The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-19
e sense of corporeity in their

stars were coming out one Oy one, we tOun0 our
selves near home; and when the heavens had
turned 10 blueish black and the stars to splendid
silyery moons, we passed under the gate of Tes-.
ehoun and saw our shadows. darker and deeper
than real things, fall across the white walls Of
mosque and fortress. For shadow and substance
lose their identity in the desert, and one is always
on the point OF installing the one for the other; If
ANYTHING, shadow is the more real of the two.
So absorbed was ! in the suggestions Of this
mysterious beauty, that had forgotten all about
my sisters lovers, till fairly in our little
sittng-room. Then Mary began TO sigh aud to
blush, and TO hint that she thought we had better
| leave Teschoun very soon.
'You see. Tom dear" she said with tears in her
eyes, 1.-The general says he adores me, and the CON-
nandant says he never loved any one in the world
MI he saw me, and the capitaine says that If go
| 20 dO!r
land the lieutenant-what did he sayr,
"He says nothing.n said Mary. looking down.
"and"-here came a sob" and like him bestof
ALL" rlll -
. But if he does not declare the same liking for
| you, we must leave him out of the question and
| close between the other three, suppose"
| "He does not speak, because he il too
modest; I'm sure he likes me, Mary added, still
| ready to cry.
His stale of feeling does not help US much I'M
| less expressed" | replied ''meantime, what am
| 10 say TO the general tine commandant, and the
c5pitaine, If they ask to marry your
The. little thing plucked at the folds Of her
/ riding skirt in the greatest perplexity. 81 like
| the general, and I like the cOmmandant, and
| ought not TO dislike the capitaine but cannot
marry one without offending the others, and II 1
were to marry Outhere in the Desert, Tom, would
| you stay toog"
We had been living in such utter fairy.land
lately that l felt as ii it were quite possible for
! NE 10 marry some brown.skinned. softeyed Re-
becca and turn Mahometsn. But in any case
could desire for my sister happier fate than to
marry one of these brave gentlemen, aud live ia
the sunny South all the rest OF her days? She
I'd frarr. fofla f.
ness. and have another protector besides her
| bohemian Of brother.
my dear child" said. aft would be impos-
sible for me TO say that our lives should be spent
together, but you may be quite sure that nothing
would utterly divide them. The chief point is
| Of 81 your lovers whom do you love?n
To this question could elicit no positive reply.
Mary, in fact, was half in love with the general
and he commandant, aud wholly 10 love with he
lieutenant and was quite incapable OF deciding
| her own fate. aU.i. l 81.
''You must not laugh at me,r she said, simply,
as we bsde each other good night, sit is so new
TO ne 10 have lovers and delightful, that wish
could go on forever, being happy and making
| them happy, without marrying either )" then she
bnshed, and ran off to bed.
The next morning We were taking early
coffee, when We heard clatter of horses feet,
and looking out saw one Of the generals splendid
brown-sknned, redclOaked spahs dashing into
the town at furious rate. He pulled up al Dom
inque's door, and letting his little barb prance
! white teeth and waving letter in one hand.
LETT my breakfast and ran down TO him. We
exchanged 'sslsmaleks," aud then he put the letter
| in my hand, adding m broken French, Z" lie gene
1 rsl-envoyer cels-vs faire la guerre-la bas."
Then he put spurs to his horses TANKS and dashed
away as fast as be had come.
| broke the seal of the generals letter, which
ran as follows:
| "Monsieu-This morning at daybreak / re-
/ ctived Geographic information that serious
rising has taken place among the tribes southwark
| Of FR-gig, and have resolved to march upon
/ them without delay. Judge, monsieur, how more
than sorry am TO be forced to quit the society Of
| your charming sister and yOuself without making
| any adieux, but a soldiers duty forces him from
the contamination of his fondest desires, when
such a contamination seems close at hand; and
go, if not with joy, at least without soldieriy re-
| luctsnce. shall never forget monsieur, this
episode, an oasis in the desert OF my military life.
and whilst wishing for msdemoiselle aud yourself
| all possible prosperity, hope You will remember
| TeschOun and the poor exled officers there, who
| will never think of you both without regret.
II feel it right, under the grave circumstances
Of the revolt TO advise your speedy return to Mas
cara, ard will order trusty escort TO be 10 readi
ness for you, when you shall require 1t.
| Meantime, receive monsieur, the expression
| of my utmost esteem. De MARION"
We were both of us talking over the astounding
| comments Of the generals letter when Napoleon
came in, full of news. The insurgents numbered
| thousands, and there were skirmishing parties
close to Teschoun. Teschoun would be most
! likely besieged, as il had been more than once,
| etc. AS the day wore on the excitement in
creased. Little groups Of French or Jewish shop
| keepers collected together and talked gravely,
Arabs walked about in stately fashion, smiling
superciliously. In the French camp it was the
| olo story on a lesser scale:
| "Apd there mounting in hot haste. the steed,
poS WITH sRf PssS d
And so great was the need for hurry that We
doubted whether we should see either Of our gal
liant hosts again. Late in the Afternoon, however,
the capitaine paid US formal, sentimental Visit,
and after him came the good commandaat. who
| staod up before rs, square and stif and STAN
mered out word or two with tears in his kind
] eyes, Mary held out her little hand, but he
seemed overcome with shyness or sadness, or
both, and rushed away without having taken il.
Last of all, when we had quite given him up,
came the poor lieutenant be had been busy on
hundred errands for his superior officers, and had
| only five minutes to spare. We can never do any
| thing with few last moments, and Mary and the
| lieutenant had not a word TO say Ito each other,
though / could see well enough what both would
| ian have said.
So | quietly left them under the pretext Of
fetching a cigar and when returned at the close
| of the fifth minute. all that was necessary had
| been said. We then embraced each other after
| the hearty French fashion. Mary and the lieut.
enant exchanged rings, aud he went OF to fight
the disaflected Arabs as happy as king
II was fine sight TO see the troops march out
| of Teschoun. Color is really color in the South,
and the lines Of blue Zouayes and crimson Spahis
| against the mellow afternoon sky, were vivid and
picturesque beyond description. On they went
arms flashing. drums beating, colors flying, till
the last column had turned the HILL and then eve
ming came all at once, and we felt dreary
sense Of disenchantment creeping over US. IL
| was as If we had been dreaming during the last
| few weeks and now we were walked indeedi
Dominique recalled us 10 ourselves with q cynical
| smile.
Bah y" he cries. "lt's all play, let sm pretend
| 10 put down instruction as often as they please.
| II is good for trade and promotion. and the Arabs
| know how to defend themselves" But events
falsifed this sarcasm Of Monsieur Dominque's, for
| the Instruction proved TO be serious, aud 1t was
months before we heard Of our lieutenant.
| When we did hear, the news was good and the
news Of him, and Of his English wife-dowered
by our Vittoria Cclonna-has been good ever
| since.
IS There is teiegraphc communication farther south
| than this.
The Herald's Washington correspondent writes:
| "l am informed Senator Stewart, Of Nevada, at q
fashionable restaurant in this city, INDUCED in an