The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1872-06-08
Marguerite.

|
the rendezvous Of students, artists aud
Bohemians of whatever degree and class
In it spent three of the bappiest, mos,
indepe',dant years of my lito. There
hid the contest, sunuiest rooms in the
world, away up in the third story, where
Victr brought me every morning
delicious bowl os hot coffee from the
cremerie around the corner; where my
friends the German students, went
trampinS past my room ut all hours OF
the night, home from Mablle or the
lloserie de Lilas; where my window
| oked across the street into the work
room of flock of industrious, tidy
griseites who chutted aud laughed all
day long as merrily as it their destiny
was not first the streets, and then the
commune iosse-poor souls here
got to see somewhat of The life of this
vast Paris, so brilliant, So fascinating on
/ the suriace-such Il mass of fostering
horror at the bottom And there, too.
| saw Marguerite.
She lived on the thru Hoor back she
and her old rheumatic mother; and
from the earliest red of dawn till the
night was far spent, the pretty, patient
little creature worked at her ira e of
making artificial flowers. She was a
little thing, just rounding out of her
teens-slight, fair as one of her own
lilies, curling dark hair cropped close
to her pretty head-it was so much less
trouble, so she said-and a pair of the
loveliest, most wonderful eyes that ever
pure soul shonc out of-pallucd, blue
and soft-ever smiling-poor child, her
life was SO hard, but full of that divine
tenderness which Rapael paints in the
eyes nl his Madonnas.
used TO hear her bltnc little voice
singing at her work. She had II canary.
too, which sang louder than She. but not
half SO sweetly, andasp potsofmi snonett, :,
which she tended with touching faith.
fulness. And these were her pets-with
her old mother, her only friends No
lover-that prime necessity of the
French girl--as yet. | fancy the
sarcons OF the neigh boring cafe, or the
rough German students, could not have
been much to her taste. Aud SO she
was alone-a little, pure white flower in
ths heart of great city, where wicked
ness is so much easier ttan virtue
When L first came to understand this,
said in my heart, God help poor little
Marguerite
l had been her neighbo, six months.
when one night | heard low tapping
at my door, aud on opening It, found
this pretty little creature there Her
violet eyes were strained with alarm,
and her cheeks pa er than the lilies, rs
she told me, bravcly choking back her
sobs, that Victor had said thai m.nsicur
was doctor. and her m ,ther WIS very
ill-ben nalads-wipips her eyes aud
would [, in my great goodness, come
and see her?
vi course | would, and did found
the poor woman suffering severely, her
| disease having attacked The heart. and
before it was etfcctually relieved, Mar
guerite aud had become great friends
and allies.
The relief was only reprievo at
! h:-. Ann.har attack was imminent
and it was not probable she could sur
viye it told Marguerite this one day,
INV own heart aching as | saw her
whitening checks
"And then, my poor child, what will
you do ? You will be all alone then "
"You too, monsieur. Are you going
also z"
"Ah, Marguerite! My studies will
soor be ended, and there is a dark eyed
maiden in my own land who is waiting
for me-"
If | had any fancy-but | had not
that | had touched Marguerite 5 innu-
cent heart, it died there aud then. Her
delicate cheeks flushed with II tender
rose.
"Oh, monsieur! You never told me
that. All, ciel But how beautiful
that is n'
Dear heart She made me tell her
all about our wooing, and our hoped for
wedding; and | believe the small cot.
tage where we expected to set up house
keeping was as visible to hor mind
eye as to mine.
We got on iamously after his confer
nnnu lhn 1.ll ...l., :. l. 49,. -