Middletown transcript., 1873-10-11
Paul and Virgi l:a.

It was during the French occupation Of
Nauriiius that the tcrrihl, shipwrcek took
place which furnished H. iuariin lr =
Pierre wiils the motive for his beautiful
and touching love story, i'aai aai ~
finia. the scene uf which : lail ia thi,
l.laul In I'LL Drought . id plasns of
Iacu.ts had occasioncd a Il trible scarcity
n Maaritius, then cIllcl the Isle ct
France. aud tho following year the ~
Gctau was sent cut from IT'D no coun
Try richly laden with pfas isiou>. Ia tin
rtliei If the starving col nj. : About fanf
'tlack one tinr afternoon Rounl I.lani
was sighted from Inc ship. aud the cap.
tain NJ De Ia Marie wish IA 10 pr5it iy
4 fine moonlight. nigh, II enter what i,
now known as fanibt aa Bay, or tha Bay
Il Tnmhs. but VS. rursaa,lel II lie eni.
side until morning poraut Of TIN
..aasi tht officer allowed Ne ship 10 drift
Turing the night upon u dangerous rec.
about 4 league ffan the aud The sea
always fans high there. an i the 81 Ge.
RIM w. driven with great i5lsaee amen.
the breakers
Every eiFor, was maie 10 lower til
boats. hn, some were crush j BY the fall.
lng ma.ts, aud others were swept away
by the waves In short time the keel
was broken il two. anl the ship became Il
total wreck At the captain ; request the
chaplain pronounced general btnedir
+ iian aud absolnti1n. and the Ave Maria
Stella was sung. Then An.uel scene
+ nf inlescrihahle confusion Numbers o,
i the crew flung themselves into the sen.
/ sraspine pl1nks, oars. yArIs but the
i heavy waves tore them from their fraii
supports. aud nearly all pershed \
J brave sailar named Garet ihaie great ef.
+ flrts 10 save the captain. whom he inn
j rlarea 10 take off hs ele hit Z; hut NJ
+ H. Ia Marre whh dis playe, ia thi, catls.
+ traphe much greater fersan 81 courage and
+ ptety iiiuu seaManstlp rtiNsed 10 do So
/ On tie grenl that it did a. ., become the
dignity Of hi, position to Ia nj without his
uniform. Garet at length succeeded in
placing his captain on a plank. and by
swimming alongside eude ,yored 10 get
him safely to land EucoN Nutering. "A raft
m which some If the crew had sought
refuge the captain ihonsht he would be
sater with thea lie left the plank and
succeeded in reaching the larger support
Care, plunged to avoid collision. aud on
rising 10 the snrface aga1n was horror.
struck To find that the raft with all gu
boarl had been cngulffd
On hoard the 81 bieruR were two low
ers. Mile Malet anl NJ De peramon
wnn wer. 10 be united III marriage on
reaching the island The young man, n
anxious aud agitated as the girl was alm
aud resigned. when the others left was
/ making sort Of raft on which to save
her who was dearcr than his own life
On his knees he implnrca her 10 descend
with him on 10 the frail bl, sole horr al
safety; and 10 insure grI IAier certainty
he begged her 10 take 1H the heavier
part Of her garments This she steadily
refused TO do. When he found his mosl
earnest solicitations vain. tni all hope Of
saving her lost. though she entrea,ed him
TO leave her. he quietly tnd k from a poek
et-book n tress of her hair, kissed IT, and
placed /, on his heart. With his arm
round her 10 shield her as far rs he could
tn the last, he calmly awaited the ,erribl,
catastrophe at her side. Nor had they
Long 10 wait. for they were soon washed
from the dehk. Their bodies were pickcd
up the following day. elias ped in the cloe,
embrace in which they awaited death.
This touching incident Termed ih,
groundwork Of the beautiful story ovcl
which so many tears have fallen Mauri
tins was then but little known. and s,
Pierre's pictures of its life and scencr,
were NIL drawn from Imagination bu, III,
story bias invested The far of Island will