The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-01
TILTED POVERTY.

Nj. le Marquis de la fTesnlye very
much astonished his tenants and the lit
tie town of MontT0que, situated on the
mountains of~Besel, when, one day, ac-
cOmpanied by his daughter, and fol-
lowed by only one man servant, he
arrived at the little hunting box belong
ing to lis family, which had been shut up
for ten long years, and which every enc
supposed, amid the lnagnificence of the
chateau de Freslaye in Normandy, the
Marquis had utterly forgotten.
The last time he had been to Mon
troque, he had with him Il whole train
of huntsmen, and troops of friends, fine
gentlemen that the young girls Of the
village, now staid mothers andmatrons,
remembered with signs of admiration,
while many farmer recalled the love-
ly and spirited marquiserinh her long green
habit and plumed hat, us she rode by
the side of her husband. Old g0sSips
related the wonders of her aJttumRal
toiletat mass, all rustling silk and wavy
black laee, and the cure remembered
with gratitude the donations the beau
tiftll marquise had left him-dOnations
that had brought comfort to many q
poor hearth ;md to many an anxious
heart. Now, all had passed away, the
young marquise had long been in. her
grave, the marquis had gray hair, and
his brilliant retInue had dwindled down
to one old attendant. The only ray Of
brightness was his daughter Madeleine
de Fresnaye, a girl in all the pomp Of
youth, which in itself is beauty, and
Witllan as beautiful as the brilliant,
lovely mother to whom the peasants
compared her as soon as they beheld
her.
NJ. le marquis de Fresnaye had the
windows of the little Gothic cottage all
thrown open, the furniture aired, q lit
tie washing and papering done by Mich
Olas, his servant, and so took up his
abode in Besol. The only article of
furniture he added was a magnificent
piano of Erard; not for his daughter,
but for himself the marquis being a
finished musician. The only improve
ment he effected was the wedding of
the garden, when sufficient flowers were
revealed, long smothered beneath rank
parasites 0ike true heaFts'in the world
by hyp0cPites), to form a gay pasture
beneath the pine, linden and Fir trees
around the house. An old widow from
the village, taken as a servant, compile
ted the household of the marquis, and it
became evident to all that the marquis
premeditated long stay
Now, the marquis de FUesnaye was
rich, very rich; his wife had brought
him; too, large fortune. 1t was very
| strange that just as his only child had
reached the age of entering into the
world he Should withdraw frOmit The
most absurd conjectures were made,
until Nicholas, in a, me1nents' of conf
dence to the :tavern-keeper, confessed
that since the death of Nine. la Mar
qtlise, Monsieur had taken q dislike" to
the world and all it's pOlnps, and had
finally become amiser. All was now ac-
counted for-the calico dresses Of Mile.
Madeleine, the 1HediOcrity of theirweek-
ly bills with all the tFadesmen, and even
the solitude in which they lived. Yet
Madeleine amid all this was gay, and
became each year more beautiful
sI6 was about three years after the
marquis arrival at MontpOdue THAT he
one day. ANNOUNCED to his servants and
to his daughter. that, for the first time,
he.Was going to receive visitors, and
give+a dinner. The servants stared in
astonislmeht; then the valet, an Did
servant of the marquis from the cha
teau, ,3began to suppose that the next or
der would be to pack up ana go to the
! chateau dc FFesnaye, while the old
lfousekeeper began mentally to take an
inventory of.the plates and dishes, so as
to convince herself that she had where.
| withal to set her table. AS for Made
leiHe, at the first word her father had
uttered, she blHst1ed and turned away
| AS soon, however, as the servants had
gone, each TO his avOcatioI4, NJ. de Fres.
naye seated himself on a sofa andcalled
his daughter to him. ,"s
"Madeleine,a said he, as she put he1
on his shoulder, "do yeu know who are
our guests to-day 2?
"N-that is, only One.",
Georges Rigault, elI?"
"Yes." :., ~,
"How long have you known M
Georges Rigault?"t
"Oh, it is long time since he was
first brought in here; you know the day
of the accident with his gum when he
was shooting, and slipped on our noun:
| tains, over a year ago"
q A year Well, he has been Otter
here.n ffza .4.. ....: '..:
"Not 50 very often-not too often, dt
you think ~ ijet-s~ ~'. -..' ..
"De you, Madeleine9" z" -. i.
-"0h, no; for--s
"%Don't stop in your cOnfessionssG lyon
love Georges Rigault." : 35-.tt:.sj =.
How did yoN End that Oatts99" .
"Oh, it took no very great power o1
penetration. However, it tappears' that
Georges has cOnfded TO his fathersOne.
thing very like that you have eonftlGd
to me, and 30 III. Rigault, who loves hit
SON as I love my daughter, dimes will
us to-day.n a* sr-5+. 49,
Then you consent to- W. -.
To your marriage. Rigault is q ple.
l HON xan1d RsupnT11t hin no94
but aE~-weA, he has made his fortune in
what is called commerce. He is i'm.
mensely rich and immensely vulgar
but his son Georges would DO honor ia
the neblest house IN France, and thef
/ you love him. Ali dearest Madeleine
happiness is too ephemeral a thing tt
he trifled with. have sacrificed mr.
noble preiNdiees to your happiness"
| Madeleine silently embraced her fa
ther, and then, her heart too full OF
happiness not to desire to be alone, shC
left him. @. -'- = *
M.sde Ffesnaye remained for some
time lost in thought, i'm the same atti
tllde,9 - ..fa'r ~ ........t =.-s,.s.
Provided" said he mentally. "that
he loves his son asI love Madeleine, al
will be well. HGeorges loves.the deal
child there can be no obstacle then ths
object of my life will be accomplishment 4
| His meditati0ns were interrupted bJ
the arrival of NJ. Rigault, fine hall
man, o few years younger than the mar
qnis, but whose manners answered ex
aetly TO the description the Marquis hat
given. of him. Il - III
| He lost very little time in prelimfna
Ties.- ~, az :, 3 EsEfy
Z" Gene to business,n said he, 'slatl
settle the matter before we go to din
ner. Georges loves your daughter; yOu
are willing. he says, 10. give heFtohiila--
q eonaeseeRsion, no doubt, though, !