The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1868-12-08

During the early years oe the first and
most brilliant success of the French Re
public "a period when society in France
was in a general ferment, and ranks were
qualized-Claude Melnette, the son OF a
gardner, lived with his widowed mother,
in a small cottage, in the ncighborhood
of Lyons.
In shat picturesque city lived Pauline
Deschappelles, the only daughter and
heiress Of wealthy merchant She was
endowed with so much beauty and so
many accomplishments, that everybody,
old, young, rich, and poor, paid homage
to her Among her admirers there was no
one that entertained such ardent feelings
for her as Claude Melnotte, During the
lifetime of his father he had worked in the
garden of Mons. Deschappelles, and while
tending the flowers, had seen Pauline
He saw her a spirit Of bloom and joy,
and freshness the passionate feelings OF
man entered the breast Of the wild dream
ing boy, and from that hour he grew
what to the last he washer adorer. This
love, vain and frantic as it seemed, became
to him the fountain ofambition and bright
hopes. He thought of the tales he had
heard gossips tell by the winter hearth
how maidens sprung from kings had
stopped from their high sphere; how love,
like death, levels all ranks, and lays the
shepherd crook beside the sceptre. With
the high placed love, his restless and bril-
liant hopes, he made his home in the soft
Palace of a fair future. His father died,
and he became his own master, where
upon he thought to raise himself above
his low condition Pauline's bright i'm
age glassed in his very soul, lured him on
to those inspiring tolls by which man
masters man. He grew midnight stu
dent over the dreams of sages; he sought
to borrow from every grace, and every
muse the attributes which lend ideal
charms to love. lie thought OF Pauline,
and passion taught him poetry The thought
of her, and the life beauty grew on the
canvas of the painter. His companions
called him Northumberland he needed not
but still toiled on--hoped on; 1t was
sweet, if not to win, to feel more worthy
of the dear object of his exalted passion.
At last, in q mad hour he sent q tribute
of song to Paulne-some verses which
he had written Of the idol of hir hcart,to
show what bright things it had created
Instead Of feeling proud Of the present,
Pauline scorned it--though there was not
line that scrf might not have written
to an empress; the letter was tossed into
the mire by the hackey, who swore that
his lady and her mother never were more
insulted, and Claude's messenger. Gaspar
was driven from the house with blows.
From that hour the love Of Claude
Melnotte turned to wrath--almost resern
bling hatred. But he was not the only
one who had been made miserable. Mon
sieur Beauseant, a rich gentleman, whose
family had been ennobled before the rev
olution, had been refused by her for nc
other reason than, as he believed, she
would marry q commoner.- His irlenf
CLAWS, was also a rejected suitor Of hers
and CLAWS was vain enough to think tina
he had been refused for the same reason
These two friends, in a perfect frenzy
Of modification and rage, and TO console
themselves in their heartache, were pro
cccding TO spend day or two at Beau
scants when they stopped to bait Thu
horses and rest an hour at the Colder
Lion. a village inn, a few leagues from
Lyons =,
They were standing on the lawn witt
the landlord and his daughter lookinl
over the bill Of fare, when they hear
shouts without Of " Long live theprince
long live the prince"
"Srhe princes Y said Beauseaut, in sur
prise, to the landlord. what prince !
ihau2 thought we had no prince Y
France lIIgNg % Eyl4L JH =.
"Thc lads, sir" said the landlor
laughing, I" always call him prince He
the pride Of tho village, Claude Mslnott'
the SON Of I'D Melnottc the GARDENER
'"And why do they call him prince
inquired Beauseant, uy ,alio ia.ar ~