The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-12-28
Pere HyaCimthe's Wife.
THE LOVE. STORY OF TWO CONTINENTS
TOLD By THEMSELVES.
Correspondence n. y. World

whom the first preacher of France had
sacrificed church and almost state had
a "histOry." She had been divorced
from a former husband, had been a
fashion-letter writer of an inferior
grade, had been q yender of cOrsets in
Paris, an adventUrer of varied success,
a Catholic and Protestant by turns, an
unsuccessful journalist, and had been
born III Ohio-which last statement
seemed to be the only one to be regard
ed with favor. With all due respect
for the American press, | did not be-
lieve it. The history and the marriage
were. paradOXical. Pere Hyacinthel had
been oycrrated, or my cOuntrywOman,
Emile MerIiman, had been shamefully
treated by the careless pens of Ameri-
can journalists. l liked the Pere's
Spunk i'll marrying, and I thought he
had shown good taste and good sense in
marrying an American. I wanted to
tell him SO, wanted to see his wife, and
so | went to see them.
Sending my card to Nine. LoysOn,
the servant showed me into a little
parlor, very plainly b%utneatly furnished.
A copy, OF the New York Independent
and Christian Union, containing COM
ments on the Pere's marriage,
photograph OF DOllinger, a gift from
that German refOrmer to Emile Merri-
man. On the mantel were medalliOns
in plaster of Pere Hyacinthe and Pro-
lessor Draper, of New YOrk-both cx-
ceedlngly well executed, and the Sculp-
tor Emile Merriman.
In a few moments Nine. LOysOn came
III With a pleasant, cordial greeting
the parlOr she thought a little cool, and
would l not come in her room where
she had a fire? So she led the way to a
small cosy apartment, where an easy
chair and a writing-table lent an air of
comfort combined with business. The
conversation led at once into French
customs, French society, and travel,
l may as well write it down this mo-
ment, tor l al eager to say it: | was
charmed with the woman, and under
stood perfectly how Pere Hyacinthe or
any other man would have sacrificed a
very comfortable amount of things sac
riticable to win her.
In person she is tall, Welt-propOrtiOned,
with hands to delight a SCULPTOR. moi
small and characterlesS, but large as q
Madonna's should be, and white, soft,
and shapely as love could mould, and
strong and tender as love could desire,
She has a handsome head, dark-brOwn
hair, smoothly coiffured; dark-brOwn
eyes, full OF sweetness and intelligence
a fair fresh complexion, an enchanting
mouth, and exquisite teeth. That the
Pere had an eye for personal charms it
were useless to deny; that he had a
heart for the charms of mind and heart
OF corresponding value is equally true.
for his wife, with nothing of the air OF
Il " blue stocking" is intelligent to an
unusual degree, and cOnverses with al
ease and elegance remarkable in an
American woman, remarkably well as
most American woman converse. She
betrays not the Decentralization of small
ness or trlvollty. There is It largeness,
sincerity, and ~earnestness of purpose in
all she says and does that is most win
ming. She is thoroughly religious with
out can't; her mind, heart, and person
form one complete harmony. And
= she is so genuine, so free from ar
thcial shams of dress or manner that
you at once feel at rest in her presence,
and DO not begin to wonder how she
would look if she had rings in her ears
her hair put up in puffs, or her waist
laced in one of those patent corsets
She is simply the delightful fact of a
la~Fge-hearted, high-minded, handsome
and loyal woman whom God has called
to be a heroine and who answers in
fuI! to all the demands of herOism
when Is very, very rare. After reliev,
ing myself OF all that, | am conscious OF
conveying a very meagre idea of the
} woman who robbed me of an hour that
afternoon in giving M in return &
years worth OF the chatter of common.
place women. After being presented
20 the Pere later remarked that I was
proud that he had welded an American
His face lighted radiantly with a sWee1
smile as h ereplied that he wasalso. PeTt
Hyacinthe, by the way, while speaking
, German and Italian well, speaks me
English, which surprised me Somewhat
and l Yeptured to say to Nine, LOysOr
that n would think that he had learned
Engt1Sh IN their cOurtship days.
AN, | think we had no c0urtship DAYS
III usual occupation of the term sht
replied. we saw each other rarely. anC
the question thatflled our hearts was OnC
that made us rather sad than ioyfuI,n
You first saw him in NOtre Dame
did you not?" ~
"-Oh, no; the first time / saw him.
and she smiled as she began the history
as all woman must when recalling tn,
beginning, of a happy destiny-"tht
hrst time that | saw him was in the lit
tie convent Off, That was fiv,
years ago. had heard of Pere Hya,
Glnthe, but as | was strongly opposed IL
hOman1sm l had no desire either to SEE
nm OF meet him, although greatly in,
GereSted IN religious movements. BIZ
L a g friend who was a Catholic who
morning early to the convent: the Perf
was to hold a service there for the nuns
at tive o'clock, and I went. I can as.
sure you l was not much impressed in
MS favor. He then wore the rough
dress OF a monk, his head was shaved
and he was barefOoted, I met him
again afterwards and was more favor
ably impressed with the O I was In
Rome when he wa called there by the
Fope' and saw him more there than al
any other time or place. But the whole
Life OF Catholic monks was to me So
horrible. Every human feeling, human
sympathy, and personal individuality
was so utterly repressed. I knew the
Pere's sister. She was in a convent
but she never could see her brother
alone Two others must be with her
when he came to see her, and she could
never look in hisface, unless he closedhis
eyes, and she the same when he looked
IN hers. He was not permittedto ride in
the same carriage with his own mother. IT
all seemed so terribly unnatural. snci .
persistent effort to root out of the heart
and sonl all human loves and feelings
"A Catholic gentleman was telling
me the other day that the Pere's mar
riage has had no effect whatever uDon
the Catholic priesthood that none have
expressed either sympathy or eOnerat-
ulatiOn. Is this true p" / asked
Quite the reverse she replied; but
It has not appeared on the surface. Not