National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-07-04
LOVE CONOUERS ALL.

LOVE CONQUERS ALL.
About the commencement of the thir
| teenth century there lived in the Git,
| OF Paris goldsmith, who, having come
| originally from Tours, was called the
| Tourangean, though his tru, name was
Anselm. In consequence of his great
honesty arl his unrivaled skill as q
Jew eler, he became not only proud
burgess of the city, but was admit, d
as a retainer of the King, whose pro
| lection he purchased--as was the Gus
tom in those days. H built himself O
fine stone house. near the Church OF
Saint Eloi, in the Street st. Denis,
where his forge was well known by all
the admirers OF fine iewelry. But
though beloved by the King, patronized
by the noblesse, at peace with the cler.
gv, and with chest firmly secured with
lock of his own contriving, which said
chest was well lined with gold and sill.
vercrowns, Anselm remained bachelor,
nor had his heart ever futtered with
the delicious throbs of love. This was,
perhaps, because of his early poverty
because when he came up to Paris he
was poor. Also, he was timid, retir-
ing, and filed full of poetic imaginings
which, instead of being rendered into
distiches and hemistitches, appeared in
the chasing and chiselings OF his jewels
If ever ideas of love, if desire of beauty
ut any time entered into the head of the
Touraugean, they were soon translated
into delicate engravings, little golden
figures, fine forms of silver ware, with
which he delighted the connoisseurs of
the Court. Add to this that Anseim
wa very naive and simple, fearing God
first, then robbers, next the great lords,
and ,Vmults and seditions especially
His ART was the one thing of his life,
and any other thought was quickly re
pressed. Because of his isolation and
his natural timidity, the priests and the
men at arms did not think him very
wise because he spoke little, and when
he did speak his voice was low and
sweet like woman's.
Up to his forty first year the gold
smith remained a virgin heart ignorant
of love. One Sabbath day, wandering
along the left bank of the Seine, with
his head full of dreams of marriage, he
came unwittingly into the meadow land,
which has since been called Pre- aux
clercs, but which at that time was part
OF the fair domains of the Abbey of St
German. Walking through this meadow
he stumbled suddenly upon poor girl
holding by an old rope a poor thin COW,
who browsed upon the herbage close to
the pathway. Seeing a handsome, we'll
dressed gentleman approaching her, she
saluted him, saying: "God save you,
Monseigneur. Her voice was so full
OF sweetness, so musical, and so friend
ly that Anselm felt his soul vanquished
by the sound. and immediately fell in
love with the girl, being, as he was,
possessed with thoughts of marriage at
that very time. Nevertheless, he pass
ed her without speaking, being timid
70 the last degree with women, and it
was not until he had gone by at least
bow-shot that he reflected that master
goldsmith, kings retainer, and burgess
of Paris might make his bow to any fair
lady If he. felt like it. Having muster
ed up courage, he wheeled sharp round,
and came back to the girl, who still
held her COW by the cord.
"Ah, my little one," said he, lyon
must be very poor if you work on Gods
day. Are you not afraid of being put
in prison %
"Monseigneur," replied the girl,
casting down hereyelids, 81 have moth
ing to fear because l belong to the Alb
pey there. The Lord Abbot has given
us leave to Craze the COW after vespers.
do you love your COW better than
your soul n safety NV Girl o'
AN, Monseigneur, this poor beast is
Uuly the half of our poor life"
L wonder, my dear, to see you so
poor and so ragged, all in tatters, and
with naked feet in the fields on Sunday,
seeing that you are so beautiful. Have
none OF tho young men of the city
'aiked OF marriage to you p
An, no, sir. lifelong to the Abbey
sa'd she, showing to the goldsmith a
bracelet on her left arm not unlike that
worn by cattle, but without bell. And
sue smiled sadly at Anselm, who be-
came s quite melancholy with sympathy
ior her sadness.
why, what is all this ?" he resumed,
.D,uching the bracelet where the arms OF
'ne Abbey were clearly engraved, but
W iihhCi
,Monseigneur, am the daughter of
. slave. SO, whoever will marry me |
pll become a serf, were he burgess of
farls, and would belong, body and
goods, to the Abbey and on account of
ms am abandoned by every one-de-
serted and desolate, like beast of the
neld. But that which grieves me most,
>, 'aiu she, shedding a few warm tears,
some day, when it please1 the Lord
abbott l shall be married to another
5erf. Even if we're less homely than
. ! am, no young man would look on me
! second time, after he had seen this"
'ouchlng her bracelet, "for the most
aamorous would flee from me as from the
black death"
90 saying. she sighed from the bottom
n n. her heart, and gave little pull upon
me rope, to make the COW follow her.
,elm. e 'ou '''U -,
don't know, Monseigneur, but the
rsther Abbot has il in the registry"