The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-24
A eALLANr,s MISTAKE.

AlglefS is Jno 1arlS Oh AITlcd, OE IdbllcL
not q portion of Africa, but a part of
France that had been created by the
armies in time of peace as it had been
conquered in war by the French arms.
Algiers is Paris, of course, but IN be-
coming French it has not lost all its
oriental peculiarities, and IN this 1t is
as mnch more attractive than Paris as
romance is to real life.
When I was ordered to remain in Al
giers with my regiment, coming from
Marseilles, / came with most delightful
anticipations. was young lieutenant
then, and nv success with the fair sex
in various garrison towns where | had
been. gave me most brilliant ideas in
regard to the adventures that would be-
fall me in Algiers. Hours, with eyes
like stars, enveloped in cashmere, COW
cred with diamonds, living in palaces
with fountains of rose-water and bowers
of orange flowers rose before me. In
deed, the officers talked so much and so
eagerly about the charms of the eastern
women, their passion and their devo-
ton, that I felt ready to risk my life to
obtain a sight of one of these lovely
creatures who haunted my dreams.
Now this was to be the romance Of
NV life. The reality was already az
ranged and settled in Europe-and to
tell the truth, though my imagination
was in Algiers, my heart was in France
with the girl to whom L had been be-
trothed since my infancy. Like all
Frenchmen, I knew that I could marry
only the young lady who would be
thought by my parents to be suited to
me in station, such and fortune. l
knew that only a wife could suit me,
and had not the ightest idea that my
eastern romance would interfere with
any of my engagements, not even with
my love.
For loved my betrothed, though
had not seen her since she was child.
The daughter of an old friend of my
fathers, she had been brought up by
her mother in the strictest seclusiOn,
and in my wandering soldiers life,
had not seen her for six years. But
this was my last wears probation at
the close of the autumn I was to return
! to Marseilies Cecile was to come with
her mother beneath my fathers roof,
and we were to be married.
The passion I intended to feel for one
of the oriental houris had nothing to do
with the holyIove for my future wife-for
the future mother of my children. She
was encased in the holiest temple of my
heart-the very altar fire of my life
4 the oriental episodes were but as the
1 tightening flashes of a summer storm,
i brief, brilliant. and evauescent.
It so happened that at one OF the cafes
/ made the acquaintance of an intelll'
gent and rich old Jew merchant, who
from the first, appeared to take an ex
\ traOrdinary interest in me. He amused
me with the details of oriental life and
manners told me the legends of thu
country, and, in fact, seemed to be
living page from the Arabian nights.
| In return I told him all the circum
stances of my life, all my military ad
ventures, and even, in a moment OF ex
traordinary confidence, went so far as t.
! tell him all about Carmen and our fu
ture marriage. This was done rathe
| to give him an idea of our Europea'
| customs than with an idea of contid1n
| in him, I scarcely felt the indellicac
! of talking about Cecile, because she wa
\ so utterly a stranger to him.
| had been some weeks in Alglers
| watching anxiously for an adventure
when one day note was placed in m,
hand. 1t was highly perfumed, an
tied, instead of being sealed, with
golden thread. It was written In mos
elegant hand, and was in the pures
French, and it bade me repair at min
o'clock to one of the mosques, where
most important revelation wOuld b
made to me. Here was an adventur
at last. In the excitement of the me
/ ment Irushed to the Jew.
"what am I to do? What does thi
mean?"
cit means that you are handsom
1 dog. and that some of our lovely VIC
men have fallen in love with you.
"What am to do ?"
"Go to the rendezvous of course.
"Will there be danger? Must g
armed ?"
cit would be more prudent:
At nine O'Clock, as the clock Struci
some one touched me on the shoulder
"You are exact-that is well, and 8
I turned beheId an old woman, dresse
in the costume of the country, standin
near me.
care you Lieutenant Raoul Duel
enc ~ said she, speaking in French, an
with only a slight accent.
"Yes."
"You are lately from Marseilles p
eyes"
"You remember Cecile ?"
"Cecile," cried" Cecile Velaze
Its she who has wTittin to you"
"Cecile. nv betrothed she is in BOl
deaux, with her mother.
"She was, but she is now here a slav
in Algiers."
But the letter is not in her VIZ
ting"
"Not as you knew her writing formel
lyg"
"True, a slave-Cecile slave ? Ho
) | did she know that / was here ?"
: "She saw you from behind the gr'
ting of her window"
, "Take me to her inclosure.
"Not until you have given me yol
. | word that you will save her"
"At the risk of my life; but how,
Heavens name, did she get here ?"
: "She will tell you all tomorrow
when you meet.
S "IIet me see her tonight. "
: Impossible"
l "To-mOrrow then | shall not re
r till then"
i "To-morrow but remember, silenc
an indiscretion might ruin all.
1 was obliged to be satisfied, but n
o excitement was so great that Icould n
restrain it. 1 confided all to my frie1
the Jew.
i "Be very prudent, said the Je'
It and remember that the French go
t ernment allows the natives the exerci
is of their religion, and the freedom
q their own special trades. To interfe
e between a merchant and his slave wou
s be dangerous.
% listened, of course, to no augument
d and at nine o'clock the next night W
is at the place the Arab woman had int
l. Gated. Cecile my Cecile, the pure a
1t gentle young girl, in the power OF
20 Mahomedsn it was horrible.
|, Follow me" said the old woma
p and we entered low gate. and after :
rious windings found ourselves III