The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-19


entertaining ACROSS the table. but the latter looked
quite crest-fsllen and hardly raised his eyes from
his plate. When we retired TO the drawing room
matters went little better. The tame gazelle
was brought in for Msdemoiselle Marie to see,
and whilst the general and the commandant had q
long discussion on military affairs. the rest Of
us sporttd with the pretty creature and made
pleasant plane for the morrow. Then an amusing
game Of cards was set on foot, over which we
were growing very merry, when up came the
general and the commandsnt.
"Eh, bien !" said the general, slyly nudging the
cspitsine. I'VE have not been 50 engrossed Dat
we heard one or two pleasant things talked OF.
Upon my word cspitaine am half disposed not
to go to Mascara till after your picnic to the
waterfalls"
'You win do my poor little fete great honor,
mon general" answered the capitaine, adding
DaIvely, but think that the wild geese flying
u rthwaTds mean rain.n
mot bit of it, We shall have no rain till
fortnight after Christmas. MademOiseie Marie,
shal' do myself the honor of Offering you one OF
my horses to ride"
"a Mademoiselle has already condescended TO
accept nine" the eaptaDe put 10 with stiffness.
"Mademoiselle Marie, this gentleman has no
horse fit TO carry lady. The brute he offers you
has no more mouth than elephant. Keep on
tue safe side and ride mine, which is lamb,
assure you. mademosee-s lamb
The getersl spoke in jest. but the capitane was
very near losing bis temper. Mary being thus
appealed TO thought to extricate herself from the
difficulty by declaring herself half afraid OF riding
either horse, being an inexperienced horsewoman.
Bot both the gentlemen had mules, and both the
gtntlemen's mules were the best. Poor Mary
cOlored and looked at ne in despair.
81 Think said, that the safest plan will be
for my sister to try the horses, and see which
suits her the bestp
Then the different routes 10 the waterfalls were
discussed, and the different Dousrs or Arabs viii
lagos where It would be best TO have Di6a or
+ east provided, Msry's judgment being asked 10
every instance. Ali this time the lieutenant had
turned over the leaves Of newspaper very
meekly, and the c0mmandant had caressed his
tame gsZelle. AS soon a. she could politely free
herself, Mary went up to him.
" How pretty and playful and fond IL is" she
said STORING down TO stroke the little creature.
The grave face of the eOmmandant frightened.
Yes it would be very tTiSt6 here without the
little thing"
"Do you never 90 to France, monsieur?"
q" / shall, perhaps, so in two years time, but
you see, mademOiselle, that is long time to look
forward to, and il my mother should not be living
/ might as well stay here"
DO you like fighting the Arabs in the desert,
then, mOnsieur?"
Mademoisele when once taken MP the pro.
fessOn of arms, fighting and exile are chooses en-
tendttes often sigh Tor a settled domestic life,
but might have been worse off, | might have
gone 10 Mexico, for instance"
The commandments manner was so simple, so
many, and so tinged with sadness, that think any
woman would have sympathized with him as much
rs ny little sister Mary did. She, poor child
having lived all her life in a school room, was
quite ready to make hero OF any man who
smiled kindly upon her; and here were four
heroes, IN handsome uniforms, ali smiling upon
her at once! here was the sweet sense of youth
drawing her TO the lieutenant, but think the COM
sIdsnt stood next in her favor, aud she could
not for moment forget the courteous Kindness of
| the other two.
III must be all q dream, Tom" she said, as she
gave me her goodnight kiss; but oh If 1t Is
dream, don't let me wake yet"
We dreamed some wonderful things in the next
| few days. Dominique made Us get up one morn
ing very early, and drove us in his little wooden
gig TO an Arab encampment miles away in the
| Desert. Ii was dawn when we started, and large,
pale stars shining II a violet shy; then, like
| gorgeous butterfly emery from a dusky chry.
sans, came The Eastern day, and we felt as II
living on a world warmed by hundred suns. The
warm, intoxicating light took possession of our
| senses, and so sweet, so fairfield, SO hides
cribably delicious was the air, that il seemed
| 10 give wings TO our dull bodies. Every
! now and then We were Overtaken by clouds
of locusis, their little wings glistening like da-
nOIds against the soft sky, OF locks II atarlings
osTkeDed the air, or serried line Of wild geese
passed msjesticaly overhead. Then we came TO
the tents, and at our approach dozen dogs
rushed out 10 snap and snarl, and hundred little
naked children scampered and scnttled across the
| way. A stately Bedouin made Us welcome, and
| whilst Dominique transacted business with him,
his women gathered round us, ehattering aud
| grinning like children. Then we were Toasted
| upon cous-coussou and figs, and took leave after
msDy salamsleks.
Apother day we went out hunting gazeles, biv-
! ouaoking along river side, and teasting, Arab
| fashion, of sheep roasted whole. Dominique had
| found a pretty little French girl daughter Of a
! travelling fsrrier, to act as Marys handmade, and
she now felt less isolated among so many men,
| and less shy too. The poor child stood fair
chance of being spoiled, what with suddenly find.
| ing herself transformed from a schoo-room Gin
defella to fairy.ts princess, and having four
lovers all heroes, at once. For 1t was impossible
| 10 DENY that the general, the commandment the
capitane, and the lieutenant, all behaved like
lovers presenting her with jacksl skins, ostriches
| plumes and eggs. and other treasures of the
sahara. The general went so far as to give her a
little negro boy about ten years old, though this
gift we had accepted only temporarily, not quite
| knowing what 10 do with him when we left
| Ieschoun.
Christmas day came at last. Mary had artfully
evaded the delicate point about horses. by declar
| ing herself afraid of every ones beast but DOmi.
niQues; accordingly, mounted on Dominique ugly
| hack, she led the way with the general, her long
bright hair flowing in curs over her shoulders, her
! cheeks glowing with excitement. The pleasure
| aud picluresqueness of the last few dsys-for
| Mary had en- artistic perception of beanty-had
brought out a new side TO her character, aud she
quite surprised me from time to time with her
| ssncy humor and quick repartee.
We made brilliant cavalcade, what with the
| UNIFORM OF lne OlnceTs hnu .IlCuly eHOIOlu-
| cred saddles and bright red burnsnses of our at
tendsnt spshis. After riding for some miles across
| a monotonous tract Of stony desert, we came to
q majestic sierra of crag, down which fell dozen
| waterfalls narrow and bright as sword blades. A
thin little stream threaded the ravine, and on its
| banks grew clumps of the tamsrisk, the oleander,
| and the thuya, making an oasis grateful to the
| eyes. Here we sat down and ate our Christmas
| breakfast, with stray thoughts of village bells
Ginning at home id England, and school children
| Justify singing their Christmas hymns.
Our host, the capitaine, had provided sump-
| tuous feast of desert fare, roast quails and
| plovers cOus-cOus-sou, figs, dates, and bananas,
| with the addition of champagne, and we were
| very happy.
Mademoiselle," said the cspitaine, "think
| what our next Christmas will be if you are not
! here. Persuade monsieur. your brother, TO pur-
| chase some land between Mascara and TeschOun,
so that we shall not lose sight of you alto
ge'her."
The general nudged the conimandant.
"You see what our friend the capitaine is
| dreaming Of Mon cspitsine, your escadron is
sure to be sent into the interior this spring; put
| all romauces out of your head, my dear fellow,
ard do not entice monsieur into the committal of