The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-08-12
A Sad Tale of Zeal Life.

few days in the Superior Court of this
city, covers heart history of the most
fascinating attraction to the imagination,
and, in giving some of the details of this
striking episode, it may be stated that
they are most substantially true, and may
be relied on rs drawn from tho best au-
thority.
In the year 1850, there lived in fair
and smiling Swiss valley an interesting
family of wealth and culture named
Junod. A few miles from the City of
Neufchated, where the romantic river
Sevon makes it's embouchure with the
beautiful lake, stood a chateau embower-
ed in trees and possessing ali the attrac-
tions that art and nature could contribute
to mako an enchanting home. Mons. Ju-
nod found his sole pride and happiness in
a lovely daughter, who had just shot up
to superb womanhood, that made her
the most admired belle OF that portion of
the Canton. The father, % man of stern,
solitary nature. the descendant of long
line Of seigneural proprietors, who had
exercised the rights Of lordship over all
the beautiful vineyards that bloomed be-
meath them, though somewhat fallen from
tho state of his forefathers, still nourished
the feelings of ancestral pride which had
always been characteristic of his race.
In the lovely Lucie, his daughter, his
nature found free expression Of the deep
emotions of fatherly tenderness. Living
in daily communion with the most sublime
and picturesque revelations of Nature,
the lofty heig ghts of the Jura, that lifted
their frowning brows into the clouds, the
the wilderness of vines, rich with fruit
and blossoms, the waving grain fields, and
the sparkling waters of Lake Neufchatel,
set like gem in the hoary hills, the
young girl had grown up, absorbing tho
influences of Nature in her development,
till she stood the fairest exhibition OF ali
that Nature had done.
Thus reared in all the Genderest influ-
encos of Nature and affection, with every
grace of culture and accomplishment that
lavish wealth could lend, what wonder
that troops of suitors frequentcd the
chateau. Many, fitted by family and
wealth TO aspire to her hand, vainly
offered the tribute of affection. The III
dy's heart was untouched ;and the fathers
love and pride in the only scion of his
house dictated to his ambition choice
far above any that had yet sued at the
feet of his daughter.
But the heart that failed to yield to ad-
dresses from an cqHal rank and station
wasted itself, as it net rarely docs, on
what was beneath it. In some Of the
merry. malsngs, peculiar to the wine
bearing districts, in which, by the time
honor cd requirements of tradion, all ranks
meet together in n common Jubilee, Mile
Lucie met with young man named Gus
tave Flotrou, of person handsome and at
tractive, and by trade matchmaker.
The abncgation of everything like social
distinction enabled Flotrou to approach
the lady with familiarity to which he
would otherwise never hnve presumed.
The vagarics of Cupid illustrated them
selves in the mutual impressions they
made on each other, in very remarka-
bic degree. The lady forgot her rank,
her pride. the expectations which her
do,ing father had formed for hor future,
and fell blindly in love with the humble
matchmaker. Hc, fattered by the prefer
ence, dazzlcd by her beauty, and, not i'm
probably still more strongly attracted by
her fortune, ardently reciprocated.
The first meeting was followed BY
many others, of course clandestine in
their nature. Her inhamed fancy, united
to the innocent experience of girlhood,
gave him every opportunity to press his
suit, and he became her accepted lover.
The father still supposed that his daugh-
ter's heart was of virgin freshness, know
ing no love but the pure and lovely affec-
tion of daughter to her father. The
day of awakening came at last, and his
wrath and agony of spirit, wounded both
in its pride and its love, can be better i'm
agined than expressed. The daughter
was fobidden, under the severest threats,
again to see the audacious uspirant, who
had thus smitten the family peace. The
conflict between love and duty ended as
such warfares commonly result-Cupid
carried tho day. The lady's determine
tion was, perhaps, stimulated by another
condition of the imbroglio which has not
vet been mentioned. She was possessed
of fortune of $4,000 in her own right,
which made her comparatively indepen-
dent of those elements of choice which
would perhaps otherwise have influenced
her decision.
To condense long story. she one night
made moonlight fitting with her devo-
ted swain, and ere twelve hours had olaps'
ed the twain became one. To avoid the
unpleasant circumstances of living in
country where oil the facts were known,
and where she might any time meet her
offended father, the couple determined to
come to the land of freedom, where money
is tho principal condition of esteem and
respect. Nine years have elapsed, and
what a change has come over the spirit
of her dream! The man for whom she