The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-11-12
A New Orleans Romance.

One of the best Of Wilkie Collins inter
esting stories is called "No Name" and
incidental to the unfolding of its narrative.
occurs mention of the city of New Or
leans, from whence one of the chief char
acters in the story receives mysterious
letter. "No Name" is purely work OF
fiction. and it is told in Collins own mag
netic style. so that it commands the earn
est attention of even the most critical Of
readers.
Curiously enough in this late day, that
fiction has come to find in the same New
Orleans prototype of truth-a realistic
episode which might well have served for
the groundwork of Collins remarkable
narrative.
The facts of the case, which were pre-
scented to the writer but thirty-six hours
ago, will be here briefly given:
Up to within a year ago there resided IN
the city, well known in fashionable cir
cles, middle aged gentleman-a wealthy
retired merchant-and charming young
| lady, who was known before the world as
his daughter The gentleman was left
widower early i'm life, and thereafter de-
voted himself to the society of his daugh
ter who, deeply affectionate toward her
| father, lavished her care, solicitude, and
! love upon him, even to the exclusion OF
| free participation in the fashionable pleas
ures of life. which were bountifully at her
command. Whenever she ventured forth,
either for the promenade, the interchange
of social courtesies, or an occasional IN
/ diligence in fetes and amusements, she
was ever seen at her fathers side, and she
was happily content to manifest her earn
est desire TO seek no other sOciety-no
other friendship.
Thus these two lived and loved togeth-
er. and they became invested in the circle
of their society with a hallowed Interest
and the story of their lives was a subject
which entered largely into the current so
ciety topics of the day. 1t was generally
understood that the daughter was the sole
heiress to her fathers great possessions
and that his death would transmit to hel
the riches of princess. This was, indeed
the avowed sentiment of her father, and hC
failed not to impress upon her mind tho
fact that in his will he would indicate thai
his purpose had been faithfully carried tc
fruition.
Here, however, is presented the frs
parallel to the fanciful creation of Collins
brain.
Paterfamilias deferred the making of hi
will from day to day, although urged to de
so by his daughter, but 10th, as man us
uallv is, to take up the theme which bring
before his mind the unpleasant subject o
death.
Less than a twelve-month ago he wa
suddenly stricken with fatal illness, ant
then for the first time nerved himself to
determination to execute the will in ful
fillment of his duty; but the hand of death
which had come upon him, stayed not it
; force for the consummatiOn of his desire
and ere he could work out that wish n
died. And now steps in the second paral
lei to Collins creation. The death of tn
father revealed that she whom the worlt
had looked upon as his daughter was hi
Legitimate child. She had not for year
been painfully aware of it; her father
relatives had known of it, and 10! tn
sequel of the story is furnished in the re
cital that when the grave closed over tn
departed they appeared to claim his pos
sessions, and to drive forth in the wOrlt
the fair Young girl who had earned the re
ward of paternal love, but who, through
the inscrutable dispensatiOns of Prov
dence, found herself at last homeless
friendieSs and poor, turned adrift TO battl
with the bitter realities of life, without
name and without friend.
The kindred of the man, whose dylni
moments were embittered by the though
that the object of his life's love woul
suffer through his own unmeant injustice
were legally the possessors of that wealt
which was. by every sense of right, he
meet reward, and they: turned from he
: who bore no name as from one who's
presence infected their very existence
Thus then has the story ended. The out
. cast still lives in her native city, treadin
the hrmbest path of life, seeking b
] I. l. 70
livelihood. She lives within herself, drift
ing through life unnoticed. and shrinkin
from contact with the world, whose cruz
sorrows have blighted her life, She ma
be seen each day threading the crowde
thorourhfares in the hurried pursuit {
her calling, but of the hundreds who pas
and repass her few dream of the sorrowfr
history of which she is the heroine.-Nct
; Orleans Times.