The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-25

A TOUCHING RoMANCE-About three years
ago one of the vessels that plies between this
city and Cuba, carrying to that tropical cline,
lumber and returning laden with sweets
brought to this city little Flemish orphan
boy who had been deprived of all his relatives
by cholera in that beautiful isle of the sea-
The boy story was most touching one. His
father had been Colonel of Lancers in the
Flemish army and had married beautiful
French girl who was entirely alone in the
world with the exception of one relation, she
being the daughter of French officer, who
had died fighting in Algiers and in conse-
quence of her fathers services she had been
placed in . well-known convent near Paris
where the orphan children OF brave officers re-
ceive splendid education at their country's
expense On visit to Paris the young Lancer
had seen the beautiful French girl while walk
ing on the Boulevards with her school mates
in solemn procession, and with the impetuosi-
ty of a soldier had succeeded in obtaining from
her an avowal of love after many secret inter
views and much pertinacity. An elopement
was the result and wedding. The only rela-
tives of either were the aged father and mother
of the husband, who deceased shortly after the
marriage. and the one relative of the bride who
resided on a plantation in Cuba and was a
bachelor from whom nothing had been heard
since he was young man. This boy and d
younger brother and sister were the fruit of
this marriage and when the boy was about
twelve years old his father was killed in duel
and the widow, with her little family, sailed for
the Antilles, hoping to find her uncle still
alive. By great good chance it happened that
he was not only alive but glad to see them,
made them comfortable and surrounded them
with every luxury. Then came that fearful
scourge, the cholera, which swept off hundreds
in the vicinity and the boy saw mother, sister,
brother, and uncle all pass to the silent tomb
The uncle's affairs proved to be so involved
that nothing could be saved for the boy and a
kind hearted American captain took him on
board his vessel, along with French poodle
dog that had belonged to the family, and
brought him to Portland. And it is here the
most touching part of our story begins. This
poodle dog had been the playmate of the child
since infancy and was the only memeuto re.
naming to him of his family SO dearly beloved
by him. After the vessel reached Portland the
captain offered to take the boy and make
sailor Of him, for he had become very fond O
him on account, not only of his sad history, but
his loyeable disposition. The boy accepted the
offer, but could not bear to part with his dog
At last kind family at the west end of the
city agreed to keep the dog for him, and the boy
started on bis voyage after q parting with the
animal that was most affecting For several
d avs the dog cried and refused IN aaf and tho
boy on ship wept and mourned. On his re-
turn, as soon as his foot touched shore he rush.
ed to see his dog and the meeting between boy
and animal was touching in the extreme, and
to this day regular as the other sailor boys
rush to meet their wives, sweethearts, OF
mothers on their return from a voyage does
this young Flemish lad rush to meet his dog
whom he loads with kisses and holds in bis
arms for an hour at least before he can bear t.
free it from his embraced