Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-12-10
The eStorp Teller.
lfnoM THE GERMAN OF nfrsRIon zsGiIoxKKl
THE BROKEN MUG,

known 1n Provence. 1t is surrounded h,
4 LOFTY palm trees and dark orange groves bui
to THIS 1t does not owe its celebrity. 1t
SAID that the most juicy grapes, the swee.es
roses, and the pretliest girls in the worl,
q grow there. | cannot speak from exneri
ence; but l believe II, and can only sav
thai. it is a pity that La Napoule does no
produce greater Quantity Of juicy grapes
D sweet roses, and pretty girls, as in that cas-,
some OF them would certainty have reached
i, us.
As the women of La Napoule have beer
: celebrated for their beauty, ever since tn,
, village was built, little Maliette must have
been the eighth wonder Of the world, for ever
the chronicle makes mention of her. She
was called it is true, "Liltle Mariette; !" ant
yet she was as tall as glrls of seventeen gen
, orally are, that is, her forehead reached ex.
actIy to the lips ofa grown-up man.
Ihe chronicle of La Napoule had good
reasons for mentioning Marielte. In the
chronicles place should have acted in the
, same manner, for Mariettc (who, with her
mother, Manon, had hitherto resided In
Ayignon) when she returned to her native
village, almost turned it upside down, not
exactly the houses, but the heads of the poo-
pie, and especially of those whose heads and
hearts are always in danger when in tho vi
c1nity OF pair of expressive eyes | speak
l
case it is no joke.
Madame Manon would, perhaps, have
done better had she remained in Ayipnon !.
but she had inherited in La Napoule some
land and vineyards together with pretty
house sheltered by rock, and surrounded
by olive trees and African acacias. This
was not to be rejected by poor widow, and
IN her own opinion she was now as rich and
happy as il she were Countess of Provence.
The good people Of La Napoule did not
lare so well on the occasion: but they fore
saw no mischief, aud from never having
read Homer, they We're not aware that a
pretty woman once reused all Greece and
Asia Minor to arms.
Before Marielte had lived fortnight in
The house surrounded by olive trees and Af
rican acacias, every young man in La Ma
poule knew that the most charming girl in
Provence dwelt there.
When, looking like an angel in disguise,
she walked through the village with her
waving petlicoat, pale green bodice, with
b0quet of orange blossoms and rosebuds in
the front Of il, and her lovely face shaded by
her grey hat trimmed with flowers and
streamers ofribbon, then the old became ell
oquent, aud the young became dumb. And
doors and windows were opened one after
another as she passed, in order to say s'Good
morning or Good evening, Mariette |" and
She smiled and nodded right and left.
When Marictte entered the church, all
heats tiat Is the hearts Of the young men)
were turned from heaven, all eyes from the
saints, and fingers became cniangled in the
| rosaty That must have been Il preat offence
to the religious peoples and the youpp
girls OF La Napoulc must have been at that
time especially pious, for they were the
most scandalized on the occasion. And one
can scarcely blame them; for from the time.
OF Mailette's arrival, more than one intended
had grown cool, end more than one lover
faithiess. There were quarrels and re-
proaches--tears and refusals. Instead of
weddings, brosen.oif matches became the
subject of conversation. Pledges of faith.
rings, and ribbons were reciprucally return
ed. The old people took up the quarrels of
| their children, and dissension reigned in
every houss. 1t was lamentabe state of
affairs.
| Marictte Is altogether TO blame, said the
young girls; first their mothers agreed with
them, then their fathers and at last even
the young men We're of the same opinion.
| But Marrettc in her modesty and inno
cencc, like rosebud in lis dark green calix,
little suspecting the mischief she was doing,
continued courteous to all. This first eX
cited the compassion Of the young men, and
they exclaimed" Why should we vex the
sweet harmless child? She is not to blame! /"
The fathers said the same thing, then the
mothers, and at last even the pious young
girls. For no one could converse with Mar.
rieIte without liking her. and before six
months had elapsed, every one had spoken
to her. and every one loved her.
She was now, however, not aware of bow
much she was liked, and before she had been
quite unconscious that any one hated her.
How often the so-oiien-tramplcd:upo vic.
let suspects its value.
The inhabitants ut La Napuule now en-
deavOred TO atone for their injustice, and
Marretlc was greeted everywhere with
smilcs and invited 10 nll their dances and
rural amusements.
But the hearts OF some men, lar from be-
ing endowed with compassionate feelings,
are hardened like that of Pharaoh.
A memorable example OF such hardness
Of heart was young Colin, the richest pro-
prietor and farmer in La Napoule, whose
vineyards, olive gardens, lemon and orange
groves, We're SO extensive, that one could
scarcely walk through them all in one day.
What alone proves the natural hardness of
his heart is this fact-that he had already
attained the age OF seven and twenty, with
out having ever inquired why women were
created
1t is true that many persons Especially
ladies who had arrived at a certain age) con-
sun. His fgure-his unrestrained manner
his look-his smile, had the good fortune
to pleise the alorc- mentioned fair ones But
TIL, decisions of such judges are not always
to be depended upon.
While cd and young had become recon-
ciled to the innocent Marriette, Colin alone
continued 10 icel no compassion for the poor
girl Ii the conversation turned upon Mar.
rietle,, he became silent as the grave. Ii il.
met her on the road, he grew alternately pale
and red with indignation, and cast furious
sidelong looks at her.
When the y1uag people assembled in Il.
evening AT the ruins of the castle, on the SEA
shore, i'll order IT, sing dance or play some
merry game, Colin never failed to make one
OF the party but the moment Mariette ap-
pearcd, the malicious Colin became silent,
and all the money in the world would not
have induced him to sing another note. 1t
was such pity, for his voice was SO sweet
that every one listened to HIM with pleasure
and his songs were inexhaustibe
All the girls liked Colin, and he was civil
to them all lie had roguish look, that
maidens both fear and love and when he
smiled, one would have wished to make him
sit for his portrait. But, naturally, the of
ten insulted Mariette never looked at him,
and therein she was perfectly right. 1t was
u matter of indifference to her whether he
smiled or not; and as to his roguish looks,
she would not even hear of them; and there
again she was right. Ii he related an anec-
dote just when Oll were listening atteniively
she commenced teasing her neighbors; threw
weeds sometimes at Peter, sometimes at
Paul and laughed and chatted, instead of
listening, This vcxed the proud gentleman.
and he generally broke off in the middle of
his story, and walked gloomily away.
Revenge is sweet; and Madame Manon's
daughter might have felt triumphant, but
Marriette was too good and too tender
hearted. When he ceased speaking, she
was greved; if he looked melancholy, her
laugh was lushed; il he withdrew she did
not remain long and, arrived at home, she
wept bitter tears Of repentance.
Father jerome, the priest of La Napoule.
an old man of seventy, had all the virtues
of saint and but one defect; namely, IN
Consequence OF his advanced age he was
very deaf. This defect, however, did not
cause his sermons to be less edifying to his
congregation, and he was always listened to
with attention. 1t is true he had only two
| taytc unnn which ha nrno nbod ;nyar; ,bl,,