Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-10-27
nth Mademoiselle De NORM we can not

with Mademoiselle De NORM we can not
tell, but certain it is, when the young
lady, some time afterward, was told by
her father that he had selected hus-
band for her, she startled him by the an
nounccment that he might save himself
that trouble, and that she had already
made her own choice.
The old gentleman was at first aston
ished, and then became furious. But
his daughter briefly told him that she
wanted no one but Captain NJ Mahon, of
the Fourth Regiment of the Line.
And now began curious struggle be-
tween the exasperated father and the
determined daughter Notwithstanding
the efforts of NJ. De Norm to intercept
Heloise's correspondence with her lover,
frequent letters were exchanged between
the two; and when Captain M'Mahon
was sent to Algeria, they pledged them
selves to remain true to one another.
This separation lasted three years, until
1912, when NJ Mahon. who had greatly
distinguished himself in Africa, sudden
ly fell heir to considerable property.
This softened the obdurate heart Of NJ
De NORM and in 1914 Heloise became
the wife of Lieutenant-C Colonel Nina
hon.
She accompanied him to Africa, and
wrote from thence to the Gazette de
France series of anonymous sketches
on Algerian life, which were favorably
noticed by the critics, and which, oddly
enough, were generally attributed to a
distinguished officer of the French army.
In 1549 Madame NJ Mahon returned
to France, where the successive deaths
of her three children almost broke her
heart. She took up her abode at her
husbands property, Sully, near Autun,
and lived in the deepest retirement,
from which she emerged only after the
Crimean war, when her husbands gal
lantry had made him the most popular
general in France
She moved into modest house with
him in Paris, avoiding as much as pos
sible to come in contact with the impe-
rial court, for which she entertained an
invincible repugnance, partly, probably,
on account of the to her distasteful friv.
olties of the Empress and her surround.
ings, and partly too because, having
been brought up amidst all the preju.
dices and houteur of the old aristocracy
she could not bring herself to relish the
paryenus that ruled supreme at the Tuil
cries.
On one occasion, shortly before New
Year lie jour d etrennes. she met the
Emperor Napoleon the Third Will,
walking with her two children through
large Partisan toy store. The Emper
or was piqued by the GOODNESS which thu
duchess bad displayed toward his court
and he adroitly tried to conquer he
aversion. Taking her children by tn
hand, the autocrat caused them to Sc
leet the most superb toys, until sh'
finally interfered, and said to the En-
peror:
"Sire, your kindness is unfortunatel,
useless. What will my little ones d
with these beautiful things in Africa
whittier [ shall take them tomorrow
and rejoin my husband ? .
The Emperor bit his lips. He hat
failed in his purpose to conciliate hel
1t is needless to recapitulate here tn
events of the next few years. Like eve
ry true daughter of France, Madam
M'Mahon suffered intensely. The new
of her husband S defeat at Woerth pros
trated her so that her life was despaire
of; and when she returned to Versatile
after the war she looked ten years Older
and her hair had assumed silver
tinge. Those who knew her best sa
that she has an excellent heart, that sh
is nobly ambitious, a generous foe. er
dowed with considerable literary talent;
kcen-sighted in politics, and ferver
Christian. -Bazar.