The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-08-07
Mrs. Fretherick.
BIZ BRET HARTE.

By BRET HARTE.
In 1853, Fiddletown considered her
very pretty woman. She had quantity
of light chestnut hair, a good figure, q
dazzling complexion, and a certain
languid grace which passed easily fors
gentlewomanliness. She always dressed
becomingly, and in what Fiddletown
accepted as the latest fashion. She had
only two blemishes one of her velvety
eyes, when examined closely, had a
slight cast, and her left cheek bore a
small scar left by a single drop OF
vitriol; happily the only drop of an en-
tire phial thrown upon her by one of
her own jealous sex that reached the
pretty face it was intended to mar. But
when the observer had studied the eyes
sufficiently to notice this defect he was
generally ineapacitated for criticism, and
even the scar on her cheek was thought
by some to add piquancy to her smile.
The youthful editor of the Fiddletown
Avalanche had said privately that it was
can exaggerated dimple." Colonel
Starbottle was instantly '' reminded of
the Identifying patches of the days of
Queen Anne, but more particularly, sir,
of the blankest beautiful woman, that,
blank you, you ever laid your two blank
eyes upon. A creole woman, sir, in
New Orleans. And this woman had a
scar, a line extending, blank me, from
her eye to her blank chin. And this
woman, sir, thrilled you, sir, maddened
you, sir, absolutely sent your blank
soul to perdition with her blank fascina-
tions. And one day I said to her,
Celeste, how in blank did you come by
that beautiful scar, blank you?' And
she said to me, Star, there isn't an
other white man that I'd confde in but
you, but I made that scar myself, pur-
posely, I did, blank me- These were
her very words, sir, and perhaps you
think it blank lie, sir, but I'll put up
any blank sum you can name and prove
it, blank me-"
Indeed, most of the male population
of Fiddletown were or had been in love
with her. OF this number about one
half believed that their love was re-
turned, with the exception, possibly, of
her own husband. He alone had been
known to express skepticism.
The name of the gentleman who en-
ioyed this infelicitous distinction was
Tretherick. He had been divorced
from an excellent wife to marry
this Fiddletown enchantress. She also
had been divorced, but it was limited
that some previous experiences of hers
in that legal formality had made it per-
haps less novel and probably less saeri-
fetal. would not have it inferred
from this that she was deficient in senti-
ment or devoid of its highest moral ex-
preston. Her intimate friend had
written (on the occasion of her second
divorced, 'The cold world does not
understand Clara yet" and Col. Star
bottle had remarked, blankly, that with
the exception of single woman in
Opeiousas parish, Louisiana, she had
more soul than the whole caboodle OF
them puG together. Few indeed could
read those lines entitled "Infelissi-
mus" commencing, Why waves no
cypress DER this brow" originally pub
lished in the Avalanche, over the sigma
ture of ''The Lady Clare" without
feeling the tear of sensibiity tremble
on his eyelids, or the glow of virtuous
Indignation mantle his cheek at the low
brutality and pitiable iocularity of the
Dutch Flat Intelligeucer, which the
next week had suggested the exotic
character of the cypress and its entire
absence from Fiddletown as n reasona-
bic answer to the query.-Fro1s 6 An
Episode Of FFddLeto50n - Scribner's