suffer a loss in the absence
of Pills deep, impassiOned tones, and
the elOquence, not only of his voice.
but Of the great brown eyes, which,
even by moonlight, spoke to me of ear
nest, intense feeling. -..+
about the year 1916, family, nam
ed L'Estrange, removed from Canada
to New YORK, and took up their abode
In a street of somewhat aristGcratic
pretension. The father. as you may
guess by the name, was of French orr
gin. The mother was an Englishwoman.
Both were imbued with pride of ances-
try, and no less with natural pride. The
very name of an American produced IN
them feelings of disgust and made it.
self Extensively visible to every person
that knew them. Gradually, the friend
~ hospitality which orr people so gen
orally extended to strangers was chill
ed and weakened by the presumption
and arrogance of these foreigners, and
they were thrown back on themselves
for society
''ro one member of the household.
however, 1T was impossible to feel re-
pugnance. Marie L'Estrange was as
good as she was beautiful She was the
only child of her parents, partaking of
none OF their arrogance, but, like
sweet wild flower as she was, giving
out the perfume and richness of her
nature to all around her. Marie was
barely eighteen when her parents set
tied In New York. With the cOnfidiro
nature of youth, she soon gave her best
affections to one who had eagerly
sought them. John Holland was the
son of New York merchants man
who, from small beginnings, was now
uPpermOst in his circle. He had train
ed his son In his own business. and an
other year was to see Johns name
figuring as a partner In the long stand
standing firm of Holland & Co. ~
''He had met Marie L'Estranee at
the house of friend, and was struck
with her unaffected simplicity of man.
ner, as different TO the idea he had
formed of the French frivoLty and
mannerism he had known in others.
"Ihe feeling OF attraction was mn
tual. Marie shared none of her faith
er's prejudice AGAINST the Americans.
and her heart was at once surrendered,
without reservation. The hardest thing
TO do, was for John Holland to ask the
proud FFenchman for his daughter;but
1t must be done. He had an intnitive
knowledge of the prejudice of LES
TRANCE; but Marie was richly worth ask
ing for, and feeling that, after all, he
was really the equal of her father, in
birth, blood and breeding, he boldly
came up to the mark and demanded the
hand OF his daughter.
Have you ever seen Fre1chman,
Karl, when his Inordinate self.conse-
quenee has been brought down, his
self-loye wounded, and his superiority
ignored He Is not lion or tiger,
attacked IN his den, and nobly resent
ing MS injuries; nor even generous
house-dog, barking ont his indiRn -tion |
at what his instinct recognizes as an
Insult. $50
"He is only monkey, whose witless
and impotent rage spends itself in
grlmaces, ludicrOus and ugly. exciting
only miFth and contempt In the be-
holder. Earnest as Holland felt In his
purposes he could but experience some
of this feeling of contempt, when L.. |
Estrange, absolutely frothing at the
month, pronounced a broken execra- |
ton upon Yankee iBsolence, and order
ed him ont of the house.
Holland went away; bat, in his heart
of hearts, he Registered an oath that.
Providence permitting, be would make |
- Marie his wife, despite her fathers op-
position. se -
1T boots not now, Karl, TO tell how
he composed his purpose. Tits enough
TO say that one wet, rainy morning |
= when allin the house supposed Marie
=: stm sleeping, there was a wedding in
church not far of, with only two wit
nesses to the ceremony, and Marie
L'Esirange was the bride.
"Iransplanted into the household of
the Hollands, the brides life flowed on
hike some calm, still river, unruffied by
rude winds. Peace was the natural ele-
sent there-not the dull, stapnant
Lethe, but the sweet waters of content. |
ment that true love brings its votaries
sMrs. Holland had SO loneed for |
daughter all through her married life.
and now she was experiencing a delight |
unknown before. Johns wifel Not
even daughter could, she thought, be |
: 4 alt-as: ,deareas this new relation.
III cEzrse, L'Estrange WIS furioais |
:; He haunted the square where the Hol- |
lands lived, and swOre he would have
his daughter again, dead or alive. even
- -