New Orleans Republican., 1868-12-12
For the Republican,
LA BELLE MARIE (:
Or
THE PRIMA DONNA Of THE FRENCH OPERA,
A Tale of New Orleans.
BY ONEIDA.

There is something very captivating to
the fancy in quaint, old fashioned places
and things-new places, new things lock so
smart, so pretending in their show, so in
unison with every day life around us that
we turn from them with scarcely an obser.
walton, or perhaps with disgust, while an
| old fashioned house or a quaint looking
person riVets our attention, and excite our
interest. Perhaps few places of the South
possess this attraction to the extent that
the lower part of our city does. A stranger
walking through this portion of our city is
surprised at the number of low roofs, small
windows, filed with little long glasses,
opening back from the centre to either side,
and closed in by solid plank shutters and
doors exactly similar to the windows, and
is little prepared for the elegance of the in
terror and the pretty, lively, intelligent Gre
ole girls who make the quaint old house
ring with their songs, jests and merry
laughter. 1t is to dark stone structure,
more massive, more capacious in its apart
ments than these, yet equally ancient and
quaint-looking in its structure, that we
would take our readers. a bonse which in
looking upon.- 6lls the bohoIdor 1gitb .
vague feeling of mystery, and desire to
know something of its occupants, whom he
feels sure are as old az the borso II ha5
been grand old bouse bpt its orondorr
had lonp since daner,ed and o,.orrtLi,,a.
about IL smoke of ace and dooov ovoa1t
bright bannv child uboso ri,r,;,,. -,
made the emntv rooms ecbo uith tho go,
sound. and caused Won to halt in vour star.
and wonder how anvtbing so rontbs., -
iovous in tome could come sron, .toaa
dark.lookipg walls where evervth,na -, ~
seemed so dead o
Her clear bird.like notes csro,oa .1uou.A
the house half tbe dov and 80 ,Sser
of mockipgbird SINGING in a grovev.rd A
Old Grevot. the chiId,s father n,,Gb. Ta,a
been taken nv a cssuoI ohsor,ar 81. -
fessional nall. .bearer 90 bobi,roI1, No. ~,
angular shoulders bant for,vorS and ~.
eaunt arms crossed pnon bis snnLan hrooat
Since the dav that daath folaad ~. sols,. 1tI..
wings about his Marie chiIled the ,;ra
blood in her veins and laid hor go e.n.s M
his side in the Asrr aorth ~. 80 80"
gradually sbrank awsv HE a.ns. SSS "S
crossed upon bis breast and h;a haaa 10
bent as if his whole being were sseEina .,,s, ,ha
grave by her side-but while ,his ne ~ ~.
habitual frame. the hard ouicI stan .als -
that the impetuosity and Test of The FrenchI 'c
man yet stirredhis soul If the roirtb and a.,
were gone. Upon the earth tblre I,vod ~
who could unfold the arms and ;nsn;r,t ~, ~
black ewes until they flasbed hacl- H. ,,os. ~,
of olden days and IN snch moments ant 9ha
gaunt form would raise almost 60, -.his
being was his Ioplv chilli M.r,a'
a little minatnre ~ .bo ono ,-,rH
in the eravevara closa ~. a.. -J-e
moments when bis art ooriS r1d-e ." VIZ A,so n,'
soul to the glowing warmth os o,ha. 49,, a. -
but these were rare interval. 80 ' >
Charles Grevot hsd hsan ,,,,....,
fsssor ~ ,ha a.. 80 80 osea uius'oAi pro-
mns,col srta-.a,.s 80 sassa, Anu Nv concert or
comnleta w,,nen. h,s.A nHs ieSaluea as
life nasses from M, -. ..s", SIs = .ne l,sn' ol
contact with m r,.,,, ~ 49, ~ sui@hh uoa
regular engagement EN- ws,,' @na enserea ,u'o q
one-a ss y,o,,a,s. ".,n tue french
nj outer nnslcaI oria j, .s ana p,snessra' ana