The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-09-22


It was to me a sufficiently stupid
evening, that with Madame RoselIus,
Notwithstanding the novelty and beau
ty OF the scene. The house seemed to
nave been turned into vast gTOttO, or
garden OF flowers. The walls had fes-
toons OF roses; panels were intertWined
with scarlet pOmegranates and creamy
aIoes; tables and mantlepieces were
mats Of blossoms; baIusters and
cornices were imbedded in moss
great exotic shrubs, distilling odor.
made avenues and dim recesses very
sweet; and in place OF doors there were
swinging curtains of buds and vines.
The scene was lighted by q soft,
lambent radiance, that seemed to pour
from the hearts of the lilies and
warmer flowers that draped the chande-
iers, and suffused them with their own
tints Of deepest blue, of vivid crimson,
OF changing kind here was one OF
snoW-White luster, and there one of the
purest gold. From its concealed place
among the flowers, faint distant music
perpetuaIlY f1oated down, now and then
bursting out in q sweet, bewildering
cadence of harp-strings, that took the
breath away with pleasure breath
whose air was only living fragrance.
Chatterton was playing that night.
In all the splendOr and charm of the
place-as loom opened into room,
lovely faces fitted by, soft voices muir
mured-I missed one face, one voice
among them; and the ravel for me,
lost its meaning.
The band for the dancing COM
menced. Late in the evening a we'll
known touch was laid upon my arm
my Cousins. Now it is my turn, ,
she said, there are but two WaItzes
before supper, except the German, and
that dance With-yOu know whom y
I took her and we began to whirI
around In the wake Of many, when,
happening to raise my eyes to the
doorway, a sight there sent them
spinning. 1t was the General de
Rochejaquelein in his grand uniform,
with its stars and decoration, with
Jaqueline on his arm. She wore white.
without ornament; not so much as q
sprig of myrtle.
The carnation, though, was on her
cheek, the light of jewels in her eyes.
She stood there like little flame, "a
magnificent hOWer-spirit, with the
blossoms of the doorway's arch hang
ing around her head. a wrathful lit
tie spirit though, be it said, as she sur
Veyed me.
Be you very sure that I seated my
small cousin quickly and had Jaque-
line on my arm.
She is very easy with you! It is
my turn nOw,' L heard her say.
And now it is yours l whispered.
The waltz was divine. It was as if
the hidden orchestra had kept their
best till then; full of the pathOs that
all dance music has when meant to
be most joyous; full, too, of delicious
invOlutiOns, winding in and out till its
raVishing tune seemed tn fill the very
core of the heart, My arm was round
Jaqueline, my head was bent toward
her, I felt her breath, her heart; we
sWsyed to the same music 1t quick
ened and Whirled us at its will; we
were in another world, q wild, and
sweet, and passionate world; and Pm
sure L did not want to come back to
this one. Suddenly, with an impeTious
movement, she stood still.
THAT will do, Monsieur she said.
Thanks I trouble you no more And
before l had recovered my bewiI-
dered vexatiOn, Jaqueline and her
father were both gone.
When I saw JRqueline the next
time, it was at her own house. She
barely raised her eyes at my entrance
she did not speak; she sat there draw
ing her needle in and out, a pattern OF
prOpriety. I looked a dozen times to
assure myself that this was the dansel
of that night of f1owers-that> had
whispered sweet words to her-that ]
mad held her in my arms. It was inn
possible to believeit.
A score of these little scenes, these
oscillations, and vibrations to-day q
sunbeam, tomorrow an icicle-When,
one afternoon, just as was concluding
q brief visit, the General was sum
mOned to the door below. I stood,
looking from the window a moment,
not liking to go down just then, yei
exchanging no words with Msdemoi-
selle, when q pleasant little murmm
struck my ear-Jaqueline was singing
to herself, as if there were not another
soul in the room, and though hall
! under her breath, yet with a voice rs
rich as that Of q June thrush. 1t wa
only an air from the Opel a that we hRo
Meard together. 1 turned, and, going
down the room, stayed before her en-
brOidery frame.
Tell me, Mademoiselle, what is it
have done to offend you?'
She looked up for a moment, intend
ing to be severe and digniiied. But il
would not do. The lips pursed III
and quivered, and there came the ole
peal Of laughter.
THE small cousin marries mex
month, / whispered
There came q blush like q crimson
rose. The head bent low over the EN-.
brOidery F.; and-the General came bach
again.
Some days went on. Mademoi5elle';
| moods were variable as the weather
| My constitution would not stand i
longer, and l determined to pat my
| fate to the test.
She still sat behind her lace frame
like fixture; tracing, rs eXquisitely
as winters night traces them on the
| panes, her pattern of fern leaves anC
| wild roses there. The General haC
gone out this day, and 1 had came in
/ had been greeted with an inclination
of the head, simple sentence and
| then silence. l went to the rug, anC
warmed myself before the fire; shr
! sat at the other side, one step away
But the inclination of her head haC
given a finishing stroke to the hal
| that had loOsened as she bent over he
| work down it all came, falling roun'
her like a nuns veil. She lifted be
two little hands to part it from tn
face over which flush was streaming
like an aurora, and L stood before heI
How long do you imagine shal
4 put up with this, MademOiselle Jaque
Y line D.? Do you suppose 1 can live under
4 sky so variable, at this hour, June
the next January? HencefoTth it is t
be all summer-dO you hear ? 1 pu
this seal upon it p and, bending acros
the frame, / kissed her red warn
mouth.
She grew rs white rs she had bee
rosy her head fell forward I though
she was about to faint, and dashed tn
frame aside TO take her in my arm:
But she only hid the white face theT
, sobbing out Forgive me y ph, Mon
sieur, forgive! l thought for so Ion