Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-09-09
klisnellanu.
The Faithful Wife.
A TRUE uELpMEEr.

was compelled to stop by long row Of wag-
ons all loaded with vegetables The willy
courtior, generally so dead to emotion, could
not but look with a kind Of pleasure at these
wagons and the little wagoners, who, by the /
by, were young and pretty country women.
Suddenly, as the vehicles came to a stand, the
eyes Of NJ. dc Tallcyrand CHANGED to rest up.
on one Of the young women, who appeared
more lovely and graceful than the others.
: An exclamation escaped from his lips. 1t
attracted the attention Of the fair one whose
country dress and large hat bespoke daily Wis
its TO the market. As she beheld the aston
ished ralleyrand, whom she recognized imme-
diately, she burst out laughing.
What is it your she exclaimed.
"Yos, indeed, it is !. But you--what are
you doing here?'
81, +" said the young woman, am waiting
for my turn to pass on. an going to sell
my greens and vegetables at the market"
At that moment the wagons began to move
on, she of the straw hat applied the whip to
her horse, told NJ de Talleyrand the name Of
the village where she was living, requested
him earnestly to come and see her. and dis
appeared, leaving him as ifriyetod TO the spot
by this strange apparition.
Who was this young market woman Ma
dame la Comtesse de Ia Tour du Pin, MIA
demoisele de Dillon the most elegant among
the ladies of the Court of Louis XVI, King
Of France and whose moral and intellectual
worth had shono with such dazzling uster in
the society Of her numerous admirers and
friends. At the time when the French No.
bility emigrated, she was young lively, en-
lowed with the most remarkable talents. aud
like the ladies who held rank at the Court
had only time to attend TO such duties as be-
long to her highly fashionable and courtly
life.
Let any one fancy the suffcrings Of that
woman, born in the lap of wealth, and who
had breathed nothing but perfume, under the
gilded ceilings of the Royal Palace Of Yer
sailles, when all at once she found herself sur
rounded with blood and massacres, and saw
every kind of danger besetting her young and
loved husband and infant child.
They succeeded in flying from France. 1t
was their good fortune to escape from the
bloody land where Robespierrc and his asso-
eiates were busy at the work ofdeath. Alas
in those days ofterror the poor children them
selves abandoned the parental roof, for no hid
ing place was secure against the yiglant eyes
Of those monsters who thirsted for innocent
blood.
The fugitives landed in America, and first
went to Boston, where they found retreat.
But what a change for the young, fashionable
and pretty lady, spoiled from infancy by loud |
and continual praises of her beauty
Monsieur de la Tour du Pin was extraya. /
gantly fond Of his wife. AT the Court off
France he had seen her, with the proud eye
Of husband, the object of general admira-
ton. Indeed, her conduct had always been
yirtuous and exemplary; but now, in foreign /
land, and among unsophisticatod republicans,
Q793,) what was the use of courtly refine
ments?
Happy as he was in seeing her escape from
all the peris he had dreaded on her own ac-
count, still he could not but deplore the future
lot of the wife of his bosom However, with |
the prudent foresight of good father and |
kind husband, he ncrved himself against dos- |
pair, and exerted himself to render their con-
dition less miserable than that of many emil |
grants, who were starving when the little
money they brought over with them had been
exhausted. Not word of English did he
know, but his wife spoke it Guently, and adj
mirably we'll
They boarded at Mrs Nluler's good ma
tured, notable woman, who, on every occasion,
showed the greatest respect and admiration
for her fair boarder Yet NJ. de la Tour du
Pin was in constant dread lest the CONVERSE
ton of that good, plain and well meaning
woman might be the cause of great ennui to
his lady What contrast with the society
of such gentlemen as NJ. de Norbonne NJ de
Ialleyrand, and the high minded aud polished
nobility Of France Whenever thinking of
the transaction, particularly when absent
from his wife and tiling the garden of the
cottage they were going to inhabit) he felt |
such pangs and heart throbbings as to make |
him apprehensve, on his return to Mrs Null |
ler's to meet the looks of his beloved wife, |
whom he expected to see bathed in tears. |
Meanwhile the good hostess would give him /
hearty shake of the hand, and would repeat
to him, Happy husband Happy husband -
At last came the day when the fugitive
family left the boarding house of Mrs. Null
Ter, to 90 and inhabt their little cottage.
where they were to be at least exempt from
want, with an only servant, negro-a kind
of Jack-of-all-trades viz gardener, footman
and cook--the last function NJ. de la Tour du
Pin dreaded most of all to see him UNDER
take
1t was almost dinner time. The poor emf
grant went into his garden to gather some
fruit, and tarried as long as possible On
his return home his wife was absent Look
ing for her. he entered the kitchen, and saw
young countrywoman, with her back to the
door, kneading dough, her arms Of snowy
whiteness bare to the elbows
NJ de Ia Tour du Pin started, the Young
woman turned around 1t was his beloved
wife, who had exchanged her muslin and silk
for country dress-not as for fancy ball,
but to play the part Of real farmers wife
AT the sight Of her husband, her checks Grim.
soned, and she joined hands in supplicating
manner Oh my love-" said she, don't
laugh at me; ! am as expert as Mrs. Null
lern
Too full Of profound emotion to speak, he
clasped her to his BOSOM aud kissed her fer
yently. From his inquiries, he learned that
when he imagined her given up to despair she
had employed her time more usefully for their
future happiness She had taken lessons
from Mrs Muller and her servants and, after
six months, had become skillful in the culina-
ry art, and thorough neutrality-suspicious.
ering her angelic nature and admirable for
titude.
dearest, continued she, q" II you knew
how easy it is We in moment understand
what costs a country woman sometimes one
or two years. Now We shall be happy you
will no longer be afraid Of eanui for me, nor
doubt my abilities, of which will give you
many proofs" said she, looking with be-
witching smile upon him come, come, you
promised US a salad and am going to bake
for tomorrow the oven is hot To-day the
bread of town will debut, oh, hencelorward
leave it to me-"
From that moment Madame dc la Tour du
Pin kept her word. She insisted ON going
herself TO Boston to sell her vegetables and
cream cheeses II was ON such an errand
that NJ. de Talleyrand met her. The day
after he paid her visit and found her in the