Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-08-10
THE EMPRESS OF MOROCCO.
A Strange but True story-Romantic
Episode.
From the New Orleans Time.

Episode.
From the New Orleans Times.
Of all social conversational enjoyment
with which we have ever been delighted
we class that Of a revered but departed
Scotch lady, for several years resident of
this city, one who ut the age of 70 inter-
ested both young and old. She had seen
and conversed many times with the i'm
mortal author of the Waverley novels; had
been in his presence when the literary
world WAS on the qui UiUe to find out their
author. She entranced Ms by her verbal
pictures of the Braes of Yarrow, the pleas
ure grounds of Kerfeld woods of KaiIzie,
Mont Benger, Denholm Dell, and hun
bred other places.
The following narrative we believe is
truth. The subject of the tale is ''Katrine, I"
the daughter of plain, honest man, who
had charge of the grounds of Glenormis-
ton, around which the silvery Tweed, over
its bed of white pebbles, curves in the
form of the letter S. There he and his an
cestors had lived fer years, raising their
families honestly, comfortably, religiously
We feel respect for the laboring classes of
Scotland, above that of any other peasant
ry. We feel that if there is land on earth
where love is pure, unadulterated senti-
or rank, 1T is the land of Burns, and we
read his "Cotter's Saturday Night" with
ever glowing pleasure.
Obedience to parents is still taught there
with the same impressive solemnity as I'M
der the Mosaic dispensation, and idleness
and the extremes of fashion are not, as
here, considered the acme of happiness
Daughters assist mothers, and from gen
Grafton to generation preserve their SIM
phcity of habits. Katrine was remarkable
for her beauty, and her delicacy of figure
had exempted her from the hard labor of
most girls of her class. There are some
natures so poetic that under any circum-
stances they cannot be materialized, and
thus it was with Katrine. Along the banks
and braes of the Tweed she often strolled
gazing upon its encincturing heights, ad-
miring its villages, orchards, mansions and
its antiquities where "boil Tweed's eddy
ing currents.
q So many charms by nature and by art
Do there combine to captivate the heart
that her love for them became irresistible,
and her fancy, like "the silvery current
flows with uncontrolled meanderings." A
soldier, but just home from the war, there
saw Katrine, and often essayed to join her
in her strolls and participate in her fancies
This her father observed, and with the
sternness of a Covenanter forbade the
promenades Obedience for a time was
observed, but at length her habit was re-
sumed The soldier had become the
ardent, fascinating lover. An interview
was observed by the father and punished
with the utmost severity. Even the rod
was substituted for persuasion and reason.
To the nature of Katrine this was insup-
portable. She Immediately took service
with all Edinburgh family who had passed
the summer in this romantic count ".
prom her lover to meet him in New
York, and IN some Fnou ain land of Amer
lea find home to be gilded by tnei love.
Doing everything clanaestinely, none
but the most fearful results would follow.
Oh it is insanity for any young woman
from palace or cot to go forth secretly from
her parents, the guardians whom her Crea-
tor has given her, and inspired with a love
stronger and more tender than any other
human emotion. Though parents NAV be
unwise, severe, penurious, young women
can never safely act in opposition to them,
If they are not absolutely vicious. From
Amy Roberts to girls OF the period" the
rule is nviolable-elopemen ts, secret mar
rlages, clandestine correspondence, end
in disgrace and ruin An honorable true
lover can stand the test of parental viei-
lance, can brave obstinate opposition.
In small privateer-for these events &C.
CURED during o war-Katrine wildly en-
barked, with a heart buoyant with love and
the hope of meeting her lover. But ere
they reached the Azores they were seized
by an Algerine corsair, and carried to AT
RIGA. Terrible was the agony and remorse
OF poor Katrine In ,isobeying her earthly
parents she had neutralized her trust and
confidence in her Heavenly Father. Men
may be bold, defiant infdels-may be be-
stalled by their vices and perhaps some
women are; but the young girl, religiously
educaTed, even by humble, ignorant pa
rents, can never be happy when she has
violated the simple claims of duty-when
her soul is stained by deception and
falsehood. grief insupportable swelled
the heart of poor Katrine. Thoughts OF her
home. of her loving mother, of that moth
er's distress, made her almost frantic: but
she was on boundless ocean, far from a
mother 81 love = from all human sympathy:
that ocean was but type of the boundless
ocean of vice, and desoiation, and misery.
upon which every woman emharks who
leaves in disobedieuce her parents. He
who hath promised long life to those who
honor father and mother, has also threat
ened disrespect to them with awful punish
ment.
If the Bible be Gods word, we cannot
evade its iniunctions with IMMUNITY, if the
whole world Is against them
When they arrived at Morocco, the cap
tive of peerless beauty was brought before
the Emperor. For months she entertained
the hope Of escape or rescue, but that be
coming impossible she determined TO Sc
cure power in that sarni-barbarons court
and she WAS raised to the dignity of en-
press She received not only the homage
Of her half-civilized subjects. bit many
Europeans paid court to the beautiful
Christian empress of Morocco.
She evinced her penitence by Offering
her father and brother positions of power
and money. bat the pardon of the honest
Scotcbman was rot 10 be bought with gold.
Her mother, from whom she had inherited
her dehcacy, had died heartbroken, ere
intelligence of her wandering hut darling
daughter had been received To Katrine
even her throne was but the monument of
her ingratitude and cruelty in thus leaving
her mother. Her child, a son OF great
beauty, prince Of extraordinary talent,
she had educated by European masters.
and she looked tor~ ard to his greatness, to
his power for good over his ma
ton, as the solace of all the griefs of her
eventful life. Jealous Of her power over
the Emperor, jealousy of the Europeans,
by whom she was surrounded, caused her
subjects to hate her and hate her son. A
horrible massacre Of Europeans was plan
ned and executed. In her presence they
murdered her son ~ they threw her into
prison, and after offering her every insult
imaginable, they murdered her also.
So ends the story of Katrine, the DISC
bedient daughter. May its lesson sink
deep into the hearts OF the rising genera
hen.
Ready Made Gas.
There are many towns in the United
- IN L III, L.